Before You Go. |Lee Know

(Eleven)

Minho was standing at the corner of the dim hospital room, crossing his arms to his chest, looking at the sleeping peacefully Rona attached to all those machines, wearing the white hospital gown. Her hair was even longer, her skin was paler. She was a sleeping beauty.

Next to the bed, the other Rona was standing in her black oversized hoodie, her sky blue jeans, and colorful sneakers. "So, I've been sleeping for two years?" She asked, looking at her sleeping self. Minho nodded. "What is the problem with me?"

"Your brain was damaged badly. Other than that you are functioning well."

"Great! I'm functioning well!" She scoffed then looked at the boy. "I'm a fucking ghost, Lee Minho." She yelled.

"You are not. You are a wandering soul who can't go back to her body." Minho said with an awkward smile, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Wow! How comforting!" Rona said then rushed out of the room.

The past few days were hard, very hard on the wandering soul Rona. She was lost. Even when she remembered all the events before the accident, she still couldn't put it together. It was crazy enough for her that she was able to see ghosts. Now it turned out she was able to see them because she was one of them.

Her mind couldn't take the truth easily. How could it be two years? How is it that she can't remember anything that happened during those two years? The only things she remembered were the events that happened after Minho showed up.

That Minho had all the answers.

Rona was walking through the hospital's corridors, carried away in her thought. She came back to her senses when she noticed a doctor going straight in her direction. He was close that she had no time to dodge him. She waited for her body to crash into his and then to hit the cold floor, but that never happened. The man walked directly through her! Literally, through her. Rona froze for a few seconds, blinking at the fresh new experience. Minho was looking at her from behind, chuckling at her reaction.

"What the hell? Did he just walk through me? Like literally through me?" She asked.

"That's what happens when you realize what you really are." Minho said then stepped in front of her, spreading his arms dramatically in the air. "Welcome to the fucked up world."

"Shit! I can't believe that I thought you were a ghost when I'm the ghost."

"You are not a ghost."

"Yeah, a wandering freaking soul." She rolled her eyes.

"And there is one more thing regarding the wandering souls." Minho said while pouting and playing with his fingers.

"What else?"

***

The next thing that brought Rona back to realization was Minho snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Hola! Still here?" He called.

Rona was having her jaw dropped, pointing to the bed in front of her. Her eyes were shifting from the standing Minho and the sleeping Minho. He was in the hospital's white gown just like her real body, his hair was a little bit longer than his soul self, his skin was also paler and he was attached to machines.

"So, you too are a-"

"A wandering freaking soul." He said with an awkward smile.

"Why? When? How?"

"Since the very same day." He rubbed his nape. "I blacked out in the emergency room that day and went into surgery, which was a big failure and I've gone into a coma since then."

"Are you kidding me? You too have been sleeping for two years?"

"Hmm."

Rona couldn't hold it back and started giggling and then laughing out loud like a crazy woman while clenching her stomach.

"Umm, Rona? You are okay?" He called.

"Yeah, I'm perfect. I'm a ghost –take that back. I'm a wandering soul and the only one I can talk to turned out to be another wandering soul." She said between the giggles. "Dude, we are fucked up. Badly."

***

After a few attempts from Minho to calm Rona down, he finally succeeded. Soon, they were back in their secret place. Their rooftop.

The two souls were laying flat on the floor, staring at the sun.

"Wow, the sun rays don't hurt my eyes anymore." Rona said.

"Cause you are not really here." Minho shrugged.

"I'm still confused as hell. How is that even possible?"

"I was confused back then too."

"For how long have you known what you really are?"

"Since I went into the coma."

"No way!" She gasped. "For the whole two years?" Minho nodded. Rona sat upright and crossed her legs. Minho sat too, copying her action. "Since you are like a senior in that shit to me, I have questions."

"I'm not sure I can answer all since I know a little myself. But ask, anyways."

"Why didn't I realize that early? Or how could I not remember me wandering around for the past two years?"

Minho sighed and then started rubbing his chin. "I have a theory." He started. "I assume that it's just the defense mechanism of your brain. As I told you, your brain was injured badly. So, your soul was stuck in that day for the past two years. You kept repeating that day over and over and over again. You were wandering at the campus, then at the bus stop next to where you had the accident. But I guess your mind adjusted your memory of that day a little so you can carry on. It's just like how you dream of a better version of the incidents that happened during your day."

"How do you know that I kept repeating the day?"

"I kept following you for the past two years." He then pouted. "But you never saw me. Maybe because in your mind you didn't know that I existed."

"You are a stalking wandering soul!" She said dropping herself to her back again.

"I had nothing to do." He shrugged.

"You could've got friends with any other wandering soul."

"They were boring." He crossed his arms. "They always try stupid shit like talking to their families or beloved ones. That is useless shit."

"Then why now? I mean what happened so that I could notice your presence that day?"

"The sky went crazy again on that day. And what is even funnier is that it was the same exact date. Like we were rewinding. I followed you again that day and we sat at the empty bus stop then I ruffled my seemed-to-be wet hair. Strangely, you felt my presence for the first time. I was really surprised."

"Miracles really happen, when the sky goes crazy." She said scoffing.

Minho let his sarcastic chuckle before he looks at Rona. He was thinking of whether to ask her or not. He was afraid he might trigger her but he decided to give it a try. "Do you want to visit them?" Minho asked.

Rona sighed, knowing what the boy was talking about. "I don't know. I'm scared." Rona said. Minho grabbed her hand, ignoring how she flinched, and intertwined their fingers.

"Don't worry. I'll be with you."