We got out of the car both of us smiling, and I saw Jake standing at the entrance of he hospital glaring at us. It took everything in my body to not throw a punch at his face. Instead, I kept my smile on my face and took a deep breath in. “Do you want me to do it for you?” He leaned in and whispered in my ear. That made my fake smile grow genuine. “I think I’ll do more damage than you can.”

I realized he had his arm around my shoulders and I pushed him away playfully. “Can you give me moment?” I asked Gerald.

He stared at Jake and then at me, and I just nodded letting him know it was okay. “I’ll see your dad,” he said walking into the hospital.

I tucked my hands in my back pocket and Jake walked with me. “About before…”

“Where’s your dad, Jake?” I asked.

“What?” He asked confused.

I stared at him without blinking, “Where’s your dad?”

“I’m not sure, he didn’t come home last night, but I think he’s at the office.” He answered.

“And his car?” I continued.

“What is this about, Kim?” He asked.

I took a deep breath and then put my hands on my hip with authority. “Your Dad is the last person he spoke to on the phone, and should I add that he was arguing with him? And then my Dad gets into a car accident and is rushed to the hospital. Where was your Dad last night, Jake? Where is he now?” Jake didn’t answer, only his eyes went wide. “Should I also mention that your Dad’s car went missing?”

“Kim, are you accusing someone of what happened?” He asked, gaining composure.

I leaned back and smiled, “I’m just stating facts, Jake. You put them together.” He started laughing. I turned to face him again and slapped him across the face. “You think this is funny? My Dad is in the hospital. Your Dad is missing, what does that make think about? And you have the decency to stand laugh?”

“Kimmy, babe.” He took my arm, but I pushed him away from. “My family has nothing to do with this. You’re blaming my Dad because he was speaking to your Dad. It was a accident, Kim. Stop reading too much into it. I bet your body guard is putting you up to this.”

“Gerald doesn’t trust you, and you know what, I don’t either.” I walked passed him, going straight to Gerald who was standing in the entry way waiting for me.

“I was ready to bust his face open,” he whispered to me while we walked back into the hospital.

We spent most of time with my Dad trying to keep him comfortable.

The sky was getting dark now, and my Dad finally accepted the dose of morphine. He dozed off and everyone dispersed. “Tita, I’m going to the house, okay?”

She nodded, “Hey, let me come with you.” I said.

He took my arm, and led me to the car. He drove for awhile in silence, and then stopped at a coffee shop. “How about getting some coffee, we’ll bring some home to Twinkle, Lakam and JP. I need to make a phonecall.”

I nodded, and took the bills from his hand and went into the shop. I ordered 3 medium coffees, and a large latte for myself. I headed back out and didn’t see Gerald anywhere. I walked around back sill holding the coffees, and heard his voice. I stayed hidden behind the brick wall.

He was speaking to someone because there were three voices that I didn’t recognise. I leaned over to see, and all I saw were four shadows.

“It’s not safe when someone knows what we are, Gerald,” a woman said.

“She already knows too much, Isabelle. I have no choice, and now her family is involved. I’d rather her hear it from me than anyone else.” Gerald replied.

Someone scoffed, “And she’ll run. Why do you think my sister and I live alone, isolated from the real world? They won’t accept us, they never will. Your own mother ran.”

“I trust her. Look, time’s running out. We need to find the leader before it gets any further than this. They’re like my family, Chris. I have to protect them.”

I didn’t know how to feel. Should I be upset that he kept this from me, this secret meeting; or should I be happy that he would protect me and my family.

“Looks like we’re not alone. Should we terminate?” Isabelle asked. That’s when I realized she was staring at me and everyone else turned.

My breath got caught in my throat. I didn’t know who I was staring at. It was Gerald, I could tell from his eyes, but it wasn’t face. He had markings on his face, like tattoos. He had fangs coming out of his mouth and his face looked evil. I dropped the coffees and began walking backwards until I saw him coming to me. His face soon changed back to normal and then I started to run. “Kim!” He called after me, but I continued running. I didn’t know what to do. I kept on running until I got home. I was out of breath and ignored my siblings when they called out to me. I ran to my room and locked my door. I even covered my windows to prevent him from looking in.

I sat on the chair by the window going over what I know and what I just found out. I hugged my knees and just sat there for hours reviewing everything. “Okay, so Gerald said he was a monster, that the world wouldn’t accept who he was. The guy said the exact same thing, what was his name? Chris. Next, there’s hunters hunting him. Jake’s dad is exhibit A. He’s missing though, unless he came back before. Hunters want to kill him, extinguish his race. But what exactly was he? Stay on track, Kim.” I sighed. “Hunters hunting. Jake’s dad is missing which means something could happen tonight. But than what does Jake have to do with anything? I have to talk to Gerald.” I stood up with thought ravaging through my head. What was it that I saw back there? What is Gerald, and would I run like the rest of them did just like Chris predicted?

I walked to the pool house, but no one was there. I tried his cell phone, but he wasn’t picking up. Great, I pushed him away. I went back inside and found Ate Lakam sitting in the kitchen. “Did Gerald come home?”

She shook her head. “You looking for him?”

I nodded, “I’m going to take a walk. I’ll be careful, and I have my cell phone on me. I’ll be home soon, I promise.” I took my coat and put it around my shoulders.

“Ate thinks you like Gerald. I agree with her, you guys are extremely close. Are you guys dating or something?”

I slammed the door shut and I felt the autumn wind against me body. I held the jacket closed with my arms. After walking the block a couple of times and not finding him, I decided to go to the fountain where we went to on the Saturday we spent together. But it was more for my benefit than his.

And there he was sitting with his head in his hands. I slowly walked to him with my arms crossed over my chest. “Hi,” I said quietly, sitting beside him but keeping a distance between us. “I’m sorry for overreacting.” I whispered, suddenly feeling ashamed.

“You know Chris said you’d leave. It’s not my first time talking about you with them, and he said you’d leave.” He whispered, and then I realized he was crying.

I put my hand on his shoulder, and he moved away. “I’m here, though. I didn’t leave.”

“You did. I don’t blame you. I’m a monster.”

I shook my head, “You’re not. You’re human,” I said moving closer to him. “I was wrong. Your mom is wrong, and Ashley. You’re not a monster, Gerald. You’re someone who feels, just like everyone else. And you’re someone whose capable of compassion, and pain…” and I pulled his face towards mine so he could look at me, “and love.” I smiled, though it was only to hide the tears forming in my eyes. “Gerald, don’t give up just because a couple of people left. Not everyone leaves, certainly not me.”

I wrapped my arms around him, and I felt his body tremble next to mine. This pain went deeper than me running away from me. It was probably months of being abandoned from people he trusted, people he loved.

We walked for about an hour. “So…about tonight…what is it that I exactly saw?” I started, though I knew that I was playing with fire.

He sighed, “Might as well say it since you already know. I’m a wraith.”

I stayed quiet because I didn’t know what the hell that was. “And that would be…”

“I’m the soul of my dead body.” He said.

“So you’re a ghost?”

“It’s more complicated than that. I died, but my soul was brought back to life because I have some unfulfilled business. I can’t pass to the next world because something is binding me to this world. You saw my face. This – as in what you see – is like a mask to keep our race hidden.”

I stopped him by grabbing his hand. “Let me see your face,” I asked.

He shook his head, reluctant, but I grabbed onto him again. “Show me who you are, Gerald. Trust me, I said I wasn’t leaving.” I squeezed his hand in mine which also were much bigger and stronger.

Gerald looked at me, and I guess there was something in my eyes which made him trust me because I could see him slowly transforming. I gasped, and he closed his eyes. But my gasp wasn’t in horror, it was pure amazement. I’ve never seen anything like it. The marks on his face were magical, like tattoos drawn in black of beautiful designs. I swept his growing hair away from his eyes so I could get a better picture. He shivered at my touch, and I smiled. It was than in which I realized at how cold he was. His skin was like marble, smooth and cold on my fingertips.

I sighed and he opened his eyes. There were so many things in which I noticed now being so close to him, like a huge barrier broke down between the two us, finally opening up. He was a three inches taller than me, me coming right above his shoulders with flats on. I looked into his eyes and I was staring back at him. “You’re not a monster.” I mumbled, transfixed by his presence. “You’re beautiful,” I said staring through him.

SO IT TOOK ABSOLUTELY FOREVER JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT I WANT GERALD TO BECOME, AND EVEN NOW I’M NOT SURE IF I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. BUT THIS IS WHAT I’M LEAVING IT TO BE, I’LL CHANGE IT IF I HAVE A MORE FINALIZED DECISION. I WANTED IT TO BE UNIQUE, AND I HAVEN’T READ A STORY ABOUT A WRAITH. THE ONLY THING IS I HOPE YOU GUYS DON’T GOOGLE WRAITHS, BECAUSE I’M GOING TO MAKE UP A LOT OF STUFF ABOUT THEM TO MAKE IT MORE TO MY LIKING, THEREFORE I’M WARNING YOU GUYS NOW THAT I’M NOT FOLLOWING THEM PERFECTLY. ANYWAYS, SORRY FOR THE DELAY, I’LL UPDATE SOON I PROMISE, I JUST HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH IT. PLEASE COMMENT, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK OF THIS DECISION OF MINE. I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO SAY THAT THIS IS MY STORY AND I SHOULD DO WHAT I WANT, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU GUYS TO LIKE IT, ADORE IT, LOVE IT. SO PLEASE COMMENT.