Phantom Illusion

Part 1

The award function is over and he's tired as fuck. He's in his car riding in his shotgun seat brushing his award idly.

A hero is what they call him. He smirks at that thought. He's just dashed a fan causing him to drop his phone who asked him for a selfie. He's avoided people many times yet they come to lick his boots. The human crowd is as ignorant as a school of fish he thinks without a morsel of gratitude.

It is raining pretty bad. The car takes it's turn toward the parking stalls inside the apartments. As the car reaches it's slot, the lights around waver a bit and there's total blackness except for the headlights ahead and the faint light inside the car.

"What's that?" he muses out loud.

"It's pouring too much. So the power is arrested at some places,"says the Chauffeur and pops out of the car.

He grunts and sits inside for a while waiting for the Chauffeur to return.

On spotting a few men from the control room, he gets out of his car.

"What the hell happened?" he asks furiously for having him wait.

"We're so sorry sir, an unknown source seriously messed up with the generators. It will take some time for us to mend it." says one of the members.

He bite backs a curse. "You do know, right? What this will bring upon your lives?" he says with a fiendish smile.

"We're extremely sorry--"

"Get the hell out of here," he cuts in. And they obey which leaves him with the Chauffeur.

He's lackadaisical and weary. And as an add on his flat lies on the seventh floor, too high from the ground. No way he could climb all his way. He may look very athletic in his movies but the so called "heroes" in film life can be so flimsy in real life.

"Fine, drive me somewhere else," he says.

"Sir, it doesn't feel safe."

And as if on cue a thunder growls.

He groans. "Who the hell are you? My advisor? Don't wanna work? Give the keys and be off."

"Alright sir," says the Chauffeur and opens the door for him to sit.

The engine springs to life.

His phone vibrates and he takes it out. There's a single message from an unknown number. It reads..

'I'm waiting..
not so fascinating..
but it would be..
once before one thirty..'
Yours,
in your dearest mansion.

He smirks because he knows who it is.

"Where to sir?" the chauffeur asks.

"To the mansion," he commands.

They reach the mansion at twelve fifty seven pm. The pouring doesn't stop or lessen.

"You can sleep in the car. We'll start in the morning."

The Chauffeur nods.

In no less time he's at the threshold of the mansion fumbling for the keys in his pockets.

He unlocks the door and steps inside. It's dark, but he closes the door and gropes for the switches to his right. His fingers feel the plastic on the wall and he turns on one. When there's no tint of light anywhere he turns on all of them and yet none. It must be her idea then.

"Sweets!" he calls out. "Where are you dear?" he says aloud. But there's no response.

Lightning flashes now and then and he can see bits of what is in front him for a fraction. His retina now gets used to the gloom a tad better. He tries to turn on the flashlight in his mobile only to find its battery on last legs. He grunts and walks slowly.

"Demoiselle! Your Duke is here. Come out now and stop this hide and seek," he says.

Lightning strikes and he sees a lone figure standing atop the stairs. In those brief few seconds he sees her clad in a white negligee and her dark hair left loose. For a second it felt too familiar.

"I hope you know you look like a banshee," he says laughing. She doesn't laugh.

"Ah, come down will you? he says restlessly. He can't see her well enough but he can feel her standing there not budging an inch.

"I should come up?"
No response.

"What the--"

He stops abruptly, he can hear her footfalls slow but steady.
He patiently waits for her to descend the steps. He tries to rush to her when she is at the final step but a sharp look from her keeps him where he is. She paces like doll, a few feet in front of him.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

She stops pacing and looks at him. She looks so pale that he doesn't have much trouble locating her in the dark.

"Long time no see" she says cocking her head sideways. Her voice inexplicably hoarse.

"Guess you have become old enough for me to dump you then" he says sardonically.

"That's what you do, don't you? Wreaking havoc in our lives if you get bored," she huffs.

He raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" he asks.

"Oh you don't know? What a good actor! No wonder you have such a huge flock," she says.

"Cut the crap! I'm done!" he hollers.

"Well you shouldn't be. It's not over yet. It's not one thirty yet. I'll kill you when it's time," she says.

One thirty? White negligee?

Realization hits him like ice. It's the girl. His former girlfriend whom he killed mercilessly. His heart hammers in his chest. The girl's a banshee? Incapacitated his girlfriend? He doesn't know.

"I'll kill you again Darling," he croons.

"Oh shut up! I can hear your heart pounding till here," she mocks.

Lightning bolt strikes and he's seeing the girl's face. The girl he killed a year back. He gasps and takes a step back. He doesn't know if he is imagining things or he's really experiencing. The girl cackles like a witch.

"It's one twenty five ," she purrs. "How romantic for we both to die at the same time," she says extending her hands.

Can he overpower a banshee? He doesn't know. He feels his nerves twitching. He collapses on to the floor. His heart fluttering like a bird in his rib cage.

He can hear her laughing.

"Hey everybody look our great actor is scared of banshees" she says trying to help him sit up. "I can't believe you fell for it. After all this is your script," she says laughing.

"This script was hand overed to me by your Chauffeur this morning. I had to practise a lot," she explains in between her laughter.

So this was a prank? His script? He doesn't know about that. His Chauffeur gave her this? What the hell?

But he can't speak no matter how hard he tries.

She stops laughing, slowly coming to her senses,"What happened to you?" she asks concerned that something has gone wrong.

"Hey, hey!" she says shaking him.

A thunderbolt strikes for the umpteenth time and he is seeing the girls bloody face cackling. He doesn't know if it's real or not but his heart doesn't want to beat again.

It's one thirty.