Chapter 4: The Soul

[JUSTIN]

"So... maybe Bob's soul is in Sugar," I conclude after a lengthy explanation of how I got Sugar.

Ken takes a deep breath and covers his face with his hands. Ramon puts his arm around Ken's shoulders, letting him lean on him.

"Look, guys.. this is really unthinkable.. Ken, we're really sorry," continues Jack.

"No, Jack.." I say quickly. "It's my own fault, because I wanted a cat, and didn't think about the consequences at all."

Ken looks at me sadly, then says, "Actually I understand, no one would have guessed this would happen. But are you sure? Did Bob really die because of Sugar?"

"That's the most plausible explanation, though at the same time it doesn't make sense," says Jared. He also has the same thoughts as me about this ‘soul exchange' concept.

"What if we ask my mom and dad to check, to be sure about the cause of Bob's death?" Suggests Ramon. Her mother is a veterinarian, and her father happens to work in police forensics. It’s a perfect combination.

Bob lays in Ken's cat bag with a blanket. Ken nods at Ramon.

"Justin, we'd better go to Ramon's house first, so we can confirm about Bob's death. Whatever the cause of Bob's death, I don't blame you, and I'm not mad at you, OK? Even though I'm definitely disappointed and sad. He's been there for me since I was a kid," Ken says.

"I'm still sorry about your loss, Ken." I reply, then immediately take my jacket and car keys. "Jack, you go with me?"

Jack nods.

Ken, Ramon, Jared and I go together to Ramon's house. It's almost 9 pm, and we hope Ramon’s parents haven't slept yet.

My heart is pounding pretty hard, and I really hope all my explanations are wrong. I hope all my theories and guesses are wrong, and I hope Bob turns out to be sick, and then he dies of illness, not for giving his life to Sugar.

"This is the first time, right, we're seeing the bad consequences of Mera's magic?" asks Jack.

"We still don't know for sure, Jack," I reply. "I hope this is not the consequence. I hope Bob has an illness we don't know."

It is getting darker, but the street is well lit with the street lamps lining the sidewalk. Soon we arrive at Ramon's house, and I see his dad sitting on the park bench.

"Good evening, Uncle Adler," we greet Ramon's dad.

"Pa, we need your help," says Ramon.

His father stands up and smile kindly, motioning us in. Inside, Ramon's mother is reading a book in the living room while listening to the radio. She sees us entering the room and smiles broadly.

"Good night everyone.. what brings you all here?" Greets Ramon's mother.

"Aunt Adler, we need help... Can you find out the cause of my cat's death?" Ken asks as he immediately shows her his cat bag, with Bob in it.

"He died?" Asks Uncle Adler to be sure. Aunt Adler takes the cat bag and immediately brings it to the practice room.

"He never wakes up from his sleep, Uncle Adler, even though he looked fine before," Ken explains.

Aunt Adler checks on Bob.

"He's gone," she confirms. Bob is really gone.

"We have to thoroughly examine and open the inside of his body to determine what caused him to die. Is it okay with you?" Asks Uncle Adler. Aunt Adler nodds reassuringly.

Ken agrees. We leave the practice room, because we don't want to see the operation process. Ramon’s parents say the examination would take about 15-30 minutes, and we choose to watch TV in the living room.

Neither of us laugh at the comedy shows on TV, even though we usually laugh easily. Ramon and Jared, who are not involved in this matter at all, look frantic as well.

"If it's true that Bob died for no reason, do you believe that it must be because Sugar took his life?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Ideally, there should be more samples to be sure," replies Ramon.

We pass the waiting time with just a lot of silence. About 20 minutes later we hear the sound of the door opening, and we stand up straight away. Uncle and Aunt Adler come out from inside.

"Kids, Bob is perfectly healthy. He doesn't have any disease, and we can't find a cause of death," says Aunt Adler.

"Bob’s soul seemed to have just left his body," Uncle Adler continues.

We look at each other at the same time, but couldn't say anything.

"But don't worry, he died without feeling any pain, Ken. Don't be sad anymore. He's in Heaven now," adds Aunt Adler, patting Ken's shoulder.

Not in Heaven, but inside Sugar..

"Auntie will help with the burial process properly. Ken can visit Bob at any time, OK?"

Ken nods with a smile.

"Okay, Uncle, Auntie.. It's late, we have to go home," I say goodbye.

"Thanks a lot for the help.. We're going home," Ken continues my words, and we go out together.

"So Bob's actually still alive, but as Sugar, right?" Ken whispers in my ear, after we were outside, getting into the car.

"I think so, Ken," I reply. "And... Erm, Ramon?"

"Yes?" Answers Ramon while walking us out.

"Think about what other samples you could use to be sure."

"I'm not sure. Plants?"

Ramon thinks maybe some plant could be the next test sample. If I ask Mera for certain plants, roses for example.. Will there be roses that rise and die at the same time?

"Plants might be a good idea. Who has a particular plant to trade with?"

"In front of DSA there is a garden with a row of healthy white roses, right?"

I smile. "You can go home, but I'm going straight to the woods now," I say to all my friends.

They turn to each other and shouted, "I’ll go with you!"

"Sorry, I’ll pass," says Ramon. "But stay safe!"

Ken, Jack and Jared jumpright into my car and we head out into the woods together. I always have a lot of paper and a box of markers in my car, so I can draw anything on Mera at any time.

Arriving in the forest, we immediately run to the lake. I plop down beside Mera, and begin to draw a bunch of roses in a row, huge and numerous. Then I write beside the drawing, ‘white, along the south side of the lake'. I crumple up the paper and throw it into the lake.

Before long, we watch the rose grow. The white roses in clusters immediately sprout, and bloom beautifully, line up on the south side of the lake, right in front of us standing.

"Oh my God," Jack mutters.

"Justin, didn't you write asking to exchange their lives with the DSA’s roses?" Jared asks. "What if it turns out that the DSA’s roses are still alive?"

I'm frozen for a moment. "But I think Mera will let us know, whatever it is. She wants us to suffer the consequences, and let us see for ourselves."

"Should we go to DSA now?" Jack's suggests.

"But there's no way these roses took the life of some cats or dogs, isn’t it?" Ken asks.

"Yeah, that's impossible," Jared replies.

Without another word, I return to the car, followed by my friends. "Just go straight to campus, okay?"

It is past 11 pm when we arrive, but I am Justin.. I am like the 'owner' of this campus, and the campus security let me in easily. We get off and go straight to DSA.

"Justin, look!" Ken exclaims, while directing my body to the left, towards the cafeteria.

The dozens of white roses that line the left side of the cafeteria are all dead.

DSA office is near the end of the canteen, and we walk slowly, examining how many roses have died.

Arriving at DSA, we see that our suspicions are all proven. All the roses clustered in a row in front of my office are dull and wither down. So at that time we know, to grow all the roses along the south side of the lake, Mera needs all the roses along the canteen and this DSA.

I lift my chin and sigh. So it's true, Mera can give me any living thing, but by exchanging lives.

"Ken, are you OK?" I ask, patting his back. I know he's still sad that Bob's life was taken by Sugar, and I feel guilty. But at least now he knows that Bob is actually still around, but inside Sugar's body.

Ken just nods. "If you bring Sugar here tomorrow, I'll play with him a lot," he replies.

"Bob is not dead," adds Jared. "He is definitely Sugar now."

And their color is also similar. Bob is also white, with a hint of orange around his neck.

Ken smiles. I drive Ken and Jared home, and I stay at Jack's.

It is midnight when Jack and I get home. Sugar has fallen asleep on the mattress I bought this afternoon. The food's gone. Jack strokes his head, then he groans as he writhes.

I am relieved, but at the same time horrified. We used to joke that I should draw a beautiful woman or a mermaid on top of Mera. If I really did, whose life would Mera take to make my drawing come true? I could be a serial killer without anyone finding out, if I wanted to. But can I choose whom I kill? Ah.. I'm not a murderer.. But.. What if one day I need a life to make my dream come true?

Mera, who are you? Where are you from? Then why me? Why do you create an image only by my hand?

While lying on the sofa, I roughly count the number of roses on the DSA that died earlier. Why do I feel something is off? I glance at Jack who is already asleep on the couch, in front of the TV he has just turned on.

I call Ramon. "You're still awake?"

“I'm not going to sleep until this PC is done, but soon. How’s the plant?"

“I asked for white roses to grow along the south side of the lake, and once they grew, we went straight to campus. All the white roses at the canteen and the DSA are dead, Ramon.”

Ramon sighs.

"But I feel something is missing..." I add, a little hesitantly, but this thought keep bugging me. "The number of roses that grew in the lake was still far more than the row of roses in the canteen and in front of the DSA."

“Well, if you say along the south side.. That's a lot, like.. A LOT. White roses along the canteen and the DSA won't be enough.”

"So.."

"So there must be some other white roses somewhere else that died."