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F O U R

"The abode of the spirits are astral world and earth land counterparts. In the path of evolution, the soul is futile. You need a body to unfold consciousness."

"She declined me, Cam."

Camilo widened his green eyes, he painted contrived shock on his face by the statement Charlie declared. Charlie hated when he did it, but he appreciated how Camilo paid enough attention to it. Somehow it quickly disappeared, he cheered Charlie up, "Look, don't give up! There is always another way."

"I don't think I can talk to her again. It's like a dead end."

"No, not Madam Trevils!" Camilo smirked. He pointed behind nowhere. "In the library you'll find a girl with long black straight hair. When I was in detention to spend a week in the library, I saw her reading weird books."

Charlie was puzzled by the unexplained correlation between weird books and his lost brother. "What's the point, really?"

"You didn't know where I knew about Shaman." Cam managed to ensure his friend. Nevertheless, this was worth a try. "Just see her, you can decide by yourself."

"Okay. What's her name?" Charlie once again agreed to his friend's idea.

"It's Isa. Don't be rude, she's sensitive, I guess," Camilo pushed him a bit too hard to rush to the library. "First time I said hello, she gave me death by her stare."

When Charlie entered the library he could see many diverse groups of students sitting with friends studying. There were huge windows at the back of the library that gave a magnificent and outstanding look, which also brought in a powerful light into the library. Artificial trees and plants stand in almost every corner of the library, giving it a unique and beautiful look.

He started to wander to look for the girl. The carpet was made thick and comfy so the sound of people walking by would not disturb the focused students sitting in the library. The books were properly organized in an alphabetic order so it would be easier for the students to find a specific book and not waste their time looking for it. The different wooden pieces in the library, each one was made for a different purpose; a high table with its high chairs for the comfort of the tall people and the ones who needed to use their own computer devices, The wide chairs near the huge windows for those who liked to read with a natural light coming from the windows, Along with other diverse pieces of furniture were present there each one served and important duty.

Where is this girl? Charlie could not find her anywhere, so he walked back to the entrance. When he twisted his body, a girl with long straight hair stood in front of him. Her stare was cold and jolting him.

"Gosh!" Charlie shouted. She did not respond, nor move her sight. Their eyes met, and Cam was proved correct when Charlie caught her raven eyes. He built some courage to speak up, "I-Isa, right?"

She looked at Charlie, gave a gap time before she responded with unnecessary sentences. "You're not a librarian," she said, "Can you take me that book, on the third rack right next to you?"

"I'm not... Yeah," Charlie stepped closer. He lifted his arm to reach the book at the top which he predicted as the book Isa was trying to take. "This, right?"

"Thank you," she replied whilst receiving the book, it was covered in gray, titled Another World. Her hand was cold.

"Fun thing, you're interested to," his glance pointed to the book, she ignored the opinion.

"It's not fun," she said shortly.

"Oh sorry, I didn't know," he took a second to continue, "I feel like I have been there before but it was just jet black, you know, the other world."

Unexpectedly, her eyes goggled for an unknown reason.

"I need your help," Charlie directly uttered.

"You shouldn't," she replied, spinned her body and walking away.

Charlie ran after her, "Please, I beg you, my brother is in a coma right now," That made her step stop, "I saw him in my dreams."

She twisted a bit. "849-801 7th Ave. 10 p.m."

After dropping an address, then she left.

– – –

Charlie visited the address she gave at the time she mentioned. Fortunately Sandra was having business with her friends so no supervision tonight. It was near the cemetery, no idea why she told him to be there, freezing and alone. His arms folded in front of his chest, rubbing each other to give some warmth. It was not this cold before he arrived here. He laid his body on the tall fence of the graveyard, still wondering the reason this place was chosen by her to meet.

Rows of tombstones stood erect in silence to the left and right, in front and behind, like a sea of the dead. Some were crumbled with the weathering of centuries, some were smooth marble with new black writing and laid with floral tributes. It was dark but it was clear that there was somebody sitting on one of the gravestones, a skinny boy, moving his leg limbs back and forth.

Charlie gulped, it was so silent as he only heard the wind breezed, but the boy began to sound,

Whenever you see a hearse go by

you'll know you'll be the next to die

They wrap you up in bloody sheets

and drop you down ten thousand feet

The song stopped.

The boy lifted his head up. He turned a little and stared at Charlie. His eyes shined bright, Charlie did not breathe, nor even blink. Then he caught in his vision, long black threads blown in the wind so near in front. He twisted his gaze to follow where it came from. Isa was already standing on his left.

"Damn!" he freaked out. "Can't you at least call?"

"You were wondering about the graves, I didn't feel like bothering," she said, looking at the graveyard.

"It wasn't the grave, but–" Charlie turned his sight back to where the boy chilled, but he disappeared.

"Now," Isa distracted him back. She handed him a gunny sack. It looked big and heavy. "You need to help me first."

"What is it?"

"There would be a raccoon running this way," she pointed into the backyard of a house. "She visits my house every night and is so noisy. I can't sleep well."

"What the hell?"

"You want help then you have to help."

"Fine. Easy thing, though," Charlie uttered. They waited until the animal she said walked through them. It was not as fast as he predicted. "Hell, it walks slowly?"

"She will run if you try to catch her."

"Absolutely," He said, and started chasing the raccoon. That was not difficult as before it reached the backyard he already grabbed its tail and put it inside the sack. "It's not quick at all! Why don't you catch it by yourself?"

She stared at Charlie for a while, received the sack that turned heavier, and replied. "Too lazy to run."

"What the hell?"

"I'll see you at school. I'll try what I can do tomorrow," she prepared to leave.

"What? So I helped for nothing?" he was disappointed. He was always disappointed.

"For tomorrow."

* * *