New Places

Anika POV

I suddenly felt a warm feeling and the bright shine of the sun across my face. I woke up because of it, I looked around to see where I am. A comfy couch, cozy atmosphere, and sunlight shine across the room. It's really cozy in here, feels like I want to stay in here and never leave. But I suddenly realized, where the hell am I? I stood up from the bed that I was laying and started to look around if someone is here. But then, no one is here and how did I get in here?

A door suddenly opens, I got shocked about it but it is a relief that Dylan is the one who came. "Oh, it's just you. I thought..." I stopped when he walks straight to the kitchen counters. "What? A demon kidnaped you?" he said as he opens the plastic he's holding. I looked around and it looks like this is his apartment. "This is your apartment?" I still ask him just to make sure that I am right and he nodded as an answer. Suddenly, my eyes caught in what he is doing. He's pouring a soup in a bowl and it looks so delicious. "You have to eat this, to get your strength back." It's a little bit weird that he treats me like I am not dead, I don't need to eat. Just a good rest can bring my strength back but since he offers it to me, I will take it.

He brings the bowl near me, now I am able to touch and eat the soup that he offers. "You know, I don't need to eat just to bring my strength back. I'm a ghost remember." he stopped and looked at me seriously. He walks towards me and attempts to take the bowl, but I move quickly. "I'm just kidding, I need this soup thank you by the way." I just looked at him and he seems so serious. I wonder why? Is he in a bad mood this early in the morning?

After a few minutes, I'm done eating but he just started his breakfast and he's still in a serious face. "You don't remember anything about last night?" he suddenly asked. Then I realized that something did happen last night. "I do remember..." I said in a little silent tone because I got shy about what happened. I passed out on the street because of the pain, it drained my energy and became weak. "But that's nothing, I guess it won't happen again." I continue but he suddenly gets mad and puts his spoon down with anger in his face. "Won't happen again? You're not sure about that!" he said and I got shocked because he shows anger on his face. What did I do wrong to make him angry? "I'm sorry, it's not like I can control when that pain will come," I said to him, our atmosphere became awkward because of our conversation. I don't get it, what is he angry about?

I just walked away and went to a place where it's peaceful and where I can think about everything that happened to me. This place is new to me, I haven't gone in here before. I just started wandering around and look for a place where I can think. Then I saw a staircase going up, it must be going to the rooftop. I walked and looked it I am right, and yes, I am right that the staircase goes to the rooftop. I just stayed there to think and also to calm myself.

After a few hours, I saw Dylan walked away from the building. He seems to go to university, he has work to do. But I stayed on the rooftop the whole day until nighttime comes.

I just Dylan going back to his apartment after his work. Now, I don't know where to go. I just stayed here on the rooftop the whole day and did nothing. I don't know if I should go back inside and talk to Dylan or just walk away and go back to Kath's. But in the end, I chose to stay here a little bit more.

The night goes deeper and later, maybe I should check him if he's okay inside before I leave and go back to Kath's. I walked slowly and quietly, as I walk through the walls I saw Dylan sleeping peacefully on his couch. "Hays, why is he sleeping on his couch? He has a comfy bed." I whisper to myself as I walk closer to him.

I sat in front of him and stared at him while he sleeps. He looks so peaceful while sleeping. As I looked and stared at him longer, I felt something deep inside of me that I haven't felt since I became a ghost. I can't stop looking at him, and I realized he has the looks.

I started smiling while looking at him but I realized I'm becoming crazy. "Aish! Stop it, Anika." I whispered as I tried to wake myself from thinking of crazy things. "Why are you still here?" Dylan suddenly spoke. "OMG!" I got shocked that he's actually awake. He opened his eyes and looked at me. As he was looking at me, I just froze and can't move. What the heck is happening to me? "I uh... I... just... checked if you're okay. You seem angry this morning." I said as I stood up and fix myself.

He sat down on the couch and still looking at me. Why do I feel uncomfortable when he looks at me like that? "Where did you go?" he asked me. "Why do you ask? You don't have to know." I said and started to walk away. "I should go back to Kath's, she might be worried I haven't gone back there," I said and I didn't wait for him to speak, I just walk away and never looked back at him again. I did that because I feel uncomfortable.

"Why do you think about that Anika? Because of that, it made me uncomfortable when he looks at me or even talking to me." I said as I kept on walking. While I was walking, I kept on thinking about it, and it never left my mind but I didn't realize that I was going to university instead of going to Kath's. Why am I here? I was inside the library of the campus and a book caught my eye. A single book is on the table and it looks like it's a book about this town's flower, the anemone flower.

These flowers have four different colors, a pink, purple, white, and red anemone flower. All of these colors have meaning, the pink one symbolizes love or forsaken love, white is purity or friendship, purple is protection and red symbolizes the death of a loved one. I knew that the flowers have meaning because I've seen it before that people give pink flowers to someone that they love, white anemone are for those best friends, and while there is death, they give or offer red anemone flower to the deceased.

As I kept on reading the book, I suddenly saw a vision of me holding a purple anemone. But that is all I saw in the vision. I kept on thinking what is the connection between those flowers, then I realized that whenever Dylan is visiting his friend who died, he always brought her pink anemone flowers. I don't know if we had a connection before when we were still alive. I should look more at it.

I was about to stand up but I heard a noise near the bookshelves. "Who is that?" I still asked even though it will not hear me if it is a person. I walked closer and closer until I saw what it was.

My body is frozen and shocked about what I am looking at right now. I can't believe I'm looking at it right now.

To be Continued...