AHRU Town

Chapter 7 : Families and memories

After some long hours where Jonathan got a headache and stayed in the floor, and the night is waking up, Jonathan stands up and sits down on a chair.

- "Are you alright Jonathan?" Alys says, looking worried.

- "Don't worry, I'm fine mom" Jonathan says with tears.

- "Did... Did you call me... ... mom?" says Alys, completely surprised but happy.

- "Yeah" Jonathan says while taking his sweatshirt's hood out of his head, with more tears but with a beautiful visible smile. "It's been a while, Mom and Junia. Is Dad still at work?"

- "You finally remember us?" Junia says while being in tears and with a beautiful smile. "Why did it take you so long to remember us?"

- "Sorry big sis" Jonathan says. "But now, I remember you all. After all, we're the Vermier family."

Suddenly, Jonathan jumps out of the chair and is going toward Alys. He hugs her, but he feels that he's touching anything but air. And when he looks at Alys who looks chocked but understandable of Jonathan's emotional action, he notices that her arm is inside his arm, then he does one step backward.

- "Do you understand now about why we aren't allowed to have physical contact with strangers?" Alys says while having tears.

- "Are... ... Are you even real?" Jonathan asks, with a small but lifeless smile. "Is my head hurting again?"

- "We are... ... real" she says, not knowing what to answer. "We're just... .... Ghosts who died 16 years ago."

- "Oh, I see" Jonathan says with his lifeless but smiling face. "Why didn't you tell me anything about those things?"

Alys and Junia are looking at each other, like if they're hesitant to tell him the truth about why they lied, and why they hid those facts to him. But then, they nod, and Alys continues to talk with Jonathan.

- "It's because... ... You've been not very well since the day you've left Ahru town." Alys answers while being hesitant to her words. "Especially after your breakup with your girlfriend, and when you lost your apartment. We... Wanted to help you somehow and someway."

- "How did you know about all of this?" he asks. "I've never told you about my breakup and when I was kicked out of my apartment."

- "We've witnessed your life since you ended up living to my brother's place" she says.

- "So, you stalked me, didn't you?" he says, becoming a bit more lifeless. "If you know I had a hard life at Bescala city, why didn't you help me sooner? Why didn't you appeared in front of me the moment I was neglected by your brother's family?"

- "We can only become visible if we're in Ahru town" Junia says. "If we get out of the village, no one can see us."

- "Sorry about that Jonath... I mean... Jonathan" she says, feeling a bit ashamed.

- "It's okay, It's not your fault." He says with his even more lifeless voice. "I need to rest a bit."

With a slow footwork, Jonathan goes to his room, which is actually his childhood bedroom, lays on the bed, then doesn't move from the bed. Later, Gustav comes back at home, and Alys told him that she told to Jonathan the truth. But when dinner is here, Alys brings the carrot soup to Jonathan's bedroom, then puts the plate on his desk.

The next day, when Edouarda knocks at the door of the house, and Alys, with a sad and down mood, opens the door, Edouarda with her usual happy but calm attitude asks her where Jonathan is. Alys tells her that Jonathan isn't feeling well and needs to be alone for a moment. Edouarda is surprised, but understand the situation Jonathan and Alys are in, then leaves the place. When Alys goes to his room to check on him, she notices that the plate is still as full as she gave to him yesterday. And when she looks at Jonathan, he looks like a lifeless dead body who's breathing slowly and who haven't even slept for a while. Even with his heavy eyes, he can't even close them.