This is the last day before the month ends. I feel particularly unwell today. And I know, there's still no one willing to take care of me here. How sad. But anyways, I've got this bad gut feeling, like something terrible's about to happen. That kind of feeling where the Lord might just come for me. I can't even focus on haunting. Great, the supreme ghost is definitely going to scold me again.
"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked Joseph when I saw his hand on the light switch. Of course we're in the ladies' room again, his favorite haunt spot, even though we all know his intentions aren't exactly pure.
"Sssh! We're turning off the lights," Joseph whispered, while three girls stared into the mirror and a few more were stuck in the cubicles. He wanted the lights off so he could scare them. I scratched my head, honestly.
"We're just going to get blamed for the flickering lights again because of what you're about to do," I told him. Joseph pulled his hand away and turned to face me.
"Then what should I do? I'm tired of touching different parts of their bodies already." My eyes widened at what he said. Wait, did he just admit to touching the girls' body parts? That's a major violation! According to the Haunted Hall of Justice, Article 13, it is strictly forbidden for any ghost to make physical contact with any part of a mortal's body while performing a scare on a member of the opposite sex. This pervert. If the supreme ghost finds out he broke one of the Afterlife Acts, he's going to be double killed for sure.
"Guys, I've got an idea!" Carl announced, raising his index finger. He walked toward the mirror and stood beside the girls. His hand hovered over the faucet, clearly about to turn it.
"Should I do it now?" he asked with a grin.
"Go for it, dude," Joseph said, sounding way too excited for this. When Carl twisted the faucet handle, the women stopped fixing their faces.
"Gosh! Did any of you open the faucet?" one of them asked dramatically, eyes wide at her friends. Oh, what a cliché.
"We didn't!" one of them shouted, and the girls all looked at each other before screaming and sprinting out of the restroom. We were laughing so hard our stomachs started to hurt. I'd been hearing rumors from the students about a ghost haunting the girls' restroom and locker room. They said it was a perverted guy who once tried to peek at a girl. The story went that he climbed onto a cubicle, but when the girl looked up, she saw his head peeking over, and screamed.
Startled, the pervert lost his balance, slipped, and hit his head on the toilet bowl. That's how he died. I glanced over at Joseph while recalling the story. He once admitted during our sharing session that he was the same guy the students were talking about.
Well. Deserved.
Afternoon came, and most of the students were heading home. After our usual scare session, I decided to split up from the group. While dragging along the bike they gave me, I passed by the classroom where I often caught Misaki hanging out. I was hoping I could give her a ride on this bike.
When I got there, the room was empty except for Misaki's professor. I walked closer to the door but didn't plan on going in. He was sitting in the same chair where Misaki and I used to sit, quietly crying. Was Misaki still not home? Is that why he was crying? Wait, was he really Misaki's brother? Never mind. I'll just ask Misaki once I see her again.
I left the room and continued looking for Misaki. After a while, I finally found her standing in front of the taekwondo club building. The moment she smiled at me, your boy couldn't help but feel giddy again. Back then, whenever I tried to approach her, she wouldn't even glance my way or say a word. But these past few days, she's actually started smiling at me too.
I asked her to ride the bike with me, and she agreed. We went around the university's big quadrangle, her hands gently wrapping around my waist as she sat behind me.
I suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu, like this exact moment had already happened between us before. I brushed the thought aside, it didn't matter if it had or hadn't. What mattered was that we were happy now. After biking for a while, we sat down on the grass. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I was determined to tell her how I truly felt.
But the moment the words I love you left my lips, the smile on hers slowly faded away. A wave of nervousness and sadness washed over me. I could almost hear her say it, it's not possible. After all, how could there ever be a forever between the living and the dead?
I told her that when I first found myself in this university, all I wanted was to get out and search for who I really was. I wanted to know my name, what happened to me, why I died, whether I had a family who loved me, if they still missed me, and where they might be now.
But ever since Misaki came into my life, I forgot all those dreams. If only I could live again, just to be with her. If there were even the slightest chance, I'd take it, no matter what it took.
"Misaki, I want to be with you for the rest of my life," I said. She only looked into my eyes and slowly shook her head. I couldn't stop my tears from falling. Maybe it was time to accept the truth, that even if we were together, we still belonged to two different worlds.
I rested my arms on my knees and buried my face in them as I cried.
"I want to live again, Misaki," I said, my tears refusing to stop. Then I felt her hand on my shoulder. I looked up and faced her. There was a deep sadness in her eyes as she gently wiped my tears away with her hand. She took my hand next and pulled me up to my feet.
She didn't let go of my hand as we walked, and soon we reached the university's main gate. Just like always, that blinding light was there again, glowing intensely every time I came near it.
Then Misaki did something that made my heart pound. She pulled me closer to the exit, and my hands began to tremble in fear. She looked at me and smiled.
"Don't be afraid. Just hold on to me." I couldn't help but shut my eyes tight as the light grew brighter and the wind pushed against me, as if trying to pull me back.
When everything finally stopped, I slowly opened my eyes. I turned around, scanning the place to figure out where we were. Nurses and doctors were rushing down the hallway, people sat quietly on benches along the sides, and a few women were crying while others tried to sleep. My eyes landed on the wall, where a picture of Jesus hung beside a sign that read, "Holy Spirit Hospital." I frowned. How did we end up here?
Misaki started walking, so I followed close behind. She stopped in front of a room and stared through the glass window. The sign above the door read ICU. I followed her gaze and saw a man lying in bed inside, surrounded by machines and wires keeping him alive.
The nurses and doctors inside were in chaos, scrambling to save the life of the man lying on the bed. I pressed my palms against the glass, staring hard at his face. There was something painfully familiar about him.
"The time will come when you return," Misaki's voice whispered beside me.
"But you'll never find my embrace and kiss again. Though you may love me all your days through, Never again will I be with you." My eyes widened as I turned to her, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and realization.
Her uniform was soaked in blood, stains covered her head, her arms, and almost every part of her body.
"Misaki" That was all I managed to say. She smiled at me, and suddenly it felt like something was pulling me toward the room, toward the man fighting for his life, surrounded by frantic doctors and nurses. I shook my head slowly as the truth finally sank in.
"No! I don't want this! Misaki, I love you so much!" I screamed. This wasn't what I wished for. All I ever wanted was to be with her. Misaki shook her head again, smiling softly. I tried to hold her, but my hands could no longer touch her. I could feel my whole soul being pulled into the room.
"I love you so much, Misaki! I want to be with you! Misaki!" I kept shouting her name, even though I knew it was useless.
"I love you too, silly," her voice echoed faintly, just before I was completely pulled into the light.