Couple of kids giggling that evening, parked their bicycle in front of the fence of the house, keeps giggling and laughing on jokes. They standing up in front of the fence, one of them, Chen, putting both of his hands on his hips, turning his body and facing the three of his friends, Xiumin, Chanyeol and Kris.

“Come on, we should get inside, what do you guys think?”

“I don’t know, guys, look at the police line, we should not be here” Kris looking around, feeling so nervous all of the sudden.

“Such a baby!” Chanyeol starts to and pushing his body around while laughing with the others.

“Which one do you want, Kris, going to this so-called haunted house, or going to school with your shorter pants tomorrow and the whole school laughing at you, for like, a semester?”

Xiumin is the one who always calms Kris down, putting his arm around Kris shoulder “come on, Kris. We are going in together, there’s no need to be afraid”

“bu-but..if the authority saw us…”

“You don’t have to worry about that, we keep it quiet, okay? Come on!”

“Are we even going to jump off that fence?” Kris asked

“Lucky for you, the fence is not locked!” Chen is winking at him naughtily and pushing the fence and creating a creepy creaking voice.

As he stood, gazing at the dilapidated house. He suddenly shivered, as though, an ice had replaced his spine. The moonlight cast glow on the house. Chen turning the knob while looking at his friend and give them a smirk. The house is too dark, but lucky for them, the technology is useful sometimes, they use their mobile phone as a flashlight.

They follow Chen going inside the house, looking at the house walls showed black decay. Splotches of original cream paint hinted the house former prosperity. Cobwebs covered the corners of the doors, tiny black spiders threading towards their prey. The house is creaking constantly every time they move.

A musty dank order creep into his nose. The house was dead silence except for the intermittent creaks. Black and brown mold dotted the ceiling in clusters, evident of rain seeping through the roof. They are taking soft steps to the dark living room. The windows covered with grime and dirt, the moonlight struggle to penetrate the darkness in thin thread rays. Wallpaper lay curled on the floor. Picture frames hanged off-centered. A misplaced grand bookcase stood the corner of the room, undisturbed for a long time.

They both separated a little bit, walks slowly around to see anything to catch their attention. Kris see portraits that directly staring at him from behind the layers of dust, seemingly penetrating his very being.

Kris separated from them, he walks slowly inside the room on the 2^nd floor, he is scared as hell but he doesn’t know why his foot dragging him there, while Xiumin entering the next room.

“Be careful, Kris” he whispers softly, Kris can hear it clearly through the room walls.

As he illuminates the bed and suddenly gasped and turn his body around when he feels that someone is following him behind. Whirling around, he can see nothing but the empty hallway and the faces in the portraits staring at him again.

BAM!! The door closed, he panicked. He banged on the door using the maximum force of his fists “SOMEBODY, HELP ME! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!” Kris scream

Then he stop screaming, hearing giggling on the other side of the door. “I give you 5 minutes inside, and we will open the door!” Chen shouts and continues laughing with Chanyeol

“Come on, guys! It’s not funny anymore!” Xiumin nagging but both of them ignores him

Kris turns his body and leans his back to the door. Trying to use his phone, but then he stop doing what he is trying to do. He can hear the guys is screaming, for real, and running down the stairs. Kris turning the door knob and it is opened. He quickly run down the stairs but then he stop at the living room.

He turns his body around, looking at the more like shadow figure who are standing on the corner, bowed his/her head down and Kris can only see his back. He wears a white shirt and short black pants.

“He-hello?” Kris walking slowly towards the figure to get clearer images

The kid is possibly the same age at him, his hair is black, still standing quietly, and slowly turning his head to see Kris.

“Hi? What are you doing here? Let’s go outside, come on, go out with me” Kris offered.

“I’m trapped” the kid said

“What do you mean trapped?”

A strong grip grabs Kris shoulder making him screams in shock. It’s Xiumin. “Come on, let’s go!” Xiumin pulls him by his wrist dragging him outside. But he forced to stop and turn his head to see the kid at the corner earlier, “Wait, I-“

He saw nothing, just darkness. Shadows seem to swirl around his feet. “What is it?” Xiumin whispers to him in panic

“No-nothing”

---

They eat in their class, he can see Chen teasing the girls, and Xiumin is busy chewing his food. “I’m sowwy for yesterwdaw” He said with his mouthful

Kris tilts his head, losing his focus with his food inside his container “Excuse me?”

Xiumin chew and then swallow the food inside his mouth, “I said, I’m sorry about yesterday, I didn’t know they want to tease you”

“I know, I forgive you, Xiu” he wants to continue to shove his food but then he continue his attention to Xiumin “Hey, what are you guys screaming for before leaving me inside?”

“Chanyeol said he saw a kid on the corner that’s why we ran, he's stupid sometimes”

Kris remembered all the event yesterday, was that the same kid he saw afterwards? He said he is trapped, from what? Should I visit him again? Checking him and giving him food? He is surely pale, lack of sleep and he must be hungry, he thought.

Its bright afternoon when Kris passing the house back from his school. He stops his bicycle, looking at the food container he bought for the kid. He passed by the house every day because the house is in his neighborhood.

He pushes the fences that they forgot to lock the other night, the creaking sound surrounding him. He quickly takes a step towards the door, and thankfully the inside of the house is not as dark as yesterday. He walks slowly to the corner the last time he saw the kid. “Hello? Anybody here?” he whispers

“Why are you back?” a soft voice making him shiver, he quickly searches for the source of the sound. The kid is sitting on the top of the stairs.

“I want to give you this; you must be hungry, right?”

“No” He shook his head

Kris tiptoeing and taking the stairs slowly, approaching the kid to see his face clearer

“You looks so pale”

The kid looking up and see Kris who is standing in front of him on the stairs. Kris can see his face clearly now, he got a black shadow behind his eyes, lack of sleep? He thought to himself. His feline eyes shaped perfectly match with his pointy nose. His black bangs covering his forehead and almost hiding his eyes too.

“Umh, my name is Kris” Kris offering a handshake but the kid doesn’t seem interested and ignores it.

“I’m Tao…”

“Hi, Tao. Where do you live?”

“Here”

“Really? Where is your parents?”

“They moved somewhere”

“You live here by yourself?”

“Yes”

Kris can see his sadness. There’s something inside him feeling all the guilt although he knows that kid for only a moment but he has some kind of responsibility to take care of the kid or at least comforting him a little bit.

“Let’s be friends, Tao.”

“It's nice to have a friend”

“Why?”

“I don’t have a friend before”

“Really? Even at your school?”

“Especially at my school”

“How old are you, Tao?”

“17”

“Whoa you are older than me, I’m 15! Nice meeting you by the way, I’m going to accompany you from now on, you don’t have to be alone anymore, Tao”

“Thanks”

“I will bring couple of friends here along if you want, to play with you”

“No, don’t”

“Why not?”

“I just want to play with you”

“Umh, okay. It’s getting dark in here; do you want to play outside? Or go to my house, maybe? It’s not far from here”

“No”

“Fine” Kris answer softly finally surrendering.

--

The next day Kris brought him food again and clothes, he saw the food container he bought yesterday is wasted, on the same spot he left it yesterday.

“Tao, you didn’t eat? You don’t like the food? You are skinny already, you should eat”

“I’m fine”

“Here, I brought you some clothes”

“No, thanks”

“But-“

“I don’t want to play today, just go home Kris”

“Stop refusing me, Tao. I’m going to take care of you”

“No, just go” He didn’t budge from his spot, standing in the corner, bowing his head down, didn’t even turn his head to see Kris.

Kris didn’t want to give up that easily, he wants to take care of Tao just like his own brother. He is the only child from his family, he gains some sort of responsibility every day. He move his hand, trying to grab Tao’s hand and then getting shocked because his hand going through Tao’s like he is some kind of vision or shadow that can’t be touch. He takes a step back away from Tao.

“What-“His eyes widened

 Tao turning his face and see Kris with his sad face “Are you going to leave me, Kris?”

Kris turning around, he can hear the autumn wind howling outside the house and it almost sounds like laughter to his panicked mind. He wants to scream, but hear nothing in the overwhelming blackness. He fainted in front of the fence.

--

He wakes up in panic, trying to catch his breath “it’s okay sweetie” His mom calming him down and embrace him tightly.

“Mom, wha-what happened?” He said while struggling with his dizziness

“You owe us an explanation, son” his father crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at him.

“What are you doing in that house, Kris?”

“We found you fainted after our neighbor saw you and tell us” his father continue

“I was just, checking around- I mean, I saw- the fence is not locked, so-“

“Did you see the police line? Are you crazy? A kid committed suicide last month and they are still investigating the case, you shouldn’t be there”

“Wha-“

“Stop shouting at him, honey!” His mom giving him a defense like she always does. “Promise me you will never do that, again, son” His mom caressing his hair softly and smiling at him to comfort him

“Okay” Kris bowed his head down, feeling so confused. So Tao is a ghost? But- he looks so real. And not scary at all. He thought to himself.

--

It’s been a week since Kris didn’t dare to go back to that house. But deep inside he wants to see Tao again. He wants to talk to him. He promised to be his friend, and most of all, why did he committed suicide?

He dare himself and breaking his promise to his parent and put his bicycle leaning on the house fence. Walking faster and searching all over the house, but Tao cannot be found anywhere.

“Tao? I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but I wanna say I’m sorry for leaving you”

“I thought you never coming back again” the sound appears from Kris’ behind, he quickly turn his body around and saw Tao standing leaning on the wall and putting both of his hand on his short pocket.

“There you are, I’m sorry, Tao”

“I’m a lost soul, Kris. I can’t go anywhere, I’m trapped here”

“That’s okay now; I’ll accompany you from now on, Tao”

“Thanks” He said, showing a light smile on his lips.

--

It’s been 3 months since Kris meeting Tao, they are getting closer and closer, even they just talk every day, can’t even touch each other, because they are living in a different world, yet, he is just too real for Kris. Kris wants him to be a part of his life. He wants Tao to fill his life. Tao may not be as humorous as his other friend; he might not be updated by latest news that’s why Kris always brought his tablet and giving him latest story for what is happening outside the world. Tao gives him warmth, even without the actual warm that he can feel.

His parents and friends are starting to question themselves, where the hell is Kris going every day. He didn’t even join their activity together again. He just went straight back home every day after school.

--

That day Kris didn’t come to the house. Tao is waiting for him, just like he always does. He is smiling every time he saw Kris parked his bicycle in front of the house. He couldn’t be happier to have a friend like Kris.  A friend who cares about him. A friend who is always asking about his condition even though he is perfectly sober and understand that Tao is not even human.

Kris waken up with the great dizziness in his head, furrowing his eyebrows and looking around. His friends are looking at him with worries in their faces.

“What is going on?”

“You fainted again” Xiumin explains

“What?”

“I already call your parents, they are on their way. Seriously Kris, you should check yourself up to the hospital, this is the third time this month”

--

He sits in the hospital hallway; his parents appear after talking to the doctor room. His mom is crying and his father comforts him. He gets up from his seat and approaches them.

“Mom? Why are you crying?” he said

His mom immediately hugs him tightly and continue to sibs “let’s go home, son” his father drags both of them and leads them into the car.

--

“What is it?” Kris said sitting on the couch in their living room. His mom didn’t stop crying; still crying and his father embrace her.

“Son, I don’t know a better way to tell you this, but, you are sick”

“Is this has something to do with my faints all these time?”

His father simply nodded.

“Is it bad, dad?”

“Yes, Son. We are too late to notice it” his father bowed his head down, his mom sobbing loud and drown his face to his father’s chest.

“Am I going to die?” Kris asked innocently

“NO! You are not! Stop saying nonsense! We are going to do anything to make you recover, Son!” His mom loses her temper and getting up suddenly and hugs her son.

--

Kris sit next to Tao, he is not doing anything that day, he stop going to school because of his sickness, and he has to do chemo and all the pain in the routines. He starting to feel weak, he didn’t feel any better at all. He is tired taking pills and losing his life’s spirit. Talking to Tao is something that making him happy.

“Tao, do you remember my promise to you?”

“That you are not going to leave me, Kris?”

“Yeah”

“What about that?”

“I’m going to make it happen; I’ll accompany you, forever, Tao. You will never have to be alone anymore”

“What are you talking about?”

“I think I’m ready”

“You didn’t come for weeks and then you came back and say something like that to me?”

Kris smiles, he wants to hug Tao but his separated universe didn’t allow them to do that.

--

Kris didn’t come back again, for 1 month. But then that day, he comes back. Tao looking at him, walking through the fence. He failed to notice it. And coming down to greet him.

“Where is your bicycle, Kris?”

“I didn’t bring it with me”

“Why?”

“Because-I didn’t want to go anywhere again this time, I’m going to accompany you”

Tao smiles, he is so happy because Kris really cares about him.

“Have you ever been in love, Tao?” Kris asked

“Yeah, I guess”

“Why not so sure about that?”

“Because I don’t know how it exactly felt”

“I know”

“Yeah? Then tell me”

“Falling in love with someone is when you are happy just being with them, even when you are in different world, Falling in love is like catching a disease, but those who catch it do not want to be healed. I always knew that love would come find me someday but never did I know that it would be you who was headed my way. You caught me off guard and took me by surprise but you simply captivated me, the same way you do when I look into your eyes.”

“Some people might think I’m crazy, I have waited patiently for the day when we will be together.”

“Kris, we are living in different world, you have a good life, live your life”

“Are we?” Kris grabs Tao’s hand and squeezes it softly

“How can you touch me?” Tao gasped

“We are the same now, Tao”

“How come?”

“I was sick for months, I gather myself to be finally ready for this day, the day we can finally be together, Tao”

“I guess I will never be waiting for you again”

“No, Tao. You will never be alone anymore, not in infinity” Kris hugged him, finally can feel his skinny body and embrace it.

“Kris…” Tao whispers inside his chest

“Yes?”

“I can feel it now”

“Feel what?”

“Love….”

 

 

FIN

 

---

Sorry because it's . T-T