6 CHAPTER 6: The First Wish

[Clerence Cartwright]

Ever since I was born, I couldn't stop grumbling how my life sucked and how this awful mundane life of mine made me the unluckiest person on earth. Therefore, I wouldn't really care about my worthless life until Sasha's accident reminded me again of the preciousness of a person's life as ironically, it can or cannot be yours at the same time when you're spending it.

Here in the hospital, I sat on the white plastic chair with my feet crossed. I was texting Dominic that I'd be late and there's no need for him to cook my dinner. Before sending the message, I even tried to let it sound as cheerful and brotherly as always, hoping he wouldn't notice my current feelings.

Since he's a boy, he wouldn't really be aware, right?

Soon, my phone buzzed in my grasp, pulling my gaze back onto the screen.

ME: Yo doc, am not coming back for dinner. Eat without me ^^

GAY BOY: seriously bro?

ME: Yup, just eaten. Will miss your food, mum XD

GAY BOY: Mum oh GOD, Clery please!

ME: eww, stop turning my name into a girl's name!

GAY BOY: I'll call you Renzy then hehe

ME: No, seriously, STOP!

GAY BOY is typing…

Though knowing Dominic was still typing, I exited the app and silenced my phone. My terrible acting skills would lead him to ask the very question: What's wrong? Sighing, I set the phone aside before averting my gaze towards the girl. My hand reached for hers to feel the remnant of warmness on her skin.

Her head was bandaged while an oxygen hood was settled on her face. Her colourless lips were partly opened as if she was just sleeping. The Holter monitor beeped steadily at the moment.

Soon, the doctor's declaration about Sasha's condition came echoing within my brain walls. Sasha was said to have fallen into a stupor due to the hard clash between head and ground. The surgeons had removed the extravasated blood cloaked in her back brain, but her life was still in jeopardy.

「We are not certain about the duration of her coma, maybe three days, maybe a month, or maybe up to a whole year. In fact, you all need to be prepared because she might not be waking up.」

I hate my brain for being able to memorize so many words spoken by the doctor. The last sentence broke my heart unexpectedly. Although I'd just known Sasha for a few hours, I still couldn't accept the fact that she was dying.

As Jesslyn had left due to unfinished errands, that was how I managed to sit beside the girl. Everything that happened on the day was so overwhelming. A few hours ago, we were working together in the bookstore, laughing and chatting about college. But then, we were in the hospital with me nearly crying over her quiet figure.

It was my first day working in that bookstore and it would leave a scar in my memory forever. "I'll pray for you starting tonight," I murmured softly to her ears, hoping she could hear me. "And I hope that it's a three-day thing." With the word spoken with eagerness, I let go of her small hand and left for the door. Before I disappeared behind the heavy door, I turned around to look at her one more time. My chest hurt with my heart heavy like a large stone.

***

[Sasha Shadows]

Clerence's voice brought up my eyelids in astonishment when he said he would pray for me to wake up. His tone sounded serious unlike how he joked around in the bookstore. "Boy, there's no need to pray already," I piped while trying to sit up. "I am fully awakened by your sexy voice." But as I pat his back, I thundered in real shock when seeing my hand penetrated through his body. I led out a loud gasp which was inaudible for him as he was still staring at my sleeping figure without responding to what I was uttering.

I had turned invisible.

As I looked at my hands, I could see the bed through them. I couldn't deny the fact that my condition was like Chihiro before eating Haku's red ball - disappearing. "I should have stood properly on the ladder…" I muttered in regret while watching Clerence left. His sorrow figure twisted the doorknob lazily. And then, he took one last glance at my motionless body before disappearing behind the sliding door.

Why was he sad?

We'd just met for a few hours and there's no reason for him to be concerned about my state so much. Just as I was wondering about Clerence's reaction upon my condition, my body began to move without following my brain's command. I started to half-walk half-float out of the room without even opening the door.

I felt incredible regarding my long-time journey from the hospital to a shopping mall. Even though I had been running and floating towards the destination for a rather long period of time, I did not feel tired at all as if I was a loose balloon - light and free.

Initially, I couldn't understand why my body did this until I recognised something - the cinema in that shopping mall was where I watched the new movies. Therefore, I could fulfill my first wish written in the IMPOSSIBLE list.

Watch a movie without buying the ticket.

"Oh my god, this is happening!" I couldn't stop exclaiming in joy when I finally learnt that that was the chance given to me to fulfil the IMPOSSIBLE wishes.

No one was going to stop me from entering the cinema without buying the ticket. No securities and not even time-consuming queues at the food purchasing corner. All I needed to do was to sniff in the sweet smell of popcorn in order to get full.

At the thought of this, I couldn't hold back the bright smile on my extremely pale face while running towards the entrance. The eagerness in me to choose a good movie was strong.

Being a female loner ghost, it was also dangerous for me to roam around without knowing any possible risks since it was the first day for me to experience being invisible. Although humans could not see me, other spirits could. Ever since the moment I left the hospital, I could see many floating "people" moving on the streets. Some were following their families by lying on top of a car, or tailing behind a speeding bus, or walking behind them; some were just lonely with no family.

Like me.

Out of a little rush, I'd chosen a movie titled To All the Boys I've Loved Before as it sounded interesting with the word 'Boys'. Unlike me, who had only one crush since high school and surprisingly until college, the girl in this movie had five instead. Then, I happened to glance at a group of girls' tickets for this movie when finding the correct room, the showing time as well as the room number was clear on the paper.

0015. Room 5.

That was extremely late.

I wish I could find my way home later.

But in a nick of time, I managed to shake the thought off and entered the cinema alongside another group of teenagers. Their hands were full of potato chips, popcorn and drinks while I was just empty-handed without even the crumpled movie ticket stuffed hastily in one of my pockets.

As there were still less people in this room, I chose a seat which had a pretty good view and sat down. The group of young men and women were far away from me, though murmurs of their chit-chats were still audible.

I hoped they wouldn't make any noise when the movie started. Soon, I realised my seat was being bought, which meant I had to change my seat. Luckily, less people would buy a midnight ticket, so there's still plenty of good seats for me to choose. As I sat down, the movie started finally after the notice about emergency escape doors and silencing of mobile phones. Relaxed, I slumped my back onto the plush seat and crossed my legs.

This would be the best midnight hour for me ever.

And until then, I was still bewildered.