Who is he?

"Ryan?" Kate called from her terrace, looking into the terrace of the house closer to hers.

She was feeling the night cold creeping up her and creating goosebumps behind her neck and arms. She was wearing an all-black outfit as she and Ryan had planned for the night out of fun.

"Ryan? Come out fast. We need to be out of here soon!"

Soon she saw Ryan appearing on the terrace with his bag and a goofy laugh.

"Don't be impatient, Kat! Let's go!"

She rolled her eyes and soon both of them were out of the terrace through the drain pipes.

They moved through the garden of their respective houses and climbed out of the fences. They ran towards Ryan's motorbike hidden further down the street and hop on it with their laugh of excitement filling the dark air.

When they reached the mountain valley surrounded by forests, Kate was already feeling the chills.

"Ryan, are you sure this bet will work? Like why would you accept a bet to stay a night at the graveyard? That creep of a Jordan was mocking you!"

"Seriously, Kat! It's 500 dollars. Just a silly night in the graveyard. Take a photo by the gravestone of a Martin Simmons at the back, get out of here. That's the plan!" He slid out of the motorbike, while Kate was already waiting for him, looking scared at the graveyard.

"Why did you bring me? Jerk! You convinced me with the camera of yours!" She kicked his ankle and caught onto his arms to hide behind him.

"Why won't you come?" He laughed into the night. "We are childhood buddies and we do everything together. Come on, Katty. This is going to be fun!"

She shook her head in fear and he nudged her gently. She looked at him and followed his gaze to the entrance of the graveyard, from where everything was barely visible inside.

***

Kate was sure she was going to cry. Everything was eerily silent and it was completely dark. All they could see was the small round white space Ryan's flashlight produced on the wet, mushy ground and the halfmoon in the sky.

Ryan was observing every gravestone from the beginning of the yard to find Martin's stone. The yard was completely filled with old twisted trees and sticky leaves on the ground.

She walked closer to Ryan and cleared the gravestones with her hand to see the name on it. She avoided her shivers and tried to look only at the light.

"Ryaaaan! Arrgh!" She screamed and wailed her hands to find Ryan.

She was looking to the area where she saw some shadow rushing. The sound was clear and closer.

She panted and cried when she didn't hear from Ryan. She was scared to look around and was startled when somebody shrugged her suddenly. She cried louder.

"Hey, hey! It's me. Ryan. Katty? It's okay. What happened?" Ryan held her closer and shook her.

She hugged him closer and cried loudly.

"I saw something! Ryan! There was something!" She said between hiccups.

"I don't think there is anything, Katty! You are just afraid. Or that Jordan might be pulling pranks on us! It's nothing! I am here."

He comforted her sitting on the wet ground. He waited for her to calm down and looked around to see anything irregular. His flashlight caught only the trees and stranded gravestones.

"Let's go back, Ry!" She asked into his face, even though she couldn't see anything clearly.

"A few more...Please, let's look through a few more of them."

She silently waited for him to change his opinion. But he held her up and brushed his pants.

She rubbed away the tears, "Okay. But I'll kill you later for this."

She clung onto his arms this time.

His small laugh was heard and the next moment, she felt cold.

She tried to tighten her hold, but all she could feel was air.

"Ry?" She panicked. He was there a moment ago and now he was gone.

She called out his name controlling her voice. No reply. She saw the flashlight lying on the floor and picked it up. She franticly pointed the light everywhere and she was welcomed with all the trees and graves.

Fear and panic froze her and she fall on the floor, on her knees. She was so numb to move or look anywhere.

Soon, she saw the same shadow passing like light, but this time it stopped behind a tree her light was pointing.

"Ry?" She mumbled and crawled slowly towards it.

When she reached the tree, the shadow stood outside the light and she was welcomed with a pale face, with hollow eyes and ragged clothes.

She screamed and cried . She crawled back aimlessly and hit on a tree trunk. Her wailing filled the air. She turned the light off and hid her face. Her hands pulled her hair in panic.

"Kate?" An alluring voice called. She felt coldness creeping on her face. Her entire body trembled in fear.

"Martin." She lifted her head at the name and saw the hollow eyes so close to her face. She covered her mouth to stop from screaming.

Her flashlight turned on suddenly and she saw the shadow's hands pointing at itself.

"Are you...Martin?" Her voice crippled.

The shadow moved away slightly.

She felt an unexplainable energy and followed the shadows movement. She turned the flashlight off again and stood up. When her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw the shadow a few feet away.

Her movement was involuntary. Her body has stopped shivering. She moved towards the shadow and followed it.

Soon she found herself deep in the yard, behind rotting trees and sleeping owls. An isolated grave stood there. The shadow hid behind another tree. She turned her flashlight on and cleared the ivy and leaves over the grave quickly.

Something was compelling her to be quick. Her breathe was haggard. Once the dirt was off, her flashlight caught the name on it.

'RYAN KELLER'

Kate felt her breathe lost. 'Ryan?'

"Ryan?" She called franticly. She heard nothing.

She looked around and saw the shadow creepily still behind the tree.

She felt the same involuntary pressure on her and her movements were daring. She found a strong stick from around and started digging the ground before the stone.

Her hands got hurt, bled, but she didn't stop.

Tears ran out of her eyes.

It was a difficult task. Moon got covered with clouds and came clear and it repeated. Time was passing.

Once she was digging deeper, and she felt the pain of the wood picking on her bare wounded skin, she discarded the stick and used her bare hands.

She was startled when she felt movement beneath her fingers.

Soon, she saw a muddy and dirty body in the soil. She picked the flashlight from the ground and pointed at it. She used her other hands to pull out the body.

Her shriek filled the air.

"Ryaaan!"

The body was Ryan's. But she remembered the movement she felt and pressed her fingers on Ryan's chest.

She felt faint rise of his chest.

"Ryaan! Wake up! Ryan?" She shook his body and cried out.

Slowly she felt his body move and he squinted his dirt covered eyes open.

"Oh, Ryan!" She picked his hand and hugged him.

He winced.

"Kat?"

"Yes, Ryan?"

She saw him pointing towards the shadow.

"Yes, I know. It's Martin."

***

"See what you asked for?"

Jordan looked with disbelief in his eyes. The photo on the phone clearly shows Ryan standing in front of Martin Simmons grave. The background clearly confirmed the place. He looked up.

Ryan was standing in front of him with a cool smile. Kate was next to him looking unbothered. Her palms were tied up with band aids.

"Pay up, dude!" Ryan extended his hands.

Jordan looked at his gang of friends and returned the phone to Ryan. He pulled out his wallet from his school jacket's pocket and passed Ryan five hundred dollar bills.

Ryan smirked and left with Kate.

Jordan looked at his friends again.

"How did that happen? Nobody escaped from that place sane before! I didn't even know that Martin Simmons existed!"

Everybody looked as surprised as him.

***

"How can you not be sure about what happened, Ry? I found you in a grave and you don't even remember anything!" Kate silently asked him for the umpteenth time.

"That's still confusing me! What really happened!" His gaze went to her band aided hands and his eyes softened. He lifted her arms gently and rubbed it with care.

When their eyes locked, he felt his heart skip a beat. It had never happened before. His eyes widened and Kate was looking similarly puzzled.

They lost awareness of the crowdy school hallway for a moment. Somebody ran into them.

Ryan and Kate immediately went to straighten that person.

The boy thanked them quickly and bend down to pick his books. Ryan and Kate helped him gather them.

Ryan's eyes went to the boy's jacket.

MARTIN SIMMONS was printed on the pocket rim. His breathe hitched and he looked at Kate. She was silent and looked like she was seeing a ghost.

The boy took the books from them and walked away. Kate and Ryan stood up looking at the retrieving boy.

"Who is he?"