Mona

The beginning of the summer holiday was greeted with rage from the sounds of bashing and clashing of bats at a usually peaceful junkyard at the South of Seattle.

Sebastian perched himself on the tires that were neatly placed on top of each other as he watched his friends ruthlessly damage an abandoned Mustang. It looked like it belonged to someone from the dinosaur age. It was terribly rusty that you could barely see its original yellow color.

His best friend, Ethan, stopped hitting the car with his bat and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. He chuckled.

“Guys,” Ethan said. Sebastian stopped sipping on his lemon tea and took off his earphones. Everyone stopped hitting the car and looked over at Ethan, who looked like he was crying. “Thank you.”

Everyone looked at him in silence for a few seconds, until Johnny, another friend of theirs, began to laugh. “What are you talking about, Ethan?” Johnny patted him on the back in reassurance. “Remember this place is here for us whenever we need to let it out.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. “We got your back, you know that.” Jamie, Ethan’s girlfriend, and Johnny’s twin sister, added.

Ethan sighed. “I’m such an idiot. I thought Will was just out for a business trip. I didn’t really think much about it either with exams and all. He didn’t even say goodbye.”

It was the third time Ethan had to witness his mother go through a divorce. Sebastian remembered how it was like the first and second time. He remembered Ethan being enraged with his father after having an affair with his colleague at work. It was a time when Sebastian would end up in the Principal’s office more than once a week because he would skip school too often. For a good reason, of course. He had to make sure Ethan didn’t go off to overdose on drugs. He was lucky enough to catch him doing it for the first time in the school’s restroom. But who knows if he would have done it again.

The second time was less of a struggle, but it made Ethan almost despise his mother. His first step-father was one Ethan looked up to. A man who graduated from Stanford Medical School. He deeply cared for Ethan and would attend his baseball matches. Sebastian recalled how Ethan would perform better in matches just with his presence.

And now it was the third one. This time, it was a man called Will who worked in New York. Ethan wouldn’t see him often due to his frequent trips outside of Seattle. He didn’t hear the news of the divorce until after their final exams.

“I think I’m better now.” Ethan sighed, throwing his bat away, and flopped on to the ground. “Seb, can I crash by your place for the day? I know I should be used to it by now, but I can’t help but to hate Mom again. For now.”

Sebastian nodded. “It’s cool.” That was another thing. Every time this happened, Ethan would automatically end up in Sebastian’s house. It was almost like a ritual at this point.

Sebastian stood up and tossed away his juice box. He picked up his bicycle that barely leaned against the tires. Ethan picked up his from the ground.

“See you guys later.” Ethan smiled, sitting on the worn-out saddle.

Before Ethan could cycle away, Jamie put her hand on his shoulder. Ethan looked at her in mild confusion.

“Take care,” Jamie said softly, making her forehead touch his. “Meet me tomorrow, okay?”

Ethan gave her a faint smile. “I will. Thanks.” They gave each other a quick kiss, which was interrupted by Johnny’s dramatic gagging.

“Let’s go,” Ethan told Sebastian, who simply nodded.

“See you guys,” Sebastian said, cycling shortly after Ethan did.

“Sebastian!” Jamie called after them. “Make sure Ethan gets out of bed!”

“Yeah, yeah,” He waved her off.

“And that he eats his breakfast! And brushes his teeth! Get his morning routine straight!”

“We got it, mom!” Ethan burst out laughing.

The two boys cycled their way out of the junkyard. The sun had almost completely set, and the street lights were starting to turn on. The streets were emptier than usual, with only a few cars appearing every now and then. Sebastian and Ethan occupied the roads whenever there was no car nearby, then headed back to the pavement. It was a hot and humid night, so riding a bicycle let them feel the breeze. Strands of Sebastian’s blonde hair were pulled back by the wind, allowing him to clearly see what was ahead of him. They passed the diner where Sebastian’s younger sister took a part-time job in. Then they passed the neighbourhood’s football field. Then the children’s playground. And finally, they arrived at the neat line of nearly identical houses. Sebastian’s house was the seventh one on the left. He has been living in that same house for almost eighteen years, yet it did not look any different to how it was when he was a little kid. Its triangular rooftop was covered in fresh, grey paint. The two windows on the second floor, which belonged to his and his sister’s rooms, were lit up.

“Not again.” He sighed. He placed his bicycle against the fence next to his house and walked towards the wooden brown door of his home. He knocked on the door and heard footsteps from inside the house and those from Ethan who was catching up to him.

Sebastian’s mother opened the door. “Seb, Ethan!” She greeted. “I suppose you’ve come over to have some dinner with us?”

“Oh, actually mom, Ethan’s here to sleep over,” Sebastian stated. His mother exchanged looks with him and seemed to understand the reason.

“Well, no problem!” She said quickly. “You can grab the sleeping bag from the basement.”

“I remember, Mrs. Davis.” Ethan responded instantly. “I’ll go get it.” And he headed off.

“When did you hear about the news?” Sebastian’s mother asked quietly with a frown.

“This morning,” Sebastian replied, taking off his shoes.

“Poor thing.” Sebastian gave her a peck on the cheek after seeing how troubled she looked.

“It’ll be alright.” He said, climbing up the stairs. “He’s alright.”

He quickly went to his room, knowing that there was someone inside.

“Sam!” Sebastian groaned. His younger sister jolted from his bed. She looked too comfortable lying down underneath his velvet blue sheets with his laptop on top of it.

She groaned and reluctantly stood up.

“Get out of here! How many times do I have to tell you to stop using my laptop? How do you even know the password?”

“I can’t believe you changed it again! But it’s useless, you know? You can’t stop me until Mom and Dad finally get one for me!”

Sam, short for Samantha, looked quite similar to Sebastian. Both have brown eyes, the shade of milk chocolate. Both have straight, blonde hair that people sometimes mistook for brown, though Sam’s hair reached just below her shoulders, just like their father’s. Their main differences were their height – Sebastian was 5-foot 11, with Sam being a head shorter, and their face shape – Sebastian had a sharper outline with an upper smooth oval until it reached down to a chiseled jawline. Sam’s face was almost like a perfect circle with redder cheeks.

Sebastian sighed and grabbed the laptop from her.

“Hey!” She hissed.

“What are you even doing?” Sebastian looked at his laptop screen to see that she was watching the news.

“Nothing, okay? I only use your laptop to get updated with things.”

He closed the laptop. “Anyways, go help downstairs, we’re about to eat dinner. And Ethan’s staying over again.”

“Ethan?” Her eyes widened, then frowned. “Oh my gosh, is it-“

“Yep, it is,” Ethan replied. He was leaning on the side of the bedroom door holding the sleeping bag he took from the basement.

“Ethan, I’m so sorry.” Sam said softly.

Ethan shrugged. “It’s cool.”

Sam patted him on the shoulder. Then her eyes brightened up. “Oh, I know!”

She grabbed the laptop swiftly from Sebastian’s hands and opened it.

“Sam!” Sebastian growled.

“Calm down, Seb!” Ethan laughed. “You’re always too riled up with her.”

“I just watched this on the news today.” Sam said, rewinding the news video clip she was watching on YouTube. “Apparently, there was a mad lady running naked on the streets not too far from here.”

“In today’s news,” the anchor spoke. “On the South End of Seattle nearby a suburban neighbourhood, a mysterious woman runs on the streets naked. This public violation was witnessed by two policemen on patrol. Here is a clip on how the situation ensued.”

“What?” Ethan’s expression was mixed with disgust and amusement.

“Yeah, but continue watching!”

The three looked at the screen. The camera angle was from above and quite far from where the lady was running. Her body was blurred, and her face was unclear to see except for her long, light-brown hair that fell below her waist. She was sprinting away from two policemen with all the nearby pedestrians looking at the scene.

Suddenly, as the policemen were an arm’s length behind her, she suddenly vanished.

“What?” Sebastian and Ethan gasped in unison. Sebastian felt the hairs on his arm rising. It’s as if she disappeared in thin air. It was like there was never a lunatic running on the streets.

“Let’s zoom in and replay in slow motion.” The anchor said.

There was no doubt. It was crystal clear that in a split second, the lady just vanished from everyone’s sight.

“Woah, dude,” Ethan pressed the spacebar on the laptop to pause the video and stood up. “This is too creepy, I’m having chills!”

“But isn’t it kind of cool?” Sam’s eyes sparkled. “Maybe she’s an alien!”

“Or a ghost!” Ethan ran his fingers through his hair. “Sam, you liar, this did not cheer me up!”

“Oh, come on, Ethan! I thought you don’t believe in ghosts anyway.”

“Well, now I do!”

“Guys!” Sebastian’s father yelled from downstairs. “Dinner’s ready!”

The three left the room and headed down the stairs.

“Maybe it’s just a video glitch.” Ethan sighed, trying to comfort himself.

“No, it’s not,” Sam replied. “Didn’t you see how weirded out the cops were?”

“Sam, stop scaring him like that,” Sebastian said, irritated.

“Sam, stop scaring him like that.” Sam mocked. “You guys are such scaredy-cats.”

“I am not!” Sebastian snapped.

“Seb, you’re seriously being heated up by that?” Ethan said in amusement.

“He’s heated up with whatever I do or say.” Sam rolled her eyes. “That’s probably why he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

“Now, now, stop arguing.” Sebastian’s dad said as they finally reached the dining table. “What are you two fighting about now?”

“Nothing much.” Sam shrugged. “They just got scared by this naked lady.”

“Naked lady?” Their mother gasped, looking at the three of them. “What on earth were you doing?”

“Don’t put it like that!” Sebastian barked. He felt his face heating up from humiliation.

Their father, however, just started laughing. “Oh, are you talking about the woman on the news? We just watched it this afternoon, honey.”

“Oh!” Their mother clasped her hands together. “The Naked Ghost!”

“They named her?” Sebastian asked in shock.

“She’s not a ghost.” Ethan added almost immediately.

“But definitely an alien!” Sam added. “I mean come on, ghosts can’t be caught on camera. They’re usually just like floating orbs or silhouettes.”

The talk went on and on, with the two siblings debating on whether it was a ghost, an alien, or just a glitch on the camera. In all honesty, though, Sebastian thought his sister was the better debater (not like he would ever tell her that). Her skills are clear from her five straight wins in the annual school debating competition. She was even elected as Student Council President after she slammed her two other competitors in a debate.

It was late in the evening. Sebastian was lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Ethan was doing the same thing on his sleeping bag. The two were silent for a long time, just looking at the wooden arches above them, their mind floating away from the room.

“Seb,” Ethan said, breaking the silence. “You awake?”

“Mhm.” Sebastian responded.

“Oh, good. I couldn’t sleep.”

It was silent again for a few, long seconds.

“Seb?” Ethan started again.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think… Do you think that I will ever have a complete family?”

Sebastian took a while to respond. “I can’t answer that question.”

Ethan huffed out a laugh. “You’re too honest! Just hearing a yeah would be good.”

“Sorry.”

Ethan stretched out his arms, then put his hands below his head. “You know how we tend to be attracted to people who are similar to our parents?”

Sebastian seemed to know what the follow-up question was, but he pretended that he didn’t anyway. “Yeah, why?”

“Let’s say I find someone, like Jamie for example. If I’m attracted to my parents’ personality, does that mean I’m attracted to people who would leave me and who just can’t be… tied down to someone?”

Sebastian sat up from his bed to look at his friend in amusement.

“Are you saying that you think Jamie would do that?” He asked.

“No, no!” Ethan’s green eyes widened. “Of course not!”

It was too dark to see his face, but Sebastian knew that he was frowning.

“But you never know what can happen years from now.”

There was a long pause until Ethan let out a sad kind of laugh. The type where no energy nor enthusiasm was put into it.

“Actually,” He said. “Maybe I’d be the one who couldn’t settle down.”

There was another long pause.

“I don’t think so.” Sebastian was the first one this time to break it.

“Don’t think what?”

“I don’t think you’re the type to not settle. Have you seen yourself? You’re super emotional and sensitive.”

“Hey!”

“Plus,” Sebastian ignored him. “You’ve been with Jamie for a year and a half now. You call that not settling?”

There was no response, so Sebastian continued.

“And I know, for sure, that Jamie’s not the type to play around. You know how many guys flirt with her. But she still chooses you.

“I remember in the last,” Sebastian paused for a moment to carefully word his sentence. “In the last divorce your mom went through, you just stayed here and didn’t talk to her at all. So she would put fruit baskets outside our doorstep once in a while, and my mom would think it was from Grandma Jones from across the street, so she would always keep it.”

“No way.” Ethan sat up. “So those baskets were from her?”

Sebastian nodded. “I looked out the window once early in the morning and saw her put it there.”

This time, Ethan genuinely let out a laugh, lying back down and sighing in relief.

“Yeah.” Sebastian agreed. “So I don’t think you’d be attracted to your mom or dad.”

“Ew, dude, that’s so gross.”

“I didn’t mean it that way!” Sebastian realized how it could have been interpreted wrongly. “I meant that you wouldn’t be attracted to someone like them.”

The both of them laughed aloud.

“Well, I hope you’re right,” Ethan said with a smile. “Actually, you know what, I know you’re right. I think… I think this will work, Jamie and I. Or at least, I know if we ever break up, it won’t be because of reasons like mom’s.”

Before they knew it, the two of them fell asleep, too drained, both emotionally and physically, from the destroying of cars at the junkyard.

“Seb, wake up!” A familiar raspy, high-pitched voice rung through Sebastian’s ears.

Sebastian was shaken awake by Ethan. The boy looked as if he was already ready for the day, wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday, but he seemed chipper nonetheless.

“Oh hey,” Sebastian sat up, rubbing his face. “You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah, I’m going to head out and meet up with Jamie.” Ethan grinned. “And then I’ll head back home. I feel good enough now.”

Sebastian nodded, standing up from his bed. “Alright.”

He took his glasses from the drawer right next to his bed where the lamp was placed on. He often used contact lenses and would always wear them outside, but his mom insisted he wore his glasses at home to “rest” his eyes for the day.

He had to get new glasses, though. He started to see things less clearly, so he might need a higher grade.

“Alright, I’ll be leaving now then. Thanks for letting me crash in again!” Sebastian heard him say goodbye to his parents at the lower floor of the house as he took off.

He went downstairs too shortly after taking a shower to eat breakfast. His parents were sitting on the couch, with his mom braiding his dad’s long, blonde hair as he reads a book. It was a usual sight to see on a Sunday morning.

“Morning, mom. Morning, dad.” Sebastian said. They both turned to look at him.

“Ah, Seb, honey!” His mom said, resuming her braiding work. “Good morning! Make sure to finish your breakfast! Your sister will be driving you today, she’s waiting for you in the car.”

“Sam?” Sebastian crossed his arms. “She just got her driver’s license. And besides, my eyesight’s not that bad, I can still drive.”

“Yes, but better safe than sorry.” His dad declared, stroking his beard. “And this would be good brother-sister bonding!”

“Mom.” He pleaded.

“Listen to your father.” She stuck her tongue out, teasing her son.

The boy sighed and headed to the dining room to sadly munch on his sandwich. He heard his parents’ laughter as he left, which did not fail to make him let out a small smile. He always felt nice at home, especially if both his parents were there. They were complete during the weekends, since his mother, Jenny Davis, had to work on the weekdays. She was an editor at their local news station. As for his father, Vincent Davis, he has been a stay-at-home dad ever since Sam was born. Sebastian was still two-years-old when Sam came into their lives, so he was not old enough to take care of his younger sister. So their father decided to give up his job as an accountant to look after them two since their mother was far more passionate with her job.

“Don’t you want to work again, dad?” Sebastian remembered asking as the four of them played a board game when they were younger.

“Aren’t I at work already?” His dad smiled. “And boy, is this the best job of my life so far.”

Sebastian finished his food and went to the front door to wear his shoes. “I’ll be leaving now!”

“Okay, be careful!” His mom replied from the living room.

He left the house and walked towards the white Toyota car parked on the road before him. His sister was leaning on it, scrolling through her iPhone, unaware that her brother was there.

“Let’s go.” Sebastian said.

His sister looked at him and nodded. She unlocked the car’s doors. Before she could head to the driver’s seat, her brother beat her to it.

“Seb! What the heck?” She yelled. “You can’t drive!”

“Come on, please?” Sebastian whined. “I’m not legally blind!”

“I’m telling mom if you don’t switch right now!”

“I have more driving experience than you, it’ll be fine!”

“Seb, this is a bad idea. You can drive home after we visit the optometrist and get new contact lenses, alright?”

Sebastian looked at her with a blank expression then pointed at a banner hanging on a balcony four houses away from them.

“Look, I can still read that. Book Exchange Night at 9:30pm. For any questions, please call 458-092-3747.”

Sam responded to her brother’s smug grin with an unamused face. She sighed, then sat on the passenger’s seat, giving up.

“You’re so childish.” Sam argued, wearing her seat belt.

Sebastian shrugged, putting on his seat belt as well. He didn’t mind. He was only like that at home. He knew he had to have at least some courtesy in public.

He started the car and began to drive. The optometrist was situated at the heart of the city, so it was a 30-minute travel to get there, considering that there was no heavy traffic. Sebastian and his sister did not talk too much throughout the ride, though they occasionally fought about the channels playing on the radio.

There were not many cars on the road that day. Everyone was probably staying at home or going to church.

That was what Sebastian assumed, so he let his guard down. He didn’t care much about the figure from afar. But he started to be confused as they got closer. His sister seemed to feel the same way too as she leaned her head towards the front window.

Her eyes widened. “Sebastian, stop!” She screamed.

“What?” He glanced at her, then looked at the front again. He felt his heart stop as he saw a lady in the middle of the road, walking aimlessly.

“Oh my-“ Sebastian honked his horn, pressing on the brake. But it was too late.

He heard his sister shriek in horror as they presumably ran over her.

The both of them were panting heavily. Sebastian could feel beads of sweat falling from his forehead.

“Oh my gosh.” His sister was crying. “Sebastian, did we kill her? I don’t want to turn around!”

“I-“ He was panicking and with all the courage he could muster, decided to look back. His heart dropped. But not because he saw a corpse or anything. There was no lady on the road. All there was was a car honking for them to drive.

So Sebastian began to drive again.

“Sebastian!” Sam cried. She never used his full name. Especially twice within the same minute. “Why are you driving away? We have to call the ambulance!”

“There was no body.” He said quietly.

“What?”

“There was no body. There was only a car behind us.”

“You’re lying!”

“Sam, I swear, I would not just leave a dead body in the middle of the road!”

Sam wiped her tears and sniffled. “Did you see her face?”

“I couldn’t. It was too blurry.”

“Seb!” Sam looked at him in horror. “You said you could still look from afar!”

“I-I thought I could!” He stammered. “I could read absolutely fine!”

“Stop the car, I’ll drive now.”

Sebastian didn’t feel like arguing from too much adrenaline. And besides, he did not feel like driving anymore. He gulped. “Yeah, okay.”

He stopped the car when he finally found a gas station, and the two switched seats.

The two were evidently still in shock, remaining silent most of the trip. But it wasn’t a comfortable silence that surrounded anymore. The car was filled with tension that could be cut with a knife. They only had one piece of conversation during that last half of the drive.

“I remember her face.” Sam said, still looking directly at the road. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”

“Sam, I’m-“ Sebastian gulped for the umpteenth time that day. “I’m sorry.”

Sam shook her head.

“And I promise, I didn’t see any dead body whatsoever on the road.”

Sam nodded. “I believe you.”

“She just disappeared. It was as if she never existed.”

“It might be the same naked alien lady we saw on the news.”

Sebastian let out a nervous chuckle. Sam followed, glancing at him.

“It might just be.” Sebastian responded softly.

“Don’t tell mom and dad about this. They’re gonna kill us.”

Sebastian nodded in agreement. “Let’s dig this to our graves.”

“And also promise that if they do find out and we do die, we’re not going to haunt people in the middle of the road naked.”

This time, they laughed genuinely.