Chapter 7: Giving Alms

With the information I gathered from Lucas, I was now more careful whenever I leave the hospital.

I looked from left to right, first checking out for any extinguishers that could erase my existence, the grim reapers. 

There was no one in sight wearing black or holding a black umbrella.

Alright!

The surroundings were clear.

I ran to the place where the 'crime scene' took place, looking for clues of my accident.

"What are you looking for?"

"Kyahh!" 

I shouted and backed away a few steps.

Lucas just whispered in my ears. And hell, that was so shocking!

"Don't sneak on a girl like that! I will die of a heart attack because of you," I complained while holding my heart.

"But you already died." 

"I am n—" I was about to say that I did not die yet when I stopped. I would not be in danger if I said I am not yet dead, right?

"I know your body is in coma in the last room." Lucas seemed to hear my thoughts. 

"!!!" My eyes turned wide. He knew!

"But since you are here mingling with creatures like me, it means you are dead."

"!!!!" If my eyes could go wider than it was right now, I would have probably appeared so.

Lucas smirked.

I looked at him begrudgingly.

"Is your daily mission to bully me?"

"When did I bully you?" He looked at me with a fake stunned look, but his grey eyes were more transparent in the day, making him appeared more handsome.

I looked away, it was hard to get angry at pretty boys.

Really, life was unfair.

"Since I don’t have anything to do, I am willing to spare an hour of my time for you," Lucas said, as if he was giving alms.

I looked at him weirdly.

"Is there even anything you can do in this state?"

"Well, there is a lot that I could do. I can visit any place. I can stalk on people, and many more."

"What exactly is that many more?" I looked at him doubtfully. What could he do aside from going to places and stalking people? It was not like he could eat, shower, try on new clothes or anything that a living person could do.

Lucas just smirked. "I learned how to not let myself be bored."

"I see. One of them must be bullying newbies like me," I said.

He raised his brow, silently agreeing.

"Anyway, if you are that bored, your help is very welcome. I am looking for my school. Have you seen any students wearing the same uniform as mine?"

Lucas leaned closely.

I am suddenly surprised at the close distance.

"What?" I leaned back. 

Lucas' grey eyes bore on my chest.

My eyes turned wide, again realizing where he was looking at.

"Hey! Pervert! Don’t you know that it is bad to stare at a girl's chest?"

Lucas returned to a polite distance. His eyes looked at me up and down.

"As if there is something worth seeing from you."

"!!!" I bit my lips. This man really loved to bully me!

But I did not retort. I needed all the help I can get.

"I am looking at your school's name. We don’t have to look for every single street here to look for your school. The name is already enough."

"Huh? How can that be helpful? It's not like we can search from the web. "

I have tried that before. But my hands just passed through the keyboard. The only hope I have was to spot students with the same uniform as I have.

"Follow me. We are going to the market," Lucas started to walk.

"Market? How can we find my school in the market?"

Lucas smirked. "You'll see."

We walked and used shortcuts by passing through walls and things. Finally, about ten minutes or so, we arrived at a big mall, a higher class at that.

"We're here," Lucas said, opening his arms.

I looked at the big mall. What do we have to do here? 

Because the mall was a high-end one, there was only a few people shopping here.

"Well, if the living has a mall and trade. The dead also has a market. Do you have anything with you?"

"What? The dead has a market? How is it possible?" I asked with disbelief written on my face.

"You'll see once we enter. Do you have something with you?" he repeated.

"Uhm... how can I have something with me?"

"When people died, they died with the belongings that they were wearing. They could take it even they were dead. Like you, you died wearing your uniform. And you've become a ghost wearing a uniform. So check your pockets."

I checked my pocket. I have bills, coins, and also a candy.

"This is the only thing I have with me."

Lucas eyes shone, seeing the candy.

"That will do! Food for the dead are the highest currency. Think of it like having a hundred dollars in your hand."

My eyes turned bright, too.

"With this, we can find out where my school is?"

"Yes," Lucas cheerfully said. I was influenced by his happy mood. 

So the two of us entered the high-class mall.

Lucas led me to a luxury salon. The interior was superb and the salon was quite huge. There were only two workers but there were many grannies sitting and lazing around. They really looked comfortable.

I looked around. Where is the market?

Lucas first went to the corner of the salon. There was an old woman who looked rich seated on the last couch. She was being massaged by a young woman wearing a uniform employee of the mall.

Suddenly, Lucas greeted the old woman.

"Greetings, Madam, how is your day?"

I was about to laugh when Lucas greeted the lady. As if the lady could see him—but then the old woman put down her mask and looked straight at Lucas.

"Lucas!" the old woman said happily.

Lucas reached for the old lady's hand and kissed it. His handsome figure and polite smile was very charming, "Madam is becoming more beautiful day by day."

!!!

I was now speechless. Lucas could touch her? There was only one explanation. The old woman was also a ghost. I looked at the employee who was massaging the old woman. That was when I noticed that the back of her head was bleeding.

Darn.

I looked around. The two employers did not even glance at us nor were they assisting the grannies on the couches.

The two employee were probably living beings while the rest were all ghosts. 

Goosebumps were all over me. I felt bad for the two. Good thing, the ghosts here were not malicious.

The old lady giggled happily at the praise. "How nice of you to come here. Is there something you need? Though, as long as you pay the price."

Lucas happily smiled. The two dimples on his cheeks looked really cute. I watched on with speechlessness. How come the Lucas I met and the Lucas standing in front of me right now looked vastly different? It was like he has a split personality.

"I came here with a customer. She is staying around my property. She has something to trade for an information," Lucas introduced me.

The old woman finally noticed me. Her eyes showed a bit of surprise, then apprehension. It was probably the blood on my clothes and how hideous I looked.

I mean, I could not see my figure but I am sure now that I looked like a vengeful ghost, when the old woman looked at me with that cautious and apprehensive eyes.

And Lucas next word just confirmed it for me.

"She is not a demon, though she looked like one."

I glared at Lucas. Really, thank you for that. Note the sarcasm.