HAUNTED PRINCE by DENIS DANIEL (uplifting books for women .TXT) 📖

felt hungrier than most days, I felt like I’d worked out or something. When I got downstairs Ashley was watching some music videos on the TV. To the kitchen I found some muffins and pancakes.

“Hey, I thought you’ll enjoy fresh fried eggs than the cold ones. So I left them for you to cook them yourself.” Ashley said from the living room.

“Okay.” I responded.

But I thought something should start before that because the starvation seemed to increase by the second.

We always kept a box of cereal even though we never used them that much, but kept them because Ashley craved for them sometimes. Other people would like to have chocolate and candy and stuff like that but Ashley would want cereal. Sometimes she never wanted anything other than cereal for breakfast. I guess today was my turn, the difference was that I was using them as appetizers.

I filled one of our huge bowls with milk and gulp everything down in a matter of few minutes. Now that I was feeling a little bit starvation free, I took two eggs scrambled them and fried them. Then I took my fair share of muffins and pancakes together with a huge cup of coffee. Slowly I started to dig in one thing after the other until I was absolutely stuffed.

After I finished, I sat back on the chair and let the food settle a little, while wondering what that was all about. I could never eat that much before; I guess it was time for changes on that part too. Afterwards, I took the dishes I used and washed them. I didn’t feel like throwing them in the dishwasher, so I washed them myself.

I went to the living room to join Ashley then, who had a book on her hands and was lying on the couch reading while the TV was still on. And when she does that Ashley is in a good mood, a day when she is a hundred percent optimistic.

I thought I could take her on a walk or something so that we could make our day even better. Because I was feeling rather relaxed and free myself, our bicycles were at the garage sitting idle, it would be a good day to ride them a little and enjoy the breeze on our faces. But unfortunately, I forgot I had a magnet for trouble, so I had a reminder. While sitting there setting my plans for the day we heard a door bell ring and I knew another trouble just arrived.

“I got it.” Ashley jumped off the couch even before I could react.

It didn’t take long for her to come back, alone. Which means the person or whatever it was, was for me.

“It’s for you.” Ashley said with cold stare, which was not such a bad sign, if it were something bad she would’ve shown sympathy. S I just went there relaxed.

“Hi,” a girl greeted me nervously, for a second I didn’t recognize her. She was tall and lean, she had super dark hair and a very beautiful face. When she smiled her teeth were perfectly arranged. She was wearing a tank top and blue jeans shorts, which revealed more of her soft skin and legs. I didn’t know why such a beautiful girl was standing at my door step.

But there was something about her emerald eyes and her small tight lips. They looked very familiar, they almost matched to a face it just couldn’t fit all the way, so I gave up.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I asked a little cautious.

“I had a feeling you won’t remember me. It’s Layla from last night.” She said shyly as I was checking her out for the second time, which I stopped soon after seeing her blushing deep red.

“Wow.” The words escaped my mouth, “you look nothing like yesterday.” I kind of accused her,

“That wasn’t really me.” She paused and I saw a glimpse of fear in her eyes and it was gone instantly,

“I also came to talk to you about that.” She continued a little uncertain.

“Oh, come with me.” I led her to the garage.

It wasn’t really something I wanted to talk about on my porch or while Ashley was listening. The garage seemed like a good idea because my room would’ve been a terrible idea. First because I didn’t know her and second because Ashley would’ve freaked out or Layla would’ve freak out.

When we got to the garage I instantly felt self-conscious seeing her watching my paintings. I never showed them to anyone else before, except for Ashley and mom of course. I painted some landscapes and mountains I felt like painting nature more than other things a week ago. But which took her attention was the one I couldn’t understand either. The fiery hair girl, she looked at it and traced her fingers through it,

“It is beautiful.” She said,

“You have an interest in art?” I asked a little bit curiously because a person with no interest in art will never look at a painting like that.

“Yes, I draw portrait pictures. I want to be an art collector when I grow up.” She turned and looked at me with interest. I was sitting on an old sofa we never used at the end of the room. “You have beautiful paintings here.” Then she came and sat beside me.

It was becoming really hard for me not to like this girl, but I couldn’t allow myself to get any ideas. She was probably interested in me because she didn’t know anything about me. Suddenly, it got quiet for a long while and it started to get awkward. I had to say something or else I was going to suffocate with all the silence.

“So you wanted to talk about yesterday.”

“Yes,” she replied then paused for a second, “I feel like you are the only person who can understand me. Besides I got an impression what happened wasn’t something you tell everybody, considering you lied for me and all.” She finished calmly.

I had no choice but to agree with her and she was right. I was the only person who could understand,

“Yes, many people would find what happened to you an imagination. Many won’t believe you that’s why I used what I had.”

“They won’t understand I was possessed?” she asked to make sure,

“Yes, that is not possible to many people. You are not freaked out by it?” a question popped up in my mind.

“I’m a big fan of weird unexplainable things I just never thought one of those things would happen to me.” She looked innocent and calm which meant she wasn’t bluffing.

“I can’t say the same about myself.” I would’ve told her more but she survived one tragic I didn’t want to put her in another one, of knowing my secret.

“So you are saying, you never wished to be special?” she stared at me with suspicious eyes.

“Nope. I had everything I wanted in life there was no need to ask for anything else.”

“It must be good to have a perfect life.” Suddenly she was sort of sad,

“It was far from perfect. But I could say I was contented, but now I’m in a rollercoaster.”

“If it will help many people I’ve read in my books, the ones with special powers sometimes wish for a normal life,”

“And I can understand why.” I agree,

“But at the end they accepted who they are,”

“It’s not like they have a choice,”

“Of course they have a choice. Their battle is between good and evil. They could easily choose to be evil but they choose the hard way.”

“Thanks for the story, I don’t really want to hear about it.” I blurted out coldly, I wasn’t really in a mood for a pep talk.

She stayed quiet and stared at her feet, soon I realized I was rude to her. I shouldn’t have talked to her like that.

“Sorry, Layla I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

“I get it. You are upset, maybe I should go, I’ve taken too much of your time anyway.”

“No, stay. I need you to stay.” As much as I wanted her to go I couldn’t let her. My hand slipped off my lap and found hers on her bare thigh and somehow that one act sent chills through my body. Soon I realized and jerked it away instantly.

“If you won’t explode on me again.” She warned.

“I promise.”

I looked in her eyes and I found myself drown into them. I was mesmerized with how she was looking at me so normally with curiosity and admiration. If I was correct I could tell she enjoyed being with me. But there was always this insecure part of me which would never let me forget about my curse or whatever it was. So I looked away, I didn’t want her get in trouble the second time and this time because of me.

“What is it?” she asked worried, “did I do something?”

“It’s not you. My life is complicated, I think you being here with me may put your life in danger.”

“No it’s not, you just saved my life Steven.”

“No that’s not enough there is someone killing people I get attached to.”

“So you are kicking me out after telling me to stay like a minute ago?” she was confused, “because we are locked in a garage no one can see us. Unless that’s your excuse.”

She was right I was being paranoid for no reason, no one could see us in the garage.

“Sorry, I get a little mood sometimes.” I ran my hand through my hair that made me calm sometimes.

“You know you are different from all the boys I’ve met.” I didn’t know if it was a compliment or not.

“What do you mean?”

“They always try to impress me, but you are not.”

“Well I don’t impress people. I prefer to keep my distance from them.”

“That sounds lonely.” There was a spark of sadness in her voice.

“It won’t be if you are used to it.” I cut myself short and changed the subject before I could continue, “Anyways, enough about me. What about you, how are you feeling?”

“I feel better except for the memory wipe.”

“Maybe they will come back after sometime.”

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 34;

 

 

“Actually, I don’t want them to come back, I don’t want to know what the other me did.”

“Have you gotten any complaints yet?”

“No,”

“That’s good because it means the other you wasn’t all that bad.”

“Maybe.”

Then we heard the door heading to the house getting open. We both look at it airing to see who was coming, it was Ashley. She popped her head out and said, “Steve, mom is back.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.” Then she went back inside, “do you want to meet my mom?” I asked Layla,

“Maybe some other time.”

“Don’t worry she is the coolest mother,”

“I’m just not comfortable meeting her right now. But I promise I will meet her someday,” she said and sounded pretty sincere.

“Okay, if you say so.”

I escorted her outside and found mom’s car parked outside, maybe she knew I was inside and she didn’t want to disturb me or maybe she was planning to leave again.

“I can go from here. Thank you.” Layla said, “I had a great time.”

“Me too, I’m sorry for getting grumpy earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She stretched herself and hugged me, something I wasn’t expecting at all