Gomez Gabrielli Mara Eugenia.

4BM

The uninvited guest

The sky was plastered with colourful pastels as the sun started to rise from beyond the mountain ranges in the distance. The pink and orange hues of sunrise began to disintegrate, the sun gradually turning the sky a brilliant blue. The warm sun touched Amandas face and, even though she could not feel it, her eyes opened rapidly. It had been years since she slept so peacefully. Amanda had never been a morning person but she was feeling particularly happy. She slowly sat on her bed and felt she was light as a feather but stiff as a board. Then, she remembered. Johns party. She had drunk too much alcohol and now her body was suffering the consequences. It had been truly a memorable party but she could not recall how on earth she had got to her house. However relaxed she felt, her mind was a bit blurry and a sense of dizziness took over her. Amanda promised not to drink again, or at least not in the near future. After having a shower, she felt fresh as a daisy but when looking herself on the mirror, she looked horrendous. Hangover was definitely not her friend. In need of coffee, Amanda went down the stairs and on her way down, she saw a picture of a man hanging on the wall. It was an old portrait; a portrait of the previous owner she had apparently missed. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise. A toneless voice was coming from the kitchen. The air turned freezing cold and a man appeared out of nowhere. Amanda was dead scared and ran all the way back to her room. Was she having a dream? What was a man doing at her house? Was he a thief? She knew there was something wrong about him. She could hear him climbing up the stairs. He entered her bedroom. Amanda was hiding under the bed and she could not believe her eyes. He was the man from the picture. He was a slender man, his clothes seemed too small for him and he had one shoulder elevated above the other. His chin was rather long, but not pointed. His nose small, regular in its outline, and the nostrils a little elevated. His mouth was well formed and filled with teeth bearing an expression of contentment and benevolence. It was so clear for her now; everything made sense. Five years ago, when Amanda bought the house, she was told that the previous owner had died of a heart attack while taking a 1

Gomez Gabrielli Mara Eugenia. 4BM shower. After looking at him for a couple of minutes, she knew for sure this man was no thief. His appearance was so different from hers that there could be only one explanation. This man was in fact a ghost. Amanda was glimpsing at the previous owner of her house, she was hiding from a dead man. She started weeping and could not take it any longer. Amanda came from under her bed and stood in front of him. There they were, facing each other. The man was speechless. He was taken aback by her presence for he thought he was alone in the house. He took a step forward. Who are you? asked the frightened man. Im Amanda, I live here Oh, I see. I live here too, you know? Amanda was scared about how he sounded; she wanted no roommate. It is so strange to see you here, let me say I was really afraid when I first saw you The man still could not believe he was talking to her. I must say you look the picture of health. He was surprised. Im Amanda, by the way Walden, nice to finally meet you. I believe you were about to have breakfast, wont you? Why dont you come with me? They walked in a mere silence to the kitchen without looking at each other. Amanda sat down and Walden boiled some water in order to make coffee. It seemed so weird seeing both of them in the same room. Who would have thought that the former and actual owner of the house were going to be together? Walden seemed like a very mysterious man but in fact, he was one of the most pleasant human beings one could have ever met. He had studied at the New York City University and had a PhD in finance. Since he was a child, Walden always wanted to work hard and take the lead of every single job he could get. Nonetheless, his life had not been so easy. When he was five years old he lost his mother in a car accident and only one year after that, his father committed suicide. He had spent his whole life alone and now, for the first time, he saw Amanda. What a great company she was to him. 2

Gomez Gabrielli Mara Eugenia. 4BM Amanda talked for hours about her life but her brittle voice showed she was still confused and scared. She had never believed in ghosts, nor had Walden, but now they were talking like a real couple, sharing intimate details of their lives. Despite they were getting along so well, Walden wondered whether he would have to share the house with Amanda. He was not ready to have a woman around. As time went by, she felt more and more tired and she did not look so good. Walden offered himself to take her upstairs but after giving it a lot of thought, he understood that was not going to be possible. A living person could not touch a ghost. They went upstairs so that Amanda could rest for a while, though time was not really important. Thank you very much Walden, you are a real gentleman Not at all, it is my pleasure. I do hope you do not mind me being here It is odd, you know? This had never happened to me before. When I was a child I used to dream something like this could happen to me Amanda needed some rest. I should go to my room now, excuse me Her hair was midnight black and gleamed ethereally as the light hit it. This created a beautiful contrast to her pale creamy skin. She wore a beautiful dress that highlighted every curve of her body. It was garnet and black, adorned with silver roses woven into a lace border. As she moved, the dress flowed around her and gave the impression that she was gliding weightlessly across the room. As Walden looked at her, transfixed by her presence, she turned and pierced him with her gleaming emerald stare. Her eyes seemed to bore into the depths of his soul. There was no question that this woman was not human.