(So Noah wanted to write some parts of the pdf because he felt like it was his story to tell too, not just mine.)

19th May 2019

NOAH

"That's one hell of an assignment, I tell you," Shay laughed. "Makes a great story."

"That's true though," I sighed, lowering the bottle from my mouth, and staring into the distance. "Wish it wasn't just that."

I'd asked Shay to bring her stash again, though I wasn't sure why I needed it tonight. Maybe because my assignment had been tiring, but, it wasn't just that.

It was her.

Renee Durvont.

She was so intriguing.

"She was happy to go back into her body right?" Shay asked me again, even though I'd answered the question five minutes ago.

"Yeah, she was," I sighed wistfully, then added, "I've never met anyone quite like her."

Shay raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's really decent for a human. She doesn't care about money or fame or her appearance. Or even love for that matter," I explained to Shay.

"You just told me that she wanted to go back to her family. Isn't that love?" Shay took the bottle from me and drank from it.

"Yeah, I meant, like romantic love." I sighed. "I thought teenage girls would totally drool over me like they used to when I was a human. But Renee, she didn't."

"Is that hurting your ego, Noah?" Shay laughed. " 'I'm so handsome, how could she not fall for me?'" She sighed in an annoying sing-song voice.

I rolled my eyes at her, "No, I don't think she's into this whole I-need-a-boyfriend thing. She didn't flirt with me once. Nor did she flirt back when I did."

"Wait, you flirted with her?" Shay gave me an impressed look. "When?"

"Well, my flirting skills are a bit rustic, since I can't use them in the spirit world, and it's been ages since I was a human...But I tried my best." I told her, pushing my hair off my forehead.

Shay threw me a look of sympathy. "Laughing at her jokes isn't flirting, Noah."

"What do you know, you're a spirit just like me," I grabbed the bottle out of her hand and emptied it into my mouth.

"But, seriously," Shay eyed me carefully, "Do you think you have a crush on her?"

"No!" I said a bit too quickly. "She's different, and it makes me curious, that's all." I sighed. "And I'm never going to see her again."

I thought about Renee, her curious grey eyes, her short chocolate brown hair, her adorable smile.
The fact that she was a whole head shorter than I added to her cuteness.

Damn, I really had it for her.

But, I couldn't see her again.

"I completely believe you, Noah," Shay said sarcastically.

"Do you know she wants to invent a machine that completes her homework? How cool is that!" I told Shay, who simply shook her head.

"She's a nerd then. A lazy one at that." Shay dismissed, and I found myself glaring at her.

"Don't say that. You don't know anything about her," I huffed. "And what if she is? I don't care."

"In case you haven't noticed, the sooner you forget her, the better it is. It's going to be a lot harder to get over her when you realise that you won't ever see her again." Shay told me coolly, now taking the bottle out of my hand.

I realised that she was right.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs, which caused Shay and me to exchange looks of panic.

Alcohol was a material comfort, forbidden in the spirit realm. It delayed the process of achieving enlightenment. Which was why Shay and I had to drink in secret.

Shay hoisted herself up my window and grabbed onto the pipe, to climb down into the garden.

I got up and closed my window, as I heard the knock on my door.

"Mom?" I called out.

There was no reply.

I opened my door, my jaw-dropping as I stared at who it was.

"Noah!" Renee exclaimed. "I'm so glad that I found you."

"Renee, what are you doing here?" I whispered anxiously, hoping that my parents hadn't seen her.

"I don't know, I was walking in the street when something compelled me to come here." She said as I guided her inside my room.

"You were walking?" I repeated. "Weren't you in the hospital?"

"Yeah. I was in the hospital when I fell asleep. This is a dream, I guess." She explained though she looks confused.

"This isn't a dream. It's real." I told her. "No human can access the spirit realm this easily."

Renee gave me a knowing smile. "You gave me access to the spirit realm, right? Maybe that's why I can visit this place in my dreams."

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

I thought that the access would close when she went back to her body.

I guess it didn't.

"You're an unregistered spirit," I told her slowly. "You can't be here, or the ISA would find out."

"The ISA?"

"The International Spirit Association. They monitor all the spiritual activities, here and in the earthly realm."

"Oh," Her face fell for some reason. "I guess I'll just go then."

"No, you don't get it." I grabbed her shoulders, making her stay. "What if you keep entering the spirit world every single time you dream?"

Renee's eyes widened, and then I realised that my face was too close to hers, her breath on mine. I released her immediately and stepped away from her before I did anything stupid.

"I'll try not to enter," Renee looked away from me.

"Renee, you can't control yourself when you dream," I told her gently.

She seemed to consider this, her grey eyes thoughtful.
"Why don't you remove my access to the spirit realm?" She spoke finally.

I gave her a sad smile. "I don't know how to."

She looked at me with disbelief.

"Even the ISA hasn't got a clue. If they have to remove the access, then they sever your link from this Realm. Which means that your spirit can never unite with the others." I informed her.

"It doesn't seem that bad," She started, but I cut her off.

"No, it's horrible really. You won't have a sense of intuition nor will you ever get dreams. And with your strong psychic abilities, it would truly be a waste of your potential."

Renee sat on my bed, pushing her hair off her face. I tried to curb my stupid thoughts, but they did make their way to my head.

The way her hair bordered her face.
The look she had when she was thinking hard.

Then I chided myself for thinking about my human instincts which were frowned upon in the spirit realm.
Get a grip, Noah.

Instead, I sat next to her on the bed, careful not to touch her in any way. I fought the impulse to grab her tiny hand, the one that supposedly made machines.

She was truly something else.

She looked up at me, her lip trembling. "What do we do then?"

I stared at her, then it struck me.

"Look, I can shield your spirit connection from the ISA so that they can't track you." I scratched my chin. "It's dangerous for me, but it will keep your spirit safe."

"Noah, you don't have to risk anything for me." She told me immediately, "You hardly know me."

"But, you're my responsibility," I told her, feeling a sudden protective instinct. I notice her eyes widen and try to downplay the tension. "Besides, I like taking risks," I added, giving her a smirk.

"How are you going to shield me?" She asked, carefully avoiding my stare.

"I'm going to teach you something highly illegal in the spirit world." I grinned widely, "You won't get in trouble with it because you are not an authorised spirit."

Renee nodded, her smile widening. "Okay then, what am I supposed to do?"

"Go back to the earthly realm. When you fall asleep again, imagine a specific place, it can be anywhere. It can even be a place that doesn't exist. Keep visiting this place, until it's so solid in your thoughts."

"How will I know if what I'm doing is right?" She questioned.

"If what you're doing is right, I will be able to enter this place of yours. This new realm." I explained.

"It sounds too easy," She frowned, "Are you sure this is illegal? "

"Yeah, it's against the law for spirits to create their own Realm. At least, that's what the ISA says." I sighed, hating the fact that the ISA had made us memorise their rule book.

"Anyway, once you enter the realm, I will block you from the Spirit world. So that the ISA can never find out about you." I raised my hand to place it on her shoulder, before stopping myself midway and directing it to smoothen my hair.

Why couldn't I behave myself?

"Okay, then." She smiled nervously. "So all I have to do is imagine a place."

"Yup. You can try meditating about it too. Whatever works for you." I smiled back at her, trying to ignore my rapidly beating heart.

She walked to the door of my room. "Is this your room by the way?" She asked, nodding appreciatively around my messy room.

"Yeah. Thankfully my parents didn't see you." I opened the door for her. "It's only my third day at work, and I'm already teaching you illegal stuff."

"No one knows why I died that day, okay? It's not your fault that you have to deal with this."
She told me firmly. "Thank you so much."

I shoved my hands into my pocket and tried to stop myself from hugging her and scaring her away.

"Your welcome," I grinned, "See you soon, Renee."

"You too, Noah." She gave me a warm smile, before walking away.