DEMARCATION

Four

AVA

By the time it was time to gather for meditation, I had nearly completed the initial segment. I envisioned a serene setting as the backdrop for the story and intended to incorporate elements of my own experiences into it.

We began with straightforward exercises before gradually transitioning into meditation to cultivate inner peace. As beginners, we were informed that the difficulty level would gradually rise with each session. Despite maintaining a regular exercise routine, I inexplicably felt weak. Following the meditation, we were provided with beverages tailored to our dietary preferences, each different from others except for the bitter taste.

After freshening up, I began to tackle the second part of my work, but it felt as though a heavy weight burdened my mind. I savored the gentle breeze brushing against my skin as my eyelids grew heavy. Despite a knock at the door, I found myself too weak to rise and answer it. To my astonishment, Joe entered the room through the closed door. Bewildered, I was certain I had locked the door, yet I witnessed no opening; he simply materialized as if a specter. Struggling to scream, my world faded into complete darkness.

Uncertain of what had roused me and puzzled by finding myself in bed, I struggled to recollect the events leading up to this moment. My memory halted at the sight of Joe entering the room through the supposedly locked door, leaving me paralyzed at the reading table, unable to utter a sound. The ringing of the bell snapped me back to the present, jolting me out of my reverie.

It occurred to me that the bell ringing must have been what initially woke me. Consulting the instruction manual conveniently placed by the bedside, I discovered it was the dinner call. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already 8 o'clock. Curiosity piqued, I sifted through my notes only to find one page inexplicably torn out. Scouring the room, I eventually stumbled upon the missing paper, bearing a single sentence penned in unfamiliar handwriting. Certain I hadn't written it, I resolved to mention it to Joe during dinner.

Joe awaited me at the dinner table, but with Liam occupying the seat beside me, I hesitated to broach the subject of his visit to my room or the peculiar warning note left there. Sensing my discomfort, Joe graciously switched seats with me, ensuring I sat between him and Sharon to avoid further disturbance from Liam. I resolved to discuss the recent events with Joe after dinner, planning to visit him in his room to avoid drawing attention to myself. Lost in thought, I scarcely noticed what was on my plate, my mind consumed by the mystery of the note and the unusual four-hour sleep, a stark deviation from my usual struggle with insomnia, for which I had relied on sleeping pills for the past three years.

"Uh... Joe?" I tapped lightly on Joe's door.

"Ava, why haven't you slept?... Come inside," Joe replied, concern evident in his voice.

"Joe, I need to talk to you about something," I said as he ushered me in.

"Sure, but before that, let me get you some water. You look pale. What happened?" Joe handed me a glass, and I took several gulps.

"Joe, did you come to my room before dinner?" I asked, while sipping the water he gave.

"No," Joe responded, his brow furrowing. "I heard a scream from your room and knocked. But that was hours ago. Since I received no reply, I assumed you were asleep and returned to my room. Why do you ask?"

I proceeded to explain the strange occurrence and the warning note.

"Do you have the note with you now?" Joe asked after some thought.

"Yes," I replied, searching for it in my pocket. I showed it to him.

The note read:

'Leave with your friend before it's too late.'

"I don't think this is a threat. Instead, it feels like a concerned warning, as they have mentioned something being wrong here and they also want me to leave," Joe said after studying the note.

I took the note back and asked him what to do.

"I think this is a joke or someone might have taken a dislike to the evening drink and the food. Don't take it seriously. Go to your room, take a nap, and tomorrow morning you'll be able to laugh over this," Joe advised.

"But what about you coming to my room?" I inquired.

"You are tired, and this is a new place with me being the only one whom you know. So your tiredness took over, and you dreamed about my friendly, handsome face," Joe joked, earning himself a jab in the stomach from me before I left him to his beauty sleep.

Despite Joe's reassuring advice and explanation, a sense of unease lingered within me. The memory of Joe's ghostly appearance troubled me deeply until exhaustion once again overpowered my senses.