Bound to an Apparition

PAGE FIVE - Meeting

Sol Kaye Evans

Right after Lily said those words back there at the cafeteria, my body went numb and cold. I distinctly remember seeing that kind of figure and appearance two times inside these premises, one was outside my dorm room and the second was on the windows of my class.

Did I just get a glimpse of it? Were those were just my hallucinations? I shook my head, I know what I saw and I know that it was real, Aka Manto is trying to welcome me inside this University.

Why? Why is he showing himself to me? Does he have something that he wants? Am I going to be his next victim?

I exaggeratedly shook my head while walking through the hallways with Lily, she said she’s from the culinary department so I complimented her because I adore people who really love to cook.

I can’t say that I’m a good cook myself, but I can manage to cook decent foods for myself because I have been alone for years, I did have a family before but they never treated me like one so… I’m here, happily living my life away from them.

And now it looks like an apparition wants to haunt me, I wonder why? Does he want to kill me then? I don’t understand… does he want me to solve a mystery for him? Isn’t that why sometimes ghost or apparition is after you unless you’re one of the reasons they’re dead.

“Here’s my room, I’m sorry I’m not going to be able to accompany you towards your room, I have class in five minutes,” Lily formally stated, which made me chuckle while playfully nudging her arms.

“Don’t be too formal silly! It’s fine… I’ll be fine on my own don’t worry! It’s not like someone will stab me in the hallway,” I replied nervously, which made her laugh as I saw her black eyes radiated with worry as we both bid goodbye to each other.

I was taking my walk really slow and steady because my last class will start at 2 p.m. so it’s going to be a very boring hour since I don’t know anyone here yet.

Good thing that the weather here isn’t that hot so I can move without worrying if I will be sweating or not in my uniform. My feet dragged me towards the Library and decided to check some familiar books that I have read before.

The Library’s smell was amazing but it was deserted like no one bothers to come in here, and if I’m going to rate this place, this would probably go on my blacklist!

The bookshelves look like it wasn’t been cleaned for years plus you can tell that the whole place is really dirty and dusty. What a disappointment, I just shrugged my head and decided to grab some books.

I usually like horror combined with romance, it’s really intriguing on the inside that arouses my appetite to continue reading this kind of stuff, and other than that, I also want urban stories and educational stories so sometimes it’s really boring to listen to my classes… I was advanced before since I was one of the top students at our University back then in the big city.

I smiled bitterly upon remembering some depressing memories of mine, those were the days that I really believe everyone actually cared about my well-being, so much for being really hopeful those days huh?

My shoulders shrugged as I wasted my remaining time reading a novel inside that dusty old library, but when I got bored, I decided to go out and inhale some fresh air.

The whole University was really quiet, it looks haunted but believe me, friends, it really looks a bit prestigious but empty, it still surprises me up until now.

No one would like to help these people because they thought they weren’t telling the truth or they might bring curses about it so I just sighed. I stopped when my feet unconsciously dragged me towards the gymnasium.

My heart was slightly pounding because I don’t know what I’m doing in here, I shivered when I felt how cold it was when I have decided to go on the inside.

The place was filled with old rusty bleachers, and unpainted markings on the floors of the court for basketball and volleyball field, some of the marketing posters that were posted on the walls were teared up.

From afar, I could see that there’s a lot of old police tapes, plywood, trying to block the comfort room from the whole place.

I don’t know what came over me when I tried to get closer over there, something is pulling or reeling me in towards that specific place, which confused my damned mind.

Why does it feel so safe and warm on the inside? Why do I feel like I’m going to be okay if I stay here?

My hands were trembling as I tried to reach out towards the police tape and was stopped when someone grabbed my wrists with his pale cold hands. 

“Stop, don’t go… in there,” a cold voice spoke, which made me flinched. I slowly eyed that person and my eyes immediately widened upon seeing the man that they were always talking about.

He’s wearing a bright crimson red cloak and a smiley-face mask that is covering his entire face, my whole body went numb after seeing him, is this the part where I die?

He’s very tall like he’s a big tree that is towering over my personal space, his presence made me want to freeze in place, he looks intimidating and hot as well, I can tell on how the cloak hugs his broad shoulders.

I immediately shook my head, why the hell am I thinking about these useless kinds of things right now?!

“A-Aka Manto… Aka Manto!” I screamed in a horrified tone so he lets go of my hand before backing himself away from me.

W-What now? Why is he not killing me? I-Is it because we are not inside of a stall? My heart was so pounding rapidly because I didn’t know that I’m finally facing him this early.

I could hear my breathing hitched while watching him intently.

“Don’t tell me you’re believing everything that they were talking about? Sol…” he stated in a very cold voice while he’s continuously backing away from me.

Why is he doing that? I should be the one who’s backing away from him and how did he know my freaking name?!

“H-How… how did you know my name?!” I screamed while maliciously pointing my fingers at him. I don’t know if he’s reacting because he’s wearing a creepy white mask!

“I heard you telling that to your class, I was listening,” he replied, which made me shiver. What the hell, is he stalking me?!

That’s why I saw him below those windows! I can’t believe this! Why did I go to this place?! What should I do?! I was busy pacing back and forth while looking at him intently, he’s just standing in the middle of the gymnasium doing nothing which is really freaking me out.

“A-Are you… going to k-kill me? Is this why you’re talking to me?” I nervously asked, there was dead silence for a moment.

We just stared at each other for a long time before he talked again, “No… at least, not yet I guess… I have my reasons not to,” he replied, his voice is too deep and serious.

What does he mean about not yet? Reasons like why he doesn’t want to kill me because he will not gain something from it? What the hell? This is really creeping me out right now! I can’t believe this is happening to me!

I should think of a way for him to think about not killing me! Think Kaye think! A light bulb suddenly appeared on my head before talking to him again.

“I-I see… um… d-do you want me to help you cross the boundary or something?” I hopefully asked so he immediately shook his head, which made me frown.

“I can’t cross… I bounded myself here,” he firmly said, which made me flinch before backing away from him and the gymnasium’s comfort room.

Bounded himself? Here? To what? I don't understand...

“I think I should go, for now, I’ll meet you sometime later on, and please do me a favor… don’t believe in anything that they say,” he requested before disappearing into a thin air, which shocked me. It took me a few minutes to recover and suddenly heard that the guard was calling me on the entrance.

“Hey! What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous to be here!” I heard him shouted, I felt that I was being dragged away from that place before pulling me outside.

“Miss?! Miss? Are you okay? I’m starting to get really worried here shall I take you to the hospital?” he worriedly asked, so I blinked before shaking my head.

“I-I’m fine, I just feel like my head hurts,” I mumbled honestly, which made the guard sighed in relief.

“D-Did you saw someone in there? What are you doing in there miss, it’s really dangerous!” he exclaimed, so I immediately shook my head.

“N-No… I didn’t saw anyone, I was just thinking and curious about the stories that I’ve been hearing about,” I replied, so the guard just rested his palms onto his forehead before scolding me.

He told me that I should not wander around the school most especially during school hours because it’s really dangerous because of Aka Manto. I didn’t listen to him while we’re walking away from the gymnasium because I was busy taking in what happened to me a while ago.

I finally met and talked to that vengeful ghost or apparition… was that real or just my hallucination again? I don’t know anymore! Why didn’t he killed me like what Lily has told me? Why didn’t he asked me about the colorful papers?!

The guard has finally accompanied me towards the dormitories because I told him that I’m not planning to attend my last class anymore because I’m not feeling well.

“Be careful miss okay? You’re lucky I was roaming around checking some places around the school just to make sure the safety of the few students here will be assured so you have to promise me now that you’ll avoid that okay?” he ordered before bidding me goodbye, so I just waved my hands at him before slowly pacing upstairs towards my dorm room.

What happened back there in the gymnasium is bothering me up until now… most especially because he freaking touched me… we felt each other’s warmth and coldness that scared me for a moment.

What does that mean? How did he do that? How can he touch me if he’s a ghost? So right now, I know for sure that he’s an apparition which is really dangerous because he can appear anytime anywhere if he wanted to, most especially to a specific person he wants to appear with.

What does he want to do with me? Why did he let me feel like we’ll be meeting with one another soon enough? Will he then ask me about those colorful papers?

I shook my head and opened my dormitories, my feet dragged me towards my small decent kitchen, and immediately boiled some water on my kettle, stress-eating would be the best solution to put myself at ease.

He touched and talked to me like he’s just a normal person, he also backed away from me like he’s scared of me either, I don’t understand… I thought he’s supposed to be brutal and mean but because of what happened a while ago… Lily’s stories don't connect anymore.

He also told me not to believe anyone and we’ll see each other soon, I sighed while preparing my instant ramen noodles and bowl.

This is driving me crazy, I just started trying to make a living and studying here and this is happening to me already.

Jeez, maybe I’m already cursed before I could even switch places to this cursed town, I shook my head, what should I do?! Should I really wait for him to come and talk to me again?!

My kettle whistled, which made me flinch so I just shook my head and prepared my special ramen noodles. I always freak out about this kettle!

I should do some research about him, I have to do that for me to be aware of what should I avoid or do whenever that I’m with an apparition.

As long as he doesn’t intend to hurt me, I’ll be willing to meet him again, who knows I might be able to help him cross that boundary.

A thought suddenly slip off my mind, why did he not let me enter that place? I don’t understand shouldn’t he be happy because I’m going to check that place so he could kill me over there? I just shook my head… that can’t be right he’s also backing away from me a while ago...

Am I a curse so that he tried to avoid me either? I just sighed and decided to finish the rest of my instant ramen noodles.

The rest of my day was wasted perfectly because I was just busy staring at my ceiling thinking about the things that I have learned and happened from this day, other than that, I should be planning on how will I live with food inside this town.

My mind was thinking about Lily’s job at that convenience store, it looks like they’re a bit short on their employees maybe applying there wouldn’t be such a bad idea, plus I’m desperate for money right now.

The money that I have left here is only good for months now so I should start worrying about that either, I forgot to ask for her number a while ago jeez.

I was busy shaking my head like I’m some crazy person who has people busy talking on each of my sides disagreeing to what they were thinking, jeez!

I sighed and lazily rolled around my bed and tried to rest for the whole day because of what happened to me a while ago.

To be continued…