ChApTer 8

I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things-my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice... your voice…

Everything is confusing. He was there one time and here on the other.

He was walking down the hospital corridors wearing what look like hospital clothes, only cleaner. 'Man, it's cold out here. Doesn't anyone mind if they wear this all around in this cold place?'

No one seems to mind. In fact, no one seems to bother at all. He was walking down the way, unnoticed. Like he doesn't really exist.

Soon he found them, his friends, except for one. He felt a little sad but then dismissed the thought all the while and instead he chased after them.

He tried calling their names but it seem no one could hear him. He was by then screaming at the top of his voice but no one even tried to scold him, not even the doctors standing near him. It seems like he doesn't exist or whatsoever.

Rei stared at them for a while, bewildered. He didn't know what to do. He could try and knock them off and they won't mind even a bit. He stared at them. 'How could they miss me when I'm just here standing right in front their noses.'

He rolled his eyes dismissing the thought and decided to go off instead. He started walking the corridors again, enjoying his unnoticed state. 'If only I have live like this earlier, I would have enjoyed life more. I wouldn't even meet… her.' He faltered suddenly realizing that his thoughts were against what he was trying to believe.

He absentmindedly ran his fingers on the wall, tracing an invisible straight line, like he used to do when he walks the corridors of their school, but then he was astonished when he didn't felt the rough walls on the tip of his fingers.

He stopped, horrorstruck again. 'What's happeni-'

"Ichigo, come back here!" A voice called out to the boy running his way. Rei turned just in time to watch the boy pass by him, more like ran through him.

He stared again, another bewilderment hitting him.

'The boy just walk in through me like a curtain….' He whispered to himself.

And without thinking why, without thinking how, Rei tried to feel the cold wall beside him and as he expected, he just went through it. He closed his eyes shut and pushed further. Shockingly at it was, Rei found himself next standing on the opposite side of the wall, a silent room accessible though a door that was in the corridor.

"Cool" he said, fascinated with the things he could. He did the through-the-walls-walk again and returned to the corridors. He smiled smugly to himself and decided to walk up right to everyone there.

He walk pass through every single man he could find in the corridors and was enjoying this new ability. He had soon retraced his way back and was just in time to see his friends disappear through a door.

Rei silently followed behind them, not minding if they had shut the door right before he could enter because he had just easily walked pass through it. He wanted gravely to do the trick on them but then he felt quiet when he found who was in the bed they had surrounded when they entered.

He stared deadpan at the almost lifeless boy, which was him laid, in the said bed. He was almost disbelieving but then realized that all signs were pointing on only one thing, on the thin line that he must be crossing right now.

He shook his head lightly, refusing to believe the thought and almost entertaining the more sensible one that says it was all just a dream, … but then everything felt true.

Without taking his eyes off the bed and its occupant, Rei walked backwards for the door. He wanted to run away right then and there, refusing everything that his eyes were showing him. "No, this can't be true… Nothing's real…." He whispered lowly.

He was about to hit the door by then when a trembling voice made him stop.

"Rei…" Ran's voice came. It was shaky and totally different from her usual confident tone. "Please, Rei, don't give up. You could do it." She whispered.

There was a long agonizing pause, though not spoken; everyone had a share of this painful silence. Ran couldn't help herself anymore and finally broke out. She can't control herself anymore and almost screamed at the face of the boy.

"Rei, You can't do this, you idiot, you has her waiting for you! Please return to us, return to her! She needs you, Rei! Didn't you hear me? She's waiting! Please don't turn her down this time! Rei, please…" Ran was really pleading for the boy back. Tears streaming down her face and cannot hold anymore she was concealing.

Ran suddenly threw herself to Rei's body and was ready to shake him awake but her friends were quick to stop her.

"Ran, please stop." Yamatto told her, holding the struggling Ran on his arms.

"No, I can't!" Ran stubbornly shot back and continued to struggle. "You don't know how much it hurts her cause you weren't there every time she calls out his name! No. You weren't there to witness her suffer! And you can't possibly imagine her suffer more when he's totally gone!"

Miyu can't stop herself too from horribly weeping and threw her arms around Ran in a comforting fashion. "Ran, please stop … we can't do anything anymore. It's not in our hands. We'll just have to trust the doctors and pray he wakes up today or else…" Miyu couldn't continue anymore and Ran and her weep on each other's arms. Yamatto, Yuuya and Tatsuki drew a little closer and also gave their friends comfort.

Rei just stood there, watching them idly. He can't do anything now. Miyu was right and maybe his thoughts were also right. Everything is through. It is finished.

Then the clocked stroked three and a blinding light came before him. Rei had to raise his hands and cover his eyes from the blinding light to see the shadow standing from where the light was coming, extending his or maybe her hands for him.

"Rei… Let's go. Go home…"

The voice echoed all around him. He looked back to the spot where he had been watching their figures mourn on him but they just look like blurs and fading dreams. Rei took steps forward willingly, following the shadow.

This was it. Once he reach out and take the hand of the unknown figure, it would be no turning back. He'd leaving them eternally. He'd leaving her forever.

He gave out a gentle smile, reminiscing their good times. He'd never forget them. He'd never forget her. " This is goodbye…" he whispered.

He gave them a glance one last time and then reached out to take the hand of the shadow. It was inches apart, almost touching. When suddenly everything seem to stop and a voice echoed on his head.

"Rei…"

He jolted up, panting and sweat dropping. He was lying on a bed in one of the warm rooms of the hospital. He squinted a little more and found a dark haired woman lying on his bedside.

"Aya…" he whispered unfathomably.

The woman started moving and lifted her head to meet his eyes. She smiled at him with teary eyes. "Rei… Thank God, you're alive." She whispered.

"mom…" he said at the woman.

The woman stood up and gave Rei a motherly kiss, cupping his face on her hands. "Oh my god, you are alive my boy…" she said almost unbelievingly. She quickly called for the doctors and soon they surrounded him, checking him.

It was long before they left and Rei was left in the room, her mother attending to the doctors.

He stared at empty space, disbelieving at himself… "Idiot, of course, she'd not here anymore. She's somewhere in London now… far from us, from me… She doesn't even know…"

Rei then sank back to his bed; partially wishing he'd took the figure's hand instead…

"Life's not worth living"