"You can see me. That's all that matters."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked the ghostly figure, only she wasn't paying attention to me anymore. She lifted her head, her watery eyes darting nervously around us.
I took in our surroundings, realizing I was in a remote place.
"Do you know anywhere safe enough for us to talk?" I was thinking the school when she continued. "They can find us here."
"Who?" I questioned, a sense of wariness began to creep up on me.
"Those bad spirits, the ones that eat souls."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Hollows I could deal with. The other nasty spirits that looked like hollows were the ones to stay away from.
"I know a place," I said, without another thought. "But let's try to figure out where we are."
"I can help with that," the little girl replied. She moved, more like glided ahead of me. And before I knew what I was doing, I was following her all the way back to the school building. Darkness had settled into the sky, making me uncomfortable.
I took lead and walked the familiar blocks before I noticed the clinic ahead of me. Only this night, the lights were off, making the place seem unwelcoming. Ichigo and his family must have left on their family trip already.
"Why are you looking at that building?" the spirit asked me, breaking me from my reverie. Momentarily, I forgot she was with me.
"Nothing," I replied. I didn't answer her question because I didn't feel the need to explain anything to her.
"Oh," was all she said.
I dashed up the stairs of my home and opened the door. The first thing I noted was that dad wasn't home. The lights were off. Switching them on, I took off both my shoes and backpack and set the objects aside. I locked the door after me and made my way into the kitchen, putting on one of the burners on the stove to heat up the kettle. Originally, I would settle for black coffee but I needed time to think and to calm down the edginess I felt from the pricking hairs on my skin.
"Usually, I don't let spirits into the house, but I can't think of another place to safely have a conversation," I told the spirit while getting a cup for myself from one of the cabinets. "And I will offer you some tea but ghosts don't eat and drink things from this world, well, unless you're special."
I turned to her, putting the cup on the table. She already made herself at home as she sat down on the chair from across me. It was weird viewing a ghostly figure acting like a human.
"You can see me," she started saying again.
I blinked at her. Perhaps bringing this girl into my home was a mistake. "Yes."
"You don't get it?" And again, with more tear works, she said, "I've been looking for someone who can see me for a long time."
"How long, exactly?"
The dark-haired girl shook her head. "I don't know."
Well, the first step of helping her was a failure. "Okay, what do you mean no one can see you?"
"No one else can see me until today." Either I was asking some weird questions or I sounded asinine.
I took a seat and covered my eyes with a hand. I sighed and then said the first word that came to mind, "Troublesome."
"I don't mean to be but no one can help me."
That was when I uncovered my eyes and looked at her with a straight face. "That can change. I know someone who can help you."
Her facial features brightened while she sat up on her chair. "You?"
"Not me?" I shook my head. There was no way in chance I was going to get involve with spirits. It was bad enough I let this spirit into my home.
She frowned. "Then who?"
"I know someone, a guy who helps spirits like yourself."
"No!" the spirit instantly denied. "No else can see me."
"He can," I insisted. "His specialty lies with seeing souls like yourself."
The kettle began to whistle and I got up from my chair to take it off. With my back turned to her, I continued talking. "He definitely can help you move on."
"I don't want to move on," she said all of a sudden.
My hand paused on taking the kettle handle. With my back still facing her, I asked, "Why?"
"Because I need to find my mommy."
A scene where Ichigo and a girl with forgotten memories escorting the boy all over Karakura Town to find his mom popped in my mind. Rukia and Ichigo were perfect for helping this little girl.
I reached for the kettle and poured the steaming water into my cup. "That can be arranged."
"You're willing to help me?"
I exhaled as I put the kettle back down on the stove. Really, children had a way of making me feel like I had to be responsible, which was why I avoided them. "He and his special friend will help you."
"No!" she protested. "They can't help me! Only you can because you can see me!"
I swiveled on my feet to see her and I halted in my denial to assist her. Big tears fell down from her green eyes and her face looked so pale. I could feel a dull ache in my chest. "Fine, I'll help you," I muttered.
Her demeanor changed instantly, causing me to blink. Her eyes were still shimmering but there was a big smile on her face. "Thank you!"
And it seemed that I lost words for anything else.
OoO
"This is your room?" the little girl asked. She floated into the center of my bedroom to take everything in.
"It's not much right now, considering I just moved in."
"You're so lucky!" she squealed and then she was lying on my bed. Somehow, I could see the imprint of her frame on the mattress, like if her body was real. "I never had my own room. I had to share one with my little sister."
"You had a sister?"
"Yeah," she answered. "Until dad took her with him when mommy and him divorced."
"And you still didn't get your own room?"
"We were on our way to our new home when..." She sat up on the bed and looked intently into my eyes. All the childishness left her face. "I need to find my mommy."
"Like I said I will help you but there are some conditions." Finally, I felt proud that I could be firm to this little girl without giving into her every whim.
"What kind?" I wasn't expecting her to give in so easily. She seemed different now, very mature for her age.
"Well, the search will have to wait afterschool and you have to agree on meeting the person who I said can help you."
"But you're going to help me too?"
"I am, however, I can't do it alone. I don't know this city well enough."
"Okay, you have a point."
"Good," I said. All the troublesome matters were put aside, I moved to sit on my bed and sat on it cross-legged. "By the way you never told me your name."
"You didn't tell me yours either."
"Kaya Aiko," I replied. "Aiko is my given name and Kaya is my surname."
"Erin," the spirit answered back but she bowed her head and whispered, "I can't remember my surname."
"That's alright." Trying to change the subject I asked, "How old are you?"
"Twelve." I blinked at her. She didn't look like a preteen.
"And you?"
"Fifteen."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, why?"
She laughed. "You look older."
And I shocked myself by laughing back. "I was thinking you look younger."
Then we were both laughing up a storm.
OoO
The next day I sprinted downstairs into the kitchen. Dad had already left to go to work but he left the coffeemaker on to keep the black coffee warm. I smiled at his kind gesture. Quickly, I made myself a buttered toast and shoved it into my mouth. Only when I was reaching for my usual meds, the pills weren't on the table.
My eyebrows tugged together. Hisashi wouldn't move the pills into another location without warning me and I didn't remember taking them in my room. In fact, I didn't take my sleeping pills last night.
At the swift realization, I froze.
My eyes darted all over the kitchen for tell-tale signs of the creatures that haunted me as a child.
"What's wrong?" the girly voice questioned from beside me and I jumped back. I pressed a hand to my chest to calm my racing heart to only see the appendage was shaking.
"I need my pills," I said to her.
"Aren't you too young for medication?" she asked.
"Aren't you too old to judge people?" I quipped.
"I've been told that I'm a lot smarter than a regular person my age."
"No, people were being too kind when they mean you're too much of a smart aleck."
The girl rolled her eyes. "If you can't find them, then go on a day without them."
I let out a long breath while trying to mentally count backwards from ten-to-one. "I can't," I eventually answered her. "There will be some side effects."
"Like your trembling hand," she pointed out.
I nodded my head.
"Then you're going to be fine."
"How do you know that?" I questioned her while turning my head to look at her.
"Take it from a dead person, you're going to be fine."
Not wanting to argue with her further, I glanced down at my wristwatch and my eyes widened. School was about to begin and I was still at home talking to a spirit. I rested my cup of unfinished coffee on the kitchen table and put my plate in the sink. I rushed to put on my shoes and backpack. I sprinted out of the house, locking the door behind me and never once did it register my mind the consequences of not taking my meds
OoO
The day was better. One, everything seemed quieter. There wasn't a commotion involving an orange-haired guy, seeing ghosts, or experiencing earthquakes.
Two, I definitely went unnoticed by people. Without the school idol hanging out with me or Orihime chatting with me during our class break, I was ignored.
And lastly, the day was going by quicker than usual.
But I couldn't stop my eyes from roaming to Ichigo's desk and the thought of how he was coping on the day of his mother's death. I shook my head. There was no way I was going to visit the clinic to check on him. This was his personal day.
I inhaled a deep breath. 'This is what I want,' I told myself. 'I want everything to be normal.'
Yet, why did I feel like something was missing?
I placed a hand over my chest, feeling a sudden fluttering sensation there.
My head moved side-to-side, causing my hair to sway in motion.
"Kaya," the female sitting next to me said my last name.
I turned to her.
"Are you okay?" she asked with concern etched in her tone.
My lips stretched across my face. "Yep."
"Uh, okay," she replied while struggling to return my smile. Yep, she was having a hard time believing me.
Her thoughts didn't matter. I wanted to revel being alone. Finally, I didn't have to worry about anyone else.
I sighed, returning to taking notes while the teacher was showing us how to solve a math problem on the board. By the time school finished, I gathered my belongings, stuffing them into my bag and headed straight for the school's exit.
"You didn't forget, right?" a girly voice popped out of nowhere.
I froze, the backpack falling from my hand. A couple students passing by me gave me awkward looks. I canceled them out by shutting my eyes and mentally counting backwards. "10, 9, 8, 7... By the time I got to one, my eyes drifted open and the spirit from yesterday was floating in front of me.
A few other students passed by me and they appeared unruffled by the transparent figure floating in front of me. "You did forget." She sounded forlorn.
"No," I said, hoping not to see her teary expression. "I just thought to take a quick trip home and make something to eat."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "You did forget."
I exhaled a breath. "Okay," I confessed.
"I knew it!"
"But now you reminded me, we better get started with our search."
I picked up my bag and made my way to the front doors of the school when I paused. "Aren't you coming?" I called to her. It was then I noticed the funny expressions on the students' faces and I realized from their perspective that I looked to be a crazy girl talking to herself. Not bothering to glance over my shoulder at the girl, I kept walking until I found myself trailing a way home.
After a while, she floated alongside me. Her chain made some rattling noises, reminding me that she was a soul that Ichigo could help.
I stopped and dragged a deep breath into my lungs. "Seriously, let me tell the person I know who can help you."
"Okay," she said, agreeing too easily.
"So where do we start?" I asked her while stopping in the middle of the street.
"I don't know," she answered.
My shoulders hunched over. Leave it to two girls to do a task they didn't know what they were doing.
"Troublesome," I breathed.
"Why do you say that word?" she questioned me.
I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath. "It's just an easy word to express what I'm feeling."
"I like it!" She beamed at me.
I laughed at her simplicity. "Thanks."
"Now, that you're feeling better. Let's get back to that search."
"Oh right." I looked around me, taking in the bustling pedestrians. Very few people were dressed casually, leaving me to wonder if they had the day off. I bit my lip and glanced down at the sidewalk. "What is the last detail you can remember?"
"I was in a car."
I scratched under my chin. Her answer didn't narrow our options.
"Your mother's car?"
"Yeah."
"Do you remember being in a park, a city street, a back road, or anything."
"No," the girl replied. "I was sleeping." Her chain rattled from next to me. Peering at her through my long hair, I saw her glancing up at the sky. Her face was scrunched up.
"I'm sorry," I said, breaking the silence between us.
The girl's eyes got watery again. I fisted my hands at my sides.
"We're going to walk the streets and see if you see any other ghosts."
Her head whipped to me. "Really?"
"It's a good start."
She smiled and then her lips tugged into a straight line. "Can't you see the other spirits too?"
I began walking while keeping my head down so that way if my mouth moved, my long hair would conceal me. "Normally, I can't."
"But you saw me."
"I can't explain how." I raised my hand to her direction. "You're an exception."
"If you stop walking and look around you, do you think you will see them."
"No."
"Why don't you give it a try?"
"Because I rather not."
There was a brief pause. I stopped mid-step and glanced up. The little spirit wasn't next to me. My head turned to the side.
"Take a good look," she said from behind me.
Turning to her, I sighed and put my hands on my hips.
"Come on. Aren't you curious?"
I brought a hand up to my face, my forefinger and thumb pinching the tender skin between my eyebrows. "Not really."
"Why?"
"I prefer not see them. The ghosts." I was slightly shaking my head.
"Then how are you going to help me find my mom?"
"I was hoping you recognize her by some stroke of a miracle or we ask for help."
The ghost floated past me. Her chain rattled. For some reason a person in chains popped in my mind.
"You're not trying to help me."
"I'm out here, aren't I?" I called out to her. Immediately being on the receiving end of some strange looks, I just began following the girl.
"Yeah, but your heart is not set on helping me."
This girl couldn't be more spot on. I wanted to be at home doing homework, preparing a meal for my dad and me, and perhaps end the night with watching a television show or reading a book. I just wanted to live a normal life.
"Let's go back."
I should be happy. She was giving in but I felt guilty.
"No," I said to her. "We're going to look for your mom." I walked past her, not caring if she tagged along. I raised my chin, my fingers brushing dark strands of hair to the side of my face. For the first time I paid attention and I was astonished what I saw. The pedestrians moving around me weren't all human. The spirits glided with the real people, blending into the world around them.
"I..." I was at lost for words.
"You can see them."
"Yes."
She smiled. "Then let's go." She grabbed my hand, the sensation feeling almost real. Somehow, she pulled me down the street leading me to I had no idea where. At least, I was keeping my end of the bargain. I was helping her to find her mother.
OoO
The moment I got home, a jitteriness overtook me. I ran into the kitchen, throwing on the faucet. Grabbing a clean glass from one of the cupboards, I filled it.
"What's wrong?" the spirit asked me. Not paying any heed, I turned off the water and moved to table.
"Where is it?" I asked myself. My hands felt all over the table while knocking over some objects to the floor.
"Where is what?"
My hands and legs started to tremble. I could feel a surge of pain in my head. I paused, my hands splaying on the table, my body leaning over while I caught myself.
The spirit looked troubled. "Seriously, what's wrong?"
"I don't know. My meds."
"Where are they?" she asked me.
"Normally, on the table." I could barely say the words and before I knew what was happening, I was lying floor in fetal position. Pain racket my abdomen.
I curled more into myself as I tried to breathe through the pain. Tears leaked from my eyes.
I could hear her voice, her movements, and other things falling to the floor. I didn't know how much time pass me by but the next thing I felt was someone picking me off the ground and dashing outside. The cool air was a shock into my lungs but welcoming to my fevered skin. Then bright lights flooded my vision and the coolness vanished.
"You're going to be okay," a masculine voice whispered by my ear. There was a slight concern in his tone. Hisashi.
I didn't reply back. I just curled in the warmth that he offered.
"Did you see them, Aiko? The little demons?" he questioned me.
Again, I didn't say anything.
"This is important."
With a shift of my head from his chest to his shoulder, I whispered, "No."
"Good."
"Mr. Kaya, I need you to put your daughter on this bed," another male voice said from the distance.
"Oh, Dr. Kurosaki. Thank you!" my father replied. He sounded relieved as he deposited me on something soft. I began shaking my head, my arms wrapped around his neck tightly.
"Aiko, honey, you have to let go."
I shook my head harder.
"Honey, you need your meds. For now they're going to calm you down."
I hung on to him for all I was worth.
"Please, Aiko."
Other hands grasped my arms. I didn't have energy in me to fight anymore. I let go of my father.
Their voices faded away as I closed my eyes and let the darkness blanket me.
OoO
When I became aware of my surroundings, my eyes landed on orange. Everything else became clear. Ichigo was sitting in a chair next to me. He rested his elbows on his thighs. His chin was planted on his hands. I glanced around the room, taking the other freshly made beds, the white paint, the open space. Dad wasn't around.
"Kurosaki," I whispered the guy's name. I winced hearing the roughness in my tone.
"Here is some water," he said as he handed me a glass from one of the stand tables next to me.
I put the glass to my lips and greedily sucked the moisture until the liquid went down the wrong part in my throat. Ichigo took the glass from my hands. I coughed a lot, trying to clear my esophagus.
"That hurts." The fact that I could clearly feel pain had me wondering if they gave me my meds. Even my whole body hurt.
"Are you okay?" he asked me.
I was the one who should be asking him that same question. Instead, I settled for nodding my head.
"We were about to close up for the night when your father rushed you in here. Does that happen often in the other places?"
"If you mean ending up in a clinic bed, no?" I answered him. "This is the place I try my best to stay away from."
He gave me a weird look.
"No offense, I don't like hospitals or anything that reminds me of it," I replied. I didn't go into much details but after being a mental patient for some time, I never wanted to return to a hospital.
"I have no choice but to be in this clinic. My father owns it and my sisters help him from time-to-time," Ichigo said, trying his best to make me feel comfortable.
I smiled at him until I realized something. "What time is it?"
"A little before seven," He answered while glancing at his wristwatch.
"Oh no, we have school." I pulled away the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The orange-haired teenager was already standing in front of me, his hands were held in the air.
"Is getting up a good idea?"
"I can walk." To emphasize my point, I landed on both my feet and made a step. He caught me as I was about to fall down.
"I think you should rest."
"No." I liked school. The idea of missing a day, especially for not being extremely sick felt wrong. "I'm going to school."
"When you can barely walk."
"I'll find a way," I snapped at him. I was leaning too much against him until I could feel the hardness of his chest beneath my hands. I could smell the scent of his aftershave, feel his warm breath on the crown of my head. My eyes widened and then I was pushing him away from me. My body was falling backward and my bottom hit the ground. I yelped from the sudden impact.
"Ouch," I heard. He was also sprawled on the floor, not so far away from me. "Why did you do that?"
"Because you were standing too close for comfort."
Ichigo cheeks reddened. My cheeks also heated. I turned away from him. Not so successfully, I rose to my feet. The bed I occupied provided me assistance.
"Look, right now really might not be a good idea to go to school." He was already standing, looking at my poor attempt to stay on my feet.
"I can make it to school. Besides, I'll spend the day mostly sitting down." It was the truth. The only time I got up was during break and for gym.
Before he could say anything else, his father walked up to my bed. "Good to see you Kaya." He called me by my last name. "You father was really worried but I assured him you're in great hands."
"He went to work," I stated.
"Yes." He offloaded a whole bunch of items on the table next to me. A lot of the items had to do with his profession, much of it I couldn't recognize. What I did notice was that he opened a bottle. "Give me your hand."
I did as he instructed. He held the little container over my hand and shook it until two pills fell onto the appendage. "You're only taking these until your father can pick up your prescription from the pharmacy."
My eyebrows tugged together as I eyed the pills.
"Ichigo, can you give us some privacy?" The orange-headed teenager nodded his head and left us. Still eyeing the pills, I heard Dr. Kurosaki inhale a deep breath.
After some time, he said, "Aren't you going to take them?"
My head raised to him. "Are these the same prescribed drugs?"
A smile curved on his aged face. To think his father was once a captain, when he was right before me in human form, one would never believe it.
"No."
"What?" I blinked at him.
"These pills are a stronger dose."
I blinked again. "Are you..."
"I'm aware of your past. Your father, Mr. Kaya, informed me about everything." So much for our secret being kept. It was probably time for us to pack our things and head to the next city. "I'm sorry you had a rough past."
My hand tightened into a fist, the meds were secured.
"I know won't believe me but you're not alone."
"What do you know about me?" I shot at him.
He didn't look fazed by my loss of reaction. So I continued. "My dad may have told you a thing or two, but still you know nothing. Not of our suffering or me trying to cope with my mental whatever."
"You're special," he told me out of the blue.
My mouth fell open, all thought fading from my mind.
"And your father and you need an ally." What more could I say to him for that? "The pills in your hand have a stronger dose of risperidone. They should last you the whole day."
I simply nodded my head. I put the tablets in my mouth and took the glass of water from the bedside table. I downed the water and tablets.
"Good. You're going to be okay," he said with a smile.
"Thank you." I bowed to him.
"Don't worry." The seriousness melted on his face as he winked at me. "Besides, I don't want you to keep my son waiting."
I almost deadpanned. He got the glass from my hand and walked by me, leaving me alone. Only when he wasn't in sight and his son returned to where I was standing, I realized the pain in my body had subsided. I blinked.
"Are you coming, Kaya?"
"Aiko," I said.
"What?"
"My first name is Aiko."
Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head with a hand. "Ichigo."
"I know."
His eyed me speculatively. "You're coming right? You look well enough to go to school."
"I am." I walked to him, not feeling any discomfort in my body. The pills so far began taking an effect. Another way to test them was if I could still see apparitions.
"I'm going to change into my school uniform and grab my books from home."
"I'll wait for you outside." It seemed like Ichigo and I were going to attend school together, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do with him.
"You don't have to."
"I don't mind. And my dad won't stop ranting away if I let you walk to school on your own," he added.
We made our way out of the clinic. I crossed the street to get to my house and he went into his to get his school stuff. The next time we met, we were outside my home and we went to school together.
A/N: I can't apologize enough for not updating sooner. School, it's been keeping me busy. I hope you enjoyed reading. Thank you all so much for your support and please, leave a review if you like what you've read. :)
