On that day, it was my first day of taking lessons from a tutor. I felt nervous since it was my first time attending additional lessons from a tutor outside of school. Usually, Desmon would help me with my schoolwork, but maybe he had already passed away before he could reach my current level, so I needed additional support.
I intentionally chose an exclusive and private tutoring center where there were only three students —including myself for each class. Each subject would be taught by an expert. My parent believed this would maximize my learning as they knew I didn't really like being in crowded places.
The tutoring center was far enough from my home, so it was unlikely that any of my school friends would attend there. The facilities provided were advanced and comprehensive. They even offered complimentary snacks and drinks, though the quantity was limited. According to the center's management, this was to ensure we didn't consume too many unhealthy snacks and drinks that could hinder our cognitive functions. It was a bit complicated, let me simplify it, they were just really cheap.
When I arrived, the atmosphere was remarkably calm. I waited for about 20 minutes. Anyone who saw me would know I was getting impatient. My face probably had creases around the corners of my mouth, as I tended to scowl when waiting for something, unsure of when it would actually happen. Meanwhile, my limbs seemed to have a life of their own, moving restlessly as if they weren't part of the same body. Fortunately, my parents weren't here. Because if they were here, they might have told me to stop acting like that and sit quietly. I get annoyed when they tell me to do that, because I don't like sitting still when waiting.
They weren't here because my mother had to go to work, while my father, for sure, was absent. The last time I saw him was at his funeral. It was then that he realized my abilities went beyond the imagination of a child, which he had believed for so long. He passed away content, which meant he couldn't linger long in the ghost world. After imparting a word or two of advice, he promptly disappeared. That was the first moment I felt grateful for my abilities, realizing they could provide not only nightmares for me but also hope for those left behind, or those who left, by bridging communication between the two worlds.
Finally, I could enter the classroom. It was only about two or three minutes before a boy entered, taking a seat to my right, introducing himself as Ryan.
When I observe Ryan closely, I can tell exactly what kind of person he is. His eyes wear special lenses designed to support learning activities, as he can access the internet based on voice commands and eye movements. Last time I checked, these lenses were quite expensive. This also indicates that he comes from a wealthy family. His arms were equipped with the latest smartwatch. He owns two smartphones with different operating systems and a high-tech glass tablet that can also serve as a laptop when connected to a highly responsive holographic keyboard. How do I know all this? Because I'm into technology, and I envy him for having all the gadgets I've been yearning for. However, his clothes don't quite match his tech-savvy appearance. Perhaps he's one of those people who prioritize functionality over aesthetics, not really into fashion. But at least from all of this, I draw the conclusion that he's a bookish or tech-savvy kid who isn't much into socializing —an introvert, just like me.
Our tutor entered the classroom, but before he could introduce himself and start the lesson, a girl entered the room. The girl had no choice but to sit next to me.
"Alright, since you're late, you have to introduce yourself first," the tutor requested of the girl.
The girl introduced herself as Chloe. My first impression of Chloe was that she was quite different from both Ryan and me. She was wearing the most fashionable clothes I could imagine from her shirt, pants, hoodie, hat, and even her watch all have vibrant colors, although her watch didn't have as many tech-features as Ryan's, it was clearly superior for taking photos. Her smartphone had a matching red and blue color scheme with her outfit, and similar to her watch, its primary strength was photography, besides its ability to roll up might be another advantage, but I'm not a fan of rollable smartphones. Like most girls her age, she had a variety of colorful patterns on her hands, and she wore a fragrance so strong enough to made my head spin.
Ryan and Chloe were like polar opposites, but I found both of them to be great study partners, at least, that was my initial impression. However, one thing bothered me is the presence of a girl next to Chloe who was still standing while Chloe had already sat down.
The ghost girl appeared clean, without a single sign that could hint at a horrible death. No torn clothes, no dirty face, and no wet body. So, I assumed she passed away under normal circumstances. But why was she still lingering in the ghost world? That's what made me feel uncomfortable, especially since she didn't even glance in my direction, nor did she move at all.
Our new tutor, who introduced himself as Lebouf, began our first lesson session, and we all got ready to learn —except for the ghost girl, of course.
###
I took two sessions a day and three days a week for my additional lessons. After the first session on my first day, I decided to take a break and ordered food from outside. The tutoring center provided meals for every session break, but I didn't really like the seafood-heavy menu they had that day. So, I ordered a burger from my favorite fast-food restaurant.
I ate in the rooftop garden of the tutoring center. The air was a bit warm, as it was nearing the long summer season, but the fairly strong breeze allowed me to enjoy my meal in peace. The rooftop garden was quiet at the time, with only six other people besides me. Two stood by the edge of the terrace, looking down the building sometimes, really into their chat about something. Three others sat in a circle in the middle of the rooftop garden, they weren't talking or eating anything, just accompanied by soda that they seemed to have gotten from the cafeteria, and they were really into their tablets —it seemed like they were studying. Another person sat at a dining table, busy with he food. I counted that he'd already eaten three portions, while there were two more waiting for their turn to be consumed.
According to my mother, I'm considered a fast eater. That's why it only took me four minutes to finish my burger and soda. After disposing of my food waste and getting ready to go down to my next class, Chloe showed with food she had gotten from the cafeteria. My gaze was directed towards her, but it wasn't focused on Chloe herself, but on the ghost girl behind her. The ghost remained in the same position and didn't move at all, hovering along with Chloe wherever she went. Seeing the ghost, the air, which was slightly warm before, now felt a bit chilly.
For those of you who don't know, the presence of a ghost can be felt through changes in the atmosphere or the surrounding environment. Ghosts usually influence the environment to become colder and gloomier. Electronic devices can be disrupted, and even your breathing might be affected. However, it all depends on what I call "the ghost's power".
Ghosts with grudges or those who died due to accidents or crimes usually have a more extreme impact on the environment. On the other hand, ghosts who aren't vengeful or even cheerful ones like Desmon, don't affect the environment at all. Nevertheless, according to Desmon, ghosts can also learn to use these ghostly powers. He even mentioned that in the ghost world, there's a special school for this purpose.
Once again, I realized that the ghost girl was very different from any other ghost I'd met. The ghost girl didn't appear at all like someone who had died due to an accident or a crime, and she didn't seem to hold any grudges. Yet, the aura of her presence suggested the opposite. Had she ever learned to control ghostly powers at a ghost school in the ghost world, as Desmon described? No, I didn't think it was like that. In my opinion, seeing how the ghost girl remained completely still and intensely focused on Chloe, maybe she died because of Chloe, more precisely, she died due to non-physical wrongdoing committed by Chloe, like bullying her, or maybe the ghost girl was extremely obsessed with or envious of Chloe.
Regardless of any speculations I came up with, no matter how much I thought about it, I wouldn't get any answers unless I asked directly. However, approaching the ghost girl meant I had to approach Chloe first, and this was the most challenging part for me, even compared to conversing with vengeful ghosts.
I stood still for a while, considering all the ways to approach Chloe, all the opening topics and conversation starters, but still, I couldn't bring myself to do anything.
I decided to continue my steps and head downstairs, but not to go to my next room for next session. Instead, I went to the cafeteria to grab some snacks.
I'd heard people say something like this before, "Inviting someone for a meal is the best way to get to know them and strike up a conversation." So, I chose to strike up a conversation with Chloe through snacks.
The cafeteria had a variety of snacks, but there were only two or four of each type —they were definitely cheap. I picked two types that I liked and intended to quickly return to the rooftop garden to begin my mission of chatting with Chloe. However, that plan fell apart. If I had to blame someone, it would definitely be the food deliverer who took so long to bring my food. There's no way my forty-minute break ended so quickly, especially when it took me less than five minutes to eat. Why didn't they ever improve their service?
###
Unfortunately, I didn't meet Chloe again, neither in the second session nor after it ended. Maybe she only attended one session.
It was getting pretty dark when I arrived home. At that moment, my house was quiet, with just me alone preparing instant noodles for my dinner. It seemed like my mother wouldn't be coming home tonight, or at least she'd be back very late. As for Desmon, ever since I released him from our bond, he often spent his time outside, but I didn't know what he did. The house was tidy and clean, so I headed straight to my room to get my things ready for school the next day, and then went to bed —hopefully Desmon wouldn't disturb me while I slept.
The next morning, I realized how much I had on my mind, not even noticing that today was a day off. When I woke up, Desmon was sitting in my chair, reading a book —or at least, it looked like a book, but it was translucent.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the translucent book.
"A book. You don't know what a book is?"
"Are you mocking me?" I retorted quickly. He seemed to take great pleasure in teasing me. "Of course I know what a book is, but it's translucent. Can't you see it, are you blind?"
"Yes, this book and everything in my world is translucent. Am I not translucent to you?"
It was only then that I realized Desmon was also translucent. Had he been translucent all this time? Were all ghosts actually translucent? What about the ghosts I'd met before, were they all translucent? All these questions suddenly crossed my mind.
As far as I could remember, the terrifying old woman I'd met at the mall felt very real, there was no sign of translucency at all, just like all the other ghosts I'd ever met.
"You just realized, didn't you?" Desmon continued explaining to me.
"How did you know? Was it that obvious from my expression?"
"Well... not from your expression, I know 'cause I did just show it to you." Desmon said with a silly smile on his face.
"Idiot," I thought to myself. Of course, Desmon had tricked me, just as he always did. Why didn't I think of that? Why was I so easily fooled? I don't know.
Desmon continued his story about the ghost world. He explained that, fundamentally, all ghosts have the same appearance as they did when they passed away. However, just like humans, ghosts can change their appearance through shopping or stealing from fellow ghosts. The currency or exchange tool used by ghosts is something similar to leaves, but Desmon himself wasn't entirely sure about it.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
According to Desmon, the reason humans can't see the ghost world is due to the dimensional difference. However, I have the ability to cross those dimensional boundaries, allowing me to see the ghost world. Yet, my ability hasn't fully opened up, so I still need the ghosts to manifest themselves first. Desmon added that once my ability fully opens up, not only will I be able to see all the ghosts and the ghost world itself, but I'll also be able to enter the ghost world, much like some people claiming to be shamans. Still, according to Desmon, due to my not fully opened ability, objects in the ghost world are still half-visible and half-transparent to me. The ghosts I meet can either fully reveal themselves, partially reveal themselves, or not reveal themselves at all.
I briefly considered practicing with my ability after hearing Desmon's explanation, but he discouraged it. He insisted that I refrain from training my ability because if I were to become a shaman, many ghosts would approach me. Some just to introduce themselves, some seeking help, and others even wanting to harm me. Witnessing how the ghosts can behave, I reconsidered my opinion that humans are scarier than ghosts.
Desmon continued his story about when he left my house. He seemed very excited to talk about being able to play Ghostube again, especially when he found out that his followers on Ghostube had increased by a lot, although he said some of his old followers had stopped following him.
Desmon also shared how he met some new ghost friends and chatted with them, swapping stories. It seemed like Desmon was really happy to tell his experiences with me to his new friends. I just hoped he wasn't making up stories, whether to make me look bad or praise me, I didn't like made-up stories.
Desmon's story about his new ghost friends reminded me of the ghost girl who always followed Chloe. Maybe Desmon can help me, I thought.
I waited until Desmon finished his story before telling him about the ghost girl. However, Desmon acted like a little kid telling his parents about his first day at school. He looked very happy and kept on expressing word by word that formed into a story.
"Hmm... Desmon," I said in a barely audible voice, trying to interrupt Desmon's never-ending story.
"Yeah, what's up?" Desmon stopped his story, his expression clearly showing he was a bit bothered by my interruption, but he didn't mind.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Of course, buddy. Did you get bullied again?"
"Oh, no... not at all... but there's something that caught my attention."
Desmon didn't say anything, he just looked at me, waiting for me to continue. This wasn't his usual self.
"When I was at my lesson session, I met a girl..." I said, continuing.
"You fell in love?" Desmon interrupted my conversation, this was more like him.
"Oh, no... definitely not... what are you thinking... It's not the girl that caught my interest..."
"So, what happened?"
"Can I finish before you keep cutting me off?"
"You're taking forever, just say it. What happened, did you see a ghost? Then you..."
Honestly, I didn't know what he was going to say next, but I knew for sure he stopped because he saw my expression, which I couldn't hide, once he mentioned I saw a ghost.
"You saw a ghost?" he asked.
"Yeah, more like a ghost girl."
Then I told him about what happened at my lesson session, especially about the ghost girl and her behavior that left me puzzled about what actually happened to her, whether she died abnormally or normally.
Desmon seemed to be enjoying my story. You can easily tell if Desmon is enjoying the conversation with you or not by the way he doesn't interrupt your story. If he interrupts, it means he's not enjoying it.
"So, can you help me out?" I closed my story by asking for his help.
"Whatever you need, just say it, my friend."
"Can you find out about that ghost girl?"
"Sure, I can ask around or look for her account on Ghostube. But, it might be tough, if what you told me is true, she might not be socializing much in the ghost world."
"In that case, why don't you come with me to the next additional lesson session? That way, you can ask her directly, how about it?" I suggested without much thought.
"Are you crazy?" Desmon's tone raised.
I wasn't scared of him. Our relationship had become very close, so any fear I might have once had was likely long gone. In fact, Desmon's raised tone, which I hadn't heard in a long time, made me a bit nostalgic.
"It's not possible and I don't want to. Why don't you just talk to her? You can communicate with ghosts, can't you?" Desmon continued.
"I can't." I firmly refused, "If I talk directly to her, Chloe will think I'm talking to her, not the ghost girl."
"Then tell Chloe about the ghost girl."
"You want me to scare Chloe? No, that's not an option."
"Alright, don't tell Chloe. But at least talk to Chloe about something, from there you can see the ghost girl's expression."
"That's what I was planning, but you know me."
"In that case, forget it." Desmon advised.
Actually, I could just forget about the ghost girl. I've often managed to forget or not care about the presence of ghosts, whether they're just silently lingering in a place as residual hauntings or actively following someone. But this time feels different. At least three things are preventing me from just letting it go.
"Impossible. How could I forget it, when she shows up every time I have an additional lesson session? On top of that, the ghost girl could very well be a vengeful ghost or some other evil ghost that could harm someone, especially Chloe, because the ghost girl seems fixated on her. Besides, You must still remember my story about my father's funeral, right?" I explained to Desmon.
We both fell silent for a few minutes. Desmon seemed to regret his advice.
"In simple words, I can't just forget about it like that," I continued.
"Well... I can actually talk to the ghost girl, but it can't be at school or at the tutoring center. You know I have trauma, right? And I still can't control it," Desmon replied. I could see his eagerness to help me, but his trauma does limit him.
"Yes, you're right. But that's the tricky part, how do we meet them outside of the tutoring center? I don't know Chloe's lesson schedule."
"That part is actually easy, I'll wait around the tutoring center until the ghost girl shows up."
Why didn't I think of that? Of course, I can't wait around for the ghost girl to show up, given all the things I have to do like going to school, taking care of the house, or doing never-ending schoolwork. But Desmon, he doesn't have any activities except bothering me or chatting with me.
You idiot, I cursed at myself.
###
On that day, my mother drove me to the tutoring center, but this time Desmon joined us. My mother knew nothing about Desmon except that I had a friend from the ghost world.
While my mother was aware of my ability, she was not like me, who had adapted to the ghost world. She was still afraid of ghosts. Despite my numerous explanations that not all ghosts were scary or evil, and that many of them were kind and even funny, my mom didn't pay attention. For her, there were only two words to describe ghosts: scary and evil.
I intentionally brought Desmon along that day because, although Desmon could roam freely —and often did— Desmon said that he was bewildered by the streets in the real world, especially in my time, which he thought had changed significantly. So, as I suspected all along, Desmon only roamed in his own world. My goal in bringing Desmon that day was for him to memorize the route from my house to the tutoring center, so he could go there on his own next time to approach the ghost girl.
Before getting out of the car, I gave a hand gesture code that Desmon and I had used to communicate secretly if there were people around. It wasn't because I was afraid or embarrassed to be seen as strange, but I was concerned about frightening people if they saw me talking to a ghost.
The code I gave instructed Desmon to wait outside the entrance for fifteen minutes, while I would go to the classroom to see if Chloe had arrived or had a schedule that day. If I returned before fifteen minutes, it meant Chloe had come or had a session that day. But if I didn't return, Desmon could roam freely in his world again.
Our hand gesture code took longer than verbal communication. It was quite a long time until I saw Chloe and the ghost girl walking towards the tutoring center. Maybe I needed to come up with a faster code.
I had already gotten out of the car, and my mom had left in her own, when I noticed Desmon's innocent face.
Doesn't he realize the presence of the ghost girl? I wondered.
"Why are you staring off?" I asked.
"Who's staring off? I'm just waiting for the ghost girl you told me about. Don't bother me, I'm serious."
I thought again, does Desmon really not see the ghost girl with Chloe? Or is he just messing with me again.
"She already passed by, didn't you see?" I explained to Desmon, pointing in the direction Chloe and the ghost girl came and went.
"Who? The ghost girl?"
"Of course, who else could I be talking about?"
"Heh... you're joking, right? How can a ghost not see a ghost?"
I explained more few times that Chloe and the ghost girl had already passed by. However, Desmon's expression showed that he really couldn't see the ghost girl. But how could that be?
"Seriously, you can't see her?" I kept asking just to be sure, over and over again.
"Nope, I don't see anything. Are you sure you're seeing her?"
We both stared at each other for a few seconds.
"How long have you been a ghost?" I asked.
"Quite a while, why do you ask?"
"Well then, how is it possible that you can't see a ghost?"
Desmon didn't answer, and we were both puzzled.
Desmon gave me the idea to wait until my lesson session was over and then walk out with Chloe. From there, I could give Desmon a signal about the ghost girl's location.
Desmon's idea sounded really good, but it still couldn't erase my thoughts about why Desmon couldn't see the ghost girl. Was Desmon accidentally avoiding looking so he couldn't see the ghost girl? Or did Desmon not know which one was Chloe, so his attention wasn't focused on the ghost girl? Or maybe there were different hierarchies among ghosts, like ghost of a ghost? I don't know what I was thinking, but it was really bothering me. With the strong strange aura from the ghost girl, it would be very easy for fellow ghosts to detect her, or was the ghost girl truly a special kind of ghost? Maybe that's why my attention was drawn to her without knowing the exact cause.
###
This time I came a bit late, luckily our tutor hasn't arrived yet, so I'm safe. Inside the room, I see Ryan taking a seat in the middle, while Chloe stays in her last seat, and so does the ghost girl who is in the same position as the last session I met her.
I walk to my seat, preparing my study materials while waiting for our tutor to arrive and start the lesson.
"You're Robert, right? We've met before," Ryan starts a conversation in a low voice.
"Oh... yeah... I'm Robert and you're Ryan, if I remember correctly." I answered in a quiet tone.
"You're right, you remember it. Can I have a moment of your time outside?"
"Hm... what's it about? Maybe later, the session is about to start," I reply.
During our previous meetings, Ryan and I were just study friends, we only chatted about the subject matter. So why does he want to talk privately outside? If it's about the lesson, he could ask here.
"Oh... sure, but..." Ryan answers.
Ryan leans closer to me, his mouth searching for my ear.
"Be careful," he whispers.
I look at his face, I'm sure he's not speaking in a threatening tone or with a threatening intention. I know for sure because I've been bullied and threatened at school before. But this is something else, his whisper is more like advice from someone who's worried about something bad that might happen to you. Like when my mom advises me to be careful when I'm about to leave because something bad might happen to me.
Ryan's gaze returns toward the front as our tutor has arrived.
Our tutor begins the lesson, while I sit in silence, lost in thought. Ryan's whisper still fills my mind, and I can't hear a word or whatever came out of my tutor's mouth.
I don't know why, but the room suddenly feels very cold. Was the AC turned down a few degrees? And to add to that, the light is growing dimmer. "Maybe there's a power outage," I think, still trying to stay positive, until I shift my gaze towards Chloe.
The ghost girl who was supposed to be right next to Chloe being all still and fixated on her, was no longer there. Desmon once mentioned that ghosts could choose not to reveal themselves to me, like when Desmon played a prank on me back then by turning translucent. Or it could be that the ghost girl has simply vanished. But the latter option doesn't seem likely, because I can still sense the aura of the ghost girl, and it feels even stronger now.
Well, I notice it when I think about how much stronger the ghost girl's aura has become. I know, despite my doubts and hopes that I'm wrong. I'm curious and want to prove myself wrong, but fear courses through my entire body, leaving me frozen.
I've never felt anything like this before, except when I encountered the terrifying granny at the mall when I was little, or when I crossed paths and exchanged glances with the vengeful ghost a few years ago.
The air grows colder, the light dims further, and now I can't hear anything at all. The only thing I can still feel is the rush of sweat pouring down my body.
The ghost girl's aura kept getting stronger. Maybe I was just being overly scared, maybe she was gone all along, or maybe she never even existed because even Desmon, who is a ghost himself, couldn't see her. If this was just my fear playing tricks on me, the only way to get rid of it was to make sure if the ghost girl was really there around me.
I regretted it as soon as I tried to confirm her presence. With just a slight shift of my gaze to the right, I could already see her pale, bluish hand dangling. I don't know what compelled me to keep tracing it up to her shoulder, then her neck, and finally, her face.
For the first time, I could see her face clearly. There was nothing wrong, it looked perfectly normal, no scars, no bloodstains, no missing body parts. Just like I suspected, she looked like someone who passed away naturally, not from an accident or crime. But, just like I suspected too, her face was completely expressionless, yet it seemed to hold a deep, intense hatred. Her empty eyes stared at me sharply, her mouth didn't move at all, but it gave off a vibe as if she wanted to curse me. She was terrifying yet oddly innocent.
Her aura grew stronger. Now she was proving to me who she really was. All her innocence, all her normal appearance, all the expressionless face, it all disappeared, leaving only her smile that left me frozen in place.
#####-End of Chapter-#####