10th November 2019

NOAH

"First of all, being a human is one of the hardest things in existence," Johannes lectured, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. "No wonder humans crave death."

"Skip the philosophy, Evil guy," I groaned, tired of hearing him rattle all evening, where we were busy making fake documents. You know, the whole deal about camouflaging into the human population so that the ISA couldn't trace us.

Only at ten in the night did we think about dinner, when our stomachs began to grumble and demand fuel for sustainment.

"This is important, boy! You must know how to handle the responsibility of being a human!" He blabbered.

"I know," I sighed tiredly. "Listen, I was wondering when I would see Renee again?"

"Soon, boy, soon," Johannes sounded irritated. "Didn't I already tell you that we'll be dropping by her school tomorrow?"

We had decided to visit Renee's school, Greywood High, to enrol me as a student. After multiple attempts, we'd finally managed to get an appointment with the headmistress, who would interview me before I joined the school.

"Yeah, you did," I replied, exasperated. "I just thought I could see her before that... Maybe now?"

"You want to see her now?" Johannes acted as if I'd expressed my desire to murder him. "It's ten in the night, Noah! This is no time for you to be loitering around outside your house!"

I frowned at my plate. I hated the fact that I had to wait so long to see Ren when she was right in my neighbourhood.

"I won't disturb anyone, I'll just go and say 'hi!'" I tried again, but Johannes looked even more traumatised.

"Her parents would forbid-"

"Parents?" I raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "I'm just going to sneak into her room..."

"Sneak into a lady's private chamber? Scandalous!" Johannes screeched so high, that his delicate glass of wine shook faintly.

"Evil guy, relax," I rolled my eyes. "She's my girlfriend after all. Besides, I'm going to knock before I enter."

"Hmph, it is still unacceptable," He frowned. "Would it hurt to exercise more patience, Noah Stark?"

"Yes," I scowled at him, nowhere near giving up. "Besides, why am I even asking you? I have complete freedom now!"

I was out of the Pit. I had no parents or anyone who genuinely cared about me.

Which meant that I was free to do whatever I wanted.

"As your guardian and fake father, I cannot allow you to exhibit your idiocy, especially at an odd hour like this," He told me sternly.

"Like I care," I stood up, picking up my empty plate, and tossing it into the sink. My dinner had been some sort of stew Johannes had concocted, which tasted only of rotten cabbages and tomatoes. It was a miracle that I didn't throw up.

"Come back! Come back, you brat!" Johannes yelled, now following me as I zipped up my jacket. "I cannot let you leave!"

"Goodbye, Evil guy," I smirked at him, before shutting the door on his face. He opened the door again, standing eye to eye and glaring at me in his middle-aged dad's body.

Okay, he did look slightly threatening, even with the beer belly and polo shirt.

"Get lost, boy! But don't come crying to me when she doesn't even remember your face," He snapped, before closing the door himself.

I paused for a second.

I'd just remembered that Renee's memories had been erased.

Which meant that she probably didn't remember my face.

If I sneaked up to her window, would she scream in terror? Call me a thief or murderer?

Was it worth turning up like this?

What would I even say?

"Hey, Ren. It's me, Noah Stark, your criminal boyfriend, who had been stuck in the Pit of Darkness till this very afternoon.
I came here to say hi."

And then, I could clearly visualize being hit by her meditation stimulator, and I, being a human, would black out almost immediately.

Maybe, Spirits could travel without inhibitions. But I was a human now, and things weren't as easy as they used to be.

I hated admitting it, but Johannes was right.

Being a human was one of the hardest things in existence.

*****

"Don't you dare say anything," I warned Johannes as I marched back into the living room. He was still at the table, making no effort to hide his smug smile.

"I wasn't going to," He drawled innocently, before sipping his wine and smacking his lips in appreciation.

I responded by slamming my bedroom door, only to hear his cackling laughter.

Ugh. Johannes always got on my nerves.

To rid me of frustration, I surveyed my bare room, with teal blue walls and flowy white curtains. It looked nice, suited me even, and I wondered who had been thoughtful enough to put this up.

Obviously, it couldn't have been the devil leering at me in the living room.

I opened my closet, looking at the clothes that I'd made for myself this evening. Most of them consisted of generic t-shirts, hoodies and jeans, but I could see the leather jacket peeking at me from the back.

I smiled. Maybe, I could pull it off better as a human, and leave Renee swooning for me.

Renee.

Now that I was outside the Pit, I didn't have anything to pollute my thoughts about her. All I could see was her glowing smile, her curls gently swept by the wind, and her warm little embrace with her head against my chest...

She was perfect.

And she was mine.

I fell back onto my bed, exhaling deeply in exhilaration at the thought of seeing her. A laugh escaped my lips, breaking way for more as I savoured my freedom from the Pit.

I was free. I was actually free.

And I was a human. A smart and handsome one at that.

I ran my fingers over my messy black hair, feeling the short strands between my fingers. They were as real now, soft and thick, exactly as I'd imagined what hair would feel like.

Then Renee's tiny fingers wafted before my eyes, her tinkling laughter as she brushed the strands of my forehead. Her touch lingered so acutely, the tenderness of her palms trailing down my face to rest upon my shoulders.

I let out a breath, before tensing again at the thought of her hands rising to stroke my jaw. I could almost imagine her cute little smirk, one that left my mouth dry and brain empty. Then her fingers would trace my cheekbones, her eyelashes fluttering shyly at the gesture. And then I would lean in, closing the gap between us, feeling her lips upon mine.

A loud crash snapped me out of my daydream, and I sat up, panting since I was out of breath. I noticed the bedside lamp lying on the floor, and I picked it up, wondering when I'd knocked it out of my table.

Only then did I notice my heart still racing, sweat glistening on my forehead, my muscles all tense with anticipation, as blood continued to pound violently through my head. I exhaled deeply, wondering what in the world had happened to me, a feeling so foreign to my Spirit self and yet so natural to my human body.

I swallowed in realisation, feeling an insoluble lump in my throat.

Maybe this is exactly what raging teenage hormones felt like.

*****

11th November 2019

Oliver Jameson.

That's the fake name Johannes had given me to use for school. Following suit, he'd named himself Theodore Jameson, a forty-nine-year-old man who still had to figure out what he did for a living.

"Why am I named Oliver?" I complained as we waited to see the headmistress. "It doesn't suit me at all!"

"Of course it suits you," Johannes remarked, his malicious smile making a reappearance. "I named you after my favourite orphan, Oliver Twist... Since you sadly don't have parents anymore. A pity, boy... "

I glared at him, his words unexpectedly hurting me more than I'd anticipated.

He had seen me cry over my family in the Pit, and somehow his evil brain decided that it was the perfect moment to bring it up.

I hated him.

I hated him so much.

"You eff-"

"Stop!" He gasped, looking mortified. "No swearing in school!"

I flipped him off, which left him more traumatised.

"You are simply terrible, Noah Stark," He whined, fueling his self-pity once again. "I do not even know the meaning of your gesture, and yet it feels so rude."

"As it should," I smirked, slightly satisfied.

We met the headmistress, Ms Claire Wallace, a poised lady who radiated wisdom. Her blonde hair was streaked with grey, her warm brown eyes welcoming as I sat before her. I could sense that she was spiritually more advanced than an average human, the ISA would love people like her.

"Everything seems to be in order," She glanced at all the documents we submitted, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose.

We'd made them last evening, Johannes had shown me a sample of what each looked like, and I'd replicated it with precision.

"Your grades are especially excellent, Mr Jameson," She smiled in approval. "Greywood High is proud to welcome a student like you."

"Thank you, Ms Wallace," I smiled back, thinking about how I'd made up my grades last evening. I found Johannes frowning at the wall, he didn't think that I was smart enough to score that much in real life.

Undeserving brat, he'd said.

"I'm sure your father must be incredibly proud of you," Ms Wallace looked at the devil next to me.

"Oh, I am," He replied, his voice low and much sophisticated than his usual screeching. "Especially after his mother's death, Oliver is my world."

Mother's death?

He ignored my gaze, looking straight at her, with just the right amount of emotion that could move even the coldest heart.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss," Ms Wallace replied looking genuinely worried.

"I mean, it has been three years, and yet, we've never been the same since," Johannes told her, appearing deeply traumatised and yet not overly pitiful. "Thank you for your concern."

Pain flashed across her eyes.

"I understand. I too lost my husband last year," Mrs Wallace said softly.

His dark gaze captured her warm ones, trapping her into emotions she'd suppressed for so long...

I faked a cough trying to snap Ms Wallace out of her trance.

Knowing evil Johannes, I figured out that he was simply acting here. The real question was, why?

"My secretary will guide you through the process," Ms Wallace told us, looking slightly shaken. "You will be joining from tomorrow, Mr Jameson."

We soon dispersed, but not before I found my headmistress stealing glances at my fake dad, who in reality, had the personality of a cockroach.

To be honest, Johannes wasn't that attractive a man. But he wasn't despicable either, and he knew very well how to twist that to his advantage.

"Why did you tell her all that?" I questioned, once we were outside the school building. I had been on a lookout for Renee, but sadly I couldn't even get a glimpse of her. Besides, there had been way too many students, and I couldn't focus on them all at once.

"That's our story, boy. Your mother, Eva Jameson died three years ago due to drowning. I'm your depressed father who needs a lady friend to set his world right..."

"Are you intending to date her?" I gawked at him.

"Not quite," He stroked his goatee, gazing into the distance. "You will understand as time passes, boy..."

"Don't you dare do anything evil to someone as sweet as Ms Wallace," I glared at him. "She doesn't deserve it."

"I shall see," He replied nonchalantly.

I stopped in my tracks, realising the depth of his words.

Maybe Johannes didn't want to manipulate me into his evil scheme.

Maybe, he wanted to do the evil himself.

*****