Akai Ito - Reggie (Julie and the Phantoms)

One Shot

Do you know that Japanese legend about soulmates? The one about the red string that connects the fingers of two people destined for each other? The one that says the string can stretch and tangle, but never break? Yeah. That is all true. Even though I sometimes wish it wasn't. Well, I'm the romantic type, who dreamed of finding out who was on the other side of my string, but then I turned 18 and died two weeks later. I wish I could say that I crossed over to the other side, but in fact I ended up trapped like a ghost with my father - since he died with me and was the reason of my death - many decades ago. Which means that whoever is on the other end of the string will never know who I am. So no, I don't like the idea of soulmates as much as I used to.

"Honey, why do you look like that?" I heard my father's voice taking me out of my thoughts and I realized that I spent a lot of time just looking at my little finger while I was sitting in front of the dressing room mirror.

"It's nothing." I replied, turning on the bench to face daddy's blue eyes. "Did Willie arrive yet?"

"Yes." he replied, leaving the cup of tea on the table. "And, apparently, his three new friends too."

I broke into a smile. I always looked forward to meeting new people. This is often a little difficult when you spend most of your time in a ghost club hidden behind the facade of an abandoned hotel.

"Are you ready?" he asked and I took a quick look in the mirror in front of me before nodding and following him.

But when I poofed in the hall, it wasn't on the stage beside my father, since my cue was only for dessert. I always waited at the top of the stairs to see his performance from a privileged view. As exhausting as it was to see the same musical performance almost every week, I couldn't deny that some of them involved and excited me every time. But when the music started and he went down from the stage to the space in front of the tables I felt that something would be different. I felt a twinge and it took me a while to realize it was on my finger. Yes, the one that I faced not even half an hour before.

I opened my eyes wide when I lifted my finger and felt the finger tighten a little more.

My soul mate was here, in this room.

I swallowed hard, thinking that there were only a few new ghosts here and new customers. Living customers.

"Let's go." I almost jumped when I heard my dad behind me again. "Are you OK, darling?"

I ignored your question. "Where are we going?"

"Why, William brought guests. We need to have a... conversation... with them.

I frowned when I detected an omission in his tone of voice, but said nothing when he took my hand and placed it on the crook of his elbow. As we approached the table right in front of the stage, I felt my finger tighten and my heart racing. Was it possible that one of Willie's friends was my soulmate? As we got closer I started to take their details. One had a big blue coat, with brown hair falling over his forehead. The blond in the denim jacket must have been Alex, the first Willie had met and apparently his soulmate. But the latter caught my attention the most - and also what caused my pulse to accelerate. White skin and pink cheeks, leather jacket and black hair tossed aside. Was it him?

"Told you, the guy's got skills." I managed to make out Willie's voice as we approached.

"So where'd he go?" said the boy in the leather jacket, turning towards the stage before turning towards us. "Oh wow! Found him! There is!"

"Hello, boys. Caleb Covington and this is my daughter, Camille." Dad introduced us, opening his free arm invitingly. I smiled when the boys looked at me, but my gaze was fixed on the leather jacket one. "Welcome to the Hollywood Ghost Club. Enjoying the show?"