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Chapter 3

(Gloom POV)

It's now a few weeks after halloween. I brought all the lost souls I 'forgot' to help back and even the new ones that were assigned to me. It has been a really hard few weeks... I need a break from all of this!

I find myself walking to this skatepark where I first met Prionsa. I never stopped thinking about him since then and I... I don't know...I thought he would be there? I look at the humans skating around. They are all teenagers... No sight of this amazingly good looking man about my human age... I don't really know where to go so I just sit on a bench beside the park and put my headphones on and listens some 'emo' songs like humans like to call it. This music is really great actually! This is another human thing I enjoy, music! We don't really have that kind of things down there... I close my eyes and I quietly hum to the music and I can feel myself relaxing to the tunes...

(Prionsa POV)

It's 4:50pm and, of course, someone goes in the store to 'just lookaround'. WHHYYY?? I'm tired, my feet hurt! Those formal shoes look hella-great, but they hurt hella-great too! But I keep up my retail smile when this customer wants to try on some tuxedos for a wedding he has to go to tomorrow... Like you didn't know months in advance! Did you really have to come in ten minutes before I close shop!?

It is now 5:26pm and I can finally take off my formal shoes and put on my white sneakers. But I keep my brown vest, white buttoned-up shirt and pants and black bow tie. I really enjoy to dress formal, but the shoes... I just can't! I head back home and since it's a really nice day, I decide to take the long walk back instead of the short one. I'm taking this detour for a few weeks now, only to pass by the skatepark... Hoping to see Glenn again. I'm that hopeless, I know! Even after a few weeks, I still walk by to check, in case my theorie is right... I look at all the teenagers skating around and I sigh a little. I sit on a empty bench and try to convince myself that this is hopeless. I was wrong and I will never see him again.

I then hear someone humming to a song and look beside me and jump a little in suprise since there is someone sitting beside me! I didn't notice him before, I really thought the bench was empty when I sat on it. And... wait... black hoodie... red hair...skeleton mask... ''Glenn?'' it looks like he can't hear me over his music so I gently put my hand on his shoulder ''Glenn?'' The moment I touch him, he jump and fall from the bench while letting out a small scream of fear. He put his headphones down around his neck ''Pr...Prionsa? Is that you!?''

I can hear the song he is listening to, it sounds like My Chemical Romance 'I'm not okay'... Good looking, shy and an emo nightmare? This guy is perfect! ''Yes and I'm so sorry! I didn't want to scare you! Why do you still have your mask on?''

(Gloom POV)

I'm bopping my head along the song, completly lost to the melody and lyrics when I feel something touching my shoulder. I scream out of fear and fall on the ground harshly. I look up and ''Pr...Prionsa? Is that you!?'' How did he manage to see me? I'm pretty sure I made myself almost invisible... Usually people don't even bother to look at me when I'm in this state. Maybe I really got lost in the musicand let my guard down because of it... He says he is sorry and ask about my mask. What should I tell him!? ''Huh.. yeah, no, it's okay... I... Didn't hear you sit beside me... hum...'' I instinctively grab my mask and readjust it on my face, even if it is perfectly in place. He looks at me and smile at me ''Oh, I see...''

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''You see what?''

''Why you still wear your mask.''

''Y..you do?'' It's impossible, he can't have figured that out! Can he?

''I thelps you when you're anxious, isn't it? Like... a coping mechanismor something?''

''Ooh..y... yeah... that's it.'' Okay, well he figured half of it... He is smart!

I ask him what he is doing around here all dressed up like that. When he confess that he was walking by here after his work for a few weeks now to see me again, I couldn't help but smile widely. Turns out my joy irradiated, because he figured out that it's also the reason why I'm here too.

He hand me his phone so I can put my number in it. I type 'Gloom' under the name section, but quickly erase it to write 'Glenn', but he still had time read it ''Gloom?'' He ask while looking at me with this puzzled look. ''Y.. Yeah... Well I'm not a big fan of... My name so...''

''That's a really cool nickname! Can I call you Gloom too?''

''Of course!''

Okay, that went better than expected. Luckily my mask hide my face, because I'm really bad at lying. With my mask on, I only look shy and out of word... Which I am... But... You know what I mean!

I also give him my phone so he can put his number in and we each go on our way. Him back home to get something to eat and me... Well my mask flashed in front of my eyes, giving me the name of someone that will die soon and that I will have to guide to the afterworld. I don't want to, but I think I recognise the name... Alfred... Is it really that old grandpa?

I look around, making sure nobody is looking at me and I snap my fingers to go where Alfred is. And It really is him. I had to guide his wife a few months ago and she asked me to stick around a little. She wanted to see how he was handling all of it. She was really funny and she told me that her husband was even more hilarious than she was. He is sitting on his beloved rocking chair, looking at this old photo album. I can't help but smile. I see him slowly fading way and when his soul his floating beside his body, I gently put a hand on his shoulder and he turns and look at me ''So, it is time, isn't it?''

''Yeah... There is this pretty good looking lady waiting for you!''

''Oh, I didn't know Beyonce passed away!''

I laugh out loud as he smile widely at me. I then see sadness and hope in his eyes ''Is she really waiting for me?''

''Yeah, she greatly insisted that I bring you to her when your time comes...'' I reach my hand up for him to grab it and he follow me without hesitation. If only all the death were that easy... After a long walk and a few jokes, we both see an old lady with a blue dress sitting on a rock at the entrace of the underworld. Alfred let go of my hand and run as fast as his old legs let him and put his wife in a sweet embrace. They both look back at me and wave goodbye. I wave back and watch them slowly walk away.

When they are out of view, I snap myself back in my room. I lay on my bed and look at my phone. I have a new message from Pri... He wants to hang out sometimes! I gladly message him back that I would love to. I go to sleep and can't help to picture us as an old couple... How ridiculous... I don't even know if he is into guys or not... But it doesn't hurt to hope, does it?

We always meet up at this skate park and decide where we should go after that. But after a few meetings, we see that the teenagers are staring and whispering things... We over hear some homophobic slangs being said so we decided to meet at Pri's apartment from now on. We both don't want to hang around toxic people. And since we can't meet in my room... I always go to his. We had some 'movie and onesies' nights and I really enjoyed them. Even if sometimes I had to come up with excuses to leave in a hurry because of my mask flashing several time over the night.

The more time we spend together over the weeks and the more I'm feeling bad and guilty from not telling him the truth about me. I have such strong feelings toward him. I don't want to lose him over my true self... Sooner or later I will have to tell him, but for now, I keep it for later... much much later.