"Where is that stupid wife!" Karl grumbled angrily, biting his finger in frustration. When the pain hit, he yelped and started to cry. "It's all because of her... I'm starving! I've been filling my stomach with water all day. If I don't get food soon, I'll eat my fingers!" Big fat tears rolled down his cheeks.
Karl paused, his tears stopping mid-flow as he heard the growling sound. He turned to Milo, who sheepishly covered his stomach with his hands, trying to hide the source of the noise.
"Sorry, brother Karl... If it wasn't for me needing the medicine for my limp leg, you'd at least have some money left. But now I've only got a few coins, and we can't buy anything," Milo said sadly, lowering his head.
"No, no," Karl shook his head vigorously, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. "Your health is the first priority. It's not like I haven't been hungry before."
Suddenly, they heard the sound of the plastic door rustling open, and Adrian stepped inside, holding a paper bag in his arms. "I got something for us," Adrian announced.
"What is it, brother?" Milo asked curiously, his eyes widening at the sight of the bag as Adrian sat next to him.
Karl immediately sprang up from the folded bed, his hunger forgotten for a moment as he rushed over to sit in front of Adrian and the bag.
"Juli! Julian! Look, brother Adi brought something for us!"
Julian emerged from the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel, and paused by the doorway. His eyes scanned the paper bag, then slowly moved to Adrian's face, which was carefully avoiding his gaze.
"What's in the bag?" Julian asked, his voice calm, but there was a heaviness in his tone.
Adrian cleared his throat and opened the paper bag to reveal a couple of loaves of bread, some dried meat, and a small container of red vegetable soup. The smell immediately filled the small room, and Karl's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Bread! Real food!" Karl exclaimed, nearly diving at the bag, only for Milo to grab his arm gently, reminding him not to spill it all.
Julian remained by the door, his moss-green eyes narrowing as he studied Adrian. "You didn't steal it, did you?" His voice was gentle, yet it cut through the room like a sharp blade.
Adrian's jaw tensed as he met Julian's gaze for the briefest moment, before looking away. "No, I didn't steal it," he muttered, but his tone didn't exactly scream innocence.
Julian's arms crossed over his chest as he sighed, clearly unconvinced. "You always have an angle, Brother Adi. What did you do this time?"
Karl, already tearing into the bread, waved a hand dismissively. "Who cares! It's food! Thank you, brother Adi!" He spoke through a mouthful of bread, crumbs spilling everywhere.
Milo, more thoughtful, remained quiet as he ate slowly. He could feel the tension building between Julian and Adrian, but he was too grateful for the food to say anything.
Adrian ignored Julian's stare and focused on eating.
Julian shook his head slightly, his suspicion lingering, but for now, he let it go. They would talk later.
"Juli come and eat with us.. Brother Adi did that for us.. other wise on hunger we have almost died" Karl said, patting him and Julian nodded he felt hungry too, he haven't eaten from whole days.
As they sat together, the evening outside slowly faded into a reddish dusk, the sky turning dark as the shadows lengthened. There was still no sign of their wife.
"What do you think, where could she be?" Julian asked, breaking the silence.
"Where else? At the bar," Karl grumbled, pouting like a child. "Thankfully, she just drinks and doesn't cheat on us with other ghosts."
Adrian, always the one to stir up trouble, smirked and leaned in. "What would you do if she did cheat on us?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Karl. He was curious about how Karl would react in such a situation.
Karl, a year younger than Adrian, was twenty. Milo was nineteen, with Julian only a month younger than him, but Julian was the most stable among them.
But Adrian had grown fond of the three of them. They were the family he never had, even if they drove him crazy sometimes. Though he didn't particularly like Ruby, he couldn't deny that meeting her had led him to Karl, Milo, and Julian, and for that, he was grateful.
"What would I do?" Karl repeated, his expression turning hyperactive as his anger bubbled up. His round eyes flared with intensity as he tried to picture what he'd do. "Although I don't like her much... I cannot tolerate her with another ghost. If I catch her cheating, I will... I will..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing in confusion as he struggled to think of a punishment.
"You will... what?" Adrian raised his brow, his curiosity piqued. Julian and Milo, equally interested, stared at Karl, waiting for his answer.
Karl squirmed under their expectant gazes, and suddenly, his eyes went wide, filling with tears. "I don't know, okay?! You're all so annoying!" He sniffled, wiping at his face in frustration. "Let me eat in peace," he muttered, his mood turning sulky.
The others couldn't help but chuckle at Karl's outburst.
"Stop laughing at me!" Karl pouted, folding his arms tightly across his chest, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. "Because you get hyper so easily and turn into a crybaby real quick. It's kind of cute, honestly."
Milo grinned, his honey-brown eyes sparkling with amusement. "Brother Adi's right!" he chimed in, giggling at Karl's overly dramatic reaction.
Karl's pout deepened, but the corners of his mouth twitched, fighting off a smile. "You guys are the worst," he muttered, though the warmth in his voice betrayed that he didn't really mean it.
Julian, sitting quietly, let out a small chuckle. "It's okay, Karl. We all know you're just passionate about everything."
"Yeah, passionate," Karl grumbled, finally cracking a smile as the teasing continued.
In stark contrast to the lightheartedness filling the small, slumped house, Ruby was facing trouble on the other side.
—To be continued...🪄