The Deepest Despair

James took a deep breath as he was sitting down on the sofa and Felt so excited to look for a Good Sunday TV Shows. Instead, he stops in one news channel that reporting a case of murder.

"ALIKA! HURRY UP HERE! " Shouted James from the living room. Alika went out of her room straight away to approach James in the living room. All clothed and hair wrapped in a towel. They both froze over a news anchor statement about the death of a girl named Alika right in the alley where she was dying last night.

"The Victim badly burned remains were physically unidentified. Instead, the investigation team discovered an ID Card during the inspection process for further inquiry. Unfortunately, Suspects of these murders still wanted and proceeded to be arrested. The local police will keep investigating the motives of this homicide for further comprehension."

They both looked at each other in amazement. Both speechless and lost for words.

"I'm still alive right, James?" Alika starts to doubt her existence.

"Of course! You can go outside. I Guarantee everyone can still see you." Exclaimed James.

"Are you sure no one else saw what happened?" Alika locked her eyes on James' expression of confused.

"It must be that man who reported this fake news. Alika, do you realize one thing?"

"What?"

"The man that was trying to kill you probably just an accomplice. Someone paid him to kill you. But in fact, your body is suddenly gone. Because I move you from the place where he was previously put your body. It was clear that the burned remains they found were someone else." Hearing his statements, Alika immediately ran into her room. James believes she just remembered something from last night's tragedy.

"JAMES! You changed my clothes when I got back home? " James didn't expect her to ask him about that.

"I'm sorry! But it was all covered in mud." James Answer with a little bit of embarrassment.

"It's okay! Apart from my cell phone, were there any other things that you found within my clothes? " Asked Alika impatiently from her room.

"No. Nothing!." James shouted back in response. Alika immediately ran to unpack the dirty clothes in the washing machine. She reached into the hoodie pocket she was wearing that night and ruffled the others too.

"What are you looking for?" James staring down at her.

"My Purse! it's not here! I remember that guy was trying to rob me! It's obvious! The man had no intention of robbing. It was just his motive to bring me into the alley! Now that they lost me, they had all my identity and all they needed for faking a death report." Alika was desperately leaning beside the washing machine.

"I don't remember if there is an old man who hated me that much." She stood upright again; her desperate looks swiftly changed into an expression of anger.

"It's not an old man at all Alika. I saw it very clearly. That man was just uncomfortably thin that made him look old. Just a bag of bones that his beanie could almost cover half of his face. His cheekbones were very prominent. His skin was deadly pale. You said your vision was blurry, right? "

"Are you sure of what you saying?" James nodded; felt obvious; she inhaled some air for a while and took out her cellphone to typed something in her social media searching section; A male's name.

"Darn it! It's deactivated!" Alika put her cell phone back to her pocket in distress.

"Who?" Asked James

Alika remained unfazed by his question. She walked into her room and slammed the door. Leaving James wondering what on earth she's dealing with. The beautiful morning turned cold and tense in no time. James was sitting down quietly in the living room looking at the trees that started slapping the windowpane as the weather got windier. He never predicted that he would be in this situation. Moreover, he realized that Alika was not an ordinary girl.

***

"James you have to help me!" Alika threw her big backpack at James.

"Alika, Calm down okay? Tell me what's on your mind!" Alika sat down while James in front of her stood on his knees look straight at Alika's expression that was full of wrath.

"If my brother was out of the rehab center, chances are, he was the one planning this with my father. He must be on my father order. You are right. He failed to kill me and was too scared to tell my father. what most upsetting is that he dares to murder the innocent!" James was stunned by Alika's statement. He never thought that this little girl was living in such incredible distress.

"What did they get if they succeeded in doing that?" James' question left Alika speechless; She knows the answer but held it in so much from spilling out of her mouth. The wind outside was getting stronger while raindrops start splashing into some of Alika's the furniture inside. It has been raining regularly these days. James left Alika to closed the window and prevented more furniture from getting wet.

"I'll try to contact my mother." Alika took out her cell phone again.

"Alika, remember. You're dead. If they find out you are still alive, it may happen for the 2nd time." she hung her thumb from touching the call button and exit the screen.

"No other way. Tonight I have to sneak into my mother's house and find out the truth myself. You don't need to come. It is okay."

"You Forgot? How is that possible? "James chuckled at her heroic statement.

"You're right. See? If you let me die last night, you won't get involved in this kind of stuff." Alika sighed. She stood up and walked to her room. But her footsteps stopped.

"James, what happens if I get killed for the second time? Can you save me one more time? " James was pensive for a long time at the question. He shook his head.

"Thank goodness." She turned back around after showing a little smirk.

"I'll make sure that won't happen," James Promised.

"Hopefully," Alika mumble as she walked into her room; feeling chaotic. She thought about James's fate if she died. He will find it difficult to return to find a home and other humans who can accept him.

Alika laid down on her bed and felt all her muscles relaxed. She was scrolling through the contacts on her screen. Ever since the news aired, her cell phone didn't stop vibrating and flooded by condolence messages on her social media. She opened her gallery and looked back at her old life before she decided to escape and be alone in this city.

"Alika, I am shocked already by your decision to move outside the city. Never think you will be gone very soon. You will be missed." Her best friend, Azuki left this comment under the last photo she uploaded last year.

"Alika, I hope this news is a lie !!! Wish the murder will soon get arrest! " Curse Hezkiel, one of her closest male friends on campus. There were about 95 other comments on the photo that broke and warmed her heart at the same time.

Since the day she met James, She realized how selfish was her decision to detached herself from those people just because she had problems. Alika buried her face in the white pillow she always uses to sleep. It was not the first time she cried over deep regret for ditching them away. She keeps on thinking that she doesn't seem to have many choices in life. Seeing James, She realized that even death will not solve anything. And now, she had trapped in her own life with no ways out nor any right to turn back the time.

***

"James." Alika leaves the room with swollen eyes. It only takes a few seconds for James to figure out that she just finished crying.

"Are you okay?" James tried his best not to let her know he worried. Alika shook her head. She sat cross-legged beside James who was putting his all attention on the TV Shows.

"The news of your death has been spreading," James Muttered. Instead of Answering, Alika just sat there lost in her deep thought.

"We have to make a plan before going to my mother's house. I need your help. " The redness on her eyes spoke louder about what is going on in her mind. Scared of what this woman may do and anything that could happen to her, He accepted that request. Finally, they spent the afternoon discussing plans they would carry out when they arrived at Alika's house. A crazy plan that might crush her family like ashes.

"Are you ready when all of this unfolds? You could destroy many lives." James confirmed one more time.

"I'll be more than happy to witness it" She bites the tip of her thumb while showing an evil smile.