Tck tak tck tak, like a metronome.
Left right left right, the eyes on a cat clock.
A sharp sudden ding! And a register drawer flings open. My shoulders bunched up to my ears when I skittered from the sound. Turning away from the wall of clocks, I turn my focus instead to the floral crochet granny cardigan of the customer in front of me.
The person behind me pressed against my back as a newcomer weaved through the narrow shop. I could smell the leather coat and their cigarette breath as he muttered an apology. He briskly shuffled away when the space was let up again.
"Sorry I don't usually pay with cash, but I had all this change in my car.." apologized the young teen in the cardigan, as they dumped their stack of change and flicked the coins around quickly.
"No worries! With how change hides around it's like getting a free drink once in a while!" The short barista scooped up the change with a white flashy smile.
I yanked down on my chunky scarf as I asked for a hot milk chai.
Later when I received my warm beverage and took a couple sample tastes, I made my way back to the city streets. The rush of wind on my way out puffed up my hair.
The sound of the clocks still sounded in the fog of my mind when I weaved through the many pedestrians.
When I had reached my building my steps up the stairs followed the rhythmic ticking. The last tak faded off when I made it to my one bed apartment and unlocked the door.
"My boy!" I squealed. My black and gray Cornish Rex was jumping off the couch and chittering his way up to me.
I quickly threw my things to the side and melted into the floor to greet my scruffy child. He welcomed my pets but pushed is way under me to my discarded scarf and coat. He curled up in the warmth and blinked slowly up at me.
"I see how it is. You know I'm the one that made that heat. I'm your personal heater! But your prefer the one that smells like the stinky streets you gremlin"
I gave him noggin scrunchies before going to the restroom.
I felt and heard papery scraping that clung to my sweaty feat, lifting up a foot a leaf flew off my toe and under the sink.
"Again! All over the floor!" I poked my head out at Fruit, "I'm onto you! You and your leaf fetish. These aren't your babies Fruit you never even experienced fatherhood!" all I received was his slow yellow blinking eyes.
I swiped them off into a pile and dumped them in the bin. When I opened the shower curtains my hand came back damp.
Someone used my shower?
I flipped open my phone and texted Sammy, 'Were you over today?'
'yeah! I left my books I was reading while house sitting. Sorry'
'nah you good'
I took a hot shower compared to my usual lukewarm. I was tense the whole train ride and felt stiff and creaky when I walked through town. The steam was nice on my lungs. I only got out when I started to feel drowsy.
Fruit was curling around my legs when I reached my bed,
"Aha! Your warm bed not so warm anymore huh! You always come crawling back" I snickered at him. He chirped at me and jumped up onto my high mattress. He found his spot by my pillow and waited for me.
I pulled on one of my slips and puddled onto my bed, pushing my head into Fruits belly.
Home smelled nice. I missed home. Why do I have to leave home? Home is good.
I dozed off with my foot still hanging off the bed.
--
BUMP!
Something in the living room scraped against the floor.
I almost threw up my stomach when I startled. Fruit was staring out my bedroom door alert, but didn't seem bothered otherwise. I still prepped my fists and elbows up and tried to peek around the door frame.
The bathroom was right across and empty, curtain still open. Nobody was in view of what I could see from the living room. I stepped out, keeping my back towards the wall as I inched into the open layout.
Nobody was there. Door still locked. Windows shut.
Time to smudge the house.
After a thorough smudge, and some sweet incense, I prepped a warm cup of almond milk mixed with matcha. Fruit was curled in my lap purring as I mindlessly stroked his fuzzy fur and fluffy scruff.
The matcha was starting to work it's magic and I was growing drowsy again. I left the mood light on the bedside on, a wavy blue and green light rippled against the walls.
I snuggled my purring cat and found sleep.
--
It was 11am. Fruit was fed and eating his food that did not smell just a little bit tasty.
Hot tea in hand. Curled up position assumed beside open windows, curtains pulled to the sides. I looked down upon the peons that were swarming about for the coffee break hour.
My toes curled over the edge of my seat as the tea warmed me up.
Fruit trotted in yowling and meowing about how delicious his meal was. I had given him a large dried chicken heart with breakfast for keeping watch over me last night.
"Your welcome buddy" I called out.
As I sipped my tea, through the corner of my eye I saw something standing there, it moved.
"FUCK-WHAT-BITCH WHO?" The tea had spilled onto my hand and onto the floor, barely missing my toes. My skin ached from the burning. My head flipped to where a curtain was innocently swaying by the heater vent.
Fruit was snuffing at my feet and staring up at me, bobbing his head around.
"I'm okay buddy" I pat his wrinkly butt.
I set my tea down and rubbed my eyes.
I guess this last job was more on me than I thought.
I've been working as a photographer for a decade doing all kinds of work. But I am usually called in to photograph for surgeries. The past two years I've been employed by a forensic agency, and had additional opportunities to photograph for crime scenes.
I've gotten used to my work. I had a therapist I would talk to when I needed to, and I had a good small group of friends..
I flipped out my phone and messaged my therapist about the last few days. Fruit shoved his way onto my lap and bumped his butt around.
--
I decided to not accept offers of work for a week. I had the savings to do so and my therapist suggested I take a small break to rest and go out with some friends.
I spent the night at Sammy's for a day when another bump in the night happened. Mari stayed over the next mostly to witness the unwelcome guest more so than for me. She did gift me a doormat to put outside with specific instructions of placing the welcome upside down for visitors.
"Welcome to get out" is what she had said.
I spent the other nights eating out for dinner, with friends and by myself.
I wore Fruit in his sling more often, he was very pleased with that. But this boy is getting so chunky and I'm not getting older with shoulder pain.
Despite my best efforts things seemed to get worse.
I took another week off.
My therapist re-prescribed some of my old medications and told me I can pick them up if I needed them.
I thought I was fine. But then I saw a man in my living room. I thought I did. But he disappeared when I dialed up my phone.
When I tried to describe him to Mari I couldn't remember if he was old or young. He stood young but might have looked old?
Mari came over to smudge my house with her home bundled sage and dried sweet things added in.
"Don't worry Mae we'll tell this old thot begone!" She stayed over for a couple nights but had to leave for work. She left behind instructions to the nearest cemetery and old folks home by the door for the ghost.
I decided to stress bake some cookies. I left a plate with a cookie on the mini shelf I installed by the door under Mari's map. Mr. Clumsy ghost now had an alter.
In the morning the cookie was gone and the floor was covered with leaves again. I know it wasn't Fruit but I still gave him a look.
He meowed up at me.
--
I was popping pills - as prescribed by my provider - and this ghost was still popping up. More often too. He was also becoming more clear.
Fruit saw him too so I felt just a little less crazy. But he didn't seem too bothered by him so I kept my mantra to keep myself under control.
The ghost was now named Bumbly because he is clumsy AF
He would run into my furniture all the time, leave a mess of the bathroom counter, and drop leaves EVERYWHERE when he disappeared abruptly.
I finally yelled at him next he popped up. But he didn't respond, he seemed to not hear me, or didn't care. He also never reacted or seemed to notice me when I did things.
--
When I started accepting jobs again and having my friends sit for Fruit. They didn't get the Bumbly experience, but they did know when he showed up when Fruit would stare, follow into the next room and stare some more.
When I returned late at night, having missed a bus and catching another line that took a roundabout way home, I was welcomed to a bathroom full of used bandages covered in blood.
I shut the door, checked on Fruit - held him, and went to cry in my room.
--
Morning came and I checked the bathroom, it was clean. At this point I decided I could not grow any fucks and decided to take a shocking cold shower and make breakfast.
While I was enjoying my oatmeal the front door opened, it was indeed locked and the metal cylinder was still hanging off the door when a white haired masked man looked at me.
"Get the fuck outta my house" I yelled, oatmeal probably flying out my mouth.
"Oh sorry" he awkwardly shut the door.
But then he opens it again, "wait no- your in my house"
I started crying and he immediately flustered and shut the door. It did not open again.
--
On work leave once again - or my equivalent of it - because who knows what the man will do to my beloved fur child.
-
Having woke up at 2am I went straight for my goto matcha almond milk. But I was interrupted in my path to Bumbly, or now, the Bumbly masked man.
When I bumped into him we both assumed a protective stance. When he seemed to recognize me my fist flew out and he immediately caught my wrist. He got confused and I threw my other one out cause he was held tight on my trusted gut puncher, but he caught my runner up too.
I glared at him. But he returned with a lazy look, seemingly unconcerned.
But jokes on him I used his tight grip on me to swing my right foot up and clocked him in the face.
The jokes were on me, he switched and caught my leg.
Jokes on both of us, he disappeared and I fell to the floor. I decided to stay there until Fruit came to claim me.
I still got my damn milk matcha that night.
--
I had a disturbing blissful week of nothing unusual happening. I was ready to welcome this change, but after waking from a nap to the sound of a Metronome, I immediately reached for my cat.
He was slouchy and blinking sleepily at me. He was super toasty and I clung to that chunky boy as I walked into the living room ready for the next round of paranormal.
The room was empty, but when a toe touched the carpet things around me started to warp. Fruit let out a startling hiss and I jumped back. When both feet hit the ground my living room turned into a whole different living room.
I looked around in shock.
Someone walked out of where my room should have been and stared at me.
"The ghost!" I shouted, pointing a finger at him. He was in a baggy shirt and shorts, hair a mess, and still masked.
He looked tired but still indignant, "your the ghost not me!" He grumbled and shut his door.
I scoffed. Sat down on the couch and curled up with my growling cat. His claws were dug into my red slip and he didn't seem to want to be let down.
It smelled like dank dog.
—
I woke up to a fridge being opened.
"Your still here?"
"Slept all night too apparently" I groaned back. I picked Fruit off my belly and plopped him down. I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes and stared at Bumbly the ripped ghost.
"What is that" he pointed at my cat.
"That is my son Fruit"
"He looks like one"
I looked down at Fruit, his little teefy fangs were sticking out, he looked as if he was smiling. I chuckled at his common visage of a cute fruit bat.
—
Author's Note:
You learn in next chapter, but her full first name is Maera.
From crack jokes between me and my partners, my cat, dreams, a sleepless night, and 5 hours of plotting, writing.. and voila. A whole complete plot and 1.5 written chapters.