2938: Guardian

Chapter Four.

Why in the hell was there blood, on my white carpet?! I couldn't quite understand as to why there was blood, and why he was on the ground—but upon turning my head, someone else stood in my room. A loud gasp emitted from my lips and because of the shock, I had backed up which only resulted in me hitting my own ground, beside Otis. 

"Argh," I somewhat gagged, and was quick to get up on my feet. In front of me, a boy, my age? Porcelain-like skin, and he looked awfully similar to me. "And who the hell are you?" I asked, my tone snappy and full of fear; mainly because I didn't know if I was imagining these things, or if it was actually real.

"My name is Juno, and I'm a part of you." Juno's response only made me burst out into a fit of laughter; unsure whether or not this was a horrible or joke, or if I had finally gone insane? I couldn't place my feelings at the time, and with my laughter dying down slowly, the figure did not disappear but perhaps appeared to be more prominent. Was this not a lie? Was my brain really seeing 'a part of me' – though why was that part male? None of this made any sense, though partially it did. When I had my freaky session of how I needed to know if I could contact the spiritual world, was this it? Was he just that?
"Juno or whoever you are, that's a really good joke, but how can you be a part of me, when I don't even know myself?" She laughed, though in reality she meant what she said. "If I'm going insane at this point, then I don't know how to fix myself." A sigh filled the room, and Juno had placed a hand on my shoulder, and I could actually feel his presence—it was bizarre.

Maybe he really was there and wasn't just an illusion. Though why did she not see him sooner? Why wait 20 years to be seen? Why now? All these questions were going through my mind, but feeling his hand upon my shoulder, felt very reassuring and almost needed. However, while getting lost in the many confusing thoughts I currently have, I almost forgot about Otis.

...

Turning around to be standing, face to face with Juno, I pointed to him. "Is he okay?" I didn't know anything about harming people, nor hitting people with a book—so I waited for an answer, yet the male was just looking at me, as if I was a fool. I didn't spend my days searching up 'how to kill a boy'or 'how to get rid of a dead body'– but that might just be what they needed. "Oh, he's dead." She heard, and her jaw dropped wide open. Was he serious. "Are you telling me, that there's a dead body, in my room?!" I raised my voice at Juno, in complete and utter shock. I couldn't believe, that he had just killed an innocent boy, who I didn't even know!
"He was going to hurt you, Juniper. I had to step in. This was my calling and I had to protect you!" He explained; and I could only roll my eyes. Was I about to have an argument with someone I've never met?

...

Taking a deep breather, I closed my eyes for a mere moment and nodded. "Okay, well, do you know how to get rid of a dead body?" I was worried. I didn't know my mother's schedule, and neither did I know when my father would come back from his little trip. It could be any minute for all I care, and I was worried – deadly. Juno looked at Otis, and he was almost admiring him; which only caused me to smack his arm. "Will you figure this out and not look at him like that? Disgusting." I felt goosebumps forming all over my skin, and so I decided to start rolling his body up in my rug; which I no longer want to have in my room, considering the blood that was very evidently contrasting against the white fabric. "Do you mind helping, or will you just stand there looking like a fool?" He truly, was no help at this very moment. I wasn't even the one who killed him.

...

How on earth were we, a non-living being and I, supposed to get rid of a body? I don't understand as to why I deserve this. I absolutely don't! Maybe this is all because of the fight I had with Jess, though thinking that over, that can't be it. She was the one to have ruined the friendship we had. She only proved for her to be untrue and disloyal to me, when I always give my pride and joy to all the people I love. Whatever, she doesn't deserve me. Now? Now I have a dead soul attached to me, and I need to figure out more—after we have gotten rid of the body. It could not stay in my room for much longer before I would throw all of noodles, right back up. It was ridiculous. "Why did you find the need to kill him? It's not like I would have allowed for him to do...anything." I slowed down my sentence at the very end, only because I was unsure. Who would have known what could have happened? Otis must've only come here in order to play his little game. He must've also lied to me when he said that Jess was the one who wanted him, but he declined. At this very moment, none of this made sense. I really am going insane.

...

"Juno – let's get to work. If you can touch me, you can pick up the other end of his body. We need to burn him. Remove all traces, because you murdered some guy." I was surprisingly calm in this situation, only because I know if I was to freak out, that would do absolutely no good. For neither myself, or Juno, or the dead body. "I did it, to protect you Juniper. Not to harm...him. Turns out the book was heavier than I tho—" He was paused because I gave him a look, signaling to start working, knowing that we didn't have all day to rid of this body. A bonfire? Could we fake a possible bonfire? There were so many things running through my mind, that I could slowly feel myself faint, yet I managed not to. We don't need another useless (or possible dead) person, as of right now. Or ever again. But, hypothetically speaking, what happens if people find out? What happens if the police show up, asking if we've seen 'Otis Tranio'. I would have to lie, pretend to be shocked, when in reality I know exactly what happened! Can I tell the truth? Absolutely not. They would lock me up in a mental hospital due to telling things such as: Oh, this dead being named Juno did it! Otis was about to do things to me, but Juno stopped him before he could!

This, all of this, is definitely not happening. If anything, I would be the one to either find myself in a psychiatric, or jail. Most likely both. Probably at the same time, if that's even possible.

...

If you can't tell, my dear friend, I'm panicking. Juno and I proceeded to carefully carry the body out, and we hurried to have it the trunk. What I didn't know until that very moment, that Juno did not exist to the outside world. No one, besides me is able to see him. If anyone saw me and him (though really only me) carrying a body the way, we did? They would faint, as it looked as if the dead body was defying gravity on its own. I didn't know, the abilities I would have with Juno by my side. "Who exactly are you? Why are you linked to me?" I asked once him and I had gotten into the car after we, or I, had gotten everything I need for my wonderful and cozy bonfire.

"Who am I? I'm your brother, Juniper." Juno admitted honestly, and it did not feel like a lie. It did not sound as if he made it up, but I just didn't quite understand as to how, or why I was able to see someone, who wasn't really there. None of this, made any sense to me, and it baffled me. I wanted to understand everything. "The only brother I have though, is Joshua. I don't know anything about you." My voice, distraught. I was confused and didn't quite know where to begin.

...

"Oh, Juniper. It's quite simple, actually. I'm shocked our mother has never mentioned of me. Or maybe she has, and you don't want to recall it." Juno leaned back into the car seat, just as cockily as Joshua would have – maybe we were related, after all. How though? I dug into my thoughts, my memories. Wondering if my mother has ever mentioned of Juno. I recalled absolutely nothing. And so, I shook my head in utmost honesty, my eyes shifting towards the male who was sat beside me, longing for an answer. I needed to know, why, or how it was possible.

Juno's similarly colored eyes met my own, and it was a feeling of connection. There was a certain feeling of trust, and perhaps that is why I was as calm as I appeared to be. I trusted him. Was it true? Has he always been by my side? Did I just not know?

"So, are you the one who makes me feel all these things? You know, those really horrible gut feelings?" I asked in all seriousness, and the other only began laughing, shaking his head. "I may be able to kill someone, but I'm not really there. It's all in your head. You only see me, because you want to see me." He replied, and I found it to be a lie. He was playing mind tricks with me, and I didn't like it one bit.

...

"That can't be. You weren't there before. For 20 years of my life." I had to confront him, and my eyes were smaller, in a squinting manner. I didn't believe the whole 'you only see me because you want to' bullshit. If I would have wanted him to be there with me, he would have been there when I was five. And so, I crossed my arms once parked by the forest, waiting for a truthful response.

"Alright, maybe not. You got me there!" He joked, pointing his index fingers at me, a cheeky smile upon his features, and I only emphasized that I really wanted his answer.
"I appeared now, because you need me. I've been with you, all those years. I've watched you grow up, Juniper. I've watched you have your first kiss—which was way too awkward to witness, I turned my head away. I'm always there. I know you, better than you know yourself, so if you try, to ruin what we have, you are going down with me." Juno responded and opened the car door; leaving me in complete silence, my lips apart from one another. I was speechless. Did a ghostjust threaten me? Did Juno Winstonjust threaten me? I couldn't believe my eyes, nor my ears at this point, and all I could think about, was the dead body lying in my trunk.