Sasha Shadows

Shock runs through my nervous system even though the word she's spoken isn't 'will' but 'might'. If I might die, then there is 50% chance for me to end up disappearing from this world. And 50% sounds possible to me. Let's take it as an example when my strict-ass parents are actually considering for me to go to someone's concert, the feeling of being strike by that chance is as overwhelming as this one. "What do you mean might?" I narrow my eyes, hoping for any expected answers coming out from this nasty little emissary.

"Because you might stay alive after you have granted all of your wishes as well," Isabelle replies with a shrug, and this is still bullshit. Of course I might live, I just wish to know if there are any solutions to not die. My face doesn't change but remains with a poker one, my cold stare scorches through Isabelle's innocent blue eyes until she laughs nervously. "Alright, alright. There is a way to not die."

My face brightens up with a grin when my heart sparkles with hope. "Really?"

"Yes, but it depends on how good can you make it," adds Isabelle with her index finger poking at each other on the tips. Her confidence on me seems to be low.

"Why?" I question again, taking another bite on the fluffy bun. This time, I'm doing it consciously.

Still staying silent, Isabelle reaches for her pouch hanging around her small frame and takes out a cylindrical container. "Here, take this," she holds my hand gently in order to place the container onto my palm.

"What is it?"

"Backup plan, in case you are too dumb until you need to use them."

The additional explanation spoken behind the answer balls my fist eventually as this should be kept silent in one's heart. One taboo in the society is you should never tell anyone about your real thoughts that might make people angry about it. Otherwise, this can be ignored if the person whom you wanna share thoughts with is the person you've trusted.

My fist loosens when the word 'backup plan' rings in my head with Isabelle's voice, reminding me that she's helping me this instant. I take a quick look on the plain white cylinder which there's no label marking the contents.

So, I shake it.

And get the answer by the melodious crack of pills-hit-pills. "Pills?"

"To prevent me from being dragged into the Void," whispers Isabelle while her eyes scan everywhere to ensure no one is eavesdropping. "My soul is the youngest amongst the other emissaries, so it would be sweeter in terms of taste by the demons living in Hell."

"I wonder if you can see Hades in Hell too," I mutter with my fingers bracing my chin, thinking that she is joking around with me again with the knowledge of her career underground.

"I'm serious, Sasha," her wronged expression sends me gulping. "It works depending on the venues you're consuming at. If you eat the pills at this realm, you won't be dragged into Hell, et cetera."

This is so cool. But such thinking is not allowed when my life is included in the situation. "You are?" The girl nods with a pout. Her face turns puffy as an effect. "Well, sorry, for misjudging you?" I apologise while turning the lid, revealing the round pills coloured with red or white.

"It's okay though, I do want to apologise to you about things I've blurted out purposefully to make you angry," Isabelle admits embarrassedly when she doesn't dare to look at me straight in the eyes. "By the way," she clears her throat. "Those pills can ease pain as well. Consumption is limited by 3 pills per day. Do not take more than the number or you may face consequences. Well, I will face that as well, not only you." The warning sounds a little bit like a Fantasy movie, or a book I've read not long ago.

And a part of me still struggles to accept that it is happening right now. Spoken by a girl coming from Hell in front of me when I am in the state of invisibility, those are the words that are terrifying me, though I should be the one to scare the others. Such fact would never stop reminding me that my life has changed and there's no going back to what it was anymore.

***

Clerence Cartwright

Here I am, back at the rented house with Doc. Hansel has returned home by taxi while Greg tries to go through his class. It is quite cute that we would ensure each other about our safety in our group chat, though Greg is lurking outside with the hot chicks after class.

"How do you two meet?" Doc's query turns from blur to clear when I finally pull myself from the maze of thoughts. My gaze fixes onto the curious guy who is waiting for my honest answer. "Tell me bud, I'm curious."

"We met at the bookstore," I start. "When I visited and asked to meet her manager, she was working at the counter."

"Oh, I see."

"And then accident happened but I couldn't even save her..." I trail off when guilt begins to turn me down. "She looked so terrified when she fell from the ladder. And I was so dumb to act fast and catch her."

Soon, a shoulder pat is given as a sign of comfort on boys like us. "You'd done your best, Cler," says Doc. "Don't push yourself so hard, you'll die because of too much stress." Honestly, I'll give 10/10 for this statement.

As a result, a smile finally replaces my gloomy one when I look straight into Doc's eyes. "I know what is it like to feel useless, I'd felt it when Suzy ended her relationship with me. I was holding a bouquet of roses even, and her words broke my heart so much that when I see red roses, I'll think about her," Dominic narrates wearily. His heart is fragile as glass as can be seen and for now, he would never give his trust to any girl but to cheat on them as an escape or a revenge.

But as I'm about to tell him to change the subject, his phone rings and I hold back. Staring as his phone screen, Doc's face never changes as it stays solemn and sombre. And then, his face begins to light up with a pathetically fake smile when he finally answers the call.

"Hey babe," he says to the little chick over the phone. "Yeah, I'm good, and you?" A pause dominates for around 3 seconds again before he chuckles, "Glad to hear that. So, 7pm?" The playboy confirms cheerfully until his smile turns into a grin, showing his canine teeth. "Alright then, I'll pick you up later, probably 6.30pm, better be prepared then, beautiful."

My mouth goes agape when he blows a kiss before ending the phone call. But before he can ever notice, I manage to recover back to my neutral expression. "Who's that?"

Doc shrugs, "Another prey?"

"Oh c'mon, just tell me her name," I urge him with a suggestion when he glances up to the clock on the wall, monitoring the ticktocking time that runs or flies away without you knowing.

"It's Elina," he pronounces in excitement. "One of Kayla's minions."

"Oh." Apparently, I'm not surprised. "Good luck with that." And I definitely mean 'breaking the girl's heart'.

And Doc winks at me. "Thanks, buddy. You're the best." He then walks around the desk from where he is sitting and gives me a big bear hug. "I may not be coming back tonight."

This means no one will cook for me. However, I only say, "Bye mum. See you tomorrow or never come back." My face remains stony purposefully to disappoint him a little because I'm pretty sure that I'm not reacting as he expects me to.

"That's so cruel, Clery."

And I shudder. "Eww, Williams please!" My hand pushing his approaching face away when his breath ghosts around my neck.

"Bud, I wish you are a girl," Doc chuckles when he skips happily to his room, leaving me in confusion. But as long as I can see him in such positive state, my mind would be at peace. Because-

It hurts to see my best friend cry, as if our hearts have knitted into one that one can feel or read each other's emotions and thoughts.

"Don't miss me bud, I'm staying at Elina's tonight," Doc's reminder brings me back to reality, causing me blink. I watch as he strides to the door in his black leather jacket covering his tight shirt and black jeans, emphasizing how tall and muscular he is as a workout boy. Besides that, it is needless to say about his increasing level of style and charm when he is in those Timberland boots.

"Have fun," I wave at him, smiling as he returns the same. Finally, he faces to the front before his hand grabs the door knob, revealing the partially bright sky, because it is cloudy outside. And then, I'm answered by the sound of the clicking door when Doc locks the door from the outside.

The house is now drowned with pin-drop silence until my phone rings with a notification ringtone. It is Madam Jesslyn.

Sighing, I reply the message almost immediately.

I know I have to get rid of Sasha from my thoughts in order to get my shit together at work, but the fact which she is and always been one of the bookstore members keeps swirling in my head like a calm whirlpool, slowly swallowing me into the real of despair and regret.

The message does not pop up anymore, and I have no mood to check it out either. The bookstore keeps reminding me about Sasha and I think my sanity will soon be wearing out some day if she wanna keep sleeping on the bed.

The time on my phone is flying fast. It is 7pm already and I have yet to change my outfit and enjoy my plain bowl of oat meals. Yes, this will be my dinner when Doc is not home, he is really a good cook and I won't deny if he wants to be my mum, really.

"Time to get ready," I mutter to myself and leave the desk. My phone stays at its place. I mutter to myself and leave the desk. My phone stays at its place. But after I've returned with my bookstore T-shirt and blue Levis' jeans, I can see how multiple notifications bombarding my phone, making it ring and vibrate non-stop.

Of course, my initial thought goes to the boys in our group chat. My mind thinking of how Doc shows off with this new chick when they finally meet each other and get into bed, together. But as I switch on the phone, I can tell that all my assumptions are wrong.

There's no sign of Doc, nor did the other boys have texted. All notifications only drive toward one person.

It's the author of the fantasy book which I currently fond of. She has updated her novel until the last chapter. Besides that, she even leaves messages on her message board apologising to all her readers and fans upon her sudden disappearance.

However, that's not all.

Because she private-messaged me.

ᵟᵁᴱˢᵀᴵᴼᴺˢ ᴬˢᴷᴱᴰ ᵀᴼ ᴹᴬᴷᴱ ᶠᴿᴵᴱᴺᴰˢ:

1. ᴳᵁᴱˢˢ ᵂᴴᴼ ᴵˢ ᵀᴴᴬᵀ ᴬᵁᵀᴴᴼᴿ 😄😄

ᴾᴴᴱᵂ, ᴵ ᴺᴱᴬᴿᴸᵞ ᶠᴼᴿᴳᴱᵀ ᵀᴼ ᴾᴼˢᵀ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴺᴱᵂ ᶜᴴᴬᴾ ᴬˢ ᴵ'ᴹ ᶜᵁᴿᴿᴱᴺᵀᴸᵞ ᴿᵁˢᴴᴵᴺᴳ ᴹᵞ ᵀᵂᴼ ᴬˢˢᴵᴳᴺᴹᴱᴺᵀˢ. ᵀᴴᴬᴺᴷ ᴳᴼᴰ, ᴵ'ᴰ ᵂᴿᴵᵀᵀᴱᴺ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᶜᴴᴱᶜᴷᴱᴰ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴳᴿᴬᴹᴹᴬᴿ ᵂᴴᴱᴺᴱᵛᴱᴿ ᴵ'ᴹ ᶠᴿᴱᴱ.

ᴴᴼᵂ ᴰᴼ ᵞᴼᵁ ᵀᴴᴵᴺᴷ ᴬᴮᴼᵁᵀ ᵀᴴᴱ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ ˢᴼ ᶠᴬᴿ? ᴬᴺᵞ ᴵᴹᴾᴿᴼᵛᴱᴹᴱᴺᵀˢ ᴺᴱᴱᴰᴱᴰ ᵀᴼ ᴮᴱ ᴹᴬᴰᴱ? (ᵞᵁᴾ, ᴬᴺᴼᵀᴴᴱᴿ ᵀᵂᴼ ᵟᵁᴱˢᵀᴵᴼᴺˢ, ᴵ ᴷᴺᴼᵂ😅😅)

ᴿᴱᴹᴱᴹᴮᴱᴿ ᵀᴼ ᶜᴼᴹᴹᴱᴺᵀ ᵀᴴᴿᴼᵁᴳᴴᴼᵁᵀ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴿᴱᴬᴰ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴵᶠ ᵞᴼᵁ ᴸᴵᴷᴱ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᶜᴴᴬᴾᴾᴵᴱ,  ᴰᴼ ᴾᴸᴱᴬˢᴱ ᴸᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᵁᴾ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴮᴱᴬᵁᵀᴵᶠᵁᴸ ˢᵀᴬᴿ ˢᴼ ᴵ'ᴸᴸ ᴷᴺᴼᵂ ᴵᵀ ᴵˢ ᵞᴼᵁ ᵂᴴᴼ'ˢ ᴮᴱᴱᴺ ᴳᴵᵛᴵᴺᴳ ᴹᴱ ᴵᴺᵛᴵˢᴵᴮᴸᴱ ˢᵁᴾᴾᴼᴿᵀˢ ᴮᴱᴴᴵᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴱ ˢᶜᴿᴱᴱᴺ 💕💕

ᴼᴴ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴼᴺᴱ ᴹᴼᴿᴱ ᵀᴴᴬᴺᴳ, ᵀᴴᴱᴿᴱ'ˢ ᴬ ᵀᴿᴬᴺˢᴸᴬᵀᴵᴼᴺ ᴼᶠ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴮᴼᴼᴷ ᴵᴺ ˢᵂᴱᴰᴵˢᴴ ᴮᵞ extremlylonely. ᴰᴼ ᶠᴱᴱᴸ ᶠᴿᴱᴱ ᵀᴼ ᴳᴵᵛᴱ ᴴᴱᴿ ˢᴼᴹᴱ ˢᵁᴾᴾᴼᴿᵀ. ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴵˢ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴸᴵᴺᴷ ᵀᴼ ᴴᴱᴿ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ: https://my.w.tt/0M3ao1640R.

ᵀᴴᴬᴺᴷ ᵞᴼᵁ ᶠᴼᴿ ᴿᴱᴬᴰᴵᴺᴳ ᵁᴺᵀᴵᴸ ᴴᴱᴿᴱ ᵂᴵᵀᴴ ᴹᴱ. ᵂᴱ'ᴸᴸ ᴹᴱᴱᵀ ᴬᴳᴬᴵᴺ ᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱ (●･◡･●)ﾉ♥