Place: Kim’s House

Time: 6:10 p.m.

“Deng~ Deng~ Deng~!” Kim’s phone vibrates. The vibration woke Kim up. Kim opens her eyes slowly, feeling blur and her eyes felt so heavy. Kim realizes that: “Oh, I fell asleep… Hmmm… What time is it now?”Kim lifts up her head and look at the clock in her room while lying on the floor. “6:10…” Kim closes her eyes again. The whole room is so silent that Kim can hear the alarm clock ticking away. “Dad isn’t back from work, I guess..” thinks Kim. Kim opens her eyes and tries to get up on her feet with the support of her hands. But her arms felt weak and she falls flat on the floor again. Trying to get up for the second time, Kim uses more strength. She manage to stand up but her body felt so heavy and her muscles ache. Kim picks up her bag and walks to her bed. Sitting on her bed, Kim searches through her bag to find her phone. It’s a WhatsApp message from Boy. Kim taps on the notification and Boy’s message pops out.

Kim replies Boy’s message:

“Uh! I’m still in my uniform… I need to change them…”thinks Kim. Kim stands up and grabs her casual clothes in the wardrobe. With much effort, she manages to get changed. Minutes later, she rides her bicycle and leaves the house.

Place: Boy’s House

Kim reaches Boy’s House and she took out her phone to WhatsApp Boy.

Boy opens his front door, while holding the paper. “Kim!” says Boy as he runs out like a duckling. Kim smiles at the sight of Boy. Boy passes the papers to Kim and say: “Here, do page 1 to 3 and skip question 5 ok? Teacher Janice says the question isn’t in our syllables so there’s no need to do that.” Boy points at the papers while Kim looks at it. Kim nods and smile. “Thanks Boy. I’ll finish it tonight. Bye~” says Kim as she place the papers into the bicycle basket as waves goodbye to Boy before she rides away. Boy waves too and then goes back into his house. Kim notice the sky is getting dark. “Should I ride the street with lights or no lights? It’s getting dark already… But the street without light is a faster route back home. Hmmm… Maybe I should ride faster.” thinks Kim by herself as she rides into the alley without lights.

“Oh, it’s really dark! Kim! Don’t be afraid now… There’s no ghost or anything… Keep calm and you’ll…”thinks Kim by herself when she gets strike by something. “Bang!!!” Kim falls off her bicycle and fainted.

Place: Unknown Street

Time: 6: 50 p.m.

Pie opens her eyes. “Where am I? Why am I lying on the floor?” thinks Pie. Pie stands up by herself, feeling a little dizzy. She brushes off the dirt from her t-shirt and short pants. Suddenly, a girl appeared in front of her. “ARH!!!!” screams Pie who is shocked by the sudden appearance of the girl. This girl looks very young and she wears a white dress. The girl’s face is very pale and there is blood on her left lips. Her white dress is dirty and her hands and legs show visible bruises.

Pie blinks her eyes a few times just to make sure she isn’t dreaming. The girl disappears. Pie gasps as she looks around with a scared look to find the girl. As she turns around, she felt a cool eerie breeze blows down her neck from the back. A chill ran down her spine. She turns around again and the girl reappears. “Who are you?” asks Pie to the girl.

The girl did not reply but she lifts up both of her hands and reaches out to Pie. The girl then opens and says: “Help me… Help me…..”Blood flows out from the girl’s mouth. A haze of fear surrounded her. Pie panics and she tries to run away. She can feel the girl chasing after her from behind. “No! no! Don’t chase after me!!!” says Pie to the girl.

Suddenly she can feel someone touching her shoulder from the back. “ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” Pie shrieks. “Stop! It’s me! Kim!” says that someone who touch Pie’s shoulders. Pie calms down when she hears Kim’s voice and she turns around to look. She squeezes her eyes as Kim is flashing her phone’s torchlight at Pie. Kim diverts the torchlight away from Pie’s sight and Pie opens her eyes. “Oh, Kim. It’s you.” says Pie and she looks around the surrounding to see if the girl is there. But there’s no girl there.

Pie is shaking with fear and she’s panting. Kim notice Pie’s action and fear. “What’s wrong? You look scared.” Pie calms down and turns her attention back to Kim. Pie smiles weakly at Kim and answers: “I’m ok. I just thought that I’m chased by a ghost.” Kim holds her breath and looks around the street as she is afraid of ghost. But Kim couldn’t see anything. She exhales deeply. She’s afraid but she doesn’t want to show to Pie that she’s scared so she calms now and muster her courage. Kim smiles at Pie, and says: “There’s nothing here. Don’t worry.” Pie smiles back at Kim, trying to be brave by herself.

Kim turns around and walks away. Pie quickly holds onto Kim’s arm and begs: “Don’t go! Don’t leave me here.” Kim is taken back by Pie’s action and turns back to face Pie. The sheer terror in Pie’s eyes shows that Pie is still trembling in fear. Kim pats Pie’s hands gently and says: “I’m not going away. I just want to pick up by bicycle.” Kim flashes her torch light onto the bicycle by the side. Kim walks over with Pie holding onto her arms. Kim picks up her bicycle and diverts her focus back to Pie. “Why are you out here?” asks Kim. Pie frowns and says: “Kim, can we leave here first?” Kim smiles awkwardly and replies: “Okay, let’s go somewhere bright.”

Kim rides onto her bicycle and says: “Climb on. I’ll take you to the shop nearby.” Pie hesitates for a moment but she climbs onto Kim’s bicycle and sits on the carrier. Kim then says: “Hold on tight. I don’t want you to fall down later on.” Pie hold onto the metal of the carrier. “I mean hold on to me.” says Kim. Pie doesn’t move at all as she don’t know what to do. Kim sighs and turns around to grab Pie’s arms and place it around her waist. Kim then holds onto the handle bars, steps on the pedal and rides away. “She’s so slim.” thinks Pie while hang onto Kim’s thin waist. However, Pie keeps a distance away from Kim’s back. Kim notice this too so she rides faster and brakes suddenly at the junction. With this sudden brake, Pie hugs tightly onto Kim’s back tightly because she doesn’t want to fall down. Kim smiles as she’s pleased that her plan works. She then continues to ride on without saying anything.

Meanwhile…..

Place: Pie’s House (Living room)

Time: 7:00 p.m.

“James! Our daughter has run away and you are still sitting here doing nothing! Aren’t you worried? She’s out there in the dark!” says Pie’s mother, walking thru and fro in front of Pie’s father. Pie’s father is sitting on the sofa with her arms and legs crosses. “Sit down, honey. Calm down, she’ll be back soon.” says Mr James. Pie’s mother glares at her husband and says angrily: “How can I calm down when I don’t even know where is my daughter?” Pie mother grabs the house phone and tries to call Pie. But she couldn’t get through to Pie. “Her phone is dead now. I can’t get through her. Oh, James! Please go and find our daughter!” begs Pie’s mother to her husband. Pie’s father sighs and says: “Okay, I’ll call up someone to help us to search for Pie.” Pie’s father takes the phone from his phone and calls up his assistant. “Fred, I need you to do something. Help me find my daughter. Yes, now!”

Place: 7 Eleven Shop

Time: 7: 12p.m.

Upon reaching the shop, Kim slows down her bicycle and brakes in front of the shop. “Here we are. Let’s have something.” says Kim and both of them gets down. Kim pushes her bicycle near the wall pillar of the shop and locks her bicycle up with the chain in her bicycle basket. Then, both of them walk into the shop. Both of them move to the drinks corner and Kim starts looking at the drinks. Kim picks up a can of coke and turns to look at Pie. “Why aren’t you choosing one?” asks Kim to Pie. “Well,… I.. er… I didn’t bring money.” says Pie. Kim smiles and says: “It’s on me. Just pick what you want.” Pie shakes her head and tries to reject Kim: “No, I don’t want to...”says Pie. “Hey, if you’re uncomfortable with me paying for your drinks, pay me back next time.” suggests Kim. Pie smiles back and accepts Kim’s offer. She picks a can of apple juice.

Kim takes the can of juice from her and walks towards the counter. Pie follows her. The cashier looks at Kim and thinks by himself: “Is this a guy or a girl?” Kim answers back: “I’m a girl. Now, would you please do your job?” The cashier is flabbergasted that Kim knows what she’s thinking about. “It’s 26 baht. Do you need a plastic?” asks the cashier to Kim. Kim shakes her head as a sign of no. Kim takes her wallet out of her pocket and takes out 50 baht. The cashier look at Pie and thinks by himself without saying out loud: “I guess that’s her girlfriend... ” Kim answers back: “She’s not. And here’s the money.” Kim passes the money to the cashier. Once again the cashier is surprise that though he didn’t say it out what he is thinking, Kim seems to know what he is thinking. Pie also feels weird at why Kim is answering back things like “I’m a girl” and “she’s not”. After paying the money, the cashier gives back the change to Kim. Kim takes two straws from the counter and takes the cans of drinks. Both Kim and Pie walk out of the shop and sit on the chair provided outside the shop. Kim grabs the can of apple juice, opens it for Pie and puts the straw into it. Kim then passes the juice to Pie and Pie accepts it.

Pie looks at Kim curiously and asks: “Why did you say that you’re a girl to the cashier when he didn’t ask you anything?” Kim looks back at Pie while sipping on her coke with a straw. Kim raises one of her eyebrows and asks: “Wait a minute. Did you say that he didn’t say anything to me?” Pie nods. Kim looks away while thinking back what happens earlier and says: “That’s weird. I did hear him asking whether I’m a girl or a guy.” Pie frowns and says: “But he didn’t.” Kim feels confused. She did heard the cashier saying those words. Kim clears her thoughts and then turns her attention back to Pie. She notice that Pie’s eyes are a bit swollen. “You haven’t answers my question earlier. Why are you out here?” asks Kim.

“I… er….” Pie is dumbfounded because she doesn’t know how to answer Kim. Pie tries to avoid answering her question by asking: “What about you? Why are you here?” Kim drinks a bit of her coke before answering: “I went to Boy’s house to take some papers that Teacher Janice give. But as I was on my way back, I got hit by something and I fainted. I woke up when I heard someone screaming and it turns out to be you.” Pie’s eyes widen when she heard what Kim says. “Hey, I was also hit by something too!”says Pie. Kim gasps and says: “Oh, that so damn odd and strange.”

The two of them becomes silent as both of them are puzzled by what happened to them. While sipping their drinks quietly, Kim’s stomach growls. Kim hasn’t taken her dinner yet. She covers her stomach, hopping that Pie doesn’t hears it. But Pie heard it. Their eyes meet and that made Pie cracks a smile. Kim smiles apologetically as she scratches her head. Kim rises and says: “I guess it’s time to go home. Do you need me to take you home?” Pie lowers her head as she couldn’t go home. She waffles whether she needs to tell Kim about it. “But I have nowhere to go.” thinks Pie by herself. Pie decides to muster her courage and says: “Kim, can I stay at your house tonight?” Kim stands stunned and speechless by her sudden request. “This morning she’s still avoiding me and she even slaps me but now she wants to stay in my house? What’s happening?”recalls Kim. Kim comes to her senses when she is aware that Pie is waiting for her response earnestly. Kim grins and says: “Sure.” Pie smiles back to Kim as she’s thankful that Kim doesn’t ask much about why she wants to stay at Kim’s house. “Let’s go.”offers Kim.

Just as Pie’s about to get up, Pie heard the sound of a cat. “Meow~ Meooowww~” She turns around and saw a cat meowing at her. The cat is brown in colour and has a collar on its neck. “I think its hungry” says Pie. Kim turns around and says: “Yup, I’m hungry.” Pie shakes her head and says: “I’m not saying about you. It’s the cat that I’m referring to.” Pie points at the cat. Kim looks at the place that Pie is pointing but she can see nothing neither does she hears anything. “There is nothing there. Where is the cat?” asks Kim.

Pie frowns and says: “It’s right there in front of both of us. It’s brown in colour and it has a collar on its neck. See, it’s meowing at us now.” Kim looks around, up and down. But she didn’t see anything. She becomes puzzled why Pie can see something that she can’t. Kim grabs hold onto Pie’s arm and says: “Pie, I can’t see the cat anywhere.” At the moment Kim touches Pie, the cat disappears from Pie’s views. “It disappears!” says Pie in astonishment. “What’s happening to me?” Kim smiles and says: “I guess you’re still confused after getting hit and you keep seeing things. Let’s go back home and rest.” Pie smiles as she nods in agreement. Kim unlocks her bicycle from the pillars and both of them rides Kim’s bicycle back.

{Another chapter for today~}