"Good morning, murderer!" Gabriel greeted loudly, making Kant flinch awake.
"So, my body has been taken to the morgue, but I can't touch it," the ghost announced. "I need you to steal it for me before they burn it to ashes."
Kant sighed deeply, slumping up. "And you think I'll do it for you?"
"It's my birthday tomorrow."
Kant raised a sarcastic eyebrow. What did birthdays matter in this time and age? Only kids celebrated that.
"Are you that afraid of missing out on a lavish party with tons of women and booze that your soul's still lingering here?"
Gabriel scowled. "I'm not into any of those things. In fact, I'm more of an introvert."
Kant rolled his eyes and went to make coffee. "Sure, introvert."
"And for the record, I was supposed to meet my uncle," Gabriel added, slumping dramatically, "My uncle was the only person who cared about me. I was hoping he could help me figure out what to do next..."
Kant leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. He was well aware of who Gabriel's uncle was. The very same person who had paid for this hit, the man who saw Gabriel as a mere inconvenience in the family's business plans.
What a dog-eat-dog world.
The ghost grabbed Kant's cup and sipped on it while he was lost in thought.
When Kant noticed, he snatched the cup back from Gabriel's hands, but it was still full to the brim with coffee. He cast an unimpressed glance at the ghost. "Were you pretending to drink this?"
"Oh, no, I drank it. I sipped on the coffee's soul," Gabriel replied, crossing his legs. "Though that drink tasted soulless in the first place. Don't you have any milk or sugar?"
Kant ignored the comment, pouring the coffee down the drain. "So how does this work, exactly? You can touch objects, but not people?"
"Seems that way. And no one can see me except you. You're stuck with me, and I'm stuck with you," Gabriel drawled. "Unfortunately."
. . .
Rain was in full force, wetting the streets and drumming on the rooftops. They crossed the street, approaching a chicken shop.
"It looks like it's closed," Gabriel noted, staring into the dark interior. "Maybe come back tomorrow?"
Kant said nothing, pushing the door open. All tables except one were cleaned and shrouded in dim light that came from under the crack of the kitchen door.
Gabriel was tiptoeing around cautiously. "Are you breaking and entering? Sick of murdering, now you're trying to collect other crimes?"
Kant walked towards the kitchen door, but stopped before entering. His hand hovered over the door knob as whispers and murmurs reached from inside. He drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Is something wrong?" Gabriel asked, breathing down his neck.
Kant swung the door open without an elaboration. As if on cue, a cloud of colorful confetti slapped him right in the face, sticking to his rain-soaked jacket and dampened face.
"Happy birthday!" came a loud exclamation from a crowd of three.
Gabriel covered his mouth in surprise. "Oh my gosh, you decided to throw me a surprise party? Aw, you didn't have to! When did you plan this? I know I said I don't like parties, but I can make an exception this... time..."
His voice faded out as he saw Kant's tired frown.