“Is that all you want?”

It was a simple question asked in neither a reproaching nor approving tone. Eri’s expression was placid. There was a distinct sense of disconnect in the girl as if the idea was removed from her, and Lily pursed her lips hesitating. Her gaze flicked to the side as she took a moment to pause and think. Swallowing, hands placed atop her lap she twisted away from Eri, her cadence weaker, unsure, and lathered with a defensive layer of sarcasm.

“...what’s with that question? I mean probably…”

Lily's reply came with a grunt, twisting her head away from Eri to look into the distance. Her eyes were dull and almost colourless. Eri on the other hand smiled as she spoke, stretching her legs out as she replied.

“Nothing, I just thought I’d ask. After all I’m not a genie nor a monkey’s paw. There’s a limit to what I can, and can’t do for you. But I wanted to know more about you, and what your goal was in life. And even if that goal was murder, in its own way, as twisted as it might be, that's fine. But if it's not merely murder that you’re after, but murder for the sake of revenge, then you’ve dedicated your life not to yourself but to others, and to them specifically. Your life and death will have revolved entirely around other people.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean? I can dedicate myself to whatever I want.”

Lily replied, in a harsh tone swivelling her head around to glare at the girl beside her, her eyes narrowed resenting the insinuation behind Eri’s words. But Eri seemed not to mind at all, replying in her ever casual tone with a wave of her hand.

“I never said you couldn’t. As I said I’m just trying to understand a little better the kind of person that you are... …that you were. I mean after all, now that you’re dead you’ve had plenty of time to reminisce on the life you lived. It's not an opportunity many people get. To look over their life after their final moments and take their time to reflect. And how was it? Are you happy with how it ended?”

“...If I was happy with how it ended I wouldn’t be here, would I?”

“...Ha. Fair enough. But the decision to die was yours. Though... it seems in your case others pushed you towards it. Though the one to take the last step was you. …Well. It doesn’t seem to have been the end you wanted.”

Eri pursed her lips, taking a second to consider her next words, before she turned her gaze back towards Lily.

“They say death cures all things. I mean... to be able to cure stupidity is already impressive enough. All of life’s problems, and all problems someone might have with themselves. But what do you think? Now that you’ve actually experienced it. Have you changed at all since you fell from this rooftop 2 years ago?”

“...I discovered I like flowers. That hobby bloomed quite fantastically.”

Lily would intentionally avoid answering seriously, the whole subject was too touchy. She grabbed hold of her legs and pulled them close to her chest. Pulling herself small as if retreating with a shell, building a wall of sarcasm and self-deprecation with words as she added.

“Oh oh, and I learned that if you stare into the distance, you can occasionally see things! It's really life changing stuff, death I mean.”

Eri scoffed softly, a breathy release of a single laugh replying to her words with a playful smile.

“You know what? Sure! That counts. Hm… you like flowers… Well I’m glad you’ve found a passion… but I’m sorry to say the job of a florist doesn’t fit you very well… I can’t imagine a world where you’re able to work customer service.”

“Excuse me? I would be great at customer service! At least better than you as a therapist.”

“Then give me your best business smile please miss florist. Pretend for a second that you’re happy.”

Eri replied, pressing the corners of her lips upwards with her fingers in a playful gesture of mimicking a smile.

“...What a manipulative snake. Fine!”

Lily coughed, preparing herself mentally taking a breath, and turning herself towards Eri, sitting on her knees, her eyes remaining closed for a long second before she stared into Eri’s dark yellow eyes. Lily tilted her head a little to the side. Strands of brown hair falling loosely upon her shoulders, her cheeks softened and her thin soft lips turned upwards. Her lightless green eyes seemed to shine just a little, and with just that she seemed an entirely different person from the girl she was a second ago. It truly was as if she were possessed by a ghost. The smile itself was something akin to a silly grin. It was pretty yet there was something self deprecating about it. As if she was laughing at herself. But nonetheless it was surprisingly cute, Lily would suit the role of a siren well enough.

“...oddly cute. I expected more of a… stray cat impression.”

Eri replied, blinking in surprise.

“...Stray cats are very cute, you make it sound like that would be a bad thing. And the smile was fake anyway, it doesn’t really matter if it was cute or not.”

“Well they say fake it til you make it… do you feel the slightest bit happier?”

“...not really. I just feel really stupid.”

“Well we can at least say that this whole bit wasn’t entirely pointless. So there are things you like... So you were a cat person Lily? If I were to guess whether you were one or the other I’d have said you liked cats… but as your therapist I’m touched. I’m proud of you for opening up so much.”

Eri replied in clear over exaggeration Lily’s replied with a click of her tongue, turning herself around, looking away from the girl saying in turn.

“...well I like cats but it’s not like I dislike dogs. Animals in general are pretty cute I think.”

Eri blinked at those words, genuine surprise in her expression. And slowly that surprise turned into a small weak smile. Her gaze was somewhat distant, no that wasn’t quite right. Was it pity? There was something in that expression that Lily could feel but couldn’t quite vocalise. She merely stared into Eri’s deep yellow eyes as the dark haired girl spoke. Her intonation gentle, and expression soft.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“...So there were things you liked after all.”

“...? Of course I did… Even I…”

And Lily fell quiet. And the insinuation of Eri’s words sunk in with a steady slowness. The emotion began as a small prick. And began to well up. It sowed its roots inside her gut and began to fill her to the brim, pushing and tearing into her body. It took hold of her and engulfed her. It wasn’t quite regret, it was more than sadness. Her mouth hung open and she lacked the ability to put her desires, to put what she wanted to say into words. Yet still she swallowed and tried pushing it out. She grit her teeth as memories trickled forth like water leaking from the crack of a dam. The crisp taste of the late night air. The howling winds that bellowed, and the horizon ever far away and out of reach. Lily inhaled sharply and tried to speak. Pushing out a garble of half baked thoughts in a tangled strew of a sentence.

“...what else was I supposed to do…!?”

But Eri’s gaze didn’t meet hers. She stared at the sight that Lily once had and replied in a quiet whisper of a tone.

“...Don’t ask me.”

And Lily couldn’t help but laugh at the short crass sounding reply.

“...Wow what an amazing therapist, 10/10.”

“...Therapy isn’t a place you go to for someone else to give you answers. And I’m not a god. I don't know you well enough to say what you want. It was your life. …And your future. You’re free to choose what you want to do with it. …and in the first place. Do you really want someone else telling you what to do with your life? If I told you, “you were born to be a florist” would you really feel any happier?”

“It wouldn’t make me feel any worse at least.”

“That's… a little unexpected. I didn’t think you were the type of person that was okay with living while listening to orders.”

“...What else was I supposed to do…”

“...you’re starting to repeat yourself…”

Eri stared at her hands, trying to find the right words to say. Her gaze turning onto the horizon she watched the red streaks of the setting sun stretch unto the darkening sky, and replied in a voice that sounded distant.

“ …It's too late. For… a lot of things. But you’ve at least been given a chance to do something. It might not be much, but… at least now you can try and make the most of it.”

Something snapped within Lily. She didn’t understand why. It felt like someone else was moving her lips and forcing words from her lips. There was even a part of her that felt Eri was right. Yet anger took the reins and pulled hard. There wasn’t any justification for it… no there was. It was just that the justification for it was flimsy. After all, at its core it was nothing more than frustration. At herself, at the world, at Eri, and at the hopelessness of it all.

“Why does it matter anyways!? I’m dead. That's it! There’s nothing left. There were things I liked, things I might have wanted to do but so what!? I couldn’t do any of it anyways!! Not now. And not when I was alive. I… There was nothing I could do! From the start I was already-! Because of that stupid mother of mine I…”

Her words trailed off. Her gaze trembled and she bit hard on her lower lip. And Eri was silent. There was nothing she needed to say. Lily was more than smart enough to realise things herself. That there were things she could have done. Even alone if she had been brave enough, if she had been insightful enough to see the other options. A teenager can’t do much on their own, but she hadn’t even tried. She had given up before she had even started. And now it was too late for anything.

Eri didn’t meet Lily’s gaze. The emotions Lily hid and the feelings she was trying to push down. She pretended not to notice them. So the girl who had only her pride wouldn’t feel it slipping from her, so she could rebuild her walls and speak again. And as the winds fell silent Eri spoke in the same casual tone that she always did.

“...It's far too late for any proper therapy. The purpose of your life probably seems like a meaningless question now... though I guess of course it does. You’re already dead. Your life ended 2 years ago. And there’s nothing that can change that. This is all there is now. This barren rooftop of cracked stone and wilting bouquets. …But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you’re trapped here then this should be all you need to be happy. The fact that you’re still here means your life force was strong enough to at least keep you here a little while longer until you’ve at least done something with it. But that you’re unsure of what to do is evidence enough that you’ve forgotten what it was.”

“...so I don’t even know what I want? Is that what you’re trying to say, Eri?”

Lily asked, her eyes staring at Eri with her face turning slightly down. And Eri didn’t reply. She simply continued to stare past the edge of the roof and towards the horizon. And slowly Lily’s gaze left Eri to look down to the floor.

“I…don’t know what I would want, but the one thing I wanted so often when I was alive was their death… just. Just that. Isn’t it logical then that that’s my wish…?”

“...Are you happy with that answer?”

“...”

“Does it feel right to you?:

Lily was silent, wondering quietly to herself. She didn’t know how to reply. For a minute they simply sat there. The wind blowing past Eri’s body whipping her hair onto the walls of the bulkhead. Pulling her skirt, her shirt, making a mess of her whilst Lily remained there. Her hands trailing against the air but unable to feel a thing. Her answer was a confused and sad smile, with a simple “I don’t know…”

Eri smiled at those words. Her gaze was curious yet soft. Sitting up more properly, she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees as she replied in turn.

“...well it's not something you have to answer right now. That’s the point of these conversations isn’t it? …We can’t take too much time, but let's take what time we can. We can talk pretty much about whatever. After all, You don’t have anything better to do, do you? If you wouldn’t mind… Please keep me company once in a while.”

“You’re so annoying at times Eri… well. You’re right I guess. But why can’t we take too much time? It’s not like I’m going anywhere…”

“...Have you already forgotten that you’re an active neutralisation target? I’ve registered you under my name. But if your influence begins to spread and more people come to this rooftop to meet the same end as you did… I’ll have to finish matters before it spirals out of control. Better me than leaving you to some other hunter or balancer no?”

Eri’s smile was forlorn, her eyes warm, her intonation continuing without shift. But there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes at the idea as she whispered her words which in all contexts would be considered a threat were spoken in their most genuine sense without sarcasm, she assured Lily in a gentle voice.

“Don’t worry, if it comes to it I’ll kill you quickly and painlessly.”

“...very comforting”

Lily replied sarcastically, sighing to herself.

“Then I guess we need to figure out what I want to go out peacefully?”

“Yes. But… don’t stress too much about it. Things like this will happen naturally. If you don’t have anything interesting to say I’ll tell you a few stories. Maybe you’ll find it interesting. I mean you lived a life removed from this sort of thing didn’t you? I’ll come and talk about other monsters and apparitions I’ve come across when I visit every once in a while. Let’s just have fun chatting while we still can. Getting to talk like this with a vengeful spirit is a rare occasion even for me.”

“...pfft.”

For some reason the idea was oddly amusing to her. Well… no rather there was a pretty solid reason. The image of Eri sitting upon the side of a child’s bed offering to read stories to her child came to mind. And she couldn’t help but laugh. It was an image that didn’t suit her at all. Well whatever. …fair enough she didn’t have anything else to do anyways. And it sounded a little fun. She had dreamed of these sorts of things so many times whilst she was still alive, to hear that they were real made her feel a small tinge of yearning. She looked the girl in the eye and made herself comfortable resting her back into the hard brick wall.

“Well what bedtime stories do you have, Eri?”

Eri scoffed softly, a light breath of a laugh as she let out a sigh for a moment taking a second to consider before replying.

“...Well. Right… lets begin with something that might make your dreams a little bit sweeter. Well… a bedtime story for a ghost feels a little odd… but let's try this one. It's a story about a sea side apparition, something like a siren.”