For several days now, Jasmin has felt that there are eyes watching her on her way home, as well as when she enters the school. She feels like, in her mind, she's changed after the incident at their camp where she was raised above the men who abducted her.
It's just your imagination, Jasmin. Convincing her mind.
But her mind tells her that it's not just her imagination. She wanted to dismiss what she was feeling; she wanted to ignore that someone was always following her when she walked alone.
She is scared, but she didn't let those who were watching her know that she was scared. However, in her mind, she really wanted to lock herself up and stop studying. Jasmin is afraid for her life now.
She is unsure of how to address her current situation and who to turn to for guidance. Sighing deeply, she is now in her room, thinking about what she can do.
I need to report what I'm feeling right now. She spoke in her mind.
Her parents didn't know that she suddenly disappeared from the camp; she would never speak about how she almost got into trouble and was nearly kidnapped back then. She also didn't detail what she discovered.
When she remembers those things, her palms suddenly tremble, the thought of being punished or the fear that is difficult to shake off still etched in her mind.
I don't want to die yet; I still want to live. That's what she keeps telling herself in her mind when she gets scared.
Jasmin is afraid to be alone at home; she is afraid to walk to school without anyone accompanying her. Since her abduction, she has not returned to her normal life.
Occasionally her mind is in turmoil, and she is afraid of whether she should report to the police about what is happening to her now.
She covered herself with a blanket, trying to push away the fear and worry that she was carrying in her mind.
One afternoon, she was walking alone; the light and darkness were also battling at that time. She took a long time to get home because they were finishing a project together.
She no longer paid attention to the one who was following her; she was scared too. Jasmin has already spotted the street leading to their place. It felt as though she was sprinting forward, scanning her surroundings with each step, but she failed to spot anyone.
Jasmin was already panting and feeling nervous; she had spotted their home, and her feelings were starting to ease.
Before she could grasp the doorknob, she heard the click of a gun; she felt it being aimed at her. It slowly approached where she was standing. Jasmin's whole body couldn't move; her anxiety was overwhelming. She was afraid that if she moved, even just a little, her tiny life would be in danger.
She felt the gun at her temple, very close, and she swallowed. Without a word, she suddenly heard a gunshot, felt dizzy, looked around, and was about to lose consciousness.
Her whole body was getting cold, and it seemed like the surroundings had gone silent. She no longer knows what is happening. For the last time, she looked at the blood— blood that came from her.
A single tear fell on Jasmin's cheek. She couldn't speak; she looked to see who shot her. Jasmin couldn't see clearly; her eyelids were about to close, she couldn't breathe anymore, and she saw a satisfied smile.
Again, the surroundings fell silent.
"----min, Jasmin." She heard faint voices.
Jasmin suddenly jolted up; she saw Ellese and Felisa looking worried about her.
Felisa suddenly hugged her.
"How sad, you got caught up in the mess, Jasmin." Felisa said sadly.
"Am I dead?" Only one question crossed her mind.
Ellese simply nodded, her eyes filled with sadness.
"Why am I still here? Am I your chauffeur?" She asked, confused.
Felisa shook her head gently. "People like us are not at peace; I know that in your heart and mind, you still don't want to accept that, in an instant, your life could be gone." Ellese explained it to her.
"What can we do? We are just one soul in the world of the people we interact with; we will just forget what happened to us." Jasmin said, even though her soul is screaming that she wants to achieve justice, she can't accept that she will die just like that.
In her mind, she was wondering how she would seek justice if, in the world of humans, once someone dies, they are already defeated.
Suddenly, Ellese took her; the surroundings darkened, and she suddenly heard the noise of people.
"Where are we?" Jasmin asked Ellese.
Ellese pointed something out to her, so she immediately looked. She heard some chatter and turned around.
There were people gathered, seemingly looking at something; there were police officers, people she didn't know. The appearance of their home captivated her. Her feet had a mind of their own; she suddenly realized she was walking towards the gathering.
Her breathing quickened, emotions overwhelmed her, and even though she was just a soul, she saw someone lying down.
Jasmin approached, and as she drew near, she saw her body bathing in its blood. Her appearance was pitiful. She observed that the bullets didn't strike her in the center but instead sprayed her entire body with gunfire.
Jasmin shook her head, her tears falling as only the wind blew them away.
"Child!" This was the only call she heard from her father, who had just come from work.
"My child! What happened? Why?! Why?!" Jasmin saw a lifeless body lying down.
When she saw her parents going wild, she found it even harder to accept her death.
So hard, so hard! So this is how it feels for a soul deprived of life that is not yet ready. Her lament echoed in her mind.
Someone hugged her.
"Let's go," Ellese said.
They are walking again in the darkness. She didn't understand why they still hadn't reached wherever they were going.
"We're just lost souls, Jasmin." Ellese added.
"When we carry hatred and sorrow in our hearts after our bodies die, our souls will journey through a long darkness, similar to the women who are with us now and the slain who cannot find peace."
Now they only noticed that there were many more souls in front of them and behind them.
"I won't walk like this; I want peace. I will find a way." She suddenly blurted out.
"We're getting tired too, Jasmin, but it's difficult to find light and forgiveness." Jasmin clenched her fist in frustration.
Felisa walked quietly with sad eyes.
"If you want to be quiet, help us convince the people who will help us." Ellese looked at her intently.
She remained silent, following the two souls.