\u201cAnd though you may not believe me, Lara, I still love you. Always did. Always will. Despite what you did to me. We both know I didn\u2019t deserve it, but what is done is done. I keep thinking about things I wanted to tell you, things I wanted to do with you, do to you. You didn\u2019t understand that I wanted only the best for you. I tried to make you understand. It wasn\u2019t like I wanted to beat you for sheer joy of it. It was all to help you. To help you understand my intentions, I meant well. But don\u2019t worry, dead or not, I am coming for you. Soon there \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hung up. Panting, she stared at the cell phone in her hand. It rang again, but no number showed on the screen. She canceled the call. There was no need for her to pick up. It was her husband, dead for two weeks, buried in Old Orchard Cemetery. His voice sounded like from far, but it was him, no mistaking the baritone that haunted her for twenty years. It was the voice she heard before he opened the door when he came back from work. Based on how low his tone was, she knew how much trouble she was in. When it was loud and clear, it meant a good evening spent together eating dinner, watching TV, maybe a slap or two. Those were the days she felt it was bearable. On those days, he reminded her of the Tom she married. How she enjoyed it when they sat thigh by thigh on the couch, laughing at the 80\u2019s soap operas. Moments of happiness she wished would never end. The only downside to it was that those were rare occasions, with decreasing frequency. More often than not, the voice that preceded Tom\u2019s antre was so low she couldn\u2019t make out the words. Hearing the low hum of his fury made her shiver. Her giving him deer eyes infuriated him even more. However, she tried, and she couldn\u2019t shake off the dread of what was coming. Those nights were full of screaming, her banging into different parts of furniture, her blood smearing on the floor, and his unrelented lessons about how unworthy she was, and that he could find a hundred times better woman, but no, he was stuck with her, and she should be grateful for that. No agreement, nods, or pleading helped. It always ended once he dipped himself into a bath, washing her blood off his knuckles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last time, though. She surprised him. He left to work in the morning on that day, already being sour about a meeting with his boss, who was going to speak his mind about his lack of results. She briefly considered running away, but she knew he would find her wherever she went. So, she waited. And prayed that a miracle would change his mood. When he finally came, he was silent. It was the first time he had come silent. Things were going to be bad. Really bad. She braced herself for a broken bone or two, a probable concussion, and a visit to the hospital, where she would lie about being clumsy and falling off whatever would come to her mind first. And that only in case she would be able to speak. Perhaps she wouldn\u2019t. That would have been a relief not to have to lie and see the doctor\u2019s eyes measuring her for a battered wife she was. When he got in, he put his work bag on a table. She was standing by a counter, finishing off dinner despite it being clear that none of them would eat it that night. The first punch with a closed fist shoved her into the cupboard. She managed to salvage her head, but her shoulder took the impact when it connected with the corner of the cupboard. She felt something crack. White pain exploded before her eyes. He grabbed her hair and slammed her head on the counter. Then he noticed boiling water and dragged her to the pot. He slipped, and his falling weight took the fistful of her hair with him to the floor. His eyes darkened as a sudden storm on the open sea. He stood, his face so close that their noses touched. He grabbed her hair again. She closed her eyes. He punched her again, and she fell on the counter, her forehead hitting the granite surface hard. She reached her hand forward and grabbed something. When he took her by her throbbing shoulder to face her, only one of his blue eyes stared at her in terror. The other one had a knife stuck in it, the handle of the knife still in her hand. As he staggered to the ground, she wailed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She knew he meant it. He was dead and still coming for her. Calling the police wasn\u2019t an option. They wouldn\u2019t believe her; the best they would consider her a hysterical woman who killed her husband. What would she tell them anyway? That a man she killed two weeks ago had called her from his coffin? The relief she felt when she called 112 that night was gone, as if it wasn\u2019t there in the first place. The policemen who were dispatched on the evening she killed her husband quickly read the situation. She was still bleeding, and her arm lay limply next to her body. They took her into the hospital. The detective, a white older woman, who interviewed her, said she would most likely not be prosecuted following twenty years of abuse. It was self-defense. Everyone, the judge, jury would understand it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wished she were in prison, a real prison instead of the prison she was in now. A cage that he built around her. Could she be making it up? No, that wasn\u2019t possible. She heard him. Loud and clear. That was no prank, no bad joke; it was Tom. She didn\u2019t get rid of him even after his death. Someone knocked on the door. Her airways tightened, and she made herself small in the chair. He must have seen she was still up; the curtains were not drawn yet, and she put the lights on. The windows of the living room were now a shopping display for the whole street. She could run upstairs, lock herself in, and despite her conviction that the police wouldn\u2019t help, she could still call them. She didn\u2019t have to tell them it was a ghost or a zombie, just that someone had threatened her. But he could see her if she got up and ran up. He was always faster than her. Another knocked on the door. This time it was louder, as if full of impatience. Paralyzed, she shivered. She will have to open the door and face him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Kunel, are you there?\u201d A female voice called her name. Hearing it, she thought to herself it was familiar. She stood up, and her wobbly legs carried her to the door. She opened it and almost closed it again. A woman that she had never seen stood there. She wore a long black satin gown; she would have sworn it looked like a nightrobe. Her black hair was in a tall ponytail. She wore black lipstick and had no eyebrows. The girl, no, the woman, she must have been above thirty, stared at her with her green eyes as if to wait for an invitation in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I am expecting you. How can I help you?\u201d She stood in the doorway as if to prevent the stranger from coming to her house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow can I help you?\u201d The woman asked her, her voice sounding velvety. \u201cThat is actual what I came to ask you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I need your help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think you do.\u201d The woman came closer, making her feel uncomfortable. She glanced around the street and didn\u2019t see anyone who could hear her scream if that came to that part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy name is Roxanna, Roxie for friends. You may call me Roxie. I felt a strong attraction to your place, and when I came here, I knew that my gift was once again right. It is all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease leave my property.\u201d She was scared. As if it wasn\u2019t enough that her husband called her, she had to deal with this kind of witch, or whatever subculture she belonged to. She didn\u2019t want to entertain any discussion with this person. She gave her creeps. She didn\u2019t like people who didn\u2019t look normal, and this woman was far from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Kunel. You need my help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, I don\u2019t. I am kindly asking you to leave. Otherwise, I will be forced to call the law.\u201d She backed up inside, not wanting to expose her back to the woman. As she started to close the door, the woman Roxanna reached to hold it, her fingers wrapping the edge of the door as long white sticks with chipped black polish, and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe is after you, your husband, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lara froze but didn\u2019t release the push on the door. The fingers tapped on the wood, and a green eye peeked at her. \u201cWhat stage are you in? Has he shown himself? Or just contacted you? The energy is very tense over your house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have already introduced myself. It would have been nice for you to do the same, but I figured we are past that stage. Besides, I already know your name Lara.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lara tensed. This woman was crazy. She knocked on her door right after the call. There is no way she could know her; she didn\u2019t meet these kinds of people. Had she met her on the street, she would have avoided her. Most likely, there was a minimal chance they would meet on the same street; she didn\u2019t go to that kind of street where homeless and in other ways challenged people gathered. How did she find her? What did she want from her? Remembering what Roxanna wore, she concluded that her clothes were cheap material. This was a setup. She had someone to call her, to freak her out to the core, and then, in the most vulnerable moment, this woman would knock on her door to get money out of her. They always wanted money. There were so many scammers nowadays. Relieved, she pushed the door closed, Roxanna barely snatching her fingers off, before the heavy door got a chance to mangle her knuckles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMr. Kunel, I can help you. I dealt with many situations like this. I know it may seem unbelievable and farfetched but know that it is real. He is real. He can hurt you. I am begging you. Open the door.\u201d The velvety voice was full of desperation. Indeed, the woman was crazy, probably with her companion, not hiding too far. She scanned the house with her mental vision, checking every window, every door. They were all latched and locked. Since Tom passed away, she made sure that the house was impenetrable. She was a widow, short with a tiny build, a prime target for anyone who would realize she lived alone. Luckily, they bought the house in a good neighborhood where people still cared about each other, distrustful of strangers. And now there was one stranger at her door, demanding to be let in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGo away, Miss Roxanna. I do not appreciate your visit, nor am I interested in the services you may offer. Please be so kind and leave. Do not force me to call the police on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMrs. Kunel, you do not understand. You heard him. He will come to kill you. He will come to finish what he started.\u201d The woman was pleading with her, trying to reinforce fear in her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am calling the police now.\u201d She walked off to the living room, grabbed her phone, dialed 112, but let her finger rest on her Call button as she listened for further disturbance behind the door. She waited for a long two minutes; no further pleading, nor knocking came. As she deleted the numbers from her phone and locked it, something slipped under the door. She carefully neared it as if it was going to bite her. A white sheet of paper, torn out of a notebook, lay at her feet. She picked it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please call me. I am not joking. It is happening. Don\u2019t let him finish what he started. Own your own life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Roxxie<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peering through the peephole, a sigh of relief escaped her. Roxxie with double x was gone. She was safe. She crumpled the sheet of paper and put it in her pocket. She raised her gaze and realized that she still hadn\u2019t pulled the curtains. She reached out for the one by the entrance door. A face reflected on the window. She startled, but then she realized it must be a reflection of her own face. She moved to pull the curtain. The face remained where it was. Then it smiled. A chipped front tooth reflected in the window. She screamed and pulled the curtain. Then she turned the lights off, so no one could see inside. Walking as slowly as her panic allowed her, she walked to the middle of the living room. Her hand reached into her pocket, she took the piece of paper out, unfolded it, and only then unlocked her phone. She typed the number in and waited for the velvety voice to respond. Then she blurted out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe chipped his tooth last summer when he got drunk and fell on the patio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She inspected Roxxie as she sat by the table, a steamy mug with painted cornflower in her hands. Lara expected her to ask for rum in her tea, but she took it plain, no sugar, no milk, no alcohol. In fact, she couldn\u2019t smell any alcohol on her; her irises seemed to be of normal size. When she called her, she was only three houses away, and banged on her door soon after the call, panting as she ran back to her. When she let her in, she checked the outside, but there was no man. Yet, she was sure the reflection she had seen on the window glass was Tom with his chipped tooth, full lips, and dark hair. She couldn\u2019t see his eyes, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWas he real?\u201d She asked Roxxie. The woman turned the mug in her hands, thoughtfully contemplating what she should share with Lara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes and no. He is still as dead as Elvis, but also, he has not crossed to the other side. He has unfinished business that tethers him to the Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfinished business? I assume I am the unfinished business.\u201d Lara gulped; her throat was suddenly dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrecisely. He is full of anger for something that happened either shortly before or during the time he passed away.\u201d Roxxie put the mug on the table and stretched her fingers as if she had done some strenuous activity. \u201cDo you have any idea what that could be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I killed him.\u201d Lara shrugged. For the first time since this woman entered into her life without invitation, she seemed to be surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess that could be it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo be fair, it was either him or me. I didn\u2019t even know how it happened. I just\u2026snapped. It\u2019s been too many years of fear, and then I just didn\u2019t want him to kill me. And the knife was in my hand and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough, enough, I don\u2019t need to know the details. I think we have pretty much established what holds him here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow can I\u2026how do you say it? Release him to the other side? Will I be safe afterward? Can he really hurt me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet me start with the last question. Yes, he can. And he will, if you let him. The process is always the same. The person \u2013 I am saying person, because it can be anyone, dies. They are bound to the person they abused during their lifetime, and they come back to finish it. For some reason, my gift attracts only these cases to me. The cycle is over when the survivor\u2026doesn\u2019t survive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat can you do for me? How does it work? Do you say some incantations, spells, or do you use salt?\u201d Lara felt increasing panic in her chest. She wanted a solution now. She couldn\u2019t live in fear anymore, not after tasting the freedom for two weeks and realizing how much she still wanted to do in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t work like that.\u201d Roxxie chuckled, as if Lara did something foolish and cute at the same time. She hugged the mug again, sipped of it, steam caressing her pale face. Lara wondered how she would look with eyebrows. \u201cSo, as I said process is the same. I am trying to put this gently, but since there is no way to do so, I will be just very blunt and direct. You have to exhume him and perform a ritual that will release his soul from this Earth, and he can rest in peace. It needs to be done under certain conditions, otherwise it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExhume him? What do you mean? Wouldn\u2019t a photograph be enough? Or shall I call the funeral home to dig him up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, you can\u2019t speak to anyone about this. You have to do it at midnight. And you have to do it alone; that is the only way it counts. You have to use your bare hands. Maybe shovel too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat if I had cremated him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen, I guess, this discussion would be redundant. I have never tried it with ashes, only with flesh and bones in one case. But that one didn\u2019t end up\u2026nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow many cases did you work on? How many successful cases?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDepends on the perspective. I can say fifty percent of cases were successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara sighed with exasperation. The panic, which started to subside after she heard the solution, however weird it sounded, seeped back and hugged her tight, squeezing her lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBasically, you had two cases, one lived, and the other one didn\u2019t. Am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cErgh. Sounds about right. Despite that, I am your best shot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was shortly after midnight. She watched Roxxie sleeping on her couch. She asked the woman to stay with her; she was too scared to spend the night alone. Tomorrow, they will go and get the necessary items for the ritual to untether her husband from this world. Before they went to sleep, they checked all windows and doors again, pulled the curtains so no one could see inside. Then they lit the whole house up. When she retired to her bed, she thought she wouldn\u2019t fall asleep, only to find herself waking up from a dreamless blackout that fell upon her shortly after she lay her head on the pillow. She woke up with a startle. Even though her bedroom was upstairs, she could hear someone walking right under her window. Shuffling steps that went from the left side to the right and back and forth. She recognized the shuffle; the gait was his. She pulled her blanket closer, almost covering her eyes. The shuffle stopped right under the window; she knew he couldn\u2019t see inside, the curtains were pulled tight, and the first story was too high for anyone to peek in. As far as she remembered, he couldn\u2019t fly. She listened, waiting for the steps to resume. Then someone knocked on the window. She screamed into her mouth, not wanting to show she was there, that she knew about him. And that she was still scared of him. Fear rose in her throat, almost pushing a scream out. She bit her tongue and lay as still as she could, her body trembling and cold. She waited for a while, and when she couldn\u2019t take the waiting anymore, she slipped out of her bed, her blanked wrapped around her shoulders, and descended the stairs to wake Roxxie up. By the time she managed to walk down, she calmed down a bit, trembling disappeared, leaving her only cold. She stood by Roxxie\u2019s head. The strange woman slept, snored gently, still wearing her black lipstick and clothes. She looked peaceful, completely undisturbed by the events. Roxxie gasped out of her sleep, issued one extra loud snore, and turned to face the couch cushions. This was her hope. With her butt sticking out of a blanket. Lara felt like crying. She was tired and scared. She desperately wanted someone to help her, someone competent. What if Roxxie didn\u2019t have any idea how to do it and just practiced trial and error method? There wasn\u2019t any space for this practice; she had known Tom for more than twenty years, since she had been married, and for more than an additional eight years they had spent together prior to their marriage. Observing Roxxie closely, she realized that she must be younger than she initially thought. Her face, washed in dim nightlamp light, bore no signs of wrinkles under heavy makeup; her cheeks were plump, skin showed no sagging. She must have been twenty to twenty-two tops. She couldn\u2019t make herself believe that this young lady could help her. Inexperience and lack of confidence seeped out of her. How was she going to help her face Tom, lifetime wife beater and bully, if probably the worst thing that happened to her must have been badmouthing by her classmates. Lara sighed, went to the kitchen, took a glass from the cabinet, and opened the tap. Something knocked on the window above the sink. That was the only window that didn\u2019t have a curtain. Full lips pressed on the glass and kissed it. She screamed, and the glass cracked in her hand. She didn\u2019t feel any pain. The lips smiled, revealing a chipped tooth. Then he banged on the window, making it shudder, but it didn\u2019t break. She screamed again, fled to the living room where Roxxie sat on the couch, rubbing her eyes full or surprise of the sudden turmoil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe is here!\u201d Lara screamed, falling onto her knees in front of Roxxie. She grabbed her arms and shook her, digging her fingernails into her skin. \u201cHe is here. He is here. He is here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWho?\u201d Roxxie asked, still looking half asleep. Then, as if she finally came out of a trance, she called: \u201cOh, no! Is he inside?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo. He is outside the kitchen. By the window. Do something!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roxxie slumped her shoulders, seeming to be relieved. \u201cOk, that is good. If he is still outside, that means he cannot get in. We are safe for now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Lara spoke with a trembling voice. Roxxie took her hands off her shoulders as if she were someone with an infectious skin disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re bleeding.\u201d Roxxie pulled her sleeve, examining the damage caused by Lara\u2019s inconsiderate bleeding. \u201cI mean, that unless you open the door for him, he cannot get in. Or unless there is a gap or something where he can get inside. He can\u2019t get into buildings or objects without having a space created. In simple terms, he cannot open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo as long as I am inside and everything is locked, I am safe?\u201d Lara asked with doubt, making it hard for the brain connections to work to believe this statement. \u201cHow is that possible? He lived here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have the power to do so. He can do small stuff, such as knocking, tapping, making some sounds, and so on. But he can\u2019t do things that require actual power to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow is he going to kill me then? He can\u2019t shove me down the stairs or under a car. He cannot stick a knife in me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, he will not kill you per se. With his own hands. He will get you into a situation that will result in your death. That he can do without any sweat. Not that he can sweat anymore. Ha-ha-HA.\u201d Lara didn\u2019t like Roxxie\u2019s laugh. It sounded forced, with no laughter touching her eyes, but she decided not to judge. She obviously had lost a lot of information about ghosts. Lara didn\u2019t know much about them. She knew about poltergeists from movies; she had also seen Ghostbusters, but she didn\u2019t believe they existed. They were only tales. And now she was forced to believe in supernatural phenomena. How Tom would laugh her out. She looked at Roxxie, who was brushing off her sleeve to get the blood off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am sorry to destroy your gown. If you want, you can borrow some of my clothes, though I do not wear black often.\u201d She said with a soft voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am fine, thank you. I will try to clean it up once we get you some bandages. The bleeding has stopped, but you should get it disinfected.\u201d Roxxie smiled. She led her to the bathroom, where Roxxie took her first left hand and then right, pouring enough disinfectant to perform a surgery. Though she pretended to be okay, Lara hissed through gritted teeth. That made Roxxie smile, and this time her smile reached her eyes. Lara smiled back, but inside she was shivering. Roxxie was probably someone who enjoyed S&M games. She looked like she was that type. She decided to tolerate it. At the end, Roxxie came to help her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When she woke up the next morning, she found herself on the couch, covered by a blanket. The chair opposite the couch was empty. Only a crumpled sheet reminded of Roxxie\u2019s night spent on the chair, watching over her. She went to draw a glass of water. Even though the sun was up, she hesitated to meet the view outside, fearing that Tom would be standing there, driving her crazy, making her punch her fist through the glass and cut her wrists with shards of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie. Where are you?\u201d The house was eerily quiet. Perhaps Roxxie was taking a shower upstairs and couldn\u2019t hear her calling. She went up. The stairs felt unusually cold despite the summer being in full swing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie?\u201d She knocked on the bathroom door. It wasn\u2019t closed, and when she pushed it open, she realized it was empty. She searched through the whole house. Roxxie was gone. Rubbing her temples, she felt pain rising in her head, knocking on her left eye from inside. She had about twenty to thirty minutes before she would start seeing an aura, migraine kicking in, and she would be waiting for vomiting to free her from the clutches of headache. As she strutted down to get a pill in a vain attempt to push the excruciating migraine she suffered from an early age, she came to a realization. Roxxie was never here. Tom never called. Induced stress caused her to imagine things. She gulped the water as quickly as she could and headed outside, shielding her eyes from the piercing sun. Her head throbbed, the onset of migraine taking big leaps forward to an afternoon spent in the dark and hugging the porcelain bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She went out. The grass and flowers under the kitchen windows were undisturbed. No one was there last night. She was going crazy. The last two weeks were too much. She needed to speak to someone. Thanks to Tom, she didn\u2019t have too many friends. The only option left to her was a doctor. Psychologist. She couldn\u2019t let this go too far. Years of abuse, the violent death of her husband, and being deprived of human relationships, any kind of comfort, started to take its toll after she was freed. After she freed herself. She covered her eyes and stood there with the sun right above her head. Tomorrow, when she is better and has recovered from migraine, she will call her GP and ask for any recommendations. Perhaps, if the headache allowed, she would browse the internet at Tom\u2019s, on her computer, and try to find a specialist herself. Someone who would be available to take her soon, ideally tomorrow. This needs to stop. She wasted enough of her life to continue in the same manner after his death. Let his death be good for something. It already was. She was free. But she wasn\u2019t happy. And that is what she wanted. To be happy. To recall that feeling of joy, she certainly must have known sometime in the past. Something moved in the periphery of her vision. In front of the house. She squinted in that direction, protecting her eyes from the sun, but there was nothing. That confirmed her decision. She must heal from all the traumas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As she headed back to the house, she waved at her neighbor, who had just come out of his house opposite hers. He and his wife used to come for dinner every month for ten years. He didn\u2019t wave back. Pretending he couldn\u2019t see her, he jumped into his car and drove away. He was Tom\u2019s friend. Her wife was hers. When she got to know about Tom and how he abused Lara, she was without any doubt on her side. Helped her with funeral arrangements, filing for the claims from his life insurance company, and even brought her some food until her arm was good enough. In the end, it wasn\u2019t broken, just a dislocated joint, but it hurt like hell, and it had to be righted in the hospital. From time to time, she felt a pang of pain there as another reminder of that night, and she still couldn\u2019t fully stretch her hand above her head. In the grand scheme of things, this was a small price for her life. She touched the arm, as if to acknowledge its sacrifice, and went inside through the door she had left open. Noises came out of the kitchen. She heard the cupboard squeak as someone opened it. She froze in the hallway, her hand on the door handle. Quick steps echoed as they moved. Then a head peeked from the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, there you are. I was wondering where you went. The door was open, so I just went in. Hope you don\u2019t mind.\u201d Roxxie said, her bloody smile perfectly matching the red high boots she wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhere have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI went home to shower and change. I feel more comfortable in my own clothes. Plus, the blood crusted on my sleeve. Kind of yuck. Sorry, I should have let you know, but it didn\u2019t come to my mind to leave a message.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, this is all real.\u201d She muttered under her breath. On top of the headache, she started to feel dizzy. She didn\u2019t need a psychologist. It was all real. Roxxie, Tom, ghosts. She followed Roxxie into the kitchen. Roxxie was making breakfast. Flipping a pancake on the pan, with her other hand, she took the plates out of the cupboard and lined them up next to mugs that were waiting for coffee to brew. Roxxie operated in her kitchen as if it were hers. Lara slid into a chair and watched Roxxie, who moved with lightness despite her outfit of black leather pants and tight corset tied over a black satin blouse. Her hair was in two braids, a complete mismatch to her gothic appearance. There was something on the table. A book, bound in black leather. She reached out and flipped it open. The pages were yellow; it looked like the book was very old. There were no pictures, only text occasionally disrupted by a drawing of symbols she didn\u2019t recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the reasons I needed to get back to my apartment,\u201d Roxxie said. Lara looked at her with a puzzled expression. Roxxie pointed at the book. \u201cIt is a book of our ancestors. They used the spells of it to tame the spirits, keep the ghosts and evil forces away. We are going to need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara nodded. She read some of the texts while Roxxie continued to prepare breakfast. The text was centered on the expulsion of evil forces, commanding them to return to where they came from. She frowned. They all sounded like they were written by a teenager in their dark phase. Some sentences even contain grammar mistakes. But what did she know about supernatural evil forces? She knew only evil humans. She shrugged. A plate with a pancake smelling of vanilla landed in front of her. Roxxie served syrup, chocolate chips, and some yogurt. A steamy mug with black coffee appeared in front of her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I forgot.\u201d Roxxie opened the fridge, took the milk out, and added just the right amount into her mug. Lara raised her eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am good at reading people.\u201d Roxxie smiled. \u201cPart of my gift. Sometimes it can be very useful.\u201d She chuckled. Sun shone through the window, and Roxxie\u2019s eyes looked even greener than before. Almost the same as Tom\u2019s. She shivered. It would take her time to forget searching for similarities. But she was ready to forget. She just needed time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow will we do it? When?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince he can\u2019t get in, we’ve got a bit of time to properly plan and get the props we need. Still, we shouldn\u2019t feel too comfortable and give him too much time. You never know. Today, we should gather all the props. You seem to need to get rest, so why don\u2019t you do it when we are back? Then tomorrow will be the Day D. We will sneak into the cemetery and dig him up. After we perform the rites, he will sleep forever after he passes to the other world. All in all, in two days and two nights, you will be free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plan, laid out clearly, made her feel better. The throbbing in her head turned into a pulse. That she could manage without having to spend the day in bed or the bathroom. She happily munched on the pancake. It was sweet, and she felt as hungry as ever before. Freedom, real freedom, was near.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk, sounds good, I guess. What do we need to get?\u201d Roxxie shared the details with her, and they savored their breakfast, talking over the plan until it was early afternoon and time to go and get the props.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The shop smelled strange. Heavy scents competed to get to her nose. She sneezed. She had never been to this kind of shop. It was in not so nice part of the city. The windows were obscured by heavy curtains. Roxxie fit in perfectly with the decorations of skulls, upside-down crucifixes, strange herbs that were all over the place, crystals, and the music that played from players on the wall. Heavy, vibrating tunes reverberated in the air. Roxxie handed over dried leaves to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSage. We will burn it over his grave.\u201d Lara took it. Roxxie went to speak to the shopkeeper. She couldn\u2019t hear what she said to him, but he disappeared into the back. She felt stupid standing in the middle of the shop, holding the sage, looking completely out of this world. The shopkeeper came back and handed over two bottles full of clear liquid to Roxxie. Then she moved to Lara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGot the holy water. We have to find chalk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can get it anywhere. I am getting dizzy here. The smell is too much.\u201d Lara whined, her fight with migraine may not have been won yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roxxie frowned. \u201cDo you want to live?\u201d She asked Lara bluntly. Lara blushed. Of course, she wanted to live. Roxxie seemed to read her thoughts. \u201cSo, stop behaving like a small child. You can bear a bit of inconvenience, can\u2019t you?\u201d Lara nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere it is!\u201d Roxxie called. As she was moving away to get the chalk, she heard her murmur: \u201cNo wonder that he-\u201c The rest she couldn\u2019t hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When they arrived back home, it was shortly after six pm. There was still light outside, and the temperature dropped with a promise of a nice warm evening. She unlocked the door. Draft washed over her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere must be a window opened somewhere,\u201d Lara said and hurried to the living room to check it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe closed them all.\u201d She heard Roxxie behind her. When they entered the living room, they found the source of the draft. The side sliding door that they couldn\u2019t see from the street was broken into. A brick wrapped in the paper lay in the shattered glass. The glass crunched under Roxxie\u2019s boots. She lifted the rock, unwrapped the paper. She read it. Then she stretched her hand to Lara, handing the paper over. Roxxie\u2019s lips were tight, her eyes dull with worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get out of here, you killer bitch.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara bit her lip. Someone didn\u2019t agree with her deed. She didn\u2019t wonder; she wasn\u2019t proud of it either. She looked out of the window. The neighbor\u2019s car was parked in the driveway. She must confront him. But first, she will speak to his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeave this to me. I will speak to his wife \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have to do it tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I know, or at least I think I know who it was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t matter anymore. We have a bigger issue on hand. I doubt you can get the door fixed today. The gate. They opened the gate to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara was exhausted. She sat in the kitchen, and the light was still out there when she looked out of the window. Roxxie made tea, sprinkled it with rum for courage. They both sipped it, Lara on the chair, Roxxie leaning on the wall by the table. When the sun finally set, the dark settled in, and they would leave the house for the cemetery. Lara shrugged at the thought of what was ahead of her. How would he look like in two weeks in the soil? Would he still resemble himself? Or would the maggots have carved new features in his face? That would be a relief; that would mean he is really dead. But what if he looked like himself without change? She shivered and gulped the tea at once. She tried to avoid this. Desperately called several handymen, offered double their tax, but no one was willing to come today to fix the broken window. Even now, after his death, she was forced to take things at the pace of others, not at her own and on her own conditions. She made herself think positively; it would be done tonight, and her freedom would be returned to her in less than a couple of hours. She caught Roxxie\u2019s gaze studying her. Roxxie smiled and asked if she wanted one more tea. She thanked her, but said no. She wanted her head clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe shovel,\u201d Lara spoke. \u201cIt is in the shed. Let\u2019s go and get it.\u201d Roxxie nodded, and they went outside. Lara didn\u2019t want to be alone for a second. The dusk invaded the sky, and she begged it to have mercy on her. Considered even praying, but that was no good when Tom beat the shit out of her. Scolding herself, she made a resolve that after this, no more swearing. It wouldn\u2019t belong in her dictionary after this night. They retrieved the shovel and loaded it into the car. It didn\u2019t need to come into the house. There was no use for it there. The handle was a bit wobbly, but it would have to hold. She didn\u2019t know how to fix it. They came back and sat in the kitchen, Roxxie browsing through her book until her face lit up with happiness at finding what she needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLara, here this one. Read it at least a couple of times so you are familiar with it. You will be nervous when we are there. We have to open the coffin for it to be effective. You need to face him.\u201d Lara took the book from Roxxie and obediently read the rhymey text about commanding the spirit of the deceased to cross over. There were only six lines. First, she wanted to memorize them, but the longer she read them, the longer the words slipped through. Not able to hold them in her brain, she sniffed and looked at Roxxie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope I can manage this. The words\u2026 they just don\u2019t stick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, you don\u2019t need to know them by heart. You can read them. And I will be there to guide you. There is nothing to be afraid of. Just think about your freedom.\u201d Roxxie smiled, her red lipstick almost gone. Lara wondered if Roxxie was going to reapply it before they went. She didn\u2019t. Once the clock hit nine pm, Roxxie stood and said with her velvety voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s time, Lara. Let\u2019s go and set you free.\u201d She nodded, digging inside of her for some joy she should feel, but there was none. All she was able to uncover was just fear. The same fear she felt when she heard the baritone voice that accompanied his arrival home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan\u2019t he hurt us on the way or before we\u2026you know\u2026do it?\u201d She asked on the way to the car that waited for them in the driveway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo. He may come to your house now. Maybe he will make a mess of it since now he can get in, and he would, because he wouldn\u2019t find you there as he expects it. The good news is that he wouldn\u2019t know where you were. Being at the cemetery would be the last place he would search for you. But some of your friends or neighbors may get a bit haunted today, to be honest. That is what they do when they do not find the one they are looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan he harm them?\u201d She asked when she closed her door. She started the car, put her seat belt on, and looked at Roxxie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so. I have not heard about a case like that until now. He can scare them, but not to death, if that is what you mean by harming someone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara sighed, shifted the gear into drive, and turned left. The Old Orchard Cemetery was fifteen minutes\u2019 drive from their house. Her house. When they got out of the car, bringing the shovel and props, she looked around to see if anyone was there. The parking lot was empty, but the houses were not that far. Someone could have walked there. She didn\u2019t see anyone. When they approached the gate, it was locked. The opening hours were only until nine pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow are we going to get in?\u201d Lara asked, feeling dumb as she held the shovel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere, take this.\u201d Roxxie pushed the bag with props into her hands. She walked to the left and then from the dark she came back pulling a garbing can behind her. \u201cWe will have to jump over.\u201d She pointed at the fence. The fence wasn\u2019t that high; with the help of the garbage can, they could just be over in no time. Roxxie went first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Lara asked, anxiously clutching the bag and shovel, hoping there were no cameras with someone watching them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust slipped on the grass. Be careful. It\u2019s wet here. The grass is uncut. Hope I don\u2019t catch a tick. Come over.\u201d As Lara climbed the can, she looked down into the dark behind the fence. Only Roxxie\u2019s pale face was visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHand me the shovel and bag.\u201d Lara sent both flying down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, God, do you want me to stay here permanently. Shit. The shovel hit me on my head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry, sorry. I guess I am just too excited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk. Come. Jump finally. We are losing time. He has to be opened for midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara jumped. When they were on the other side, she realized that the lamps were completely off. She couldn\u2019t see a thing, and the moon was just a small crescent providing no illumination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t bring any flashlights,\u201d Lara commented. A sharp light shone into her face. She squinted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have my phone with me,\u201d Roxxie said with particularly pronounced pride in her voice. Together they walked the path to Tom\u2019s grave. It wasn\u2019t too far from the gate, but far enough from anyone passing by not to hear what was going to happen there tonight. The grave was still fresh; the soil didn\u2019t have time to settle down. She was happy that it had not been covered yet. The granite top was in the making; the company she had ordered from had a delay. The flowers and wreaths were dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk, start.\u201d Roxxie was suddenly impatient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan\u2019t you help me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would love to. But this is on you. You have to do it yourself, without any help, otherwise it doesn\u2019t count. I will shine the light at the place for you to see better, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara removed the flowers, tossing them on the side. She would have to give them back, but they were already half-decayed, so no one would wonder and find them in disarray. When she was done, she took the shovel and plunged it into the soil. It wasn\u2019t hard, but it wasn\u2019t easy to work with it either. Soon, she started to sweat. When she was knees deep, she took a break and panted as she leaned on the shovel. The light shone into her eyes. She couldn\u2019t see Roxxie\u2019s face, but she heard her eat something. It sounded like she munched on nuts or something hard. She wiped her forehead, not understanding how Roxxie could eat. They didn\u2019t have dinner, but Lara didn\u2019t feel any hunger. Her stomach was tight. It would be tight until she was done. That made her start to dig again. When she was up to her waist, she almost gave it up. She couldn’t anymore. Her hands were blistered, raw, and numb. She forgot to take gloves. This was purgatory for the murder; she was sure of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo on. You are doing great, Lara. You have around an hour and twenty minutes left. The sooner you are there, the better.\u201d Lara nodded in the direction of the light and went on. She immersed herself in digging, thinking about her freedom. It was within her reach. She finally started to feel joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know what, Roxxie?\u201d She called up, and the light followed her. She could no longer see above the ground, being deep in it. Soon she would hear the shovel bang on the wood of his coffin. She didn\u2019t feel scared at that thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something ruffled the flowers above. It was Roxxie as she moved in with her light to the hole in the ground to hear her better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it? I couldn\u2019t hear you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have just had some realization. And I wanted to share it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it, Lara?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to sound weird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWeirder than what we are doing now?\u201d Roxxie asked jokingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, but it is part of it. You know. After he was gone, I felt like I was missing something. A closure. And now, standing in his grave, digging him up, I finally feel it coming. The years I suffered are gone. There will be no one hurting me. I will be my own person. And Roxxie, I will be forever thankful to you. For how you showed up and rescued me. I hoped we could stay \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n A dull thump echoed in the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou made it, Lara. You are there.\u201d Roxxie sounded as exciting as she was. \u201cAnd you know what, I am happy I was able to be in these final moments of your life\u2019s chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lara nodded, fervently moving the shovel up and down to uncover the full slate of the wooden top of the coffin. She was almost there. Every movement was bringing her closer to her freedom. This was a new start. She would bury him again, this time for the final time, and she would move on. Perhaps she could really move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk, I am done. How do I open it? We didn\u2019t bring anything to open it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShit, I didn\u2019t think about it.\u201d The light moved, and Lara was in the dark. She looked up and saw the light moving around the grave, steps shuffling and echoing through the dark night. She was standing on the lid of the coffin, separated by a few inches from her husband. She didn\u2019t feel any worry or fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid you find something?\u201d She called up. The light returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNothing. But I have just googled something. Can you bend the metal shovel head and use it as a crowbar?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can try, but I am tired and not sure if I have enough strength. Plus, there is not much leeway the wood can give me.\u201d She stomped on the shovel as hard as she could. It didn\u2019t bend. She tried again. The shovel didn\u2019t give in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie, can you take the shovel and try it out there? I think if you try to do it on a harder surface, it will work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, give it to me.\u201d Roxxie\u2019s hand reached out. She took the shovel and disappeared with the light. Lara waited. She heard noised that Roxxie made, trying to bend the shovel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLara! I will head to the gate and try to put it through the grates in it. I don\u2019t have enough strength to do it here either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk, but leave the light here!\u201d She called, but Roxxie was already too far to hear her. She waited in the darkness. The longer she stood, the colder she got. She was all sweaty and could taste salt on her lips. Being idle for a while cooled her down. More time passed by. She couldn\u2019t hear any noises. Roxxie was too far. She shivered from the cold. She moved to the side and leaned on the soil wall she created. Her feet thumped on the wooden lid. She felt small reverberations from the wood. What if he was going to wake up when Roxxie was away? All the stationery and the book were up there. She was defenseless and had no clue about time. What if it were midnight and he came back to his home after an unsuccessful search for her?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie?\u201d She called. No response. \u201cRoxxie?\u201d She tried again. Still no response. What if something happened to Roxxie? She was stuck in the hole; she would not be able to climb up without help. What if he got Roxxie? The fear she hadn\u2019t felt before rose in her chest. What if Roxxie was lying somewhere, dead, and he was slowly crawling to his resting place? She had to come up with a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere.\u201d She heard from above. A bright light, much brighter than Roxxie\u2019s phone, shone. Her eyes, accustomed to the dark, hurt at the sight of light. She heard a chuckle. Roxxie wasn\u2019t alone. That here she heard belonged to Roxxie, but there was someone else. She squinted into the light, trying to see who that was. Her heart was jumping up and down. Did someone catch Roxxie, and now they were going to be expelled from the cemetery? She was standing in her husband\u2019s grave, which she had just dug up. Suddenly, she felt embarrassed. They will be charged for tempering human remains. Whoever it was, she hoped that they would get them out of there before Tom came back. The figure holding the light slowly moved the light to their face. She could see a white shirt, the same as the one Tom wore on his last journey on this Earth. It moved up, illuminating the chin with stubble and full lips that parted away, showing a chipped tooth. The light moved up, her heart in her throat. She would meet Tom\u2019s eyes in about a second. She would die on the spot. He got her in the end. She looked down. She didn\u2019t want to see his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook up, Lara,\u201d Roxxie said, her voice harsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie?\u201d She was confused. Roxxie was with Tom. The whole time, she led her to this moment. She didn\u2019t come to help her. She came to help him. To get her. She felt foolish, na\u00efve for believing her. She wanted to have this over. Her freedom was lost. Her life was lost. It would take just one look, and she would stop her heart. She inhaled deeply and looked up. The man wasn\u2019t Tom. He was someone she had never seen before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid she really think he could get up from the dead?\u201d The man asked Roxxie, still pointing the flashlight at his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs she standing in the grave? Seems to me that way. It wasn\u2019t that difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHappy to have helped, baby.\u201d The man grinned sideways at Roxxie. Lara couldn\u2019t see her. The light made her a black shadow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy, Roxxie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou killed my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know your dad. How could I have killed him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou cunt, don\u2019t lie. You lived with him for twenty years. You took him from my mom and me. He said you didn\u2019t want me in his life. We met secretly. Thanks to you, I never knew how it was to grow up with a father. Because you were too selfish to let him love his daughter. Do you know how he cried every time he had to leave after a short twenty minutes together? Saying that he couldn\u2019t spend more time with me, because you would go rabid. You could never find out that he was seeing me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie, he lied to you. I didn\u2019t know you existed. He never told me he had a daughter. If I knew, I would have never objected to him seeing you. We couldn\u2019t have kids. I would never take away his chance to raise his daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you did. That is exactly what he told me. You couldn\u2019t have kids, and you were not able to accept that it was your fault, so you made him suffer the same way as you did. You selfish bitch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRoxxie, I swear I didn\u2019t have any clue he had a daughter. He beat me; I was the one who suffered. In a way, not having kids with him was a blessing because he would \u2013 \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something hit her. The shovel. It connected with her head. She felt dizzy, everything was spinning, and her knees went weak. Something warm trickled on her neck. The white flare of the pain exploded in her head when the shovel hit her again. This time her legs gave in, and she fell on the lid of the coffin. She didn\u2019t feel any pain. She was cold. Freezing. She wanted to say to Roxxie that it wasn\u2019t like her dad told her, but she wasn\u2019t able to say a word. She opened and closed her mouth. Her fingers were freezing. Then something fell on her head. She smelled soil. Another batch of soil covered her eyes. She wanted to raise her hand to wipe it off, but it didn\u2019t obey her. The next batch covered part of her nose. She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cAnd though you may not believe me, Lara, I still love you. Always did. Always will. Despite what you did to me. We both know I didn\u2019t deserve it, but what is done is done. I keep thinking about things I wanted to tell you, things I wanted to do with you, do to you. 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