: Book

Kaia stares at the book intently. As if just by staring at it, it can produce the answer she's been longing for.

   To talk to ghosts!

  Kaia is about to open the book when the door of her room suddenly burst open. She looks up and found Asher standing in front of her door. Kaia immediately stands up and stares at Asher with wide eyes.

What is he doing in her room again? Is he following her everywhere because he wants to say something to her?

Kaia walks towards Asher, who is still standing in front of her door. He looks... shocked? But why?

Asher just got home from his basketball practice, and he was exhausted. He kicked his door and was shock to see a room that is different than his. It's like he just entered in someone else room.

   Asher walks out of the room and checks the door. He frowned when he realized that it's still his room. Is he hallucinating again?

   Kaia stares at Asher with muse. What is he doing? She wants to laugh at him, but her laugh paused when Asher looks at her straight in her eyes.

   Kaia stares at Asher with wide eyes. Did she saw him? She definitely sees him stare at her straight in her eyes.

   Asher frown when he sees something translucent in front of him. What is that? He blinks his eyes a couple of times, and when he opens his eyes again, he saw the beautiful girl in his dreams.

   It's her!

   Kaia looks at Asher, who is staring at her wide eyes. He then starts to walks towards her, but even before they stand in front of each other, the girl disappears in an instant.

   Asher frowns. Is he hallucinating again? Asher shakes his head and sighs. It's probably because he's exhausted. That's why he sees things. How can the girl be inside his room?

   You're a fool, Asher.

   Asher walks towards the bed and lay on it. Kaia follows his every move. He definitely saw her. It happened again. He's the only ghost that could see her.

   Finally, she met a ghost that could see her! Kaia almost jumps in joy. All she needs to do is to know how to communicate with him.

   Kaia looks at the book that is still on her bed. Laying beside Asher. She walks towards it and stares at Asher. He really looks handsome. She has never seen anyone as handsome as he is. Too bad he is a ghost already. He would probably be a chic magnet when he is still alive.

Kaia sigh. How can she admire a ghost? She must be insane to think like that. Kaia is about to take the book, but her eyes widen when he saw Asher accidentally touch the book.

Asher stretches his arms, but he frowns when he touches something. He stares at his hand and frowns when he sees a book in his hands.

"Where does it came from?" He whispered. He holds the book and brings it close to his face to inspect it. "Entities?" Asher's face frowns even more. "How come I have this kind of book? I don't remember borrowing a book like this." Asher scratches his nape. These days there are a lot of things that happened that he couldn't explain.

Kaia stares at Asher with wide eyes. She saw everything that happened. The book that she was holding just a while ago is now in the hands of Asher.

"How is that even possible? How can a ghost touch the book? He's a ghost. He's a different entity with no body and just a soul. How can he touch it?" Kaia asked while staring at Asher, who is still staring at the book with confusion evident in his eyes.

   Kaia tried to take the book from Asher, but her eyes immediately widen when her hand just pass through the book. It's like the book becomes translucent too. It's like the book becomes a ghost too.

   Is that even possible? A tangible object becomes transparent? Like a ghost?

  Kaia shakes her head. She cannot believe what is happening right now. This is the first time she has seen something like this in all her life.

Kaia looks at Asher. "Who are you, Asher? What do you want from me? How can I help you if you will take that book away from me?"

However, no matter how much Kaia talks to Asher, he seems like he didn't hear anything she said. Kaia sigh. It's the same as before. She still couldn't communicate with ghosts.

Kaia looks helplessly at Asher and stares at the book. It took her time to find that book, and now she loses it too.

Kaia sigh and lay on the bed. Beside Asher, who is now lying on the bed while raising the book with both of his hands. Kaia looks at Asher, and she was in awe of how much Asher looks more handsome in a closer look. He could definitely pass as a model.

"What would I do with you, Asher?" She whispered helplessly while staring at Asher.

Asher raised the book using both of his hands and stare at it. What would I do with this book? Asher's eyes widened when he remembered what the beautiful girl said in his dream.

   "Of course, I know you. You're Asher, right? You died, and you keep evincing yourself to me. I don't know what you want from me, and I'm not sure if I could help you. However, I'm willing to help you. Just tell me what you want me to do."

"You, you died. Although I'm not sure why or how you died."

   "Yes, you died. Although I don't really know the specifics, but I'm sure you died. You keep showing yourself to me these days. Do you want to say something to me? Do you want me to do something? I tried talking to you, but it seems like you didn't hear me."

   Asher put the book down and stare at the ceiling. "I died?" Asher looked at his arms and pinched it really hard that it bleeds. Asher sigh and put his hand on his forehead. "Am I insane to even believe something that happened in my dream? How can I die when I am definitely living? Asher, are you tired of living?"

   Kaia frowns when she sees Asher put the book down and pinched his arms until it bleeds. Kaia immediately gets up and looks at Asher's arm. "What is he doing?" Kaia's eyes widen when she realizes something.

   Asher is bleeding! How is it possible? He is a ghost! How can a ghost bleed?

Kaia stretches her arms to try touching Asher's arms, but her hand stops midair when her cellphone rings.

   Kaia sigh and looks at her phone. She frowns when she sees that Aurkene is calling her. What does Aurkene want? It's already past ten o'clock.

Kaia looks back at Asher, but she couldn't find him on the bed. Her book is still nowhere to be found too.

She sigh. He disappeared...again, and he even has her book. How can she even communicate with him if he had the book? Give back the book to her! She still needs to return it to the library!

  Kaia looks at the phone and picks it up. Aurkene immediately shrieks when Kaia picks up the phone.

Kaia moves the phone away from her ears. Aurkene continues to shrieks on call. Kaia waits for Aurkene to calm down before she puts the phone back on her ears.

"What's with all this shrieking? Did something happened?" Kaia said in a bored voice while still staring at her bed. Hoping she could still see Asher on it. But he's really gone.

"Kaia, have you heard about the acquaintance ball?" Aurkene shrieks again.

Acquaintance ball? Kaia frown. She doesn't know what Aurkene is talking about. "What is acquaintance ball?"

Aurkene got silent on the phone for a moment or two before she suddenly bombarded her questions. "Kaia! You don't even know what acquaintance ball is? That is the most awaited event at the start of every school year. How can you forget about it?"

   Kaia rolls her eyes at Aurkene. "Uhm. Because I am busy with studying and my work at the library? How can I have time with that kind of ball? That's just a waste of money and time."

   Kaia would rather read books about supernatural than attending those kinds of parties. Not that she doesn't like parties. She does but since people don't like her. She would rather not attend those kinds of parties. It's the reason why she doesn't know about this acquaintance ball.

   Aurkene grumbles. "Kaia, you're the one who has parents that are both working here. But why do you sound like you're poorer than me?"

Kaia rolls her eyes at Aurkene's remarks. "Aurkene Maricela!" She sigh. Calming herself. "It's not about money, okay? I'm just practical. I would rather spend my time on things that have sense. Som-"

Aurkene rolls her eyes at the other line. She knows Kaia is a practical person, but what she is doing now is definitely restricting her life. She's not even enjoying her youth. "What? You're just going to read about those supernatural things? Kaia, can you set it aside just this once? Can you let yourself enjoy your youth? Don't you think you are being unfair to yourself? You're missing a lot of things in life." Aurkene shakes her head. She thinks Kaia needs to start enjoying what life is giving her.

Kaia smiled sadly. She knows that Aurkene accepts her as her friend, but sometimes she still got hurt when Aurkene talks like this. "Aurkene, I am happy with my life. I don't think I'm being unfair to myself." Kaia sigh. "I know you're only concern about me, and you only want me to not miss a lot of things in life. However, Aurkene, these supernatural things are my happiness. It is part of who I am. I cannot just stop it as you want."

Aurkene sigh after hearing what Kaia said. She knew what will Kaia respond to what she said, but she still wants to take some shots. Maybe Kaia would agree with her. But since she already made her decision, Aurkene won't interfere with that. "Okay, just tell me if you want to come. The acquaintance ball will be on two weeks from now. So, you still have time to think about it, okay?"

Kaia smile. Even though Aurkene and her have different personalities and perspectives on things, one thing she likes about Aurkene is that Aurkene respects her decision.

   "Hmm. I will tell you. Do you plan to go there even if I don't come?"

   Although Kaia doesn't like going to parties, she wants her best friend, Aurkene, to enjoy her youth just as what she is saying.

   "I don't know. If you won't come what will I do there? You know that my block mates don't like me." Aurkene sighs and leans on the wall. Although she has friends in her department, but Kaia is the only person she thinks that is true to her. "I might come if you come. If not, I would rather work."

   Aurkene sigh. How can she forget that she still needs money for her mother's maintenance medicine?

   Kaia smiled bitterly. People don't like Aurkene because even if she is always late, her grades are still the highest among all her classmates. "Aurkene, I thought you said I need to enjoy life? What are you doing to your own life? You should go even if I don't go. That's a party. I'm sure everyone is there to enjoy."

    Aurkene sigh. "I can't promise. I'll see what will happen."

   After a few reminders, Kaia ends the call. She looks again at the bed and sighs. She remembers how the book becomes transparent and how Asher holds the book. She also remembers how Asher pinched himself real hard that it bleeds.

   A book that becomes transparent. A ghost that bleeds. A ghost that could see her and is always everywhere she goes. A ghost that she can communicate in her dreams. Who is this Asher?

   What is happening? Kaia sigh and slumps on the bed. She stares at the ceiling for a few minutes before she closes her eyes.

   Kaia hopes she could see Asher in her dreams.