The tenth bell rings. It is the final bell of the day.

  Yet we remain in the Ecology lab.

  Ahaan stands outside the lab, staring out the window. Ave still asking the same question.

  Are we really safe?

  I sit in my chair, trying to remember what my mind refuses to give back.

  ******************************************************************************

  After a while, I come out of the lab and open the window on the left side.

  Ave comes up behind me.

  Far across the courtyard, near the study building, I see that same teacher. She stands there with another teacher, both of them observing as the last of the students drift away.

  “I wonder if we’re still safe,” Ave says, his eyes fixed on the teacher.

  “You know, I didn’t realize until yesterday that she was from our school. I’ve never seen her here before, at least not that I remember.” I keep looking at the teacher.

  “Oh, so you met her yesterday? It was my first time meeting her today.”

  “Yes, yesterday she was looking at me while I was sitting at the ground.”

  “How many people was she looking at yesterday? I mean…Ahaan told me she was watching me yesterday.”, He points toward Ahaan, confusion written across his face.

  "Hmmm?", Ahaan finally steps closer, brows drawn slightly.

  “She told me that while she was sitting on the ground yesterday, the teacher was staring at her”

  "Really? But aren't you invisible to others like you are de...nobody.", he struggles to find the right words.

  “There you are, calling me nobody again.”, the words sounded angrier than I was. Still, he keeps calling me nobody and I hate it.

  “Come on, he didn't mean it, it is just that as you are not having dreams anymore, it means you shouldn't be a part of anybody's dream either which explains why you can roam freely. But then why was the teacher looking at you? How were you a part of her dream?”

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  “Ahaan was also there. You were looking at the teacher too”, I jot it down on the notepad and hand it to Ahaan.

  “I was looking at her because she was watching Ave. He was sitting on the ground, doing nothing, yet she kept staring at him. It felt peculiar, so I was trying to understand why,” Ahaan explains.

  "Ave, were you in the ground yesterday? In the fifth period?"

  "Yes, that was my physical activity period.", Ave says. "Now that I try to remember, you were the one who asked for the class attendance register from Isabella, the 11th class president.", He says, trying to recall the details.

  "Yes, you know Isabella?"

  “Yes, we met a few times regarding some class events, since Tris was the class president,” Ave stutters out.

  “So, you mean your friend Isabella talked to you yesterday?” Ahaan interrupts, shocked.

  “Basically, I was the one who asked for the attendance register. She just handed it to me,” I explain, and Ave passes it to Ahaan.

  "But she shouldn't have given a response in any form. How can she hear you? Is she a disturber too?", Ahaan grows quiet, lost in thought, and then speaks again. "Has anybody else responded to you since you died that day? You were coming to school every day, right? Anyone that you remember?".

  "No, no one. I basically tried hard not to fall into anybody's routine and avoided being a disturber. I just couldn't bear to live like this. So, out of curiosity, I asked for the register from her. But before that, no one at school ever answered to me.", I write down.

  "What about at home?", Ahaan writes below that.

  "At home, the only person there is my m....", I freeze.

  My mom. How could I forget about her? Where is she now? I can’t even finish the thought.

  "What's happening? Ashnah, are you alright? Did you remember something? What happened?", Ahaan asks, worry tightening his voice.

  "My mom..My mom, I don't know where she is?", tears fall from my eyes.

  "Your mom. Did she disappear from that day?", Ave asks.

  "No, she was with me till yesterday then she..", the word hangs still, I cannot bring my mind to complete them.

  "So, are you saying she was able to hear and respond to you all this time?", Ave asks.

  "Yes” I wipe the tears.

  "Ahaan, then does it mean they took her?", Ave asks softly, concern in his eyes.

  "No, she went out on her own" Ahaan says, his gaze flickering nervously.

  “Please calm down and tell us what happened, alright? Only then can we help you.” Ahaan leads me back to the lab and makes me sit on a chair.

  "I..I got home yesterday, and then I found a letter addressed to me by my dad. He joined the Master research department five years ago and since then he hasn't come home or at least that’s what I remember. But then I saw my mom and she asked me to run. She said I should go to my grandmother's house and that I will meet my father someday. But my grandmother is dead, why she asked me to go there. Then she took her car and left too. I tried to call after her but it was of no use."

  “But why did she ask you to run?”, Ave asks slowly.

  “She didn't tell me the reason but if I remember correctly the letter also stated the same.”

  Ave turns and recounts everything to Ahaan, who is already restless.

  “Do you have the letter then with you?”, Ahaan presses.

  “Oh yes,” I say suddenly, remembering that I kept it in my pocket.

  I hand it to Ahaan.

  He opens the letter while Ave leans in to peek at it. Then he looks at Ave and gestures for him to read.

  As Ave reads the letter, memories of that evening begin to return to me, slow and heavy.

  But one question still refuses to leave.

  Where is Mom?

  ******************************************************************************