The mail carrier approached me, not at my call but because his bag had already taken the seat beside me to the left. His face displayed fatigue, eyes forlorn, while I felt a chill down my spine, hair on end.
Internally, I kept reciting sacred verses. As Mail sat down, the presence seemed to intensify next to me. Even as I glanced over, that sorrowful yet terrifying figure was staring straight back at me, aware that I could see it.
The professor had already started the lecture, but my body trembled, the back of my neck felt heavy. The class dragged on as I was seated next to a being I wished to avoid.
"Na... let's go to the restroom," I whispered, hardly able to stay in class any longer. My whole body felt heavier, hotter. The classroom atmosphere grew increasingly uncomfortable, and I suspected the presence clinging to Mail was the cause.
"Hmm, no thanks. You go. If I leave, I won't understand the material as it's pretty tough," Nana whispered back without taking her eyes off the professor.
Unable to endure any longer, I stood up and excused myself from class.
"Hah," I exhaled and inhaled in an irregular pattern, then wiped my face. "Why does Mail have to bring such a thing? It's making things difficult for me."
Now, in the restroom after using the facilities and washing my hands, I splashed my face, hoping the water would revive me. I stayed longer in the restroom to avoid going back to that tense atmosphere next to Mail.
Remembering my phone was in my pocket, I took it out to contact Kaivan about what happened with Mail.
"But Kaivan is so annoying; he yelled at me yesterday like I was an idiot. Better not," I murmured to myself.
Nevertheless, remembering Mail was my friend alongside Nana, I searched my contacts for Kaivan again. Humbling my pride, I tried to reach out to Kaivan for Mail's sake.
"Ah, Aldo. I have Aldo's number saved." I scrolled for Aldo's contact, a relative of Kaivan who was previously introduced to me. He seemed knowledgeable about spiritual matters, so I planned to ask Aldo about my recent observation.
I dialed Aldo's number and waited for him to answer. The ringing tone played, and then...
"Hello," Aldo greeted from the other end.
"Hi-hello, Aldo?"
"Yes, this is Yura, right?"
"How did you know that already?"
"Well, I've got your number saved," chuckled Aldo in response.
"Not funny." I thought Aldo was like a psychic, foreseeing the future.
Aldo's sigh was audible.
"Where are you right now?"
"In college. I'm calling you because..."
"Where at the college? It's surely a big place," he pressed, cutting me off.
"In the restroom. Just listen, Aldo, there's a..."
"Get out now!" Aldo's voice blasted through the phone.
"Get out where?"
"Get out of the restroom, now. We'll talk after you're out. Right now, Yura!"
"Aldo, don't scare me. I'm just..."
Slam.
Startled by the sound of a restroom stall door closing by itself, my phone slipped from my grasp onto the sink. The stall was shut tight though it was clear I had been alone.
"Who's there?" I asked nervously.
Silence. No response. If someone was using the stall, at least water, a flush, or...
Slam, slam, slam.
The restrooms doors opened and closed repeatedly as if someone were purposely doing it. I froze in shock, leaning against the sink, reaching out blindly for my phone.
My mouth couldn't move; it felt stiff and rigid. Similarly, my body felt heavy as if glued to the ground I stood on. Then, I saw her—an apparition—a woman with disheveled, long, trailing hair. What terrified me further was her sinister grin, wearing a red gown sweeping the floor.
As the specter moved closer, I struggled to move. I couldn't recall any protective verses that normally shielded me from spectral entities.
The ringing of my phone halted the apparition, and it vanished suddenly.
"Hahhh." I crumpled to the floor, completely drained. I tried to regulate my breath, which had been constricted. The phone continued ringing. Slowly, I stood and picked up my phone.
"Hello?"
"Yura, where are you?"
"In the restroom, I'm still in..."
"Get out now and share your location immediately!"
Aldo hung up once more. Feeling the return of the prior otherworldly atmosphere, I forced myself to leave the restroom, staggering out as if drunk, overwhelmed by weakness. Unable to walk much further, I slumped down onto corridor seats near the restroom, managing to send my location to Aldo before leaning back and closing my eyes.
Unsure whether I had fainted or merely dozed off, I awoke to a soft touch on my cheek.
"Yura, open your eyes."
"Aldo," I mumbled, blinking open my eyes.
Aldo offered a bottle of water, his appearance strangely compelling now. Previously disheveled, he was now smartly dressed in a shirt, slacks, and even shoes, although his long hair remained tied neatly.
"Drink!" Aldo commanded.
I accepted the bottle and gulped down nearly half of it, feeling an acute thirst as if I'd traveled a long distance.
"What Kaivan said about you seems right after all, hard to take advice."
"What do you mean?" I inquired, returning the half-empty bottle.
"I told you from the get-go to get out of the restroom."
"How did you get here so fast? Do you have teleportation powers?"
Aldo flicked my forehead at my absurd question. In this day and age, such things were perhaps only found in fantasy stories like 'Anywhere Doors.'
"I was already nearby in Jakarta for work. Come on, it's not good to linger here."
I was about to get up when I saw the very being from before standing by the restroom door, staring at me.
"Al-Aldo, it's..."
"Don't look, it's been there the whole time."
Aldo grabbed my hand, urging me to get up. We left quickly, heading back to my class. Nana was already there.
"Where have you been? You went to the restroom and never returned," said Nana as she handed me my bag. "Ra, who is that?" she whispered, nodding toward Aldo.
"Oh, Aldo, he…" Before I could finish, I saw Mail walking towards us, still haunted by the presence seemingly reluctant to leave him.
I stepped back, unable to face the entity's invisible presence again.
Thud.
Turning around, I'd bumped into Aldo while stepping back.
"Aldo, Mail..." I pointed at Mail.
"Shhh, no need to say it," Aldo whispered. "Something keeps it attached," he explained.
I looked at Mail talking with Nana, afraid to approach or inquire about Mail's condition, but finding it hard to simply ignore.
"That entity only wishes to interact with you," Aldo claimed. "I tried to expel it but… it insists on delivering a message through you."
"Hahhh."
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