Alika : A Helping Hand

"HELP!" I'm still trying; James keeps helping me make a noise. However, the middle-aged man sitting steady inside his car and did not even turn around. I lost my energy as The car passed by without noticing the sounds we had made.

"Maybe he's scared or maybe he thinks this somewhat a street cat and rats," told James while he helps me leaning back to the barrel.

"Looks like I'm going to die here" I'm already half crying now as slowly I feel it's harder to breathe.

"If you ended up dead, we could live together," James pitch me an offer. I spontaneously smile after hearing it.

"Pathetic, it is my first time having someone asked me to live with them. but it's a ghost." I heard his husky laugh pleasantly, too bad I could not see what he looked like clearly enough. Meanwhile, now my head gets even dizzier.

"Aw... My head." My hands start squeezing both edges of my forehead. I feel like I'm about to pull all my hair out.

" Alika, You're okay?" I couldn't manage to answer his concern. I felt like my head was about to explode because my eyes started burning and tears fell slowly. It is too painful. Moreover, I have been holding my tears since then. I sob out of hopelessness.

"James, are you sure you can't help me at all?" I finally beg him after knowing I didn't have many options left at this moment.

"I... I can. But I'm afraid of what may come up next into your life." He stuttered. He was panicking.

"What do you mean?"

"Listen. It's been a long time since I helped people escaping from death. What you need to know is I committed to an eternal covenant with the universe. It's a deadly agreement for every human being with consequences as suffering as the death itself. Most of them chose to end their lives at the end, and I have seen plenty of dead faces. I don't want you to be the next one." James explained it carefully.

"What was that agreement about James? Tell me?" I insist.

"If I help you, You' are going to stuck with me for the rest of your life. Unless..."

"I'll take the risk, James" I could barely wait for him to finish his sentence and finish it with my aggressive order. All I heard was silence.

"Okay," I make sure one more time.

"It might take a lot of sanities to live with me until you die, Alika." His answer was short and cold. I took one more deep breath and exhaled it slowly to ease the pain. I tried to understand his difficult situation.

"I understand," I conclude.

"You didn't force me to use my power to save you?" He asked in disbelief.

"No. You can enjoy your freedom. Destiny, however, is the greatest force of this universe. Probably my time has come. But after hearing your insight about life. I prefer to stay alive. I don't know if it's too late, but I realize life is not to be cursed. Also, I need to stop being ungrateful" Now I feel this is the longest thing I can say when I felt like running out of breath.

"May I know what caused your death?" I asked.

"Suicide."

"For Real?"

"Yes, I was just like you. I also used to think my life was sickening. But it turns out that being dead didn't make it any better."

I heard the crackling sound of the rusting wheels going before this small alley. This time, it's closer than before, and I'm convinced that it's not a car. I got excited that it might be my 2nd chance. I began to beat the barrel, although my voice couldn't come out; I saw an old guy appeared with a gray beanie and entering this alley by carrying a rusty trolley.

"Alika .. Alika .." James pulled my shirt to prevent me from crawl into him.

"HELP !!!!!" My croaky voice back within my throat as I keep trying to scream over that guy. On the other hand, I keep pushing out my little energy to crawl into him.

"ALIKA DON'T!!" James pulled my shirt roughly; I struggled to free myself from his grip.

"PLEASE .." James locked up my mouth with his hands and dragged me back behind the big barrel.

"James, Let me go!" I put all my strength to escape his grip. James still refused to pull out his hands from my mouth; I Insist to keep making noise. My feet started kicking the barrel to attract the man's attention. He continuously puffed my mouth even harder. I cried because my breath was running out; blood in my head starts precluded me from making any more aggressive movements. My body was too frail to fight him. He still managed to block my mouth and locked my body with his feet and gets me completely paralyzed. Eventually, the crunching sound of the man's trolley gently disappeared; everything gets completely dark.

***

I woke up to a very delicious smell. I looked into the ceiling and looked around. I fell asleep on my bed. No doubt, I was in my room. I felt my head wrapped in cotton and bandages; My hands have lots of bruises, and my body is weary.

"That wasn't a dream," I muttered. I'm wondering how I get here. I immediately recall; I jumped out of bed with the remaining strength I had. My heart was beating very fast, and my knees lose its ability to stand tall and firm. I almost fall and hit the floor after i see a man cooking in my small kitchen. I was completely convinced that what happened to me wasn't a dream at all. It's him, and i see his thin figure wearing a worn-out shirt and naturally ripped jeans.

"Ja... James ??" I call him carefully. The man turned his head with clear white eye with only strands of redness; blue veins protruding from his pale white skin Stretch from his neck to his temples; looked exactly like someone who had been choked or hanged to death.

"A.. Am I dead?" I stuttered out of fright.

"Almost." He replied with a wide-open grin. His canine appeared and all the dead blue protruding veins on his face stretched all over.