My first instinct is to yell for Sehar. But my attacker was one step ahead, clamping their palm tightly over my mouth. 

" Don't scream. " A deep voice whispers into my ears. 

I stomp my feet in panic and try to pry his hand off my mouth. 

" I'm not gonna hurt you. Just please do not shriek again like last time. " The same voice continues. 

I realize who is holding me captive and remember the frying pan clutched in my other hand. 

I swing it backward and hit his leg and he immediately lets go of me with a hiss. 

" Geez! Calm down woman - I come in peace. " Ghostie boy winces in pain as he hops with one injured leg folded upwards. 

I back up against the opposite wall , creating distance between us , " Stay away. " 

" You're the one who's in my room, touching my belongings. " He glares back. 

" Omg am I talking to a ghost? A ghost is living here…"  I murmur gibberish in panic.

" First, ghosts don't live , they haunt. Secondly , the fact that you just collided into me proves that I have a solid form, which in turn testifies that I am unfortunately not a ghost. Trust me, I wish I was . Imagine all the pranks I could pull! But alas the world is not a wish granting factory. " He rants , now standing straight and straightening up his hoodie. 

" Then are you a criminal hiding from the law ?" I question him , still in a daze from this sudden encounter. 

" Yes , I'm a murderer. " He answers seriously . 

I gasp , " Who did you murder ? " 

" My family's expectations. " He deadpans with a sincere expression.

When I realize he's joking, I narrow my eyes at him in annoyance.

He keeps a hand on his chest and says,  " You wound me. First a ghost and now a criminal? What's next ? " 

He seems too relaxed for me to take him as a threat. Maybe we've misunderstood him. 

" What exactly are you doing here ? Living secretly in a bungalow which is rumored to be empty? " 

" Do I need a reason to reside in my own vacation house ? " He retorts with a raised brow. 

" I never said that. But if this is your property and you're here , why does everyone keep saying this place is not inhabited?  Plus what's with all these dusty rooms and cobwebs , definitely not a comfortable environment to spend vacation. " 

I shoot back at him , now even more curious. 

" I'm writing a thriller novel. In order to feel the proper essence of the story, I decided to stay in a fitting environment. You see , I'm quite dedicated to my work and aim for the perfect conditions. If people knew I was here they'd just be a nuisance and hinder my progress. I don't want any kind of disturbance. " He explains with a smug grin. 

" So you're a writer . " I stare at the stranger in front of me with a newfound curiosity. 

" I can mash words together and string up a decent sentence. So yeah. I guess. " Biting his lips , he rakes his fingers through his disassembled black hair and proceeds to massage his neck in a nervous manner. 

My previously richoteting heartbeat falls down in a steady pace and I finally take in ghostie boy's face properly.  

His skin seems pale , but in a sickly manner. As if he hasn't been eating properly for a while. The dark strands of hair falling messily over his forehead barely contribute to diverting attention away from the exhaustion bordering underneath his eyelids. But even then, I can't help but admire how attractive he is. 

As my eyes move upwards, his hazel pupils clash with my brown ones and he once again raises an eyebrow at me. 

" I know I may have impressed you too much but could you please stop gawking at me ? And sorry , no autographs available at the moment." His lips slightly tilt upwards in a smirk.

I fold my hands across my chest and shoot him an unimpressed look, "Sure. I'm so impressed , I can't breathe. " 

" Oh come on, stop flattering me, I'll start blushing. " His smirk morphs into a full blown smile. 

" That was sarcasm dammit! " I can't help the laugh escaping my lips. 

" Anyway. Back to business. Looking at your choice in books I've decided to trust you - " 

Before I can finish my sentence, he cuts me off.

 " A horrible decision really. " He winks at me, that annoyingly distracting grin still playing on his lips. 

" Did you just quote Flynn Rider at me ? " my mouth hangs open in surprise 

" Says the one holding a frying pan as a weapon ." He teases back. 

" Besides, what can I say ? He's one of the best male characters Disney made. Truly a shame there's not more characters like him. " 

I regain my composure and reply in what I hope is a calm manner, " That I agree with. Also, a frying pan is a very effective weapon . I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. " I indicate towards his previously injured leg. 

He shakes his head as if he is amused and I can't help but feel like I have seen him before. 

" Did we meet before ? " I ask him.

For a slight second, I see his eyes widen but he is saved from replying as Sehar's panicked voice chimes in from the hallway outside, " Yaraaa ?! I've checked the other rooms, it's all empty. Are you in this one ? " 

Soon enough, her head peeks in through the open door and she immediately barges inside, brandishing her knife in front of the ghostie boy. 

" What did you do to her ? Stay away. I have a weapon! " She tries to threaten him but I notice her hands are shaking. 

" You gotta be kidding me- " He murmurs, covering his face with the palms of his hand. 

" Sehar, relax , you can put away the knife. He's harmless. " I call out to her and start to make my way forward. 

" Not a criminal? " She inquired suspiciously, the knife still up in the air. 

" Not a criminal. " I assure her and she finally puts the knife down. 

" Who are you then ? Why are you living here ? " She asks him. 

" I'm a writer - ugh I can't explain this again. " He motions his head towards me in an exhausted manner,
" please , explain to your friend. " 

" Apparently it's his vacation house. He's a famous author writing a thriller book and thus needs this creepy environment and privacy. " I summarize. 

" What's your name ? " Sehar asks him. 

" None of your business. " He replies in a drawling voice and stares up at the ceiling. 

" If you have nothing to hide, why can't you tell us your name. " This time I threw the question at him. 

He looks sideways at me , " Yara right? " 

" Are you stalking her ? How do you know her name ? " Sehar accuses. 

" You literally called out her name a minute ago. " He replies without looking back at her and continues ,
" Listen Yara, I had a nice time chatting with you but now this is getting troublesome. If I end up getting a writer's block because of y'all , you know who's gonna be blamed. " 

" We've got nothing to do with it if you get a writer's block. Besides, how do we believe you're telling the truth? Show us a book you have written. " Sehar once again charges at him. 

" I haven't published one yet. This is my debut novel. " He answers in a surprisingly soft voice. 

" Can we see your drafts then ? " I inquire but he immediately refuses. 

" So that y'all can plagiarize? No thank you. I'll let you know when it's published. In fact I'll make sure to send a special free copy , just leave me alone okay ? " He says with a smile, but there's nothing friendly about his tone. 

" I'm not buying this story. If you really are the owner , why don't the guards know you're here ? " Sehar keeps on attacking him with her words. 

" It's my house. I don't need anyone's permission or knowledge regarding what I do with it. " He seems to be losing his patience. 

" Then why did you forbid us from calling the police? " Sehar doesn't back off. 

" It was a joke. No need for unnecessary drama. " 

" So we can let them know you're here ?"

" And get yourselves humiliated for reporting me living in my own damn bungalow? It's your choice . But seriously, I've had enough . You guys broke into my property and threatened me with baseless accusations. How about I call the police and press charges on you guys for trespassing? " His words turn the tables and I exchange a quick glance with Sehar. 

" We weren't actually going to call the police. Relax. We were just curious since everyone said this bungalow is empty but I kept seeing weird things across my balcony. The lights kept turning on and then I saw you. Of course I'd be alarmed. " I tried to explain myself. 

" I know. Sorry about the scare. But you should seriously mind your own business and let me mind mine in peace. I haven't done anything to harm you guys . So let's leave this matter here and forget this incident ever happened okay ? " 

Before we can interrupt him more, he walks outside towards the hallway and motions for us to follow, " I don't think we have anything else to discuss. Plus, it seems like your friends are back . They'll be worried if you girls aren't there and as I have been repeating for so long, I need a calm environment to carry on with writing. So - "  He nods towards the stairs , urging us to leave. 

Sehar grabs my arm and leads me down the stairs.

Just as we are about to go outside the door, I turn back to look at him 
" Wait. You know my name and I don't know yours. That's not fair . " 

" You can just call me Flynn. " He has the audacity to wink in response and I am left speechless as a confused Sehar pulls me out of the door. 

☠️

Thoughts ?