Alarm bells were ringing in his head again. He ignored them, not understanding himself but still not wanting to stop. His heart raced and thudded against his ribcage when Kyungsoo pushed him back onto the bed. Kyungsoo suddenly stopped and pulled away. He muttered a vague “This isn’t right” and disappeared. Kai was left alone, not wanting to sleep but knowing he should. His mind still raced and he craved the feeling of Kyungsoo’s delicate touch.

Just as he closed his eyes, it hit him that he only had 24 hours to live unless he bit Kyungsoo during that time.

“I want to become like you.” Those were the first words he said to Kyungsoo that day – well, to the air.

“No, I won’t allow it.” That was the response he expected and also the one he received.

He had already prepared his reason. “You seem so lonely. I could be with you properly if I died.”

Kyungsoo sighed – Kai thought it was in defeat, but he was wrong. “It doesn’t always work like that. You just get sent to random places. So far, we haven’t found out any method of knowing where you’ll be sent once you die.” Kai’s heart sank to the floor. “There is a way though, to bring a ghost back to life.” His words filled Kai with hope. “It’s difficult. You have to…”

“Have to what? Tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it – no matter what it is – to save you.”

“How do you feel about me?” Kai thought he was changing the subject.

“I- I don’t know. I like you a lot…” He wasn’t really sure what Kyungsoo was getting at.

“Only someone who truly loves me can bring me back.” Oh. So that’s why he asked.

“Let me try.” Kyungsoo agreed on one condition – Kai had to bite him, to save himself, first. Reluctantly, he knew he had to agree with that arrangement.

Lifting a hand to the younger’s lips, Kyungsoo urged Kai to bite him. He sunk his teeth into the ghostly flesh, surprising himself when he flicked his tongue out to taste the blood and decided he liked the taste. Kyungsoo didn’t seem to be in any pain at all, but of course Kai couldn’t see his face.

 “It’s time we paid a visit to the attic.” Kyungsoo didn’t give Kai any time to ponder the meaning of his words. In seconds the string hanging from beside the attic door on the ceiling had tugged by an invisible hand and the door swung downwards, revealing a ladder. He pulled on Kai’s hands, indicating for him to climb the ladder.

Kai hadn’t been in the attic yet, so it was new to him. Dust covered everything: the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the stacks of boxes surrounding him. He just stood there, dumbfounded, not speaking. His companion didn’t speak either.

“Aha! I’ve found it!” Kyungsoo exclaimed suddenly, breaking the silence. Kai hadn’t even realised he was searching for anything. “Hold out your hands.” He did as Kyungsoo instructed, and watched as something floated out from behind a stack of boxes to his right. The thing dropped into his open hands. It turned out to be an old, brownish, crumpled piece of paper: another note – this time not from Kyungsoo.

Your mother’s blood

A spider’s head

A rat, a cockroach

A bird of the dead.

Find these items

And under the sycamore tree

I’ll be waiting for thee.

Kai stared at the words blankly. “What?” That was all he could manage to articulate at that moment.

“Your mother’s blood, a spider’s head, a rat, a cockroach, a bird of the dead… We have to find those items and take them to…” His eyes scanned the page. “…the sycamore tree.” Kyungsoo tried to clarify it but ended up repeating exactly what was written on the paper.

“Which sycamore tree?” Kai demanded, but Kyungsoo simply didn’t know.

“Aren’t you worried about having to take your mother’s blood?” He asked, concern evident in his voice.

Kai shook his head. “I’ll do anything for you.”

Wishing Kai could see, Kyungsoo smiled.