Elara and Kai entered, and Kai froze in his path, utterly captivated. The walls were alive with memories of childhood photos lovingly arranged by Elara. Kai’s jaw nearly hit the floor as he spotted the picture, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him. He had assumed that picture was deleted years ago! The one from that hilarious cricket day… how could he have possibly forgotten?
Little Kai, the dashing batsman, had spun the ball into the bushes at the back of their lawn. Naturally, Elara, forced to take back the lost ball, was sent out on a heroic rescue mission. On his way by his mission, he tripped, he slipped and emerged from the bushes looking as though he’d just engaged a bush and lost. His hair was a tangled mess, there were sticks scattered about him, and his shirt was something to see in the way of dirt and leaves. Kai, ever the best friend, burst out laughing. Elara was not in a good mood. Pouty-faced and furious, he is chasing Kai around, determined to dish out some revenge.
Elara’s mom enters, drawn by the commotion. She saw the deranged look on Elara’s face and tried, genuinely tried, not to laugh. Just as she was on the verge of guffawing, their dad appeared and on spotting Elara, couldn’t resist. He laughed so hard, Mom laughed, and in no time the whole family (excluding the bush-slaying hero) was making pouty faces. And then the moment happened. Elara’s dad whipped out his phone and snapped a photo. The fabled pouty face was forever on record. Oh, how Elara begged and plotted to delete it! But no, his dad was a sneak. “You’ll like this when you’re older,” he’d say with a wicked grin, tucking the photo away in some hidden storage. Years down the line, here he was with Kai in front of the photo wall; Elara couldn’t help but smile. That moment, ridiculous and embarrassing as it was, had become one of his most precious memories. After all, you only get one childhood, messy hair, pouts, and all.
Elara asks Kai to take a shower and get ready for dinner. Kai obliges, and after freshening up and dressing, he returns to find Elara pondering over what to order for takeout. Before Elara can decide, Kai sits beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder in a warm, playful hug. “Don’t bother,” Kai says with a grin. “I’ll cook for you.” Elara’s eyes widen in pretended wonder. “You? Cooking? Can it even be eatable?” he teases, and a real laugh comes from Kai. “Watch and wait,” Kai retorts, voice full of naughtiness. “You will be licking your fingers after tasting my food.” And leaning in by the smallest margin closer, Kai adds with a cheeky smirk, “You’ll be so impressed, you might even ask to marry me.”
Elara laughs, shoving the teasing aside with a smile, “Let’s see. You go cook dinner; I’ll go take a shower.” And on that, they both head off to their respective tasks.
Kai starts to prepare the meal, focused and ready, when Devilin strolls into the kitchen with his signature swagger. “Need a hand?” Devilin asks, leaning casually against the counter. “No,” Kai responds without even glancing up.
Devilin raises an eyebrow, taking offense. “Why not? Don’t think I can cook, or are you afraid I’ll ruin your masterpiece?
Kai eventually faces him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “No, neither. It’s because I don’t like you or maybe your face.”
Devilin gasps dramatically, throwing a hand over his chest like he’s just been hit. “How could you! I’m the finest at everything that I do.” He stands dramatically, stroking his hair with one hand and giving a sassy grin. “Look at me. Handsome, charming, and you’re lucky to witness all this without an appointment.”
Kai rolls up his eyes, thoroughly unimpressed. “Ahhh, I can punch your face so hard right now,” his voice dripping with mock annoyance. Then, with a sly grin, he adds, “But I won’t. I’m afraid if I do, you’ll somehow become more handsome by my punch.”
Devilin smirks, leaning forward. “Come on, Kai. Admit it. You’re jealous of my perfection.”
Kai laughs, shaking his head. “Jealous? Oh! Please. I’m just trying to survive your unbearable ego.”
Their banter fills the kitchen; the air is charged with playful tension. It’s not just a fight; it’s a dance of sarcasm. Elara stepped into the kitchen, catching the tail end of Kai and Devilin’s exchange. With a mischievous grin, he remarked, “Whoa! You two are such an old married couple.”
Kai and Devilin halted in their steps, their faces twisting in disgust. “Ewww!” they chimed in unison, making as if to turn away from each other. Elara, obviously enjoying himself, continued, “Wow! You two are so cute together. I just can’t help but ship you two.” My best friend and my paying guest—what a sneaky love affair. Kai and Devilin both nodded at the other, shocked. Kai and Devilin immediately pointed at each other, horrified. “Him? Ewww! NOooooo,” they protested, their voices overlapping. “Hey! Don’t curse me, my dear Elara, pretty please. You can ship me up with anybody. If you want, you can even ship me up with you. But this dude? Gag! I don’t dare to imagine; I won’t imagine being with him. He is too egotistical.”
Devilin laughed, leaning forward and blowing him a mock kiss. “Now you’re stuck with me, darling. You can’t run away from me.” Elara burst into loud laughter, clutching his stomach. Seeing him laugh so hard, Kai and Devilin couldn’t help but crack smiles too. The kidding aside, they smiled as they sat down to the dinner table.
The mood at the table during the meal became a peaceful friendship. Kai’s cooking was a hit, and Elara couldn’t help but praise his cooking skills. “Kai, this is wonderful. You’re an excellent cook,” Elara said, impressed. Out of nowhere, Devilin chimed in, his tone teasing, “Whoa! You can cook? Wow, it’s so tasty.” Kai, flattered, tried to hide his smile, but Devilin wasn’t done. “You’re eligible to be my wife,” he added with a cheeky grin. Kai choked on his food, reaching for the glass of water. But as he did, Devilin’s hand reached for the same glass. Their fingers brushed, and Devilin froze. Their fingers touched, and Devilin stopped.
He quickly pulled his hand back, his expression shifting as if caught off guard by his own reaction. The moment lingered for only a second before Kai, unaware, drank water. Elara, always watchful, watched the exchange with a knowing smile but said nothing.
After a round of jovial good-natured teasing, hearty laughter, and a satisfying meal, Elara ended up washing dishes alone in the quiet of the kitchen. Devilin showed up, his curiosity piqued, and asked in a low tone, “Have you sensed anything unusual lately?”
Elara leaned against him, and with a glint of mischief, whispered dramatically in his ear, “Flying Jar.” The two burst out laughing, but as Elara laughed, he felt a shiver down his spine. The memory of that bizarre incident sent shivers all over his body. It was as if the laughter masked an unspoken unease. With the chores finally done, their conversations eased out, interspersed with Elara’s incessant yawns. It was time to stop for the day. The room was full, so Elara invited Kai to accompany him to his room. Although Elara proffered the bed, Kai declined, explaining it was more his nature to make himself a cozy space on the floor. They settled in together the room thick with silence, but a comfortable undercurrent of friendship. As they reclined in their favorite spots, their voices seemed to reverberate across the room like reminiscences of their childhood. Kai reminded Elara of the days when he wouldn’t sleep without him, how clingy he used to be. They grinned softly at the memories, their words disappearing into the comforting stillness of the night. Elara fell asleep first and Kai followed.
In the dead of night, around 11:50 pm, Kai was jolted awake by an eerie noise. The house was unnervingly silent, yet the sound persisted a faint rustling, like footsteps echoing in the dark. His heart pounded in his chest, but his curiosity outweighed his fear. He quietly slipped out of the room, his bare feet brushing against the cold floor as he crept toward the hallway.
The footsteps grew louder, drawing him toward the stairs. A chill ran down his spine, but Kai steeled himself, descending each step carefully. Shadows seemed to loom larger in the dim light, and his breaths were shallow, barely audible and then he saw it a figure cloaked entirely in black, standing eerily still at the base of the stairs. Kai froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing upright. The figure didn’t move, didn’t speak. The air felt heavier, and Kai’s chest tightened with dread. He tried to summon courage, but his voice betrayed him as he stammered, “W-who…?”
Suddenly, a voice shattered the tension, snapping him back to reality. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Devilin’s familiar tone rang out. Kai whipped around, nearly losing his balance on the steps. “D-Devilin?” Kai stuttered, his voice shaky. “I… I was following someone a person covered in black cloth. But you startled me, and now he’s gone… vanished into thin air.” His words tumbled out in desperation as his wide eyes darted around the room, searching for any trace of the figure. “How can anyone vanish into thin air?” Kai muttered, his face pale and stricken. Devilin, now standing at the base of the stairs, frowned, his usual mischievous expression replaced by quiet unease. The two stood there, the silence of the house pressing down on them, the mystery of the vanishing figure lingering like an unspoken question. Yet before they could even realize it, an ear-shattering scream burst out through the vacuum, causing hairs to stand on the ends of their necks. It was Elara’s voice. Immediately, without hesitation, they storm into his room. As they burst through the door, their heart sank at the sight of Elara trembling under a blanket, his fear palpable. Kai immediately knelt by the bed and gently uncovered the blanket. The moment Elara’s eyes landed on Kai, he threw himself into Kai’s arms, clutching him tightly. His voice was shaking as he stuttered out, “There was a ghost…it went past me, and it vanished into thin air before you opened the door.
Kai wrapped his arms around Elara, comforting him as he patted his back. “It’s okay. You’re safe now; I’m here.” Meanwhile, Devilin looked around the room, his sharp gaze darting into every corner, but no one was there, as if they had vanished completely, leaving behind only fear and unease.
Following the slow sweep of the room, Devilin sighed and spoke to Kai, “There’s no one here,” he stated, his tone for once serious. Kai nodded and told him to get some rest. “I’ll stay here with him; you go to your room.” Unwillingly, Devilin left, leaving Kai and Elara alone in the room. Kai sat beside Elara, softly patting his head. “Everything is okay,” he said gently, his voice like a soothing balm to Elara’s frayed nerves. “I’m here with you; you are protected. Try to get some sleep.”
Elara nodded, his eyes sparkling with gratitude and exhaustion. Kai got up to make his bed on the floor but before he could get settled, Elara grabbed his hand firmly. His voice was small, almost begging, “Where are you going? I’m afraid.” Kai knelt down again, gripping Elara’s hand tightly in his. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere and if you’re scared, then you can hold my hand.” And with that, Kai lay out on his improvised bed on the floor and Elara on his bed. Their palms remained locked together for a lifetime of security in the darkness. Despite the lingering fear, the warmth of their bond provided them a sense of safety. Their breathing eventually synchronized, the tension within the room lifting as slumber claimed both of them.
Elara stirred, the icy sensation of Kai’s skin causing him to shiver. His breath hitched as he realized he was sprawled over Kai’s chest, the chill seeping into him like frost on a winter morning. For a moment, the thought flashed through his mind: was he sleeping on a corpse? The cold was unnatural, nearly otherworldly.
Kai’s arms tightened around him, embracing him closer, as if refusing to let him go. Elara’s heart raced, torn between the warmth of their closeness and the unsettling sensation of Kai’s chill. “Kai?” he whispered, his voice trembling. No response. Panic grasped for him, but he made himself stay calm. He fought out of Kai’s arms, his movements slow but frantic.
Elara hurried to fetch hot water, his mind racing with questions. Was Kai sick? Or was there something darker at play? He returned with the scalding water and medicine, his hands shaking as he coaxed Kai to drink. Devilin sat down next to him, their presence a solid rock amidst the storm of Elara’s fear. Together, they tended to Kai.
Kai lay on the ground, utterly spent, his own body betraying him at each twinge and shiver. Devilin, meanwhile, was fit as a fiddle, leaning over him with a smile that could outshine the sun. “Oh, my poor wifey,” Devilin cooed melodramatically, clasping at his chest as though he were the one in need of nursing. “Fear not, for I, your devoted husband, shall nurse you back to health with my unparalleled care!”
Kai winced in silence, his exhaustion rendering him speechless. He rolled his head away, hoping Devilin would take the hint. But Devilin didn’t take no for an answer. He crept closer, his voice dropping to a make-believe sexy tone. “Shall I serenade you, my love? Or perhaps a poem to brighten your spirits? ‘Oh Kai, my frosty prince, your sickness makes my heart shudder—'” Devilin swept up a nearby blanket and draped it over Kai with flair. “There! Wrapped in my love and this blanket, you’ll be good as new in no time!” Elara, sitting next to Devilin, stifled a snort of laughter as Devilin struck a hero pose. Kai was too tired to be indignant, so he simply tuned out, his silence the only defense he had left. Devilin, of course, interpreted this as flattery. ” Ah, your quiet admiration speaks volumes, my dear. I knew you’d appreciate my efforts.” Kai pretended to doze off to ignore Devilin.
Devilin: “Why so terrified about a wee ghost story, huh? Did Casper scare you when you were little?” he smirk, clearly relishing at Elara’s expense. But the playful mood shifted as soon as Elara’s complexion darkened. His own turned somber; the light-headed air was shrouded in the seriousness of something much, much more than that. Elara’s voice trembled, hardly above a whisper, as he confessed, “Devilin… something happened to me… when Kai wasn’t around. And even now… it haunts me in my dreams.” Kai, despite his back to them, froze ominously. His fatigue did not keep him from listening to every single word.
Devilin’s sneering smile weakened, his posture unspooling, as the truth of Elara’s words began to sink in. Elara clenched his teeth, his hands clutching at his sleeves like he needed to cling. “I never. had any friends in college. I didn’t have anyone but Kai.” But then he left for the USA, and I was left alone.” His voice shook, but he persisted, the words pouring out like a flood he couldn’t keep bottled up anymore. “My seniors they teased me so much. ‘Your guardian’s gone,’ they’d tell me. ‘Who’s going to take care of you now? ‘ They’d mock and ask me whether Kai was my boyfriend.” He took a shaky breath, his hands shaking. “I could deal with their words. I ignore them. But then…” Elara’s gaze drifted far into the distance, his eyes fixing on something that no one else noticed. “It was in my dorm at night. I slept when suddenly, I heard that. crackle sound. I thought nothing about it, but the lights… they were all flickering.” I said to myself that I should stay in bed, but something forced me to get up. I followed the sound.” His breathing grew faster, a cold perspiration breaking out on him as he described each detail of terror. “At the end of the corridor. I saw somebody a figure. Standing completely still.” His words came in a faster, mounting rush now, his voice growing with the memory of terror. “I called out, but they didn’t answer. So, I crept closer. I attempted to reach him. I lightly tapped their shoulder…”
Devilin’s eyes widened, sternly serious as they were, and Kai’s fingers curled against the blanket, still not saying anything but listening with all their strength. Elara’s voice dropped to a whisper, one laced with raw horror. “He turned around… slowly. His face… it wasn’t there. The skin was missing. There was only bone. Just a skull. blood dripping from it and staring straight at me.” Elara’s hands on his chest as if he couldn’t catch his breath. “I ran, but I ran too quickly and slipped. I screamed until I blacked out. When I came to my senses, I was in my bed. But I’ll never forget that creepy face… or that incident happened to me.”
The room fell oddly still. Even Devilin, ever the playful, was stuck for words, his playful bluster replaced by an unusual silence. Kai, seemingly frozen in place, shut his eyes briefly, his heart tightens. He’d always known Elara to be haunted by something but to hear it naked like this was nearly too much. And yet, in typical Devilin fashion, he couldn’t resist breaking the tension. “Well,” he said softly, relaxing back with a grin smile, “if the ghosts come back, just call me.”. I’ll charm them with my dazzling good looks and my arsenal of bad jokes.” Elara glared at him through watery eyes, a hint of frustration fighting through his fear. But despite himself, he couldn’t help the smallest, fleeting curl of his lips. Even in the face of horror. Devilin’s words sound a bit childish, but they’re also somewhat comforting to Elara.
No one is inherently bad; the rough situations you’ve experienced can make you seem bad to those who don’t take the time to put themselves in your shoes and instead judge you from their own perspective.
-Monika Sunuwar
