This story is the 2nd place winner of the Wattpad magic profile's "Choose Your Miracle" 2022 contest.

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ears fall from Barbie's dull eyes and the center of my soul starts to quiver. I pat her shoulder and offer her one translucent hand though I know she cannot hold on to it. I am dead after all, a spirit who snuck out of the underworld in order to exact my long-awaited revenge. "Stand up. They're gone now." Barbie tries to fix her hair a little, putting the loose strands of her messy brown hair behind her ears. She looks so fragile as she sits on the dirty floor of the abandoned hospital we are at.

"T-thank... y-you... for saving me." Her voice carries itself deep within me. Like I'm alive again. Funny how she reminds me of life when I have been dead for years. Her hands search the ground for her walking stick. When she is finally able to find it, she stands, wobbling a little. How dare those thugs harm her. Her left cheek is still sore and bleeding and her legs are covered with bruises. Got them when she fought back against the teenage boys who tried to steal her things.

It took me quite a while to channel all my strength and use my aura to terrify the teens. With only a short glimpse of my soul, they fled away so frightened that they tripped and stumbled as they ran.

"You could strike back if you wanted. Why didn't you?" I ask Barbie as I follow her slowly exit the compound. The moon is shining brightly tonight. It's a shame she couldn't see it.

She answers, "I did fight back. They were just too many--"

"Not that kind of defense. You could've used magic."

We find the main road and walk through streets that are being lit by the glittering lights of the establishments all around. People are everywhere and some of them watch Barbie talk to someone invisible. She doesn't care, doesn't see them. When she speaks, it's in her usual soft voice. "I may be a witch but it doesn't mean I should use my powers to cause harm to someone."

Her words touch my soul. She's exactly the kind of person that needs to be protected, the kind of person our group wants to keep safe -- the weak and the truly kind inside. In the underworld, our small group fights for justice. We disagree with the authorities who let evil souls be reincarnated and given a chance to live a good life again. We want the weak and the kind souls to be protected while the evil-doers permanently erased from the world.

And I will be the first one to fulfill the much-needed task.

"You are too kind," I tell Barbie as I walk beside her.

She stops and turns to me. A smile is shining brightly on her lovely face. "This is my favorite ice cream shop." Seeing her gesturing that we should go inside, I follow her.

There is no other customer and the cashier/server goes back to being busy fiddling with her phone after giving Barbie an ice cream. Barbie sits on one of the chairs and I sit beside her. "Are you disappearing?" Is it just my imagination or is there really a trace of sadness in her voice?

I tell her the truth, that I've become more translucent than before. "I told you. A soul who comes back to earth without permission will die an eternal death unless we borrow the body of a human psychic."

"So go back."

"I can't."

Barbie places the untouched cup of ice cream on the table. "I'm not letting you possess me."

"Then I'll die here." I will accomplish my task no matter what. Or die trying. It's the code of our group.

A sigh, then, the girl takes a small pink flower from her backpack. "This is the flower Vivica. It is very rare and very precious. This is the reason why we went to the abandoned hospital earlier. To get this. I saw it there before I lost my sight. In myths, they say that it can revive the dead. Of course, that's not true. But, with the right method and the right spell, it can give a soul a body temporarily. Three days tops. Are you okay with that?"

Am I okay with that? Of course. Of course, I am. That's perfect.

"You're not going to do something bad, are you?" The witch closes her hand as if trying to hide the small flower from me.

"I will do what is right," I answer in full confidence even though a dark and heavy cloud descends upon my very core. "Please teach me the spell."

Barbie reaches out to touch my face but she couldn't find it so she takes back her hand. "The way you talk to me. You've known me before, haven't you?"

"Yes."

I'd loved her before.

In fact, I still do.

"You still do not want to tell me your name?"

I want to but I'm sure once she knows she'll never do what I ask of her. "I'm sorry."

Smiling, the girl hands me the flower. "I've enchanted it. Prick your finger on its thorn and drip three droplets of your blood on its petals then swallow it."

"But I don't have a body..."

"Believe in the magic."

I try. I feel the pain of being stung on my finger and feel my blood ooze to the flower. I swallow it and repeat the chant Barbie is dictating. At the end of the chant, my soul starts to tremble and burn. It feels like I'm being tossed left and right yet I remain where I am standing. My feet become heavier and so do my legs and my arms... my whole body. I crouch and then lay squirming on the floor. I remain like that for quite some time then it suddenly stops. I feel lightheaded and, slowly, I look at my body.

Wha-- I'm... human again?

"D-did it work?"

"It did." I stand up, fascinated by what had occurred. "It did!" I can't believe it! I can feel my heart beating inside my chest and feel blood pumping in my veins. Oh, how I've missed this. I am so happy I think I can fly up to the moon and back to kiss Barbie. Maybe I could do that.

But, just then, in the middle of my merriment, the shop's door opens and reveals a middle-aged man who is familiar to me.

It's him.

"Barbie, let's go--" The man loses his words as he sees me. Surprised and getting pale, he screams. "V-vince! B-but you're dead! Y-you're a ghost?"

I hear Barbie gasp. "Vince?"

Memories flash inside my human mind. My parents and I were to attend a school activity. Barbie and her father, Ben, saw us on the road and offers a ride in their car. I fell asleep. The car crashed and killed me, made my parents almost immobile. Barbie became blind.

Anger wells up inside me. With or without a body all I can feel for him is immense hatred, fury, and the need for vengeance. How dare this drunk continue living without suffering as his victims do? He needs to be severely punished, to experience death -- an eternal death.

I lunge at Ben and drag him out to the street. With this body, all I need to do is to crush his soul as he dies a mortal death, then all will be well. I would be ridding the earth of one evil soul.

"Vince! Please don't!" Barbie is shouting out loud. She forgets her walking stick inside and is trying to find where I brought her dad. "Please! Please!"

I'm sorry.

But I have to do this.

Or I will never be in peace.

Punching Ben in the face, I hear him grunt but he never speaks a word. "How can you live with yourself after what you have done to us? You killed me. Killed my parents inside. Immobilized them. Wounded your own daughter for life. Now she cannot continue her passion for painting. You ruined our lives!" Another punch. Blood splatters on the floor. "You don't deserve to live."

"Daddy!" Barbie shouts again but this time, closer to me and her father. She's panicking so much that she runs forward with utmost speed.

"Barbie! No!" Trying to find us, she runs towards the road and right before a passing car. My heart clenches tight. Without thinking, I throw my body towards her way and--

"Vince!"

It's dark.

I cannot open my eyes and my body aches all over.

"Vince!" Barbie's voice is trembling. "I'm so sorry. I really am sorry. Everything was my fault! That day when you and your parents were riding in our car, I was sitting in the passenger's seat. I had an argument with daddy. I told him I wanted to go to an exclusive art school. He was explaining how we don't have enough money for it. But I insisted so we argued. He kept telling me to stop but I didn't. I screamed and he was surprised. And then the accident happened. I killed you! Not my father. It was because of me! And I killed you again. Because of what I did. But you can't die. The spell. It gives you back your body but if you die with it you'll never live again."

Upon hearing her say those words, something breaks deep inside me and eventually makes me numb.

Heck.

What is she saying?

What about my revenge then?

Have I been angry with the wrong man?

And it's Barbie's fault? I search for anger inside my heart. Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I'll soon die anyway.

"Vince! Vince!" Barbie calls my name as I let myself fall into eternal sleep. I hear her chant.

------

"You're awake? That's good!" A young female nurse is fixing the white curtain beside the bed I'm laying at. She hands me an envelope and says, "Here. You've got a letter from a very pretty lady. She told me to give it to you as soon as you wake up. I'll just call the doctor."

I am... not dead?

Actually, I'm alive?

I touch my chest and feel my heart. I am not translucent anymore. I have a perfectly fine human body, though aching from some wounds and bruises. But I'm alive! I'm human again. Hurrying to see its contents, I open the letter handed to me.

It's from Barbie and it says,

"Dearest Vince,

I have done something very terrible to you and your family. Although I've been visiting your parents and helping them the best I can, I know nothing will ever be enough to erase the awful sin I've committed against them and against you. It's alright even if you can't forgive me. I understand.

I just want to say thank you for saving my life. When you almost died because of it, I chanted a healing spell even though I know it wouldn't work. Then a miracle happened. Our souls were tied and you survived. And I regained sight. I know that it means that once one of us dies, it will also bring the other to the underworld. Don't worry. I'll make sure you won't die young again.

I am very sorry.

I will miss you.

And thank you.

Barbie."

It hurts.

Not only my heart but my soul too. It feels like they're being ripped apart. I cannot stop crying, sobbing until my lungs give out. This is so unfair.

You should be here... to hear my cries. I should be angry at you. Yell at you. Curse at you. Hate you. Yet...

Suddenly, my pinky finger stings. When I look at it, I see a red thread tied on it, extending from my soul to somewhere beyond. And I know. I just know who is at the end of it.