CHAPTER 6

 Mia was behaving strangely around John because she was feeling son butterfly inside her stomach.

“Do you want any snacks,” she asked shyly. 

“Oh no,lets just focus on our assignment,” he politely declined.

Mia was asking too many questions, so John was thinking that she was being a little strange.

John shifted in his seat, a furrow forming on his brow as he hesitated. 

“Ummm, Can I ask you something?’he finally asked out, his voices was filled with uncertainty.

Mia turned her attention fully to him, curiously,” What is it?” she inquired, her tone was gentle 

Yet eager.

  Mia hesitates and said to John what she saw yesterday. She just asked numerous questions because she wanted to clear her thoughts but she didnt who is the right person to ask.

John’s concern deepened as he leaned forward, he tries to study Mia’s face.

“Is there something bothering you?” he asked softly, his voice was laced with concern.

Mia’s gaza flickered, as she was thinking whether to ask or not. “I dont know,” she admitted quietly, her voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability. 

’’Come on, you can tell me what is bothering you, “John encouraged, reaching out to gently squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“It’s just because…”Mia began, her words trailing off as she struggled to articulate her thoughts.

“What is it? You can tell me, “John urged gently,his tone encouraging.

  

Mia took a deep breath, steeling herself before finally revealing,”Yesterday, I’ve seen like a ghost figure of my mother.”

“What?” John exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“Yes,”Mia confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Are you scared?” John asked, concern evident in his voice.

“No, “Mia shook her head, a somber expression crossing her face. “I felt like i was hallucinating because I missed my mother”.

“Did you see the ghost figure of your mother?” John pressed, his brow furrowing with worry.

“Yes,”Mia affirmed, her voice steady despite the tremor in her heart.

‘’Are you sure of what you saw?’’ John inquired, his tone gentle yet probing.

‘’Yes,”mia nodded, her gaze unwavering as she met his concerned eyes.

John jokes to Mia that she was just being delusional, because she was scared.

John’s words hung in the air, casting a shadow over the conversation. “Maybe you are just scared, thats why you are being delusional,” he suggested, his tone hesitant. 

“Scared?” Mia echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. 

“Yes, thats why you are seeing things. Your mind convinces you that you saw saw thing even if you did not,” John words weighted with concern.

“Do you think so?” Mia questioned, with a pout.

“ Yes,” John nodded his head, though his voice held a hint of doubt.

Mia’s brow furrowed as she considered his words. “If you were right, why would I become afraid if it is the ghost figure of my mother? Everyone knows in school that i still misses her a lot,” she sighed in frustration.

“I am only joking. I am sorry,” John interjected quickly, his tone apologetic.

“Its alright,” Mia responded, though her expression remained guarded. 

“I am sorry if I offended you in any way that I didnt know. I didnt mean to tell you that. Its just that you looked bothered about what you saw yesterday. I was just thinking because you were scared, thats why you are hallucinating and thinking something that doesn’t even exist,” john explained himself. 

“I felt that it was real,” Mia admitted quietly, her gaze dropping to her hands. 

“Are you okay?” John asked, concern was evident in his voice. 

“I dont think that I was scared that day but….” Mia gave a heav sigh, her thoughts drifting back to the haunting image of her mother’s ghostly figure.

  Mia was not convinced no matter what John said, because she strongly believed in her heart that everything she remembered from yesterday was real.

John’s eyebrow furrowed as he watched mia’s unwanted determination. Despite his attempts to reassure her, she remained steadfast in her belief that what she had been seen was real. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was allowing fear to cloud her judgement,but he also couldnt ignore it.

“Yeah, I believe you,” John finally conceded, realizing that trying to convince her otherwise would only lead to frustration. 

Mia’s eyes lit up with gratitude at his acceptance. 

“Can you help me see it?” she said with urgency.

“What?” John’s surprise was evident in his voice.

“Help me!” Mia pleaded.

John hesitated, his mind was racing with thoughts. Was he indulging her delusions by agreeing to this? Or was he simply supporting her in exploring her fears?

“Aren’t you sure that you are not just scared, and thats why you are being delusion right now?” John asked.

“No! I strongly believe that everything I saw yesterday was real,” Mia said in serious tone.

John realized then that he couldnt distract her easily. Perhaps the only way to bring her peace of mind was to confront the source of her fear head-on.

“Do you want to check the storage room right now make sure that it was real or not everything you saw yesterday?” john suggested, his voice had disbeilef.

 “Yes , sure,” Mia agreed immediately as she wanted to make sure that she was not being delusional and that everything that she saw was real.

Mia and John went inside the stage room quietly, it was silent. And everything was like his father's description.

John led Mia to the storage room, a sense of trepidation lingering in the air. “So here we are,” he announced, gesturing towards the entrance.

“What?” Mia’s confusion was its peak as she looked around the room.

“See, I told you, “ john pointed out, his voice tinged with a hint of validation.

“But I saw last night that this place was clean,” Mia protested, her brows furrowing in disbelief.

“No, it can’t be. You told me that you father told you that this place hasn’t been clean for ten years,” john reminded her, his tone was gentle yet firm.

“Yes, I know. But last night i saw that the whole place was so clean,” Mia insisted, her voice held frustration.

“But look, there is spiderweb and dust everywhere,” John pointed out, gesturing towards the corners of room.

“How did this happen?” Mia wondered aloud, her mind racing to make sense of the discrepancy.

“I am sure may be last night you saw it wrong. Since it was night, it must be so dark so you got confused. Sometimes it happens, dont worry too much,” John reassured her, his voice soothing.

“No, I felt that this place yesterday was spotless. I swar, I am not lying,” Mia protested, her frustration mounted.

“I know you are not lying. Perhaps you got confused,”

“No!” Mia shocked her head in disagreement.

“Come on. Look at it, Mia. And tell me yourself what you see,” John urged gently.

Mia took a deep breath, forcing herself to look around the room once more. With a heavy heart, she reluctantly admitted,” Its is dusty and full of spiderwebs.”

“Yes, thats right. I understand, dont worry,” John reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I just could not believe that I got confused,” Mia lamented, her frustration evident in her voice.

  Mia was shocked to see that the room that is full of dust earlier was now so clean.

Mia and John left the storage room.We.Behind and returned to me as room to resume their assignment.As they worked,John, patientlyatiently guided Mia through the task, offering support and encouragement.

“Did you get it?”John asked once they had finished.A note of anticipation.Yes, thank you for helping me.Mia replied gratefully.A warm smile spreading across her face.

“Anytime,” John responded with a smile of his own.

After seeing John off, Mia found herself alone once again, her thoughts swirling with confusion.

“What is that?” She wondered aloud as she made her way back to a room. Upon hearing strange voices from the storage room. Mia's curiosity, again rises and hesitated before deciding to investigate further.

“What?“ Mia exclaimed as she stepped into storage room once again, her flashlight illuminating the space before her. 

“How did this room be so clean again? When I showed it to John, it was full of dust. Am I being delusional again? What?Is this happening?” Mia question herself, a sense of uneasy creeping over her as she searched for answers.

Mia said, " There is not even a single dust that I can smell.”

  Mia saw the mysterious box once again, and it fell out of her shoulders. She screamed in fear and dropped her phone.