THE GHOST PRINCESS

“That thing is disgusting,” The man muttered, his voice was shaky.

“No.”

“It’s your fault,” the woman hissed, her tone was cold and sharp.

“No… please… don’t.”

The girls giggled softly at first, their voices like whispers in the dark. “Hahaha…”

I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

Their grins twisted, turning dark and malevolent. “Meiroko is a good girl.”

I tried to run, panic clawing at me.

“Meiroko is a good girl.”

Their voices followed, heavier, more terrifying.

I stumbled, my knees buckling beneath me.

The woman grabbed a knife, her movements deliberate and unhurried, then hurled it straight at me.

“Argh!”

I shot up, gasping for breath. “Huff… huff… huff…” That dream again. It clung to me like a storm cloud I couldn’t shake.

Stretching my arms, I dragged myself out of bed. In the washroom, Robert, my ever-diligent drone assistant, buzzed to life and began brushing my teeth.

My hair hung down across my face, covering my eyes. It was a habit now, something I never questioned. My mother always said, “Keep your eyes hidden. It’s better that way.” Even though I know the reason behind her words, I didn’t intend to change this habit. It was better this way. I didn’t want any unnecessary attention.

I slipped into my uniform, checked my appearance one last time, and headed out.

“Alright, class, listen up! I have some logical news for you all.” Mr. Watson said after clapping his hands, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Next week, we’re going on a field trip to the Solaris Coast!”

The class buzzed with excitement. People around me started whispering and giggling, already planning what to pack or who to sit next to on the bus.

I didn’t care. Field trip or not, it didn’t make a difference to me. I stared at the desk in front of me, doodling random shapes in the corner of my holo-notebook.

Mr. Watson kept going, his voice was way too enthusiastic. “We’ll logically study the tides, logically check out the wave turbines, and logically explore the glowing sands! Don’t be illogical and forget to bring your research tablets and oxygen masks. Permission slips are due by tomorrow!”

Someone behind me whispered about how cool the glowing sands looked at night. Some guys were even fantasizing about the artificial mermaids out there.

When the bell rang, everyone jumped up and started packing their gadgets and drives. I stayed in my seat for a moment, waiting for the crowd to clear out.

I slipped out quietly, keeping my head down as I walked through the hallway. The noise of people chatting and laughing echoed around me, but it all felt distant as if I was in some bubble, separated from the rest of the world.

Outside, the air felt light, but it didn’t help much. I started walking home, letting my feet move on their own. I always took the long way back. It wasn’t like anyone was waiting for me.

While walking I saw many students walking in groups, some even in pairs. There was a time when I was just like them. I laughed like an idiot, talked nonsense that never made sense and used to have a lot of fun. Back then, I used to live with my mom in a tiny apartment. It was just the two of us. Whenever I asked about my dad, she’d brush it off or say something vague like, “He wasn’t a good man, and we’re better off without him.”

My mom was the best. She loved me and cared for me. Or at least that was what I thought.

It happened a year ago. I was fiddling with this little chip I found, just a scrap from one of those old memory storage devices, people use to store their thoughts. I didn’t think much of it until I accidentally activated it. Out of curiosity, I placed it inside my temple. My head felt weird, like someone was rewinding a movie in my brain but there I got the POV of the main character.

It was my mom’s memory. I felt as if I am her. I could feel every sensation in her body as if they were my own. But I had no control over her actions.

In the memory, my mom was yelling at a man. He stood there, looking tired and angry, while she screamed at him.

“She’s not mine!” he shouted. His voice echoed in my head. “Do you think I’m stupid? You had her while I was away. How do I know she’s even mine?”

I could feel mom’s face twisted, but not with sadness, it was more like rage. “You left me alone! You abandoned me when I needed you the most!”

“I left for work. For you!” he shot back. “And you…”

Their voices overlapped, getting louder and louder.

Before storming out, the man looked at a tiny baby girl sleeping on the bed, drooling peacefully. His face was full of hate and disgust.

After he left, my mom sat down, burying her face in her hands. Then, through gritted teeth, she said, “Why did I have to give birth to you? You ruined everything.”

She was glaring at the baby with tearful eyes and trembling hands.

“It’s all your fault,” she muttered, reaching for a knife. Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Those eyes… they remind me of him.”

She paused, her breathing was uneven, then let out a bitter laugh through her tears. “If I hadn’t been drawn to those beautiful eyes none of this would’ve happened. You took my husband away from me. So, I’ll take those pretty eyes from you.”

She smirked, even as her tears kept falling.

The memory ended abruptly, and I yanked the chip away like it was on fire. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as the truth hit me like a punch to the chest. That baby was me.

For days after that, I kept thinking about what I’d seen. It was like a crack in a mirror. Once you notice it, you can’t un-see it. I started noticing the way my mom looked at me, like I was just there.

She pretended to care. She hugged me when she needed to, smiled when I did something good, but it all felt fake. I realized it wasn’t out of love. I was a burden to her that for some reason, she still let survive.

Later, I discovered my mother used to extract and sell copies of her memories to shady people. Apparently, it was something illegal but decently profitable.

I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets as I turned down a quieter street. The long shadows of the buildings made the alleyway look darker than it probably was.

I didn’t mind it. Darkness felt familiar, like an old friend who comforted me.

As I walked, I heard low and murmuring voices at first, but they got louder as I got closer.

“Hey, she’s here.”

I froze. A group of guys stepped out from the shadows, blocking the way ahead. There were four of them, all grinning like they’d been waiting for me.

I stopped walking. “What…do you… want?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

One of them chuckled, stepping forward. “Oh! It seems you are as slow in your speech as in your head.”

“You know exactly why we are here.”

“No…way” It kicked in. It was the result of a single mistake, a mistake which I regret to the present day.

CHAPTER 10 END