Shadows

"58,59... wait,where's the last one?"

He rummaged through his things on his bag.

"there's nothing else here"

"what?!that can't be!the 60th page of the last chapter is important!how could you lost it?!"

Lei's cheeks began turning red and her eyes start pooling with tears.

"I don't have any back up files for it and once lost,i don't know how to perfect it again"

Pat began to panic as he heard sobs from Lei.

"w-wait,i'll check my bag. i know it's here"

with much adrenaline,he pour all of his things from the bag to the ground. Lei remained crying as if the world depends on that piece of paper. Well,kinda.

Pat sweat as he couldn't get a glimpse of a sligthely crumpled sheet. he fish his phone on his pocket and dialed their home number. a few rings after,a boy answered.

"Hi,my name is Nate and nobody's home"

"you prick! i told you not to touch my things! where is the last page of those paper that i pile on my desk last night?!"

he knew that his naughty brother had something to do with it. there's no way he isn't the culprit.

"paper?i got lots of 'em!i made paper planes from them and a boat. but they all ended up to the pool"

Pat muttered a curse under his breath and prayed that his brother didn't include THAT paper from his play.

"tell me you didn't play with the paper on my table"

"table?oh oh!the thick paper?that was the boat!boats should be sturdy so it won't sink!but it did"

Pat shut his eyes closed. his hand on his temple. Lei watch Pat's expression with pain and dismay. she knew the paper wouldn't be found.

"Wait till i get home and i'll feed you tons of boiled broccoli"

he didn't wait a response on the other line and ended the call. He stood up,eyes on the ground,feeling apologetic to Lei.

"Lei,Im really---"

"stop,i trusted you with this yet you failed. you know how important this papers are to me. this holds my future and my dreams and now it's gone just like that"

Lei,a 21 year old working student who depended uer life on writing. but she's not the kind of writer you thought she would be. rookie writer?underated writer?amazing writer?famous writer? she isn't one of those. her kind was unique,and putiful at some point.

"Jake's gonna be needing the whole story by tommorow!how could i rewrite the whole chapter when i still have my midterm exams! he waited for this!"

"then why don't you just let him write the last chapter?"

"i don't sell incomplete and discarded goods Pat,you know that"

A ghost writer. behind every story of an excellent writer,there's Lei who would starve and stay up late just to finished a novel by time. Her last work was bought by an author who resides on the other part of the world. the story were adored by many people there it even got to the big screen. the "author" got praises and oppprtunities yet she couldn't care less. all she want is to be paid what she deserve and be able to eat 3 times a day. she was a talented writer,but can't earn a name of her own. as per her,it's too tiring to chase a dream so high,so she remain at the ground.

"i won't have a budget for a few days,and i won't be able to enroll on the next semester because of this"

the thought of her not able to enroll made her cry even more. now pat is in big trouble for letting his brother cause trouble.