Can You See Me?

A Place To Go

A scream pierces the walls of her house.

The next sounds that resonate in her room are a loud bang of a headboard hits her room wall and a sharp sound of Rosie's back hits that headboard. The door of her room quickly bursts open as her sister and her father come into her room.

"Rosie, what happen?"

The youngest girl doesn't answer. She keeps rocking back and forth while her arms wrap around her own trembling body. Her eyes then sweep wildly at the darkness of her room. To the furniture in her room that blanketed by darkness, then to her room windows that pierced gently by the moonlight, and then to her family who stay still at the entrance of her room with worry thick in their face. (That child is just a dream. It's a dream, just a dream. Just a nightmare.) Then her eyes move a little to behind her family and a ghost child with dark eyes and bloody face welcomes her with an uncanny bright smile.

Rosie widens her eyes.

(No, it's not. It's not a nightmare.)

"No, no, nonono.."

Her eyes widens even more with horror when the child takes a step closer to her, passing her family who still don't comprehend what's happening, which quickly followed by another steps. The smile in his face grows wider than Rosie thinks possible, making a psychotic joy become even more visible in his face. Rosie quickly forces her body to move backward, trying to create even more distance between them, but her bed headboard immediately hinder that intention. Fear runs through her body when the child reaches the feet of her bed.

"No, no, no. Get him away from me. Get him away! Get him away!! Get him away from me!!"

"Rosie!"

Before she can comprehend what's happening, she pulled by her sister into an embrace. Her frightful eyes are still unable to leave the child's dark eyes but then Alice moves Rosie's head to her shoulder. The arms around the younger girl tightens a little to give her more warm but it's not enough. It's not enough.

"Mom," Rosie whimpers.

Her sister's hold on her gets tighter but it's still not enough. It's still not enough.

"Mom," Rosie whimpers again. "Mom..."

A big hand suddenly pats her head and stays to stroke her hair. Another hand touches her back gently and the owner moves it up and down softly. Rosie lifts her head from her sister's shoulder to see the rest of her family around her. She then glances to her room to see the child already gone.

Alice's arms around her gets even tighter and Rosie lets out a breath. There's one more touch she wants to have, a touch she's aware she can't have, but she knows she can't be greedy and it's already warm enough. Even though there's one more person that's not here, the touches of the rest of her family are already warm enough.

And It's enough for now.

-/-/-/-

A sudden touch at her shoulder startles Rosie and she quickly swats that hand away while turns the rest of her body to face the newcomer.

"Whoa, hey it's just me," Hyeri quickly says while takes a step back.

Rosie blinks. "Hyeri?"

Hyeri nods before she pulls a chair and sits beside Rosie. The latter eyes move a little to the half full classroom. Oh yeah, she's waiting for a class that's about to start. Rosie then moves one hand to her forehead as she closes her eyes with tiredness.

"Are you okay, Rosie?" Hyeri's voice makes Rosie open her eyes to look at the other girl. "You look really pale."

Pale is an understatement, really. She barely gets any sleep because that child haunted her even in her dreams. Suddenly they hear the sound of the door opens and they glance into it. Their eyes catch sight of some students walk to the room but then Rosie's eyes catch sight of a familiar child with bloody face. With loud sound, she stands up from her seat, gaining attentions from the rest of the class. Rosie pays them no mind as one of her trembling hands covers her lips while she whispers, "The child..."