Who are you?

One hundred billion galaxies. One billion trillion stars. Forty billion planets that could possibly sustain life in the Milky Way. That's only what's known right now in our universe alone. Huge numbers often can't convey how grand it all is. Other universes, hidden or unknown aspects of our own universe, or even parallel universes could possibly exist, and we know none the better. We find out about more possibilities as technology advances, but lack more answers than questions.

Our minds aren't programmed to really fathom the quantitative difference between billions and billion trillions. Maybe that's why when asked, most people will say that's it's impossible for aliens or other life outside of Earth to exist; it's hard to accept what the possibility. It's hard to believe in things that you can't see.

Maybe that's why it's also hard to accept it when something you thought was impossible appears right before your eyes.

Dark hair and long, shivering eyebrows were barely visible as a translucent body faded in and out of vision. Partially shut eyelids could not hide the sparkling onyx eyes that stared painfully at the floorboards ahead. Tears fell and splashed on the ground only to disappear right afterwards into an array of particles. A woman sat on the floor, curled into a ball with her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

"Hey…are you okay?"

The woman stayed still. It didn't seem as if she could hear anything at all.

"Excuse me...Hey? Do you need anything?"

No matter what was said, she didn't show any reaction at all. Tears kept rolling through her face, but she stayed silent. No screams or sobs racked her body, just silent teardrops splashing on the ground.

"Maybe she's on drugs? But what kinda fucking drug does this?"

The man scratched his head, puzzled. "Maybe I should just leave her here and come back later? But this is my room…"

"Ma'am…"

He reached out to try to get her attention, but as soon as his hand touched her bare shoulder, her translucent figure turned into dull, orange sparkles as she slowly faded away.

"…I didn't take any drugs earlier, right?"

Celo splashed water on his face as his broad shoulders leaned over the bathroom sink. His shoulders shook unsteadily as he looked up to see his reflection in the mirror, but all he saw was a woman's silhouette crying on the floor. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Not just because of her curvy figure and beautiful, sparkling eyes he got a peek at right before she disappeared, but because of the craziness of the whole situation.

How does someone just disappear like that? How was she even transparent like that? Was that...a ghost? A shiver ran down his back as he thought about how he may have almost been dragged down to the underworld. Out of nowhere, her eyes flashed in his mind and drew him into a daze again.

"Maybe...that wouldn't be so bad."

He quickly shook his head. He grabbed a light blue towel from the hook next to the mirror and dried off his face. He walked back to his room and flopped on his bed. He laid on his back as he scrolled through his contact list on his phone. He found his best friend's number and quickly called him.

"Yo, Lu. Come over, I've got something crazy to tell you...No, I haven't gotten laid. You know I'm not with that shit for now, just get your ass over here."

He was scrolling through his feed on IG when the air seemed to shift and distort. Celo rubbed his eyes and opened them to see the same silhouette engraved in his memories standing up. He quickly sat up to look at her face.

She wasn't crying this time. Her eyes were brightly lit and a smile covered her face as she appeared to be talking to someone. He had a clearer view of her face as she wasn't facing downward this time. His mouth was left slightly agape as his mind struggled to process what was going on.

"Hey..."

Again, she didn't seem to notice him. Shit, he was starting to think that maybe he was the ghost. Staring at her face, though, he couldn't help but want to get to know her. Is it kind of shallow of him? Maybe, but that's how dating apps work in the first place, so who's to judge him? It's not only her beautiful physical appearance that drew him in, but the familiar glimmer in her eyes. He was certain that he didn't know her, but the emotions hidden in her eyes reminded him of someone long gone.

She seemed slightly more corporeal than last night. Would there come a time that she was completely tangible? Celo shook his head to get rid of his thoughts at the moment.

"No time to be thinking about this right now."

He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder to see if she would disappear again. Celo jumped in shock as his hand reached her and she faded in the same sparkles as last time. However, what shook him the most was that this time she looked back at him in surprise...and that he could feel soft skin.

Her eyes bore into his and he felt something reminiscent to a spark pass between their eyes. By the time she disappeared completely, Celo had his hand on his chest, feeling the rapid and rhythmic thumping of his heart threatening to burst out.

"Who are you?" he whispered.