Gregory

I got up suddenly, taking in the breath of my environment. I was still dressed in my pajamas, with my long straight hair, dangling behind me, but I was sure this was an elevator because I've been in one, about twice or thrice. They were in mom's workplace and also, almost everywhere in Scotland hotels and firms. The first and only time I've ever been to Cameron's workplace, I mean, his cosmetics, spa, hotel&hair company--Cam&Rub, i had not used the elevators but I had I found there were many there. It was a tall, five storey building. Or is it six? I can't remember.
There was a difference in the elevator I found myself. It was empty. In fact the lights were not on. They must have closed for the day in whatever company I found myself. I tried to press a button but none budged.
"Robin?" I called him, because I knew he had brought me to that place. I looked around, but I could see well because it was dark. I pushed open the entry doors with my hands and left the compartment of the elevator. And to my surprise, I was in a company where textile was made. I just knew it because of the strings of fabric on the table. The sight was exquisite
"Robin , where are you?" I called again. I hadn't walked far into the open rooms when I realized that I had actually made use of my superpower to escape being stuck in a locked elevator. I had lifted it easily. It shouldn't have opened but because I could lift heavy things, even things that had stuck due to age or because it had been mechanically locked from somewhere.
"Wow. I didn't realize that" I said to myself, grinning. It felt so good to be a human with a difference.
"I am here" I heard him before I saw him. In fact, when I saw him, I didn't recognize him at first, because he looked very young he looked like he was only 15 or at the most, 18. He was dressed in a pair of regular pants and a oversized vest that read "Born Different". He looked very alluring especially with his smile. I ran to his arms and he embraced me tightly. "You called me" he said softly.
"Do you miss me already?"
"Yes, Robin. Can I follow you now?" I cried in his arms but he shook his head from side to side. I didn't bother asking him how he grew so young. It was one of his powers. He could never age. "But I want to go to the castle"
"You don't belong there yet" he said. My mind was at peace as he stroked my hair. "Will you follow me then? Follow me to the estate and spend some time with us" I pleaded.
"What are you talking about?" He laughed. His teeth shone in the dark.
"Come to my house and say hello to my parents please. Explain to them that I had a surgery. Everyone thinks I'm crazy because I don't remember many things that happened. Mom in fact gives me this weird look that scares the beejeebies out of me" I pleaded but he just looked on, perhaps deciding whether it was the right thing to do.
"The war is tomorrow. It begins tomorrow, Ariana" he announced, his smile disappearing, all of a sudden.
"It will go fine. I promise" it was surprising to find me saying that to him.
"No it won't. A lot of packs are against us. I can sense that some of them are planning to join the vampires against us. It's going to be tough" I sighed because I didn't know what else to do
"I'm afraid I'm not going to survive it"
That creeped me out, and I swiftly moved inches away from him. He looked immortal. He was in fact immortal. How could he talk about dying?
"What are you talking about? You have powers. How could you not survive a war?"
"It's limited. If I get too wounded, I might lose my sense of teleportation"
"What do you mean?"
"I'll become a full wolf and remain in the castle. I won't be able to return to the earth, or I might, but my movements will be very limited" he said
"And what will happen to me?" I asked. "You won't protect me anymore?"
"I'm sorry" he said and a tear fell from my eye. "But I promise to avoid what will make this happen. Don't worry" he said, rocking me from side to side. "I'll fight carefully. I'll withdraw when it gets tough"
"Thank you"
After a long minute of noisy silence, I asked, "where is this place? Why did you bring me here?"
"This is where Gregory used to work. I mean, he used to own this place but after his death now, It has been renovated by the new manager" he squeezed my palm into his and walked me around the company. Each door opened on its own accord, as we stood before them and when we passed by them, they got shut on their own. In the first room we went to, there were many modern sewing machines. They looked very new and technical. There were also yarns and fabric everywhere on the wall. I didn't know who Gregory was, and i was waiting for an opportunity to ask him.
"Look at this place, how does it look?" He asked me.
"Modern. Exquisite" I responded. Then he made a swish with his palm like a magician would, then he asked me to close my eyes and open them almost immediately. I did that, and behold we were in a different place, an old cubicle full of tape rules and pieces of fabric. There were about five sewing machines as well, and they all looked very old and worn out
"See?, how does it look now?"
"Old. Underdeveloped" I said honestly.
"Do you know it is the same place?" He covered my eyes for some seconds and asked me to open them, and we were back in the modern sewing room.
"Gregory started this place from the scratch. He was poor but hardworking and he built this company with his sweat. He had a lot of savings, and building plans in mind, and on paper, but, all of these was hijacked from him, and then, his death was prearranged by those envious set of persons.
Gregory has begun to appear himself to culprits who are behind this, or maybe people who know these culprits. He won't stop haunting them until they own up and will the company back to his only daughter and child"
I nodded. It was a sad story. Poor Gregory.
"Don't you wanna know who Gregory is?" He asked. There was no smile on his face. He had on a very grave expression.
"No I don't want to. He is already dead" I said, rubbing my palms together because I started to shiver that moment. The air conditioners were off, but I was shivering terribly. My teeth were even gnashing themselves. Maybe the story he told me creeped me out, but then, the hairs on my neck stood on end, and goosebumps appeared on my arms as well. Why would I be that scared of a story of many years ago?
"Why do I feel suddenly cold?" I asked him, rushing into his arms. "Hold me please" I pleaded with him because it felt like I was going to freeze to death. He rubbed my arms and said, "You're probably scared. Look around, do you see anything scary?"
No. I didn't want to look around but I did. And I saw the spooky figure. He was few metres away from us, and he was standing in the door. It looked like he was folding his hands across his chest, and his head hung slightly low on his shoulders. He was definitely staring at us, like we were intruders. I looked back at Robin, and asked, "How tall is Gregory?"
"Very tall. He towers above the average-heighted" he retorted. "You're still shivering. Do you see anything scary around?"
"How did you find out about Gregory? I mean, who told you the story, and why did you tell me?" I asked carefully, my voice shaky. I could feel ice on my eyeballs even though everywhere was warm. Gregory's presence sure didn't affect Robin. He must be so powerful.
"Why do you ask?" Robin said. "I only...
"Because Gregory is here" I mumbled. "The spooky figure...I think..he.. ..he might be Gregory"
"True" Robin mumbled. "I was not sure myself. I heard the story from a meeting with other packs, and so, I told you the story to confirm if he was the one following you. And so, he came. It is he" he nodded. "I don't know how to purge the memory of a ghost, I could have"
"What should I do? He is staring at me" I punched Robin in the ribs because he was talking too much, like everything was all right. As he rubbed me, I got warm. Warm on the skin he touched. So, he tried to touch every part of me that was bare.
"Tell him you don't know anything about his death. No, that's stupid. He already knows you don't. Tell him to stop following you, and to go to whoever killed him instead" Robin whispered into my ears. He could not see him, but I could.
So, I faced the ghost called Gregory, and mumbled, "Gregory", slowly. His head that was hung low slowly was lifted, and he stared at me with his faceless face.
"Gregory, I do not know anything about your death. I am sorry you died such a gruesome death, and I wish I could find your killers and revenge your death, but I don't know them.
Please stop following me because I can't help you. You are dead but I am alive, so your presence frightens me. Please stop following me" Immediately I was done, he put his arms by his sides, and slowly vanished into thin air.
And my body temperature returned to normal almost immediately. I started to break out into a sweat. It felt so unreal that I started to laugh. Because, stuff like this happen for real? For real?
"He's gone?"
"Yeah" I said to Robin with a smile playing on my lips. I was calm now
"He most likely won't return ever again, and he can't hurt you, because you're innocent"
"I'm relieved" I heaved a sigh of relief.
"In a way, I've purged you of your memory again" he said, and I couldn't thank him enough.
"Go home now. You should feel better" he said and turned to go.
"I want you to visit my family, please. Come with me" I pleaded. He was moving farther away from me but I was sure he could hear. Besides, how did he expect me to go home? I didn't even know where I was.
"I'll come in the evening" he said and vanished. I saw him vanish, and before I could protest, I found myself back in Kangaroo Estate, and before Mike's door. It was still 5.30am in the morning.

FORTY SIX: WE WILL TRY AGAIN
I dusted my pajamas and walked slowly into our apartment, like a wounded kitten. I had a smile on my face because it was fun disappearing and reappearing without anyone noticing. I however hoped mom had not realized that I left the house.
Immediately I got into the living room, I realized that she hadn't, because she was still talking to Cameron, in their room. And no, not softly, like before. It seemed they were arguing about something now, and it was heating up already. Their door was still slightly open, that was why I knew, because if it were closed, I wouldn't hear a thing(it was soundproof). I put my ear on the keyhole and listened attentively.
"You know you can't do that to me, Ruby! We both don't have anyone besides ourselves!" He sounded both hurt and upset, but not as angry as it sounded from the outside. I relaxed a bit when I saw that mom had the upper hand. What were they talking about?
"Yeah, I don't have a mother or father, but I got someone who loves me. He's been making me happy and giving me many reasons to be alive. He's such a darling, unlike you.
As I speak with you, he's planning how our honeymoon will be like, because as soon as I leave you, I'm marrying him!" Mom spoke indignantly and the revelation of the whole issue started to dawn on me. Not the whole thing, but now, I knew that Cameron hurt mom and she could not forgive him, and that's why she wants to divorce him. Only I don't know exactly what his offence was.
Their voices were loud, but you could only hear whispers if you didn't stay by their door.
"Please, Ruby. Give me some time to change. I'll be a better husband and a better father to our kids, I promise"
That moment, I knew I had to intervene. I had read about how some kids were greatly affected by the divorce of their parents. There were some kids in my school with separated parents and they didn't look happy at all. They were always quiet, or upset, or withdrawn..I didn't want to be like that. Neither did I want my sister's to grow up with a man who wasn't their biological father.
I opened the door slowly and walked in. It was the first time I ever walked in their matrimonial room without fear.
"Daddy" I said. He was kneeling before mom, with his head buried into her thighs. Mom was sitting on the bed, fully dressed now, in a blue tank top and black leggings, and looking out the window. She seemed to be stopping some tears.
As soon as I said, "Daddy", Cameron lifted his head and looked at me. There was so much shock and disbelief written clearly on his face. I thought I used to call him that normally. Mom wiped her own tears with the hem of their bedspread, and looked in my direction too. Cameron's mouth shivered, as if he wanted to say something, but no words were coming out. He looked like he'd burst into uncontrollable tears.
I went over to them and rubbed their hairs. Then I knelt before mom, like Cameron did, and said carefully, "Mom, please forgive Dad. No matter what he has done, please let there be peace. I don't want you to divorce him because divorce is not good for me and my sisters"
Mom started to cry because it was so confusing. I used to support her in this. She felt like a villain that moment.
"Please forgive him" I said again, completely burying my head in her thighs too. Cameron's head was locking with mine. Maybe I was saving their marriage or maybe I was doing the most dangerous thing ever, I didn't know. All I knew was, I had a mother and father whom I wanted together, forever.
"Get up darling" Mom said to me, after about three minutes of crying so uncontrollably. She was still sulking and her husband was still pleading.
"Get up, Ariana" she said again, but I didn't listen.
"I'll be here until you give us a response. Look, mom, he's sorry!" I said pointing at Cameron's face which was full of unshed tears. He looked like he wanted to cry but couldn't. This man must have had a very rough past. I hardly knew anything about him, other than he was a wealthy businessman and model, and my biological father.
Mom got up slowly and said, "It's okay. Please guys, get up, please get up" repeatedly. We reluctantly did, and immediately I was up on my feet, Cameron scooped me up into his arms and started to shed tears. I felt his tears on my bare skin especially my neck because apart from my face, only my neck was bare. I've never seen him cry until that day, and to be honest, the tears looked real.
He looked like someone who was wrestling against a bigger power. He tries to subdue the power, but the power controls him all the time.
He actually cried for almost thirty minutes. I'm sure it was the reason he fell sick, some days after. I never knew he had some emotions left in him, to be honest. That day, everything that happened in their room was real.
"We'll try again" Mom said, after everyone was quiet. The silence in the room carried so much noise. We all had something in our heads to say, but silence communicated those words more.
"Thank you sweetheart" Cameron said, hanging his hand over her shoulder. "Thank you so much"
"But I'm not promising you anything. I'm not promising to stay either. I just said, we'll try again. That means, I'll put all my plans on hold, to see if it will work out, if our marriage will work out or not" she said defiantly. She seemed to be concerned that I was there, but there was no need hiding it from me anymore. Besides the fact that I already knew about her planning a divorce, I also was extremely smart and mature. Like I said, once or twice in this book, I was eight but I acted like I was fifteen or eighteen.
"We can definitely pick up our pieces, Ruby. It's possible. I'll try my best to make it work. I'll stop being so foolish this time, I promise" he held her hands in his, very firmly and bore his eyes into hers. Mom stared deep into his eyes too, and I knew what she was thinking.
He was too handsome. Actually.
Mom was wishing in her mind that he'd stay true to his words and there'd be no need for separating, I was certain. It was obvious that mom's intention was not to cut short her marriage halfway, but she was taking a very bold step away from it, because it brought her pain. She had really tried every means to make her and Cameron work. But it had all been futile. He himself needed some trying to do.