Dead Flowers - Chapter Twelve

Luke knows about Robert and he isn't taking the news sitting down. He wants Leena to leave and leave now so that retched ghost can't hurt her.

Luke had driven us back to the mansion with his flamboyant orange truck. The trip had been silent on my part. I was too nervous, too worried about Robert to think about anything but. Luke, on the other hand, found my silence as an invitation to continue talking.

It wasn’t until we were finally out of the truck that he quieted down. It seemed just the presence of the looming Iria mansion was enough to scare the boy.

“What’s wrong?” I snapped, hurrying towards the door so I could unlock it. “It’s just a house, Luke.”

“Sure, just a house, Leena! Just a house that you know houses a ghost!” Luke snarled while his eyes gathered every window in sight. He had never been inside. Luke had been scared of that stupid legend, the curse of the Iria mansion.

I scoffed as we wandered inside. Luke shut the door behind him.

“Like I told you before, Luke, there are no such things as ghosts. There is no ghost in this house,” but Luke wouldn’t listen.

He darted forward and straight towards the stairs. I watched the determined boy go until he disappeared onto the second floor and I wandered towards the kitchen.

About a half an hour went by until Luke finally came back down. He still appeared unconvinced but I offered him up a seat beside me.

“So you find what you’re looking for?

Lucas scowled, “He’s hiding, isn’t he?”

“No, Luke,” I was getting annoyed, “No one’s hiding. There’s no ghost here.”

“Leena, I know what I saw -”

“Luke, just stop -”

His eyes were furious and seemed to grow darker and darker the more I denied his accusations.

“Then tell me who you were looking for. I heard you calling for someone named Robert.”

“Robert is...” and I paused because I was praying Robert would come strolling in. I just wanted to see him, to touch him and know he was alright. The worry I held for him wasn’t helping the nerves I felt for Lucas.

Luke was angry. He was furious and everything about him scared me.

“Well?”

I shook my head, “Robert’s a friend of mine. He was working on the floor and we sort of hit it off. He messaged me late last night because he just got off a job and I said I’d meet him near the bookstore but he never showed so I went wandering wondering if maybe I gave him the wrong address.”

It was a horrible lie. Both Luke and I knew that but Lucas kept his mouth shut for a while, contemplating on whether to call me out on it or just pretend to buy it.

“You are an absolute horrible liar, Leena.”

He called me out.

“I’m not stupid. I may have been drunk but I clearly remember you saying the name ‘Robert’ when that ghost appeared.”

I didn’t know what to do anymore. No matter what Luke wasn’t taking no for an answer and there was nothing in this house to prove to him that Robert existed or not. We were both at a standstill.

I slid from the chair, “Look Luke, you should probably get going.”

He followed my lead, staring at my tired face with disbelief, “You’re kicking me out?”

“I’m tired, Luke. I’ve been stood up and I haven’t had a day to relax since I took on this house.”

The male scoffed, “Leena, stop playing games. I’m doing this because I care about you.”

My eyebrow rose, “And how is interrogating me showing you care?”

He smiled, “I’ve been doing research lately.”

“Research?”

Luke nodded.

“You have a computer, right?”

“Of course,” I breathed, “It’s in the study. Why?”

“Let me show you something.”

So I followed Lucas with a tired sigh while he hurried towards the room I pointed too. Inside, the boy set himself up at the computer while I stood behind him with an annoyed look on my face.

“You know the legend, right? That Mr. Iria and his son were murdered here?”

“They weren't murdered,” I muttered to myself but Luke didn’t hear.

He was too busy typing and pulling up various windows. Half of the screen was filled with various homemade sites about ghosts and the supernatural. The other half was filled with videos he had pulled from YOUTUBE.

“Leena?”

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard the legend. No one can stay in this house for more than 5 minutes,” I rubbed my shoulder, “Clearly that’s not true.”

He chuckled to himself, “Well you need to check out these videos. There are people all over the place who’ve seen ghosts like your Robert.”

“There’s no ghost -” Luke gave me a look, “Fine. Show me.”

So we watched the bogus videos for another hour. Luke was so excited and I, well I couldn’t help but ache more. As fake as the filming and supposed special features were, all I could think about was Robert’s fiery figure roaming the halls with a joy on his face as I called his name.

“Aren’t these amazing?” Luke pulled up another screen, “And look at this! There’s even an institute that’s trying to experiment on ghosts!”

I shook my head, “Lucas, if you took the time to actually research this place I can guarantee you its completely fake.”

He pushed himself from the desk with a pleading look across his face, “Leena, why won’t you believe me? Why are you protecting him?”

“Protecting? Luke, there’s no ghost here! Don’t you get it?” I soft smiled at him, “Look, I get you’re trying to protect me but these spectres don’t exist -”

“Come with me, Leena,” and Luke stepped forward, “You can stay with Cassie and I so you’ll be safe -”

He tried to touch my cheek, tried to brush it like Robert would and I pushed him away with a scowl.

“Don’t touch me, Luke.”

Luke frowned, “What’s wrong with you, Leena? You were all over me that time at the bar -”

“I was drunk, Luke.”

“Leena, you have to come with me -”

“I don’t have to go anywhere with you.”

“Leena -”

“No, Luke, just get out.”

He snarled, “What is wrong with you? I’m trying to help you! You’re house is haunted! Who knows what that ghost will do to you!”

“You don’t understand!”

And a silence crept over as I glared at him and he glared back at me. I didn’t know if I just given away that Robert was actually real but Luke’s anger didn’t seem to increase, he just seemed stiff.

“What? Do you the love the ghost or something?”

My mouth dropped and I began to stutter, “W-What? N-No, there’s no ghost, Luke. What are you talking about? I don’t love a ghost -”

“I’m trying to help you, Leena. He’s tricked you, hasn’t he? A ghost couldn’t love you -”

“A ghost couldn’t love me? And why not?”

Luke only laughed, “You don’t serious think he does, Leena? He’s dead! He’s using you!”

“For what? What could he ever gain by making me love him?”

“He can touch you, can’t he? That’s what the scientists said on that site -”

“Just get out, Luke!”

Luke did leave but he didn’t leave silently. He begged for me to come with him, begged that I wouldn’t leave myself to the dangers of this house but I said no.

He then turned with a sour gaze and said, “I won’t wait for you forever, Leena. When you realize you love nothing but a memory, let’s hope I’ll see be here.”

I found myself dropping to the floor the moment the front door slammed shut. My body pulled tight against its self and quietly, I began to weep. I stayed there all night and when morning came and passed and the afternoon rose, I struggled to my feet and too the kitchen.

Robert didn’t return.

A week went by and Robert still hadn't returned.

A month passed and Robert was still gone.

A year flew by and still, Robert was nowhere to be found...

To be continued...