42

“You need to calm him, Khalil.”

The counsellor’s request made Khalil feel a thousand times heavier than when he fainted that day (whether he fainted or slept while accompanied by nightmares, Khalil wasn’t sure yet). Khalil was as still as a stone.

“I know it’s too much to ask. I know I offered to handle this thing alone, but he wouldn’t listen to me from now on. So I need you to calm him. If it didn’t work even after the staging – I swear, we’ll leave. You, and me. Let’s leave this place. At least we tried, right?

“Really? You’re leaving?”

“I’m at my limits, Khalil. I think it’s about time we move on, too,” admitted the counsellor.

Khalil was silent. He never did want to become a part of this. The counsellor was the one who dragged him into it. And now he was haunted by the thing he wanted to forget again.

“Why don’t we just leave now?” asked Khalil.

“What?”

“You want to be one of those idiots in those horror films? We keep on screaming ‘Get out of there! Get lost!’ but they still wanted to investigate more – in the end, they gained nothing.”

The counsellor was silent. She felt like laughing when Khalil compared their situation with movies – but thinking about what Khalil just experienced, the feeling disappeared.

“If you want to you could, but I need to give a notice of resignation first. I work here, remember?” said the counsellor.

Khalil felt guilty. He can’t just leave her here alone?

The counsellor caught his expression and said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m used to these kinds of things.”

“You’ve never experienced what I did…”

“True. But I was never directly related to the tragedy. Maybe…”

“Maybe it’s angrier towards me?”

It was the counsellor who felt guilty this time. “But you have to understand it was not your fault, Khalil. Just because you survived, doesn’t mean…”

“I’m staying,” decided Khalil.

Khalil wanted to finish this due business. Maybe he could finally sleep at night after this. And nothing the counsellor say could change his mind.

Gibbs entered Ray’s room in a panic.

“What the hell is going on?!”

Ray who was smoking on the bed looked at Gibbs as if Gibbs just asked, “Where do you want to eat later?”

“Sit down first,” invited Ray, calm.

Gibbs felt like declining at first but looking at the extra-calm Ray, he sat down on the bed – like the bed was the source of al calmness.

“What’s up?” asked Ray.

“You tell me.”

Ray sighed. “You really want to know?”

“So you were really hiding something from me? From KJ?”

“KJ already knows. He didn’t tell you.”

Gibbs’ confused and angry face made Ray feel like telling him then and there. But Ray felt that there was something else that would let Gibbs see the full picture.

“I didn’t plan for it to be like this. I wanted you to have a good senior year and end it with a bang. But since you’re like this…”

“What ‘like this’? Panicked? If you find out that your girlfriend is actually a ghost, tell me you wouldn’t be panicked!”

Ray looked at Gibbs. His gaze was undecipherable. And most importantly, Ray wasn’t even shocked when Gibbs accused Fara of being a ghost.

“Follow me tonight. We have a full dress rehearsal at the auditorium,” invited Ray.

“What’s with you, Ray? I’m in a crisis yet you’re bringing me to a show?”

“Do you want to know the truth?”

Gibbs clearly knew that Ray’s suggestion was out of place but as he didn’t have any other choice right now, he just nodded.

KJ… I need to find KJ…

But Gibbs didn’t find KJ. As KJ was busy with his newest project. The project of disrupting the full dress rehearsal that night.

Jeremy walked back and forth behind the stage, making sure that everything was going well. Even though he knew no matter how many times he checked, it would be useless. If the ‘thing’ wanted to disturb them, it could do it in the middle of the full dress rehearsal.

“My, you okay?”

The question came from Lina, Jeremy’s best friend cum jump-in heroine for the night.

“I’m okay. You?”

“Okay. It’s just… I’m a bit nervous. Especially when thinking about what your beloved brother Khalil reminded.”

Jeremy nodded. He too became fearful thinking about the reminded…

“Right when the full dress rehearsal finish, no need for a curtain call or anything. You and your people have to get out using the back door, understand? No matter what happen… no matter what you hear or see… I want you to get lost as fast as possible. Get it?”

“What if anything happens to you?”

“I’ll know how to take care of myself. Do you understand what I’m saying? I want you guys to immediately get out after the performance. Not a second later!”

“Got it, brother. Got it.”

Jeremy sighed. He looked at Lina, Lina looked at him.

“Lina, tonight… if anything happens to me… I want you to know that…”

“Stop! Don’t start it now!” Lina interjected.

Jeremy snapped. Damn you, Lina. Can’t you even let me feel like a hero who’s about to go to war? 

Gibbs arrived at the auditorium with Ray.

They immediately sat on a seat in the middle of the auditorium while the stage was still being prepared for the full dress rehearsal.

The audience light was turned off. Only one spotlight was lit in the middle of the stage.

“You have yet to tell me… what this show is about.” Asked Gibbs in the darkness.

Because of the darkness, Gibbs was unable to see the bitter smile when Ray answered.

“About us.”