Chapter 3: Deal

Ignius's eyes bore holes in the wood flooring with his gaze, He knew that she was right and he didn't bother even trying to argue it, nor did he try to call her back after she stormed off on the supposed princess.

"..." The silence was feeding my guilt.

"Look Ludo... you can't stay."

"And why not!" my guilt disappearing instantly, and a boiling anger came flooding in to replace it.

"Souls have a high possibility of disappearing if they stay within the world of the living for too long. The dead are meant to join the dead. It's unwise for someone like yourself to remain here, souls that stay to long tend to turn into vengeful spirits and cause trouble as they wither away slowly."

I shook my head avidly, not trying to listen to any more of what he was trying to say.

"I'm not leaving Mama!"

"Child, you do realize that seven years and one week from your death day, it is written that she too will come to pass away, right? That's exactly seven days from now." Tears pricked my eyes. The warm tears, painting lazy trails down my cheeks feeling, the heat leave them as they dripped off my jawline and chin.

"Liar!"

"It's true something will change within her toxic routine and will add strain on her body resulting in a fatality."

"Stop it! No! she won't die! she can't die!"

"Child... All things die. Nothing on earth is meant to last forever."

"But why not!? It's not fair!"

"Ludo, please calm down... This is the way the earth was created. Everything deserves a chance to live and in turn when their chance is over they let go in order to make room for another to have a chance." I gritted my teeth and rolled my eyes.

"I'm. Not. Leaving. Mama." I insisted.

Ignius puffed hard, clearly vexed.

"Aide- Ludo... if I make a promise with you, will you agree to keep it?" His words distracted me from my anger slightly.

"y- yes." He narrowed his eyes and scanned my face for a few seconds.

"Fine. Then here's the promise. I promise to keep you safe while you are here on earth with your mother until she passes, and only until she passes, but in return, you are not to speak to her or anyone alive ever."

"You mean, at all?"

"She can barely hear you now, but understand hearing the voice of a dead love one can bring the living to insanity or worse, an early grave."

"And what happens to me if I break my promise?"

"We're going to work on that tidbit so long as you agree, or... I can take you back now."

"Fine! Pinky promise?" I scooted closer, wiggling my pinky in an effort to entice him to go through with my methods of making this promise.

He took my small pinky in his large one, and we shook on it.

"cum hac promissione."

I blinked at him, confused, and expecting an explanation as to what those words meant. I never got that explanation, looking at my pinky as it got released and noticed an intricate circular marking wrapped around it like a ring. He sat back and stared at me for a moment before pulling his gaze away. The look on his face was very regretful.

"I'm sorry, Ludo." I furrowed my eyebrows and cocked my head.

"For what?"

"You'll see..."

"Wait! what?"

"Ut indulgentiam consequuntur." seconds later, his left index finger was swirling with a circular motion, leaving marking similar to the ones on my pinky in the air. Then they disappeared as he reached through the floating design and softly poked me on the neck I stifled a giggle and stumbled back near the wall. My pulse quickened at the weird chill that ran down my spine. My heart took a while to calm down and there was a tightness in my throat that made me swallow hard.

"What was that?"

"The speech curse. You are not allowed to talk to the living, and this will make sure you don't."

"h- how?" I didn't mean to stutter.

"This is why I said, I'm sorry."

"What do yo-" Ignius pushed me hard. Making me stumble out of the house and onto the street. My body fazed through the unlucky woman whose coffee cup popped away from its top, splashing all over her. None of that was fully my fault but... it still made me feel bad.

"Oh... oh no. I'm sorry!" The mark on my neck started to burn, and the symbol on my pinky started to glow. Panic made my blood run cold when the woman fell to the floor in the fetal position screaming and crying. I looked around franticly, hoping someone would be near her to help, but the street was sadly unoccupied.

"Are you okay?" the woman cowered away from my general direction, shielding her face and crying out.

"No! No! Please! I won't do it again! I'll clean it up! I'll clean it up!" I sat there, horrified.

Is this REALLY, my fault? There's no way!

I looked down at my arms out of pure instinct, noticing that my arms have started to fade away.

"Nonononono! Please! You cheated! You big dummy! You cheated!!!" The world went dark as I Fully disappeared. The whole disappearing thing happened faster then I was comfortable with. I squeezed my eyes closed as it happened.

I felt a soft pat on my head, and it forced my eyes to shoot open. It was Ignius. My anger overwhelmed me and I started hammering at his stomach with my tiny hands.

"You cheater! You lied to me!"

"I've done no such things. I have provided an example of what happens if you break our promise. You may talk to other spirits but speak to any of the living, and you will force them to go through or face their fear. In her case... its abuse, domestic abuse." I looked back at the woman scrubbing the concrete with her bare hands, which at this point was drawing blood I winced at the sight uncomfortable with the fact that to the living my voice is nightmare inducing .

"Go inside child, I'll fix this." I did what I was told, taking a seat on the office chair in my room. The last words I heard before he walked past me was...

"You will hold your side of the deal, or you will return home with me. Please don't hate me... I will visit regularly." I sat there in silence and looked away from Ignius when he walked back in. I wasn't quite ready to face him, hearing him sigh before he started to walk of room. He stopped at my bedroom door and turned back to me but I immediately sent him away I wanted no part of this new deal but for my Mama... I would become mute.

"Go away Ignius... please."

"I'm sorry Ludo..."

"I said Leave." I stifled a shiver. My thoughts started to swirl and echo in my mind. What do you do when your voice can cause nightmares to anyone living and within ear shot.

Vocab. (Latin- English)

cum hac, promissione- with this, we made a promise

Ut indulgentiam consequuntur- may forgiveness follow

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Ludo_torres

I worked on this story for a very long time and tried super hard to get this story noticed so I thank every single one of you for the reads, likes, tags, comments, votes, and gifts. I'm thantkful for them all so see you next chapter. ~bye!

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