She walks the woods in borrowed skin,
each leaf a memory not her own.
And when the woman from dream steps from shadow,
truth becomes the echo of ancient names.
~~~~~
"I ask again, what are you guys doing here?" the woman says.
"Nothing," Kitbok replies calmly, "Some of our things dropped, and we were just trying to find them. Is there a problem... Miss?"
The woman narrows her eyes, "No... I just saw two strangers snooping around, so I asked. Carry on," she turns to leave.
"Wait!" Ahmaya says suddenly, grabbing her hand.
The woman flinches, startled.
"I saw you." Ahmaya breathes. "It was undoubtedly you. Who are you?"
"What you sa...." the woman starts, eyes confused.
"Who are you?" Ahmaya demands, louder now. Her voice breaking through the stillness of the evening.
"Ahmaya, stop." Kitbok steps between them, his voice low but firm. "Just let her go."
He turns to the woman apologetically, "I am sorry, miss."
But the woman is not looking at him. Her eyes remain fixed on Ahmaya—searching, reading, and measuring.
"What's your name, girl?" she asks at last.
Ahmaya doesn't answer immediately. She's still breathing heavily.
The woman softens just slightly. "Would you like to sit and talk?"
Ahmaya finally nods, her voice low and tired "Yes."
They sit on a large stone nearby.
No sooner had they settled than Ahmaya blurts out, "Who are you? I saw you…" Her voice trembles.
Before the woman can speak, Ahmaya begins to sob. Her body shakes with desperation. "Please… say something. I need to understand what's happening. I need to go home."
The woman leans in slightly, her eyes locked on Ahmaya's. "Please tell me clearly. Where did you see me?"
Ahmaya wipes her tears with the back of her hand and speaks through uneven breaths. "In my dreams. Almost every night. You were always there. And now I'm here—because I touched the trunk of that damn tree."
The woman stiffens. Her expression shifts, eyes widening in disbelief.
She does not appear in just anyone's dream.
"I have never seen you before."
Ahmaya nods, frantic. "I know it doesn't make sense. But I saw you. You stood near the red sandalwood tree in my house. You were always trying to say something, but your voice never reached me." She pauses, her voice soft and broken. "And the moment I touched that tree… I ended up here."
The woman is quiet. She doesn't respond, only stares at Ahmaya.
Kitbok watches them both, unsettled. "Let's go. You can tell me everything when we get home, okay? Come on."
Ahmaya hesitates, her gaze fixed on the woman. There is so much left unspoken.
Just then, the woman's eyes dart past them. Behind a tree, a shadow moves. She spots a man watching them—half-hidden but not well enough.
Her face hardens. "You need to go. Now."
Ahmaya grabs her wrist. "Please, just listen to me.....I....."
"Go!" the woman snaps, her voice fierce, her eyes locked on the lurking figure.
"I'm sorry if we've caused any trouble," Kitbok says, forcing a polite smile, sensing the rising tension.
"I think you know something… please…just think. Try to remember." Ahmaya says.
But the woman says nothing more.
Kitbok doesn't wait. He takes Ahmaya's hand and pulls her away as she throws one last glance over her shoulder—at the woman who haunted her dreams and now met her in a different timeline.
They arrive at Rupomoi's home.
Ahmaya sits on the edge of the bed, shoulders curled, lost in silence. Kitbok hands her a glass of water and sits beside her.
"You don't have to tell me anything," he says gently. "But I would be grateful if you do."
She lets out a deep sigh. "You will not believe me."
"How would I know that unless you try?"
She looks at him kind, quiet, waiting…..and finally speaks.
"After my father died, I moved to Mawphlang. That is when these nightmares began. I kept seeing that woman… the one from today. Over and over again. And the place we found her in….I've seen it too. In my dreams."
Her voice trembles as the words rush out.
"There's a red sandalwood tree outside my house, I was drawn to it, something about that tree was calling me. I touched it. Felt something… like pain….and then I woke up here. In 1935…" she lets out a sigh "I am from 2025."
Kitbok stares at her, stunned.
He goes quiet. The silence stretches between them until Kitbok stands, unsure. She watches him, then speak, "Please don't go. Even if you think I'm crazy… please be with me….being with you calms me."
He hesitates—then sits again. His gaze softens.
"I believe you," he says.
She blinks. "You do?"
"I'm not pretending. When I met you, you made no sense—wild hair, wild words—but I was drawn to you. Like you were to that tree. You tickled my interest, and I wanted to learn more about you. You looked beautiful."
He smiles, a little embarrassed.
"When my bullocky came to me and said he dropped you to a sandalwood tree, I should have been happy that you found what you were looking for, but in reality, I was dying to see you one more time." He pauses.
"So I searched every sandalwood tree in the area—until I found you. Crying."
"Thank you." Ahmaya says softly, smiling at him.
His words, if only for a moment, quiet the storm in her heart.
"I should go now…" Kitbok says, standing.
"Yes, sure…, Thanks, again." Ahmaya blurts.
He doesn't reply—just smiles faintly and walks out.
Once he's gone, a strange restlessness grows within her. She hasn't seen her own face since arriving here. Kitbok's compliment lingers in her ears, and now, suddenly, she wants to see herself—how she looks in this Gho and Kira. She steps out, searching for a mirror.
She finds one at the end of the corridor.
But when she looks—shock catches her.
It's not her face.
It's not her body.
She's Ahmaya, but the reflection is not hers.
She is terrified.
Her heart races. She stares at the stranger in the mirror, paralyzed between recognition and denial. Thoughts tangle inside her mind—of the lady, the dreams, the tree—and now this. A shiver rolls down her spine.
She curls back into bed, but her mind won't rest. Still, exhaustion claims her.
At 5 a.m ., she feels a strange sensation—goosebumps ripple across her arms. She tosses and turns. Something… something is breathing near her. She feels it.
She opens her eyes.
And sees her.
Her large, black eyes unblinking. Her body floating just like it did in her grandmother's house. A presence not of this world.
"You asked me who I am…" the woman whispers.
"I'm here to answer."
"I am the forest spirit."