Chapter 3
Rie dives into the window that leads to her room, closing
and locking it up immediatly. Panting she stares through the window,
searching for the blond boy who might be following her. After waiting
several minutes, she calms down and sits down on her bed.
,I
can't believe it… What's happening to me?" she softly
whispers to herself, putting her hands in front of her eyes, moaning.
,Rie?" Her mother voice comes from above the stairs. ,Are you
home already?"
Rie's heart stops. She totally forgot she
actually have classes right now. It can hardly be noon!
,Ehm… I
feel ill." Rie answers, rolling herself up in her blankets
immediately.
Her mother comes down and enters her room. ,Ill?
Oh, dear." And she sits down next to Rie. ,And you have tests to
make all week."
,The
teacher said I could do them later." Rie mumbles, trying to look as
sick as she can. ,I wish I could have made them now. I studied so
hard."
,Well, you will manage, dear. You're such a smart
girl." Mother says. ,You better stay in bed now you're sick and
get better soon, okay? I'll make you some tea."
She touches
her daughter's forhead. ,Oh, dear, you do feel slighty
warm."
That's from the running, Rie thinks. She sighs and
turns herself on her side.
,Thank you, mom, but I will get it
myself when I want some."
Mother smiles. ,Typical you, Rie,
every time you're sick you don't want people to take care of
you."
Rie stares back at her mom, not talking. It's true. She
never asks her parents to get her something when she's sick. She
always gets out her bed and get it herself.
Also when she's not
sick.
,You just stay here. I will bring you your tea." Mother
promises and she stands up. ,But first I have to pick Aye up from
school."
,Now? But it's 12, he can't be out yet." Rie
mumbles.
,They gave them the afternoon of. Some project in
school." Mother explains before leaving, closing the door softly.
Rie frowns her eyebrows and turns on her other side, looking at
her window, which is really small and very high, since she is on an
underground level.
She stares at it for a few minutes, watches
her mother walk pas it, getting in her car and driving away. She
looks away from it and wonders what she will do now.
How long
will she put up her Being Sick Act?
Sooner or later she won't be
able to hide she isn't sick.
A knock on the window gets her out
of her thoughts. She turns her head around, looking who in the world
is knocking on her window. Maybe it's dad, who forgot his keys.
A
hand is sticking right through the window! Right through the grass.
Rie let's out a shriek and jumps up, looking at the arm, which
is now joined by a second one. A blond haired head follows, a neck,
torso, legs and feet. The whole body thumbles down and collapses on
the floor.
Her lungs are stressfully pumping air in and out of
Rie's lungs and she stares at the blond boy who is now looking up.
A big smile on his face.
,No…Go away!" She cries out. ,Go
away!"
The boy stands up and walks towards her. ,No, I won't
go away! I need you! I will never let you go! I won't let you run
away from me!"
Rie backs away further from the boy. ,Get away
from me! GO AWAY!"
Her voice gets higher as he comes closer.
He reaches out his hands to her. ,No, I want to stay with
you!"
,I DON'T KNOW YOU! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Rie carefully
tries to stay out of his reach, backing away from his hands.
,You
don't understand it, I need you! I can't leave!" The boy says.
,GO AWAY!"
With a loud crash Rie falls of the bed, on the
floor. She quickly recovers herself, turns around and crawls under
the bed. She can hear the boy move around on her bed.
,You have
to listen to me! You're the only one who can see me! You are the
only one who can hear me! Please listen to me! I need you! Can't
you see?"
Panick is ruling his voice right now. ,Don't you
know how it feels when everybody is ignoring you? Simply because they
don't know you are there! My heart jumped when I found you talking
to me! You can see me! I need you! I can't let you go!"
Rie
covers up her ears, she doesn't want to know.
She is going
crazy. She is losing her mind.
The boy's head dangles up side
down from the bed, looking at her. ,There is nothing you can do to
make me go away." He says. ,I'm staying with you whether you
like it or not."
Rie suddenly feels some rage. ,You can't
invite yourself like that!" She hisses, leaping forwards and
grabbing him by his throat. He gets pulled of the bed and Rie quickly
lets go, not believing she touched him. She backs away, gets away
from the bed and stands up. At the other side of the bed the boy
stands up too and he looks at her with unbelievable eyes. ,You…
you can… you…"
,What?"
Rie snaps.
,You can touch me…" He finishes.
Rie tightnes
her fists. ,I don't know who you are and what the hell you are
thinking, but I want you to get lost! Right now!"
,I'm Seth
and I think of staying with you." The boy says.
,GO AWAY!"
Rie bellowes. ,NOW!"
Seth is just about to yell something
back, as the door of her room opens and her mom looks at her, a cup
of tea in her hand.
,Rie, why are you screaming like that?"
Rie points with her finger at Seth, who is now grinning widely to
her. ,That boy snuck into my room! He is scaring me! Mom, call the
police!"
Her mother looks at the point Rie is pointing to, then
turns back to Rie. ,What boy? Rie are you sure you are feeling
well?"
Shocked Rie looks at Seth. ,But…mom! He is standing
there! Mom, make him go away!" She rushes over to Seth and grabs
his arm. ,Here he is! Can't you see him?"
Looking
a bit scared her mother puts down the cup of tea and moves to Rie,
who is still holding Seth.
,Rie there is nobody standing
there."
,I'm holding his arm!"
Her mother sticks out
her arm and moves it through the space next to her daughter.
Horrorstruck Rie sees her mother's hand going through Seth's
body. Seth shivers, but doesn't move.
,Nobody here honey."
Rie lets him go and backs away, falling on the bed. ,He… mom,
your hand went through him! He's… mom…Make him go!"
Mother
urges Rie under the blankets and covers her up with care, Seth stands
next to her and stares at Rie.
He isn't grinning anymore but is
looking at her deadly serious.
,Rie,
I swear you there is nobody here. Just try to get some sleep. I will
check on you later okay?" Her voice sounds really worried.
Rie
can only nodd and keeps staring back at Seth.
Mother leaves and
Seth moves again, sitting down next to Rie on her bed.
,Do you
believe me now?" he asks.
,I'm losing my sanity…" Rie
breathes, closing her eyes, praying Seth is gone if she opens them
again. But when she opens her eyes he is still there.
,You're
not crazy." Seth says. ,You can see me."
Rie doesn't know
what to do or say anymore, so she flaps out,,How can… how can
mom's hand move through you?"
,I don't know. That just
happens." Seth replies calmly.
,But you're not sinking
through the bed." Rie squeeks.
,No, I don't." Seth says.
,I don't know, but I can sit down on bed and chairs, I can move
through solid object, but I can't lift things up."
Telling
herself this must be all a weird dream, Rie closes her eyes again.
This can't be true. There can't be a boy named Seth who is
invisible.
,You're name is Rie." Seth speaks. ,I like it.
Well, I have no choice, now do I?"
He laughs and Rie feels him
touching her cheek carefully.
Rie's eyes shoot open. ,Don't…."
She bites.
,Don't what?" Seth asks, not removing his fingers
from her face.
,Touch me." Rie growls. ,Go away."
,No,
I won't go away." Seth moves his hand of her cheek. ,I'm going
to follow you everywhere you go."
Rie looks at him in shock.
Everywhere she goes?
,Except for some privetplaces." Seth
promises her. ,You know, like the bathroom and all." He smiles at
her.
Still not quite believing she is going through all of this,
she continues her staring at him and he stares back.
,I'm
sorry for scaring you." Seth says suddenly. ,I didn't mean to."
Somehow now she relaxes a bit and she closes her eyes, turns her
back on him.
,Yeah, yeah, whatever." She mumbles. ,I want to
sleep."
,I guess you deserve that. Do you mind me sitting
here?"
Rie doesn't reply, acting like she's already asleep.
An
hour later her mother comes back into her room, waking her up.
Surprised she actually slept she sits up, turning around. Seth is
still sitting on her bed. Apparently this whole time he barely moved.
,You're still here?" She snarls to him.
,Rie, what do
you mean?" Mother says, giving her a new cup of tea.
Rie looks
at her mom, but her eyes are stuck at the door. A man is standing in
the doorway, wearing a white coat and a bag in his hand.
,Mom! I
didn't ask for a doctor." Rie shrieks. ,I'm fine! I'm not
that sick."
,I thought it was wise for him to come, honey."
Mother says and she moves away so the doctor can come closer.
His
friendly face smiles at her, but Rie knows that in his mind he is
already checking on her sanity. She knows her mother already told him
she was talking about boys being in her room.
,How are you
feeling, Rie?" the doctor says calmly, as he sits down on a chair
next to her bed, opening his bag.
,I'm fine." Rie says.
,I'm not sick anymore."
,Let me check on you, please."
The doctor says.
,No." Rie backs away, bumping into Seth.
,I'm feeling fine. Now go away."
Surprised the doctor looks
at her mother, who lifts up her shoulders.
The doctor decides to
take different measures. ,You're mother said you were being really
panicky when you got home today." He says. ,Talking about a boy
being in your room."
,I never said that." Rie lies. ,I have
been asleep ever since mom left to pick up Aye."
,So, maybe
you were talking in your sleep." The doctor says.
,How should
I know?" Rie snaps. ,I was asleep until you two rudely woke me up,
thank you!"
Being turned down on her snapping, the doctor
stands up. ,It is possible she talks and moves around while she is
actually asleep, mississ." He tells her mother. ,Especially when
she is ill. So I'd say you keep her in bed for a day or 2 and check
out the progress."
,Yes, doctor, thank you." Mother says,
helping the doctor out of the house.
Rie turns around to look at
Seth. ,I already am doubting my sanity. I don't need them to do
the same." She says.
,You're not crazy." Seth says.
Rie
narrows her eyes. ,What do you know about being crazy?" She moves
out of her bed. ,I'm going to get me something to eat. Do you want
some too?"
,I don't need food." Seth says, as he stands up.
,But I want to come with you."
Rie shakes her head. It's
going to be an awful big of a deal to accept somebody following her
everywhere she goes.
