She started frantically walking, chasing the taxi. To no avail.

She seemed invisible to the said vehicles

on the side of the busy street. It was past 9 o’clock in the morning and she’s late for an important
seminar. Great!

At last, a taxi stopped in front of her, a passenger went out, and so, she grabbed the opportunity to
grasp the handle of the car door and in she goes to the passenger seat. She sighed as she sank on her
seat, relieved. She gradually checked the time on her watch and her eyes widened in disbelief. It’s
nearing to 10 o’clock! What in the world? She must have slipped her mind and thought she can still
chase the time.

She arrived at the building of the venue. She swiftly went out of the vehicle, cramming her way out as
she carries her red shoulder bag on her right shoulder and a big cylinder bag on the left. She managed
to thank the driver of the vehicle whilst paying her fare. As she marched to the entrance of the
building, a familiar scent caught her attention as if there’s still time for some other things other than
the important meeting she’s about to attend.

She gulped and erased the thought that’s creeping its way into her mind. Now’s not the time for that!

She marched through the revolving door of the building, making her way in and passing the lobby only
to come back to the lobby to approach the receptionist. She asked the woman, in what must be in her
late 20s wearing a thick-rimmed glasses, where the seminar is held. The woman said that she’s
supposed to go to the big convention hall located at the left side of the building.

She thanked the receptionist and she marched once again. Her pencil skirt is rubbing tightly against
her thighs as she frantically walked. Inside her mind, she’s thinking that she must be crazy right now
for being late to a seminar that she’s the guest speaker. Yes, she is the speaker. She smiled painfully
at the fact.

When she arrived at the venue, the audience chairs are fully packed. The way the heads of the people
started looking at her one after the other sent chills to her system. It’s as if she just wanted to storm
out of there, her social anxiety started creeping in. But instead, she gulped before flashing a big smile.
Hopefully, they don’t notice her shaking hands while taking out what must be a pile of rolled big piece
of papers out of her big cylinder bag.

The emcee offered her a microphone and she flashed a big smile once again. “I’m so sorry for being
late!” She even managed to cackle lightly.

“Once again, our guest speaker, Keli Kekua!” The emcee introduced to the audience. Some clapped
while the other remained their hands to their laps as they gazed questioningly at her.

She smiled again. “By the way, who wants to hear a story? A story of a survivor like all of you.” She
gently started and traveled her gaze at the audience.

And then, she sat on the provided chair for her on the stage and started telling them a story.

After her long speech about surviving sexual assault and undergoing treatment for PTSD, she felt the
release of the weight pinning down her chest, she got relieved. During her talk a while ago, the
audience was silent but she saw everyone’s eyes grew from nonchalant to emotional. She knew what
they’re feeling right then and there; it was painful. But she pushed through because she want these
people to know that they’re not alone and they’re going to be fine. It’s actually the fact that they’re
not alone that makes this whole thing horrible; knowing that anyone out there is still experiencing
and has experienced sexual assault is horrible. To be honest, not just sexual assault but any form of
assault in general is a horrible and a sinister thing no one should go through.

She released a deep sigh as she was putting her things inside her bag, trying to push away the
thoughts in her mind.
“Miss Kekua?” A meek voice surfaced behind her. She turned and saw a girl in her early teen years
dressed in a faded baggy jeans and a big knitted sweater. It is actually summer in Arizona and the
weather is hot. She knew right then and there why this girl is dressed that way.

“Yes, hi!” She greeted and smiled.

The girl gave her a shy smile. “Uhm, can I invite you.. to, uhm, a coffee?” The girl can’t maintain an
eye contact and constantly diverts her eyes to her own converse shoes.

She smiled at the girl. “Yes, of course. What’s your name?”

“Pat.. Patty.” The girl answered.

“Nice to meet you, Patty. I’ll just fix my things and then we’ll hop out.” She smiled and hurriedly
continued putting her things back to her bags. The girl only nodded and watched her.

The organizer of the forum talked to her for a minute－a sweet woman whose daughter was killed in
a rape case－saying her heartfelt thanks to her. She hugged the woman once more and then they’re
out of the building walking down the street.

Patty and her walked side by side. Her big cylinder bag softly bumping against Patty’s right shoulder.
The girl looked at her and then at the bag. “Can I help you carry that?” Patty asked.

She laughed. “Oh no, it’s fine.”

Patty gave her a look that says ‘I don’t think so’. Realizing that she’s right, Keli awkwardly smiled
before giving her red shoulder bag to the girl because she thinks that it’s lighter than the cylinder bag
full of papers. She doesn’t want the girl carrying the heavier bag.

They passed by a series of coffee shops and cafes right on the side of the street but they didn’t stop
by. Keli got confused. She was just following the girl because she might know a place where they can
sip a cup of coffee.

To her surprise, they ended up going to a small building blocks away from Redlands Community
College. It’s actually a dorm. She looked curiously at Patty but the girl just went inside the building, so
she had no choice but to follow her. It’s a typical dorm, one that the students on a tight budget can
afford out of their scholarship pockets; a normal dorm, not a fancy looking one.

They stopped in front of a door. This must be Patty’s dorm, she thought.

Patty fished for the key and afterwards opened the door. “Come in.” She went inside first and stepped
aside to give way for Keli to go in.

Keli stepped inside a 25-sqm dorm room fit for a single person. White walls, a single bed in the corner,
no windows, a small cabinet for clothes, and a small sink on the other side corner of the room. No
other doors, that means that there’s no bathroom. Maybe the bathroom is shared by other tenants,
she thought.

She roamed her eyes around the room and saw the things cleanly organized.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that we’re going to my dorm. I thought you’re going to.. refuse if I tell you.”
Patty gave her a small smile.

“No, it’s fine. I like it here. Your dorm is quiet nice.” Keli reassured her.

Patty gave her a shy smile. “Thank you. Is it okay if you wait a little longer… maybe for a couple of
minutes, uhm, while I make the coffee?” Her pale cheeks started turning a bit red, flustered.
“I can help you!” Keli offered.

“Oh no, Miss Kekua! I’d rather you just sit. You’re my guest.” Patty immediately added.

She laughed and eventually let her have her way. While Patty was busy making a coffee, Keli went to
the wall where several polaroid pictures are displayed. It was Patty with four guys and three girls.
They looked so close in the photos－drinking canned beers and eating while sitting on the back of a
pickup truck－smiling from ear to ear while the light from the light post beside their truck emanate
from their laughing expressions. They must be Patty’s friends, she thought.

But one photo made her forehead creased. She looked at it closely, zooming her face to it so that she
can make out the vivid, almost blurry scenario in the photo. Almost like a－

“Miss Kekua.” Keli jumped in surprise as Patty’s voice immediately surfaced from her back. She turned
and saw Patty carrying a tray with two cups of coffee and a red small saucer of cookies on it.

“Oh, you’re done!” She laughed and sat on the floor, crouching. She waited for Patty to sit with her on
the floor but Patty walked to the left corner of the room and grabbed a small folding table and
unfolded it before placing the tray of coffee and cookies on top of it.

Keli rose and approached the table and sat on the chair facing Patty. She sipped on the hot coffee and
laughed when she almost burned her lips.

She looked at Patty who’s silently looking down at her coffee, waiting for it to cool a bit. Keli decided
to open up a conversation. “So, Patty, how can I help you?” She gently smiled at her. She thinks that
the reason Patty invited her here is because she wants to talk to her traumas, maybe she wants
someone that she can release the emotions she’s carrying because as Keli can see, she’s alone. And
she needs help.

“I need help.” Patty raised her eyes and looked intently at her. She now noticed the over all look on
Patty’s face. She looked somehow forlorn, they way she licks her pale and chappy lips and would
casually bit her fingernails. Her eyes cannot focus and would immediately go back to her coffee.

“How can I help you, dear?” She gently asked, gazing at her gently to reassure her that it’s okay to
talk.

“I want you to help me. Please kill them… They murdered me. He killed me. Please find me.” Patty’s
voice was hoarse and rough but her tone is pleading. What’s confusing is what she said while her face
remained calm.

Keli laughed nervously. “W-What do you mean?” Her smile slightly faltered.

“I want you to help me. Please kill them… They murdered me. He killed me. Please find me.” Patty’s
tone changed from pleading to calm but almost like giving an order. Her eyes are dark and now she’s
looking straight into her eyes.

Hairs on Keli’s neck rose and, all of a sudden, she felt a cold breeze. She looked up when the lights
started flickering. Then, she looked in front of her, Patty was gone. She rose to her seat, panic started
creeping through her system. She looked around the house while the lights continued flickering. She
did not see Patty.

Then the lights went out. It’s dark everywhere. Her breathing started getting deeper as she fished for
her phone inside her jean’s pocket. Her hands are shaking as she opened the flashlight. She raised her
phone to see the surrounding.

Then, she saw something in the corner of her eye. Her breathing getting labored as she slowly turned
around to look at it. She shouted in horror and jumped and ran as far away as she could away from it.
She squeezed herself against the walls in the left side corner of the room while the thing － no,
someone kept slowly approaching her.

Her hands shaking while she faced her flashlight in a protective stance to that figure approaching her
as if the flashlight could protect her. Her eyes started watering and her breathing getting deeper
every second.

The figure stopped just a couple of steps in front of her. Keli sucked her breath and started raising her
flashlight to the figure, lighting it with the flashlight.

She shouted when she finally saw the figure. Tears started streaming down her eyes.

The figure － no, Patty, is standing in front of her. Her body is bloated, her stomach, her cheeks,
everything is bloated. She cannot be recognized from how she looked now compared to how she
looked a while ago. She’s standing, her shoulders sagged and her head is looking down, lifeless. The
hoodie she wore a while ago was gone, there she stood naked. Her pale skin more pale now. Violet
veins showing against her arms and legs. Both of her legs down to her feet are facing the other way,
as if being twisted. A dried blood is printed from her blonde hair down to her forehead.

Slowly, Patty’s head slowly rose. What Keli saw made her stop her breath. It was as if everything went
silent when she saw that Patty had no eyes and her tongue is dangling out of her open mouth. Her
eye socket is bloody, no, her whole face is bloody.

Then, Patty made her right foot step forward. Then, the left foot. And started walking and then pacing
faster and faster every second. Keli shouted and she dropped her phone to cover her face while
crying. “Patty, please...” she whispered.

Then, Keli suddenly dropped on the floor and went unconscious.

***
She woke up to several noise coming from outside of the room. A punk music booming from the other
side of the wall, maybe from the tenant beside this room. She grasped her head as she rose, squinting
her eyes in the process. When, finally, she could make up of her surrounding, she was shock to see
the whole room completely different from what she first saw when she first came.

The room is completely empty, no furnitures, nothing. Even the white walls had started peeling out,
no polaroid photos and other displays can be seen on it. The floors are dusty and molds are visible.
The ceiling had a small whole on it and the color of it turned ashy instead of a clean white.

She gulped. How did she get in here?

She quickly gathered her things and immediately went out of door. As soon as she got out, a bunch of
girls standing from the hallway started eyeing her. They started looking at each other and then looked
at her again. But before they could say something to her, she went straight to the elevator.

Inside of the elevator, she hugged herself while flashes of what had happened crept through her. One
thing she understood about all of it is that Patty is dead. She doesn’t know how she managed to see
and talk to her before all of this. Is she the only one walking down the street to Patty’s dorm? Does
that mean no one approached her on the seminar a while ago?

I don’t know! I’m going crazy!

***

Three months later, she moved to her hometown in Sedona, Arizona. She told herself that she’s going
to stay with her mom because she missed her but part of her is making this as an excuse because
she’s scared of what had happened to her.
One gloomy afternoon, she was busy looking at the books being sold at the busy streets of Roosevelt
Row, when she heard something that caught her attention.

“Poor girl. It’s been a year after she’s been reported missing.” An older woman talking to another
older woman while holding a flyer.

At first, she didn’t give much thought to it. But the next thing that the woman said fully caught her.
“Poor child, she’s only nineteen? I hope the Thomases find their heart’s healing. Patricia is a very
beautiful child.”

Keli’s eyebrows furrowed. She turned to see the two woman now walking away. She wanted to ask
them about what they have said. But when she looked down on her boots, she saw the flyer. She
slowly picked it up and what she saw shocked her. In the flyer is a photo of a girl she barely knew
three months ago－Patty－beautiful blonde hair, ocean eyes, and a captivating smile.

She immediately went home and opened her laptop. She searched for a name ‘Patricia Thomas’ and
several photos revealed the same person on the flyer. It was indeed Patty. There were only three
articles about her and she read all of them. It was stated that she went missing a year ago on the 8 th
of August, 2021. The police dropped the case due to lack of substantial evidence and ruled it as
delinquency elopement but her family didn’t stop putting out flyers out on the streets just so they
could find her.

Then a realization hit her. Keli was shocked when she realized that it was the day of her seminar three
months ago and, at the same time, when she saw Patty and got invited to her dorm that her missing
case turned exactly one year.

She gulped. All of this doesn’t add up. What does this have to do with her? Why did Patty showed up
to her? Why did Patty chose her?

As scary and hard as it sounds, she knew right then and there what exactly she want to do. She went
to Facebook and searched for Patty’s profile. She looked and looked until it’s night time. She now
knew what to do, she’s going to help Patty achieve her well-deserved justice. She’s going to help her.

I’m going to help her.

-End-