Chapter 86 - Death Wish

That night, after dinner.

Rebecca went to Laura's room.​​

Laura handed Rebecca the completed handwritten alphabet letters along with the pen and some papers. "Here's the alphabet letters, try practicing writing and copying it daily. Don't worry if you can't copy it perfectly on your first day or first week. All beginners need to start somewhere. Your penmanship will improve if you keep writing daily. Then on the third week, I will teach you how to read and pronounce the alphabet from A to Z," she said.

Rebecca smiled while looking at the letters. "Yes, teacher!" she joked. Then her face turned serious. "Thank you very much for your sincerity in teaching me, Laura. You're such a good friend. I appreciated it very much," she said.

Laura smiled. "Don't mention it. It's my pleasure teaching you. As long you're willing to learn, I'll keep teaching you during my free time," she added. "Come to the table. I will show you how to write the alphabet letters! Observed my hand - on how I will write the letters closely," she said.

"Okay," Rebecca replied.

The women sat on the chair. Laura began demonstrating to Rebecca how to write the letters of the alphabet from A to Z.

A few minutes later, Laura finished writing the letters.

Rebecca clapped her hands. "That looks easy!" she said, her eyes gleaming brightly.

Laura smiled. "Okay, you can try writing it," she instructed her and handed her the pen.

Rebecca holds the pen in her right hand and copied the letters one by one.

A few minutes later, she finished writing all the letters.

Laura was amazed and clapped her hands in delight. "Wow, you're a fast learner! Although your penmanship is still far from perfect, if you keep practicing writing every day, you will master it in no time. Once you already familiarize yourself with the letters, then it will be easy for you to memorize their sounds and pronunciations," she explained.

Rebecca's eyes gleamed in amusement. "Thank you, teacher!"

Laura laughed. "Don't call me teacher!"

"Okay, as you say so... I'm going back to my room. I'll bring this pen and paper with me. I'll practice writing until midnight," Rebecca said excitedly.

"Eh? You're not going to sleep in my room tonight?" Laura asked.

"Not tonight. But tomorrow, I will," Rebecca said and walked towards the door. "Good night," she told her before she left the room.

"Good night!" Laura responded.

Rebecca exited the door and closed it quietly behind her. She walked in the hallway towards her room.

Laura went back to bed and continue reading the book.

~

Inside Rebecca's room.

She put the pen and paper on the table and went to the window, staring at the blackness of the night for a few minutes.

Ah, she needs to go somewhere!

She grabbed the black cape from the closet and put it around her body. She pulled the hood down to keep her face hidden.

She turned off the light, a few minutes later, she disappeared from the room.

...

Half an hour later, Rebecca reappeared in a hut in the middle of the forest. There is one single lantern hanging on the door outside the hut, the only light that can be seen outside.

She knocked on the door three times.

"Who are you? Speak up and show me your face, or you'll die!" a woman's voice rang in the air.

Rebecca looked at the roof, there she is, Granny Menedelia! She took off the hood away from her face and levitated in the air. She sat beside the old woman. "How are you, Granny?" she asked.

Menedelia smiled, looking at her younger friend. "Long time no see, I thought you had already forgotten me?"

"Who me-? I won't forget you, ever!" Rebecca said. "Sorry, I wasn't able to bring you something from the town. I come here in a hurry. But don't worry, I will return here after a few days and bring you your favorite," she said.

"You're forgiven! So... tell me why you're here?" the old woman said.

"I have a lady friend who got an admirer that resides in the mirror," Rebecca explained.

The old woman's brows knitted together. "Really-? Have you seen the mysterious being? Is it a man or a woman? I'm talking about the one who lives in the mirror," she said.

"The spirit residing in the mirror is a guy who adored my lady friend," Rebecca stated.

"The spirit is harmless or evil? Are they lovers?" Menedelia asked.

"No. They're not lovers. I think the spirit is harmless. My lady friend that is getting married soon told me that she was not harmed by the spirit. Just that she doesn't like his intrusion, entering her room unannounced and invading her privacy all the time," she replied.

"Ah, I see... so what do you want to do with the spirit?" asked Menedelia.

"I'm planning to capture him and bring him here so that we can find out if he is indeed harmless or evil and what is his plan towards my friend. Can we drive him out of my friend's life?" she inquired.

Menedelia looked at her with a grim face. "It depends, if he is a weak spirit, we can capture and extinguish him. But if he is powerful, then your plan might backfire on you. Your parents already died, you're the only one left in your clan, you're lucky to be alive! Why do you keep inserting yourself on other people's affairs that will only get you killed? You wanna die? Do you have a death wish?" she asked, glaring at her.

Rebecca pouted. "Granny, don't say that!"

"Stop being a hero! Take care of yourself and stop meddling in other people's affairs!" Menedelia scolded her.

"But I want to capture this mysterious spirit because I have a suspicion that I know this spirit," she explained.

"How come?"

"You remembered that friend I told you before? The one that died of mysterious illness?" she said.

"The corpse in the coffin that you and your friends brought in the cave for burial last year?" asked Menedelia.

Rebecca nodded her head. "Yup! That's him! I have a suspicion that Luke and the spirit in the mirror are of the same person. But I'm not 100% sure yet..."

"You could be wrong," Menedelia suggested.

"But I could also be right!" Rebecca defended her intention.

"Haven't you forgotten the saying that curiosity kills the cat?" Menedelia reminded her.

"Of course, I remember that quote, but I'm not a cat. I'm a demon princess, and I have skills and superpowers! I can fight anyone!" she said bravely.

"Foolish child!" Menedelia laughed and was shaking her head vigorously. "Don't be arrogant, don't rub your power on my face. You might have supernatural powers, but there are far more powerful beings than you. You have forgotten how your parents and your clan died at the hands of the powerful enemy? You are the only one left in your clan. You must lie low! Don't attract anyone's attention if you don't want your enemy came looking for you. Don't forget that!" she reprimanded her.

Rebecca sighed deeply. She came here for another purpose and got scolded by grandma instead. "Granny, stop scolding me! Why can't you help me?" she whined.

Menedelia sighed. "The reason why I don't want to help you is that we don't know the origin of that mysterious spirit. If he is evil from hell - then we will be punished and sent to hell to burn for eternity! I don't want to die young!"

Rebecca burst into peals of laughter. "Granny, you're not young anymore - you're getting older!" she reminded her.

Menedelia smiled, showing broken teeth. "I know, I'm not getting any younger. I'm just trying to make you laugh and forget your foolish intention. Go home now and returned to where you come from. Every time you come here - you're getting bolder and reckless!"

Here we go again! Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Forget your foolish intention in coming here. I'm not going to help you even if I know how to capture spirits inhabiting a mirror," Menedelia said with finality in her voice.

Rebecca breathed deeply, feeling frustrated. Her face turned sad.

"Don't give me that puppy dog's eyes, not gonna work on me! Leave now and go home. Rest early and stay away from that spirit in the mirror!" Menedelia ordered.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "Okay, fine! I'm leaving..." she spoke. She rose to her feet and put the hood back on her head. "I'll see you again one of these days. I'll bring you a gift on my next visit. Good night, Granny!" she said.

"Night Night! Take care of yourself," Menedelia replied.

Rebecca closed her eyes and disappeared from the roof in seconds.

After her visitor left, Menedelia levitated in the air and lowered herself into the ground. She opened the door of her house and went inside, retiring for the night.

~

Rebecca appeared inside her room in the mansion. The light immediately returned. She discarded the cloak she was wearing and dropped it on the chair.

She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall - it's already 11:00 in the evening. She's wondering if Laura is still wide awake right now? Should she go there and sleep in her room?

But she doesn't want to awaken the girl, since it's already late at night.

She decided to stay in her room and rest for the night. She will have plenty of time tomorrow to stay in Laura's room and uncover the identity of that mysterious entity residing in the mirror.