Ricky awoke to the sound of rain against his window, a rhythmic tapping that seemed to echo his own heartbeat. For a long moment, he lay there, staring at the faint outline of his ceiling. His mind was still heavy with the dream he had just left—a dream where Lisa's smile lingered in the rain, fading like mist the moment he reached for her.
It was the third night in a row he had dreamed of her. But these dreams weren't random illusions of sleep—they carried a strange weight, as though Lisa was calling out to him from beyond.
The Morning Restlessness
At breakfast, Ricky's mother noticed his pale face.
"Didn't sleep well again?" she asked, sliding a plate of toast toward him.
Ricky nodded absently, buttering the toast without eating it. "Just… dreams."
"About school?" she pressed.
He didn't answer. How could he? He couldn't tell her that the girl who filled his mind, his chest, his heart, had been dead for seven years. That he could see her when no one else could.
Instead, he forced a small smile. "Yeah. School stuff."
His mother sighed, clearly unconvinced but unwilling to push further.
Ricky packed his bag, the pendant Lisa had given him safely tucked under his shirt. Every time he felt its weight against his chest, he swore he could still feel her warmth.
The Library Encounter
School was uneventful, except for the anticipation gnawing at him. He couldn't wait until classes ended. Every second dragged like an eternity until finally, the final bell rang.
Instead of heading straight home, Ricky walked toward the old wing of the school—the part no one used anymore. Dusty, creaking, and half-forgotten, it was the perfect place for him and Lisa to meet without prying eyes.
As he stepped into the abandoned library, his breath caught.
Lisa was there.
She stood by the window, her long hair glowing faintly as the setting sun poured through her. She looked like a painting, too beautiful and too fragile for this world.
"You came," she said, turning with that gentle smile that always made his chest tighten.
"Of course I did," Ricky replied, his voice trembling despite his efforts. "I… I'll always come."
Lisa's laugh was soft, like wind chimes. "You're such a strange boy, Ricky Martin."
He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "Strange enough to love a ghost?"
Her expression flickered, the smile fading into something more melancholic. "Love is… complicated for me." She placed a hand on her chest, though her fingers passed faintly through the fabric of her uniform. "I don't even know if I should let you feel this way. I'm not alive. I'm just… a memory."
But Ricky shook his head, fierce determination shining in his eyes. "You're more than a memory, Lisa. You're here. With me."
The Fragility of Touch
He reached out instinctively, his fingers trembling as they stretched toward hers. For a second, it seemed impossible—her hand shimmered like mist. And yet… for the briefest heartbeat, he felt it. A faint warmth, like touching sunlight through water.
Then she slipped away, her figure flickering.
Lisa gasped and stumbled back. Ricky's chest ached at the sight.
"Don't… don't try that again," she whispered, clutching herself as if in pain. "Every time you try to touch me, it hurts. It pulls me away."
Ricky's throat tightened. He wanted so badly to hold her, to prove she wasn't just a dream. But instead, he swallowed his desperation and nodded. "Then I won't. Not until you want me to."
Lisa looked at him for a long time, her eyes glistening. "You're kinder than I deserve."
The Story of the Past
They sat together by the dusty bookshelves, their voices barely above whispers.
"Do you remember anything?" Ricky asked carefully. "About… before?"
Lisa hesitated, her gaze fixed on the window. "Fragments. Bits and pieces. A song my mother used to sing. The smell of rain in spring. And…" Her eyes softened. "I remember the day I died."
Ricky's heart stopped.
Lisa's voice was steady, but her figure seemed to dim as she spoke. "It was raining, just like today. I was on my way home from school. There was… an accident. A car lost control." She pressed a hand to her chest. "The impact was fast. I don't even remember the pain. Only the silence after."
Ricky's fists clenched. He wanted to scream at fate, at the unfairness of it all. She should have lived. She should have had dreams, a future, love. Instead, she was trapped here, tethered by something neither of them understood.
"But why are you still here?" he whispered.
Lisa shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe… because I never said goodbye. Maybe because there's something unfinished."
Her eyes met his, glowing faintly. "Or maybe because I was waiting for you."
Ricky's breath caught. His heart pounded wildly. "Lisa…"
The Confession Interrupted
For a long moment, silence stretched between them. Ricky wanted to confess it—to tell her that he loved her, that he had fallen for her from the moment he saw her smile. That he didn't care if she was a ghost.
But just as he opened his mouth, the pendant around his neck began to glow.
Lisa's eyes widened. "That light… it's the same one from the night we met."
The glow grew stronger, filling the room with a warm, golden radiance. Books rustled on the shelves, and the air shimmered like heat waves.
Suddenly, Ricky felt a pull, as if invisible hands were tugging at him. His vision blurred, and he heard whispers in the air—voices too faint to understand.
Lisa grabbed his arm, her hand surprisingly solid in that instant. "No! Don't go where it's pulling you!"
"I'm not!" Ricky shouted, clutching the pendant desperately. "But what is this?"
Lisa's expression twisted with fear. "Something doesn't want us together…"
The Shadow in the Light
The golden glow turned harsh, shifting into a strange shadowy figure that emerged from the pendant's light. Ricky froze as the form solidified—a tall, faceless silhouette with long, outstretched arms.
Lisa screamed, her body flickering violently. "It's trying to take me back!"
Ricky's instincts roared to life. He grabbed her hand despite the pain searing his skin as his fingers passed through her. "I won't let it! I won't let anyone take you away!"
The shadow lunged, its form rippling like smoke. Ricky tightened his grip, ignoring the tears burning his eyes. "Lisa! Stay with me!"
Lisa's voice was faint, her figure breaking apart. "Ricky… you can't fight it forever… But thank you… thank you for caring…"
With one final surge of light, the shadow dissolved, leaving the library silent once more. Ricky collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. The pendant's glow dimmed, and when he looked up—
Lisa was gone.
The Empty Night
The walk home was the loneliest Ricky had ever known. The streets blurred with rain, his hands trembling as he clutched the pendant tightly.
He replayed everything in his mind—her smile, her voice, the fleeting warmth of her hand. The way she had said maybe she was waiting for him.
Was this fate mocking him, or was there truly a reason their paths had crossed?
When Ricky finally collapsed into bed that night, the pendant pressed against his chest, he whispered her name like a prayer.
"Lisa… I'll find you again. No matter what it takes."
And as sleep claimed him, he dreamed once more.
Lisa stood at the edge of a field of light, her figure faint but smiling, her lips moving silently. He couldn't hear the words—but he knew they were meant for him.