Tracing Memories

55: P r o t e c t i o n

One evening when you returned I was busy watching a horror movie. I paused it to greet you.

"Welcome home!" I chirped enthusiastically.

"What are you doing?" You nonchalantly asked.

"I was working on my art all day so now I'm relaxing with a horror movie." I explained.

"Horror movie? To relax?" You settled beside me on the couch, "That is strange." You commented, "But if you're scared I'll protect you." You smirked as you pulled me closer.

" You can save that cliche line for some other time." I retorted as I lightly pushed you away, "I'm not scared of these movies. " I concluded as I played the movie again.

"Interesting. " You remarked after pondering something for a while.  

This was a simple conversation  and I wouldn't care to remember it till now if it weren't for the events that followed.  

The following day I went out to buy some art supplies and you stayed home. I returned after a couple of hours and immediately flopped down on the couch.

"I went to so many places and still didn't find everything on my list." I sighed. You brought me a glass of water and settled down beside me.

"Want to relax with a horror movie?" You smirked.

"Hmm...sure!" I agreed and we began watching.

We had watched a little more than half an hour when suddenly everything went dark and we found ourselves surrounded by nothing but pitch black.

"What happened? This has never happened before." I wondered.

" Must be some malfunction." I heard your voice beside me.

"I know where the candles are." I said and picked up my phone to turn on the flashlight but I realised it was already drained.

"Give me your phone." I asked you.

"I left mine in the other room." You replied.

Having no other choice I got up and feeling my way through the furniture I made way towards the cabinet where the candles were. Suddenly I took a step forward and got caught up in something thread-like.

"Oh my God what is that?!" I screamed automatically as I wildly flailed my arms around. After a couple of moments I realised it was a spider web.

"That is so strange. Where did a spider web come from?" I thought but didn't dwell on it for long since we were still surrounded by dark.

I brought back the candles and set them down on the table. The faint glow of it barely lit up the room.

"There's a spider web in the middle of the kitchen for some reason." I announced nonchalantly as I settled down on the couch again.

"That is strange." Was all you said. We remained quiet for a while after that. I focused my attention at the flame of the candle out of boredom.

"You know? ..."  You broke the silence making me almost jump. "...everyone used to say Raimon had a haunted spot." 

"Yeah right. " I rolled my eyes, "Every school is haunted. It's like a law of nature." I commented sarcastically.

"How can you be so sure? What if it's true?" You responded.

"I can't believe you of all people is saying that." I turned to you.

"All I'm saying is what if it's true. We don't know everything about everything. There's still so many possibilities. What if it's all true?" You then came closer and staring straight into my eyes you whispered, "What if?" Your gaze lingered for a while, full of meaning which made me mull over your words. I remained frozen, the silence becoming overwhelming once again.

"Or you could be right!" You exclaimed loudly all of a sudden as you pulled back, making me almost have a heart attack. I gasped a little but you didn't notice it.

We sat quietly for a while again during which I kept thinking about your "what if ghosts were real?" theory making myself get tense. The candles had burned halfway and there was no sign of the power coming back. I glanced outside the window and realised every other house was well lit.

"We have been waiting here and it turns out something's wrong with our house only." I exclaimed in annoyance.

"We should go and look what's wrong. " You replied, "Kira can you please bring my phone? We can use the flashlight."

I got up without taking the candles with me since it wasn't very hard for me to walk in the dark. I walked into the room which was also pitch black just like the rest of the house. Your phone rested on top of the drawers and was easy to spot since it was white and contrasted against the dark.

I picked it up and was about to leave when I glanced in the corner and I shrieked at the top of my lungs. A glowing single eye and a mouth stretched into a cartoon-ish smile stood out in the dark.

I rushed back to the living room and almost diving at the couch I held onto you.

"Shuuya! There's something in our room! I don't know what it is!" I hid my face against your chest. The next moment I found you laughing as you spoke " I thought you didn't need any protection. You didn't get scared."

"You!" I glared up at you, "You did this?!" I lightly slapped your arm.

"Fake web, an old umbrella and some glow-in-the-dark paint." You responded between fits of laughter.

"I'm sorry but I just couldn't resist. It was so worth it." You spoke after you had laughed to your heart's content.

In response I eventually ended up laughing too.