Chapter 6

A few weeks passed since then. Mrs Brundle came occasionally to see Ella while Otto tried to avoid her room like the plague. Though he knew she couldn't see him he was the one who didn't want to remember anything. He also didn't want to see the pained expression from his mother every time she visited. But Ella was now older, she was a complete stranger to him and it didn't help that she lost her memories, and now she didn't even know herself. He figured out that he has been dead for four years, which took him a while to accept, however, it didn't matter if he didn't believe it seeing as the evidence is him being a ghost that nobody can see, and Ella seeming to be older than when he last saw her when she was alive.

As Otto was roaming around the halls with boredom, a person caught his attention. They had short white hair and mismatched eyes. He sat outside Ella's hospital room. Staring off into space. Otto just stared at him a little confused. Then the man looked over at him making brief eye contact with then looked back at the door. Otto flinched but then thought it was nothing. He was already used to nobody seeing him though looking at him straight in the eyes. Then the guy wrote something on a blank piece of paper and set it down beside him. Out of curiosity, Otto looked over to see what he wrote.

You should stop avoiding her and go see her already, she can see you. The only reason she hasn't mentioned you to anyone is that you disappeared on her again.

Reading the note, Otto froze and looked over at the person who then crumbled the note up and stuffed it in his pocket. He stood up and began to walk toward the exit. Otto immediately proceeded to follow him.

"Wait! Can you see me?! How?! How do you see me? Who are you?" Otto bombarded him with questions that the person ignored and kept walking ahead. Then Otto had to stop before he crossed the exit line of the hospital. He watched the person walk off into the distance and the sun was already starting to set. He silently went outside of the room in silence. "What am I doing?" He mocked himself silently, looking over at the name making sure he was actually going to the right room and that he was actually going to go in. He silently went in with his eyes closed and holding his breath, afraid of what she would say first. He slowly opened one eye then a wave of relief washed over him when he saw that she was asleep. He moved over to her bed, still a little uncertain of if this was the little sister he lived with growing up. Just then her eye twitched and he immediately hid behind a curtain hoping she didn't see. but that made him feel regret instead. He heard he sit up from her bed but after that, it was just silence. He thought this was his chance to see if she could see him. He tried amp himself up by cheering himself on and slapping his cheek. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. He repeated in his head, but just as he peeked out of the curtain and looked over at her he immediately shrank back. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. He repeated in discouragement. But then as he heard the bed move, it was like a switch was flipped inside him. He felt, calmer than before. Footsteps coming closer to him and he knew he couldn't escape this anymore. She could either see him or she couldn't. And if she couldn't that was it. There was no point in him staying if he couldn't do anything her. when he saw the curtains move and Ella's eyes staring back at him it was as if his heart skipped a beat. They stared at each other for a bit then Otto cut the eye contact. He didn't know why she wasn't saying anything. Though she didn't remember him she should have at least acted scared or something for a seeing a strange boy in her room. Maybe she was just sleepwalking.

"I was convinced that you could see me," Otto said in disappointment. It was just wishful thinking; him trying to avoid reality and look for some sort of convenience to him that isn't there. Then he remembered the guy that wrote him that note. He knew it was too good to be true, and he shouldn't trust strangers, whether he was alive or dead. Otto got up and didn't even bother avoiding her as he did with everyone because... he was done. He walked over to the window ready to die for real. But this time he didn't have any regrets like he did the first time. But just as he was ready to disappear he heard someone that made him hesitate.

"Wait!" He looked back and saw Ella running straight for him. But when her hand went straight through him she hit her head on the wall knocking her unconscious. "Ouch..." Otto said rubbing his head. "I guess that... that means she can see me... or she just likes banging her head." He said sitting down next to her and though he couldn't actually touch her he still made it seem like he was rubbing her head. "You really haven't changed..." He said with a slight smile, remembering how he behaved when they first met. He compared how then she was just baby and how he criticized her and bullied her to how now he is sitting down next to her patiently waiting for her to wake up. He couldn't really do anything considering he was a ghost and couldn't touch anything. He waited until a nurse arrived and saw Ella unconscious and helped her back into the bed. Usually Otto wouldn't really be in that room, however, he just couldn't leave her side after finding out that she could see him. He gave a relieved chuckle and thought that this time he didn't want to be separated again.