The Spectre

Chapter Twenty Five : Weird Lady

Saturday

I woke up realizing I've been drooling in my sleep. I know it's not a sophisticated sight of someone waking up but hey, it happens. I wipe the remaining drool on the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand and after some yawning and stretching I finally left my unkempt bed. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, changed my pajamas with a shirt and frayed shorts and then went downstairs.

I saw mom and Aunt Ingrid move in a haste as I reach the kitchen to have some breakfast, they look in a hurry. I'm guessing they woke up late. I glanced at the wall clock near the dinner table and found out it's already fifteen minutes past eight o'clock. They usually leave around seven since the spice shop opens at eight, what could've happened with these two?

"Good morning mom, good morning Aunt Ingrid." I greeted them politely. If I hadn't done so I'm sure they wouldn't notice me standing there watching them.

"Oh! Good morning, Arya!" Aunt Ingrid barely took a glance at me as she flip the pancakes in the frying pan. "Sit down, breakfast is almost ready."

"C'mon dear." Mom motioned for me to take a seat on the dinner table while she's making some coffee. I pull out a chair and sat down.

"You guys woke up late huh?" I asked them.

"Well, yeah.. There are a lot of costumers yesterday and it's a little late when we closed the shop. I guess your mom and I got really tired that's why we didn't wake up as early as we should." Aunt Ingrid answered as she place the pancakes on the table. "Your mom's complaining that she has a headache but keeps on insisting she would still come with me. Why don't you tell her to just stay home and rest?" She sounded like she's asking for my help to convince my mom to take the day off. I looked at my hardheaded mother who pretended like she didn't hear a thing. I know what kind of answer I'll be getting from her so I shrugged.

"It's okay aunt, she would do just fine." I told my aunt and saw mom's lips curved into a tiny smile. My mom is a known workaholic, both my parents are actually, and I know very well that a headache won't stop them from working.

"Thank you my dear daughter." Mom winked at me as she handed me a cup of hot chocolate and took a seat beside me. "Your Aunt Ingrid here worries so much about me."

"Of course not! I just don't want to hear you complain that you have a headache for the rest of the day my dear little sister." My aunt joked as she took a seat and winked at me.

"As if you're not worried, Ingrid." Mom smirked. "You've always treated me like a baby for Christ's sake."

"And you always liked it, Johanna." Aunt Ingrid replied and the both of us laughed.

"Shush! We're already late! Let's hurry eating!" Mom exclaimed.

"I couldn't imagine mom being babied." I snickered. Mom gave me the warning look and I just smiled at her sweetly.

"Arya honey," Aunt Ingrid butted in, "Would you mind watering the plants outside afterwards? I couldn't do it anymore because we're running late. Is it okay dear?" Her tone was soft and sweet and if you're in my place you couldn't say no. But anyway, it's an easy task and I could do it so I nod my head in response. "Thank you, darling." She smiled and pinched me on the cheek. Ugh! I saw my mom suppress a giggle.

The two of them left in a rush leaving me with two tasks; (a) washing the dishes and (b) watering the plants. As soon as I'm done with washing the dishes I went outside to do my second chore.

I'm humming the song Come on Eileen by Save Ferris as I water the plants when all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shape of a person standing on my left side and it seemed like whoever it is had been staring at me. I quickly turned my head towards my left and I held my chest as I saw who it was, it's the lady who lives on the house across Aunt Ingrid's. The one GD called Mrs. De Jesus.

This woman almost scared the hell out of me! WTF?!

I smile at her, "Good morning, ma'am. What can I do for you?" I try not to look spooked and keep my cool. It's weird because she just stare at me with those gray eyes of hers like I am an apparition or something. "Ma'am?" I asked her again.

"Pray, child.." Mrs. De Jesus told me hoarsely as she made a sign of the cross to herself. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, and to be honest, I almost laughed with her actions. I only see this in horror movies and I don't expect to see something like it in real life. I feel like I'm about to laugh in any minute.

"What are you saying?" I smile and ask her in my most modest manner.

"Open your eyes, child. Open your eyes.." She pointed a finger at me. "You do not know what you're dealing with. You're being haunted."

Okay. This is really freaking me out. I thought to myself and the hairs on the back of my neck and arms raised.

"I don't know what you're saying--"

"Pray!" Mrs. De Jesus exclaimed, her eyes wide. I saw her raise a hand and I thought she's about to throw something at me but it turned out she just sprinkled me with some liquid coming from a bottle I didn't realize she was holding. I got targeted mostly on the face and I squirm.

"Hey!" I shout. This crazy wom--

"Pray.." She mumbled and slowly walked away glancing back at me several times before she entered her house. I saw her took a last glance at me through her windows and draw her curtains in an eerie way.

"I can't believe that woman!" I exclaimed wiping my face with my hands. "Jeez.." I shook my head and finished watering the plants in a rush, I don't want that weird neighbor of us to come back at me and act psycho again. As soon as I'm done I hurriedly went inside the house and locked the doors.

"She said I'm being haunted.." I whispered. Why did she say that? I don't even see ghosts for crying out loud! Sheesh. What a weirdo. But somehow she really gave me the jitters and I wriggled as I remember our encounter awhile ago.

"I think I better go clean the whole house as well." I muttered. I need to be preoccupied and make myself busy instead of being troubled by what that crazy Mrs. De Jesus just told me.

Haunted? Whatever.

(I got kinda busy with family affairs and stuff but anyway, thanks for waiting for this update. Will try to update a few more soon. Ciao!)