4 : Shared Dreams

"Hey! Hey Miss!"

Asher walks towards a lady. She looks like the girl he saw in his house and in the library he's working in.

  The lady paused at her step and looked back at him. He walks towards her. Trying to see her face. However, he couldn't really see it because of the darkness.

He keeps walking forward, and the lady takes a step backward. He steps forward again, and the lady steps backward again.

   Asher doesn't know why but there is something about this mysterious lady that drawn him. It's like something is telling him to walk closer to her. To see her.

Asher lost track of how many steps he took forward. He just stops when the light from the street lights, lights up the whole place.

It's really her! It's the lady I saw in his room and in the library. It's just a glimpse, but I know it's her. It's the same charming face. The face that keeps appearing in his dreams.

"Asher?" Asher heard her call him. The lady knows Asher's name! Asher got stunned because of this. How did she know his name?

Asher only saw her twice, and it's only a glimpse. It's like he really didn't saw her. So, how could the lady know his name?

Asher walks toward the lady and stares at her intently. Trying to see in her eyes why she knows his name. He saw her face reddens. What is she thinking?

"You know me?" Asher asked with a frown face. Asher is fascinated with her, yes, but how could this lady know his name if he didn't talk to her? Also, is she even real? Asher definitely saw her in his room, but it's only a second or so. How could it be possible? How can she disappear like that?

The lady nods her head in response.

Asher took a step forward. "You know me? How did you know me? Who are you?" He asked.

Asher could see the hesitation in the lady's eyes. He doesn't understand why is she hesitating? Who is she? Or better yet, what is she?

The lady got silent for a moment before she answers him. Asher could hear her sigh first. "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."

   Asher stops advancing forward and stares at her like she just said something dumb. What did the lady said? Who died?

   "What did you said? I think I didn't hear it right." Asher asked. Asher thought that maybe he didn't heard her right. He keeps staring at her waiting for the lady to respond.

   The lady blinks her eyes repeatedly at him. Asher shakes his head a little. Trying to hide his flustered face. He thinks the lady looks so cute when she did the blinking thing. "Uh. What did I say?"

   Asher shakes his head. "I said repeat what you just said a while ago. What did you say? Who died? Who keeps evincing itself to you?"

Asher was hoping that what he heard is not true because if it's true, then he probably feels sad for this lady. He looks charming, and all but her head seems like she needs help.

The lady looks at Asher confusedly. "You are Asher, right?" she asked hesitantly.

Asher nods his head. "Yes, I am Asher. How did you know?"

There is one thing Asher is curious at this moment. How come this lady knows him, but he doesn't know her?

"I saw your nameplate when I was in the library. That's why I know your name."

Acceptable. Asher nods his head since Asher saw her in the library. However, what about the time Asher saw her in his room in his own house? "Who died?"

   The lady looks at Asher's eyes. "You, you died. Although I'm sure why or how you died."

After Asher hears her response, he got dumbfounded. What did the lady said? He died? How come he died, but he didn't realize it? Did he die after he went home? Is the reason why Asher saw her face in his room, and he keeps seeing things moving on their own is because it's a premonition of his death?

With a trembling voice, Asher asks her. "I died? What do you mean?"

The lady looks at him and sighs before answering him. "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 just keeps staring at him. He is stunned by what is happening. Did he really die? Asher thinks that's its most logical explanation why bizarre things happened to him these days. The bottled water moving on its own, and the book putting itself on the right shelf.

He was about to say something when the ground trembles. Asher looked at the lady and frowned. What is happening? Is it an earthquake? They are both startled when the ground trembles really hard until the ground split into two.

Asher and the lady both fall into the cracks. Asher just closes his eyes and prepare for his death. Wait, didn't the lady said he died already? What is this? A double death?

Asher opened his eyes and found himself sleeping on his bed. In his own room. There is no lady. There are no cracks on the floor. Just his room in its usually messy arrangement.

Asher walks to his bathroom to look at the mirror. He then pinches his face real hard that it reddens. Pain. Asher could still feel pain, and it's one sign that he is still alive.

Asher chuckles and shakes his head. Silly him to believe in his dreams. He washed his face and went back down to get his breakfast. Another day, another mess.

_______________

It's Saturday, and Kaia is the only one left in the house. Her parents go out on a date today, and she has the house all for herself.

   Kaia doesn't have any part time duty today, so she could rest for the whole day. Since Kaia just finished her exams this week, her plan is to enjoy her weekend as much as she can. And today is the start.

   Kaia plan to binge watch the series that she's been dying to see. It's also a perfect timing that her parents are out today. Her plan of binge watching will come true because no one would be mad at her even if she watches for the whole day.

Kaia put the popcorn on the center table in front of her and slumped on the couch.

"This is life." Sighing satisfactorily. Kaia covered herself in a blanket and started her series.

Kaia is enjoying her series when she felt like something heavy is on the couch she is sitting on. She turns her head towards her side. There is a vacant space in there. However, she didn't see anyone. Kaia just shrugged it off and continue watching like nothing happened.

  Kaia got used to it. Sometimes, she just didn't see ghosts. She could also feel them. Ghost manifest themselves in different avenues. They would sometimes make an object float or move a thing.

   Kaia is already used with that. For someone who grew up seeing ghosts, she knew her life would be different from normal people. This thing, the heavy thing on the couch she feels. It's a normal day to day manifestation of ghosts to her.

   At first, Kaia was terrified. Who wouldn't? However, she got used to it, and the ghost around her doesn't harm her even a bit, so she doesn't care.

   Kaia was too engrossed in her series when suddenly the series she's watching changes. Kaia frowns and looks at the remote. It's still there, in the place where she puts it. On the center table. So why did it changed?

  Kaia shakes her head and just shrugged it off. It's probably one of the ghosts again. Kaia doesn't know why but sometimes she feels like the ghost is playing tricks on her. Kaia doesn't mind though, because it doesn't affect her safety.

  Kaia changes the channel back to what she is watching. However, after a minute, it changes again. Kaia looks again at the remote, but it's still on the center table.

   It's probably a ghost. Come on! How can she enjoy watching her series if it's like this? Kaia takes the remote again to change the channel back, but her eyes widened when she feels something cold.

   She looks at the remote and saw a hand there. A hand? She follows the hand to see the owner of it.

   Kaia sees Asher looking back at her. He looks shocked. Asher's eyes widened, and he is looking at her as if he saw a ghost. Kaia almost wants to roll her eyes at his reaction.

   Asher looks back at the lady in front of him. It's her! He could clearly see her. Although she's kind of transparent.

  Archer was supposed to ask her name when the lady slowly disappeared in front of him. No! No!

  Archer stands up to look for her however she's gone. It's as if she never existed. Archer sigh and slumped his body on the couch. Maybe he just needs a rest again.

   Kaia saw it all. She saw when Archer tried to open her mouth, but he didn't continue. She saw that Asher's eyes panic, and he stands up to look for something. After a minute or so, he slumped his body on the couch, that the couch shakes a little because of the impact.

   What is he doing? Why did he panic? Kaia tried to talk to him. However, it seems like he didn't see her at all.

  It happened all the time. Every time Kaia tried to talk to a ghost, they all didn't notice her. It's as if they didn't see her. Which is quite questioning because it wasn't how the movies depicted ghosts.

  However, Asher is the only different ghost she encountered. Asher is the only ghost she could see for the longest time. It's not just a second. It's minutes. Asher is the only one who looks like he saw her. Although Kaia isn't so sure about that.

   There's one thing she just needs to do to know if Asher could really see her. It's to talk to him. But how? How could Kaia speak to ghosts?

  She tried every means of communication with ghosts. However, none of them works for her, which she doesn't understand. She tried spirit of the glass, bloody mary, and many more. But she got no luck.

   Sometimes she felt like ghosts don't want to talk to her.

   Kaia sighs and stares at the tv that is currently showing the series she wants to watch. However, she already lost interest in watching it. Kaia slumps on the couch and just closes her eyes.

   How can I talk to you, Asher?

___________

Kaia is currently walking through the paranormal aisle in the library she is part timing with.

Her shift just ended, and now she is looking for a book that could help her with her problem. How to communicate with ghosts.

However, she couldn't find a book that could answer her problems. The books that are available are only books of information about ghosts or life events that involved ghosts. None of it talks about how to communicate with ghosts.

Although Kaia knows that if there's any book about communication, she kind of doubts if it will work. Because she had tried all the means of communication before, but it doesn't work for her.

There's nothing harm trying though. Maybe Kaia would find something that could give her a clue.

However, she already skims most of the books there, but she still didn't find anything. It's mostly the same communication she has done before.

Kaia was about to give up and just go home when she saw an old book on the topmost shelf. It looks old, like a century old. Some of its pages are missing already, but Kaia is drawn to it is because of its title.

Maybe this book could help her.