7:00 in the morning.
How are you doing, idiots? I mean... bosses. I hope you still miss me even after I confessed everything about myself. I hope the way you see me hasn't changed. One more thing, stop being afraid of ghosts, because murderers are far scarier.
I folded the notebook Misaki had given me and hid it under my pillow. From the second level of the bunk bed I was lying on, I let out a sigh while looking at my cellmates who were already wide awake.
What I went through back then hurt so much, yet I was also happy because I got to be with my friends. They never abandoned me during those years I spent as a ghost. I know they had done me wrong, but that still was not enough reason for me to take their lives.
What I did was a mistake born out of pure hatred and anger that I should never have let control me. My chest still tightens whenever I remember my first day as a ghost and how they were the first ones I saw. They never held any grudge against me. They even understood me, especially since I could not remember anything at the time.
I really thought I would forget how cool and handsome a ghost I had been the moment I woke up, that's what always happens in shows. But don't go expecting me to follow the script too, okay? My confession's already ending, and you guys still want to drag it out longer? What a freak.
I will never forget what Ayan told me back then. If I ever remembered everything, he hoped I could still forgive him. The truth is that since the day I woke up in the hospital, the anger toward them never returned even once. I admit that until now I still feel sad. But I have to forgive them, because if I don't, I will never find peace for the rest of my life either.
Only now do I realize why Misaki appeared to me when I was a ghost. Even though she rarely spoke, I know she wanted me to remove the anger that had formed in my heart. And because I finally managed to do that, I know she is peaceful and happy now, wherever she may be.
I'm doing this not only for myself, for Misaki, and for my ghost friends, but also for Serenity. I hope she's no longer crying. It's just sad that for the rest of my life I will never again see her laughter and her smiles.
I will never forget my experience as a ghost. The happy days I spent with Ayan, Joseph, and Carl, taking care of Serenity and calming her down, meeting and falling for Misaki all over again without even remembering she had been my girlfriend, and most of all, scaring the students inside the university. That was my favorite part. Now that I'm alive again, I would rather just work as a ghost in horror booths.
I learned so much about ghosts, why they are the way they are, and I understand them now. But that world remains a mystery that only souls themselves know. By the way, I almost wish I had not confessed all of this to you. Now you have clues.
Since it's already seven o'clock, everyone here is awake. The heat is already intense even though it's still morning. Our bright orange uniforms with the word "prisoner" on them only make it hotter and more uncomfortable to look at. Some of the others have even taken off their shirts because of how bad the heat is.
We also have confession sessions here, and I'm the one who leads them. Pretty good, right? I just copied the Supreme Ghost's method. Besides, it is better than getting into fights. Because of that I get to know each of them even more.
A little later everyone suddenly froze and stopped what they were doing when an officer slammed the bars with his baton. The guys playing cards, the ones secretly passing money around, still don't know what they were actually selling because they never let me in on it, and even the ones who were playing with themselves stopped because of what the officer did.
"Mr. Cirunay, you have a visitor." Almost all of my cellmates turned to look at me. I climbed down from the bunk and they opened the bars. Before I even reached the visitation area, Mommy was already the first thing on my mind. There's not a single week she fails to visit me.
I shook my head a little, but they didn't notice. They put handcuffs on me. Maybe they are just afraid I will resist, or that I might suddenly snatch one of their guns. The security policy here is really strict. This is what they always do before taking me to the visitation area.
We walked down a hallway with cells on both sides while I simply followed the slightly heavyset officer, with another officer trailing behind me. Before long we reached a room.
I hadn't even sat down yet when Mommy ran toward me, hugged me, and kissed both of my cheeks. Until now she still doesn't care that I'm already twenty-two years old. It's a little embarrassing in front of the two serious officers standing on the side. This is what she does every time we meet, as if it has been ages since her last visit.
I looked at Dad, who was just smiling at us, then he came closer and patted my shoulder.
"Anyway, sweetie, we have someone we want to introduce to you," Mommy said with a smile. Only then did I notice that besides the two of them there was a woman who looked to be in her thirties with them. She was simply smiling at me.
"Hi Anthony. I'm Atty. Angelica Blackwell. Nice to meet you," she greeted. The tone of her voice made it sound as if she were talking to a child. Her voice might be something angelic, but I noticed something strange in her eyes.
I stared for a moment at the hand she offered for a handshake. I ended up frowning… how was I supposed to take it when I was still in handcuffs?
Loving even as a criminal,
-Anthony Cirunay
END OFTHE SEASON