09. Who is Elena?

Caitlin lifted her head after hearing Elena's story, a sentence that Caitlin had been hearing from her for the past few days—even this morning, now Caitlin was hearing it again. Caitlin was thinking, this Elena looks so determined to offer her happiness. She never stops saying it as if the girl means everything she says.

But Caitlin couldn't believe that quickly, how could she trust the black hooded girl that Caitlin didn't even recognize? The girl even only met her at the bus stop and nowhere else was she seen, so Caitlin wondered who the girl next to her really was.

What if Elena is part of a mafia group that is trying to persuade her to come with Elena, and after that, Elena will take her to a place she doesn't recognize and then kill her? It was possible that the girl and her gang would later sell Caitlin's organs.

Caitlin shook her head quickly, she couldn't think anything of someone and her thoughts had gone very far. Caitlin turned her head again and looked at Elena's face. "You look like a nice girl, I'm pretty sure you're a good person and don't intend to harm me, but I'm confused. You keep saying you want to offer me happy when I can't even guess how you can give it. Can you give me a lot of money to move out of this country and take my Grandma away from this shitty city?"

"I can grant it if that's what you want," replied Elena casually.

Caitlin immediately glared at her, now watching Elena more closely. "If you say that it means you're rich, why don't you even look like a rich person? Why do you look like you're covering yourself up—gosh, I just realized something. Why don't other people look at you with a strange look when you're always at the bus stop in your black clothes every morning?"

Elena smiled lopsidedly, a mysterious smile that for some reason gave Caitlin goosebumps at that very moment. "If I told you that no one else can see me but you, would you believe that, Caitlin?"

"What?!"

"I asked, do you believe that?" Elena asked again with that crooked smile that had not left her face.

Caitlin got goosebumps again, Elena and her soft voice suddenly scared Caitlin. She hated everything mystical, and Caitlin didn't like it when Elena scared her. However, she had to answer the question.

Caitlin thought again, remembering what had happened every morning for the past few weeks. Elena used to come every morning, except when Caitlin was late for the bus stop or got up late. However, every morning Caitlin knew that sometimes she wasn't alone with the girl, there were other school children or workers who sometimes waited for the bus with her.

However, Caitlin had also just realized that none of them had seemed to be paying attention to Elena. They didn't seem to care, or maybe they couldn't see the girl?

Gosh, Caitlin is really dizzy right now.

"Please don't tell me that you are a ghost! I really hate anything mystical, so don't tell me you're not human!"

"I'm not human, but I'm not a ghost either because I'm not dead yet."

Caitlin flinched in surprise, stood up reflexively and moved away from Elena, who was still sitting quietly in her place. The girl's gaze and voice were gentle as usual when she spoke and looked at Caitlin. Caitlin was normal at first, but why did she now look so scary in her eyes?

"Y-you're kidding, right?" asked Caitlin timidly.

Elena chuckled, finding it amusing to Caitlin's current attitude. "Why do you look so scared? I told you I'm not a ghost and I'm not here to scare you either."

"But you're not human!"

"Yes, it is true. But could you sit down first and let me explain something so you won't be afraid of me anymore?" Elena asked calmly, trying to be friendly and hoping Caitlin would listen.

Seeing that there were no signs of lying from all the sentences that Elena had said, Caitlin finally tried to calm herself down and then sat back down on the bus stop seat, but the girl kept a little distance, she didn't want to get too close to Elena who was clearly saying that she is not human.

"Tell me who you are," said Caitlin, she needed to know who Elena's real identity was.

"I can't tell you this because you haven't agreed to my request. But, because you look very curious and I also want to tell you, I will tell you about who I am," replied Elena.

"Caitlin, don't you ever find it strange why I always meet you at this stop and never be seen anywhere but this place? Don't you also wonder why people never notice me even when I'm standing near them?"

Even though Elena had said earlier that she wanted to explain who she was, why was she now asking Caitlin a question that made her have to think to give her an answer?

"I was thinking about that, I was wondering why you always show up at the bus stop and not anywhere else. But about your existence that other people didn't notice, I just thought about it, and that's because you were the first to talk about it," Caitlin answered honestly. "But, now that you're back on the subject and questioning it, I'm curious about what's going on. Can you tell me why that happened?"

Elena nodded in response, she did intend to tell Caitlin about this, even though the girl hadn't agreed that she would help Elena, but that's okay. Who knows, after Elena tells Caitlin she can think more and maybe later she will change her mind to help Elena.

After all, there was no written rule that Elena couldn't tell Caitlin who she was. The only rule Elena had seen was that she was only allowed to tell Caitlin what she had to do to go into her world after Caitlin agreed to help Elena get her life back.

Because there are no rules, Elena finally chooses to tell her and tell Caitlin about who she really is.

"I was a human just like you, Caitlin. I'm a girl who also has a life of my own, it's true what you say that I'm a few years older than you because now you're still in school and I'm already working in my world. I am a model in my world, my father is the owner of the biggest coal mining company and my mother is a fashion designer who is famous everywhere, I also have a lover who works as a painter who just won the biggest auction and I have one male friend who is still friends with me and also my lover to this day. It's true what you say that I come from an affluent family, but unfortunately if you search for my identity or the identity of all my family, you will never be able to find it because I am not from your world. I am you from another world."

"Gosh, just a second. Oh my god—" Caitlin clutched her head which suddenly hurt so much just because she heard one long explanation that she thought was so unreasonable. "I really can't digest all of your words and my head feels like it's about to explode after hearing your explanation. Can you explain it in a more understandable sentence? Since you said you 'used to be' a human, you mean now, doesn't it? Then you are me from a different world? Oh my god, I really can't digest all this."

Was Elena a woman who ran from a mental hospital? Does the girl have a mental disorder that she can hallucinate like that? Indeed, her words were so nonsensical that they gave Caitlin a headache. Caitlin suddenly regretted asking who the girl really was because all of her explanations were ridiculous.

But, of course, Elena wouldn't stop explaining. Because if she had started, she wouldn't want to end it. "I know that by now, you must think of me as a lunatic—"

"Yeah, that's absolutely true. Now I think that you're actually crazy," Caitlin cut in quickly, confirming what the girl had just said.

"I'm not kidding, Caitlin!"

"I'm not joking either, Elena! Do you think I can immediately believe all those nonsense words of yours?! How can I believe that you are me who came from another world? If it's true that you're a girl who already has a lot of happiness in your world, then why did you come here and bother me like this?! Why are you suddenly offering me happiness when you are already happy in your own world?!"

"I did that because I really need your help! I just had an accident one month ago and now I'm in a coma in my world. I came to your world to ask for help so I could wake up from that coma, but only you can help me! That's why I came and intend to offer you cooperation that will benefit both of us. I can get my life back and you… I promise to grant you everything you wish for if this successful mission!"