Five more days.
Just five more days before she was either free…
Or consumed completely.
The thought of the latter made Elaine shiver involuntarily. Not from the cold, the evening air was mild, but from something that felt far darker.
Tension lingered around her constantly now. It wasn't visible, but it pressed against her chest, wrapped around her lungs, settled into her bones.
She could feel it.
And it terrified her.
Allan, on the other hand, rarely showed much emotion. His face remained composed most of the time, his voice steady. He reassured her when necessary. Stayed close. Watched over her.
But even in his calmness, she sensed something unspoken.
Last night hadn't been easy.
After meeting the soul leech, the day had passed in an almost unnatural calm. Too calm. As if the world was waiting for something.
And when night fell, it began.
The pain.
The pain that had seemed to fade over the past few days returned with vengeance.
It felt like something clawing at her insides. Scratching. Twisting.
She hadn't been able to do anything but cry.
Cry and curl into herself while Allan sat beside her, holding her shoulders, whispering softly that it was only five more days.
Only five.
But enduring that agony for five more nights?
It felt impossible.
Why me?
The question came again.
There were millions of people in the world.
Why her?
Why did a restless spirit have to choose her body?
They still didn't fully understand the past of the spirit residing inside her. From what they had gathered, the spirit had once been a bride.
But she hadn't died during her wedding.
It had been shortly after.
Just like the dream Elaine once had.
Only… slightly altered.
Elaine sat on the porch steps now, elbows resting lightly on her knees, fingers loosely intertwined.
Currently, it was just her and Allan at home. Her mother had gone out earlier, leaving the house unusually quiet.
The quiet felt heavier these days.
She heard the soft creak of the door behind her.
Allan stepped outside.
Instead of sitting directly beside her, he chose the bench a little farther away, but still within arm's reach.
Close enough.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
It never was.
They were both lost in separate thoughts that somehow felt intertwined.
"What were you doing there?" Elaine finally asked, breaking the silence.
Allan glanced at her, one brow arching slightly.
She clarified.
"Before I started at HERBERT WILBUR… you were at that hidden beach, if I may call it that." She gave a small smile. "That was the first time I saw you."
"And you did make such a good impression," he added smoothly, cutting her off.
Heat rushed to her cheeks instantly.
She remembered it too clearly tripping over nothing and falling gracelessly onto the sand.
He smiled faintly at her reaction.
"I believe you've asked me this exact question before," he said.
"I did," she retorted softly. "And you didn't give me an answer."
"True," he admitted with a nod.
He grew quiet for a moment, gaze drifting somewhere distant before returning to her.
"I wasn't doing anything exactly," he finally said. "I had just left school that day. I went there for some quiet. Some peace. Away from the noise."
She studied him carefully.
"And there I was thinking you lived nearby," she said lightly. "I went there every day and night hoping I'd catch a glimpse of you."
Her voice softened near the end, her gaze lowering slightly.
"But you just disappeared."
She noticed the corner of his lips twitch upward.
"I know. I feel like an idiot too," she added quickly, glancing back up.
"Why did you want to catch a glimpse?" he asked.
His tone was playful.
"Couldn't get me out of your head?"
He paused.
And then she realized,
He wasn't entirely joking.
He actually wanted an answer.
"Well…" she drawled, suddenly aware of how warm her face felt. "I didn't exactly want to see you."
His brows lifted in mock disbelief.
"I'm serious!" she protested.
He simply stared at her, amused.
"I didn't want to see you," she repeated stubbornly.
A beat passed.
"J-just your face."
Her cheeks burned.
She was grateful he didn't comment further, though the smirk lingering on his lips was enough.
He stood abruptly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.
She looked up at him, slightly startled.
"Let's go there," he said.
It took her a second.
Then understanding dawned.
"The beach?" she asked.
"Where else?"
Her stomach fluttered unexpectedly.
They were going back to the place they first met.
Maybe she was reading too much into it.
But she didn't care.
She stood up, brushing off invisible dust from her clothes.
Without hesitation, he reached for her hand.
Their fingers intertwined naturally.
He swung their joined hands lightly as they walked.
The gesture felt so casual… yet so intentional.
"What about the cat?" she asked suddenly. "Was it yours?"
There was no way, though. He was always stuck at HERBERT WILBUR.
"We'll see," he replied dismissively.
Her mouth opened as if to press further but closed again.
The path toward the beach was quieter than she remembered. The sky was painted in fading gold and blue, the sun sinking slowly into the horizon.
When they reached it, the beach remained hidden from plain sight, shielded by tall rocks and thick shrubbery.
Ahh.
Memories.
It felt like years since she'd last been there.
In truth, it had only been months.
But so much had happened since then.
So much pain.
So much fear.
So much him.
They walked further onto the sand. It was soft beneath their feet, cool against her skin through her shoes.
"Wait," Elaine said suddenly, tugging lightly on his hand.
He paused immediately.
"Let me take off my shoes."
She bent down, slipping them off slowly.
The sand met her bare feet warmly.
Grounding.
Real.
For a moment, the spirit inside her felt distant.
For a moment, she felt like herself again.