[JUSTIN]
"So... maybe Bob's soul is in Sugar," I concluded after a lengthy explanation of how I got Sugar.
Ken took a deep breath and covered his face with his hands. Ramon put his arm around Ken's shoulders, letting him lean on him.
"Look, guys.. this is really unthinkable.. Ken, we're really sorry," continued Jack.
"No, Jack.." I said quickly. "It's my own fault, because I wanted a cat, and didn't think about the consequences at all."
Ken looked at me sadly, then said, "Actually I understand, no one would have guessed this would happen. But are you sure? Did Bob really die because of Sugar?"
"That's the most plausible explanation, though at the same time it doesn't make sense," said Jared. He also had the same thoughts as me about this 'soul exchange' concept.
"What if we ask my mom and dad to check, to be sure about the cause of Bob's death?" Suggested Ramon. Her mother is a veterinarian, and her father happens to work in police forensics. It's a perfect combination.
Bob laid in Ken's cat bag with a blanket. Ken nodded at Ramon.
"Justin, we'd better go to Ramon's house first. So we can confirm about Bob's death. Whatever the cause of Bob's death, I don't blame you, and I'm not mad at you, OK? Even though I'm definitely disappointed and sad. He's been there for me since I was a kid," concluded Ken.
"OK," I replied, then immediately took my jacket and car keys. "Jack, you go with me?"
Jack nodded.
Ken, Ramon and Jared went together to Ramon's house. It's almost 9 pm, and we hope Ramon's parents hadn't slept yet.
My heart was pounding pretty hard, and I really hoped all my explanations were wrong. I hoped all my theories and guesses were wrong, and I hoped Bob turned out to be sick, and then he died of illness, not for giving his life to Sugar.
"This is the first time, right, we're seeing the bad consequences of Mera's magic?" asked Jack.
"We still don't know for sure, Jack," I replied. "Hope this is not the consequence. I hope Bob has an illness we don't know."
It was getting darker, but the street was well lit with the street lamps lining the sidewalk. Soon we arrived at Ramon's house, and I saw his dad sitting on the park bench.
"Good evening, Uncle Adler," we greeted Ramon's dad.
"Pa, we need your help," said Ramon.
His father stood up and smiled kindly, motioning us in. Inside, Ramon's mother was reading a book in the living room while listening to the radio. She saw us entering the room and smiled broadly.
"Good night everyone.. what brings you all here?" Greet his mother.
"Aunt Adler, we need help... can you find out the cause of my cat's death?" Ken asked as he immediately showed her his cat bag, with Bob in it.
"He died?" Ask Uncle Adler to be sure. Aunt Adler took the cat bag and immediately took it to the practice room.
"He never wakes up from his sleep, Uncle Adler, even though he looked fine before," Ken explained.
Aunt Adler checked on Bob.
"He's gone," she confirmed.
Bob was really gone.
"We have to thoroughly examine and open the inside of his body to determine what caused him to die. Is it okay with you?" Ask Uncle Adler. Aunt Adler nodded reassuringly.
Ken agreed.
We left the practice room, because we didn't want to see the operation process. Ramon's parents said the examination would take about 15-30 minutes, and we chose to watch TV in the living room.
Neither of us laugh at the comedy shows on TV, even though we usually laugh easily. Ramon and Jared, who were not involved in this matter at all, looked frantic as well.
"If it's true that Bob died for no reason, do you believe that it must be because Sugar took his life?" I asked, breaking our silence.
"Ideally, there should be more samples to be sure," replied Ramon.
We passed the waiting time with just a lot of silence. About 20 minutes later we heard the sound of the door opening, and we stood up straight away. Uncle and Aunt Adler came out from inside.
"Kids, Bob is perfectly healthy. He doesn't have any disease, and we can't find a cause of death," said Aunt Adler.
"Bob's soul seems to have just left his body," continued Uncle Adler.
We looked at each other at the same time, but couldn't say anything.
"But don't worry, he died without feeling any pain, Ken. Don't be sad anymore. He's in Heaven now," added Aunt Adler, patting Ken's shoulder.
Not in Heaven, but inside Sugar.. I said to myself.
"Auntie will help with the burial process properly. Ken can visit Bob at any time, OK?"
Ken nodded with a smile.
"Okay, Uncle, Auntie.. It's late, we have to go home," I said goodbye.
"Thanks a lot for the help.. We're going home," Ken continued my words, and we went out together.
"So Bob's actually still alive, but as Sugar, right?" Ken whispered in my ear, after we were outside and getting into the car.
"I think so, Ken," I replied. "And... Erm, Ramon?"
"Yes?" Answered Ramon who accompanied us out.
"Think about what other samples you could use to be sure."
"I'm not sure. Plants?"
Ramon thought maybe some plant could be the next test sample. If I ask Mera for certain plants, roses for example.. Will there be roses that are alive and die at the same time?
"Plants might be a good idea. Who has a particular plant to trade with?"
"In front of HMJ there is a garden with a row of healthy white roses, right?"
I smiled.
"You can go home, but I'm going straight to the woods now," I said.
They turned to each other and shouted, "I'll go with you!"
"Sorry, I'll pass," said Ramon. "But stay safe!"
Ken, Jack and Jared jumped right into my car and we headed out into the woods together. I always have a lot of paper and a box of markers in my car, so I can draw anything on Mera at any time.
Arriving in the forest, we immediately ran to the lake. I plopped down beside Mera, and began to draw a bunch of roses in a row that was huge and numerous. Then I wrote beside it 'white, along the south side of the lake'. I crumpled up the paper and threw it into the lake.
Before long, we watched the rose grow. The white roses in clusters immediately sprouted, and bloomed beautifully, lined up on the south side of the lake, right in front of us standing.
"Oh my God," Jack muttered.
"Justin, didn't you write asking to exchange their lives with the DSA's roses?" Jared asked. "What if it turns out that the DSA's roses are still alive?"
I thought for a moment.
"But I think Mera will let us know, whatever it is. She wants us to suffer the consequences, and let us see for ourselves."
"Should we go to DSA now?" Jack's suggested.
"But there's no way these roses took the life of some cats or dogs, isn't it?" Ken asked.
"Yeah, that's impossible," Jared replied.
Without another word, I returned to the car, followed by my friends. "Just go straight to campus, okay?"
It was past 11 when we arrived, but I was Justin, and the campus security would let me in. We got off and went straight to DSA.
"Justin, look!" Ken exclaimed stifled, while directing my body to the left, towards the cafeteria.
The dozens of white roses that lined the left side of the cafeteria were all dead.
DSA office was near the end of the canteen, and we walked slowly while continuing to see how many roses had died.
Arriving at DSA, we saw that our suspicions were all proven. All the roses that were clustered in a row in front of my office were dull and withered down. So at that time we knew, to grow all the roses along the south side of the lake, Mera needed all the roses along the canteen and this DSA.
I lifted my chin and sighed. So it's true, Mera can give me any living thing, but by exchanging lives.
"Ken, are you OK?" I asked, patting his back. I know he's still sad that Bob's life was taken by Sugar, and I feelt guilty. But at least he knew that Bob was actually still around, but inside Sugar's body.
Ken just nodded.
"If you bring Sugar here tomorrow, I'll play with him a lot," he replied.
"Bob is not dead," added Jared. "He is Sugar now."
And their color is also similar. Bob is also white, with a hint of orange around his neck.
Ken smiled.
I drove Ken and Jared home, and I stayed at Jack's.
It was midnight when Jack and I got home. Sugar had fallen asleep on the mattress I bought this afternoon. The food's gone. Jack stroked his head, then he groaned as he writhed.
I was relieved, but at the same time horrified. We used to joke that I should draw a beautiful woman or a mermaid on top of Mera. If I really did, whose life would Mera take to make my drawing come true?
I could be a serial killer without anyone finding out, if I wanted to. But can I choose whom I kill? Ah.. I'm not a murderer.. But.. What if one day I need a life to make my dream come true?
Mera, who are you? Where are you from? Then why me? Why do you create an image only by my hand?
While lying on the sofa, I roughly counted the number of roses on the DSA that died earlier. Why do I feel something is off? I glanced at Jack who was already asleep on the couch, in front of the TV he had just turned on.
I called Ramon. "You're still awake?"
"I'm not going to sleep until this PC is done, but soon. How's the plant?"
"I asked for white roses to grow along the south side of the lake, and once they grew, we went straight to campus. All the white roses at the canteen and the DSA are dead, Ramon."
Ramon sighed.
"But I feel something is missing..." I added, a little hesitantly, but this thought kept bugging me. "The number of roses that grew in the lake was still far more than the row of roses in the canteen and in front of the DSA."
"I didn't go to the lake, anyway.. But if you say along the south side.. That's really a lot. White roses along the canteen and the DSA won't be enough."
"So.."
"So there must be some white roses somewhere else that died."