"I told you that I heard something saying that I am going to die. Don't you believe me?" After listening to that echo, I was scared to death so, I asked Tyler and Kio that I want to rest.

"Absolutely we do. But, that doesn't certify you to behave like some toddler who is afraid to even step out of the room to go to washroom." Kio speaks with his irritated voice.

"I didn't..." I don't know why I am at loss of words here. I have always been a bold and confident girl, who would do anything to make her point known to others. But, coming USA without mother has made me quite vulnerable. We have never left each other alone.

"It's okay Kio. She is a team mate and now, a family member. You should respect her. Everyone learns. She will too. Now, Lyss, tell me what exactly happened there." Tyler came to my rescue, again.

"It so happened that I noticed some strange things in the castle while visiting. First, when we were entering, the sky was perfectly fine and the weather was perfectly sunny. But, inside I could thunders, as if a rainstorm was nearby." I try to explain.

"Why is it so that we didn't hear anything?" Kio speaks in a low voice.

"Just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they can't see you. And if you're really quiet, you might just be able to hear them, whispering. That's what my mother says about paranormal beings."

"Your mother is right Alyssa. When we talk about voices and visions, we simply mean someone is hearing, seeing or sensing something that others around them aren't. These things happen Kio. And you should know that." Tyler tries to explain.

"Okay... I am sorry. I guess I need to trust you through this. Now, you said you heard rainstorms when you entered the castle... Right?" Kio asks while noting the statement in his daily activities book.

Daily activities book is a book given by AWIYN, in which we have to write about the procedure of exorcism of that paranormal force.

"Right. Second I saw that the debris on roof made some kind of pattern..." I had not even completed my statement that both Kio and Tyler stopped me mid way.

"You saw debris?" Kio asks.

"That too showing some pattern?" Tyler confirms.

I nod with a strange expression and say, "That castle was really weird with all those leaking walls and dragon statues. Not just me, but anyone will find them creepy."

Now, if I thought I had complete attention of both of them before, I was deeply mistaken. As now, their eyes were glued to mine.

"Listen Alyssa. Listen very carefully." Kio puts both of his hands on my shoulders and looks straight into my eyes.

"Yes..." I reply with some uncertainty about what they are talking about.

"We never went into a castle."

"Wait... What?" To say that I thought they have lost their brains would be an understatement.

"Unfortunately, he is right." Tyler adds.

"But... I... How?" My words just like my brain was all over the place.

"Calm down and get some rest. We will figure it out tomorrow." Kio says and Tyler nods to that.

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I carefully shut the window door and tiptoe out of the house. Though shutting the window is absolutely useless as people here don't put locks in windows. They think it's a bad omen.

I will prove that there is a castle there and then, they will have to believe that I was not hallucinating.

Now... You may possibly ask how will I know the path to the castle. This village had good network so I made online notes of the path, using the picturesque points, to the castle while going. After traveling some distance, I suddenly had this urge of talking to my mother. She would understand if I say that I heard the voice... She always understands.

If only I had told her about this job... I could have discussed with her. Let me guess, it's midnight here... So, it would be around 9 AM in India, means mother will be awake. I take my phone and call her, before going to the castle.

It could be my last phone call after all...

My mother picked up at first ring. "Hello."

She says in her forever calm voice. This makes me so emotional... She is my everything. "Hello, Maa."

"Alyssa... Are you worried?" She had always been able to guess my mood with my mere voice. Maybe it was my naiveness to come AWIYN.

"I am." There's no point in lying. She would know it.

"What happened? Your job is not good? They didn't give you good food? Tell me why are you worried Alyssa." My mother had this strange ability of giving me options to select whenever I encountered a problem.

"None of the above. Actually, my colleague don't trust me and I feel alone in this crowd."

"That's a foreign land. It's obvious that you would feel so. But you know what, always follow the bright light in life. There is great value in being alone. And handling it well is a beautiful thing. At the very least, it's a useful life skill. You can't always control when there will be someone there for you, so being able to happily conduct yourself alone is an important part of being alive. And I believe in you. You will handle this and will do great."

"Can I be happy alone Maa?"

"Of course you can. Everyone has their flaws whether they tell you or not. You are ready to accept yourself as who you are, which is beautiful. Once you have accepted that being alone is normal and natural, you will begin to realize that it's okay and be perfectly happy while alone. Alone time will allow you to be mindful of your thoughts and surroundings. So, all the best. It must be midnight there. Sleep and ponder upon what I told you."

"I would. Thank you for this Maa. It is really valuable for me. Sweet dreams Maa."

"It's 9 AM here. I am not sleeping again." She chuckled, wished me night and disconnected the call.

Maa is right. I can, and I will do this... Alone or not.

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The castle was standing tall before me. Are ghosts real? Do spirits exist? These are questions millions of people ask themselves each day, as we search for proof of what happens after we die. Thousands of videos and pictures exist claiming to be proof of ghosts - but none of them have so far convinced everybody. I should feel lucky that I can see the proof as well as a live ghost.

I have heard that mirror and camera can help you see the reality. The mirror or camera next may be a doorway for spirits, my mother used to say. A gateway through which they can come and go. That is why we keep our bedroom mirrors covered at night.

I take out my phone to capture a picture of the castle. Ever since the camera was invented, spooks have appeared in photos. And with each advance in camera technology, new types of ghostly traces have emerged – or been deliberately conjured. But, what I see in the picture is no conjure.

The castle is there. Just the way I saw it the morning.

"So, you were right."

I jumped at the sudden voice. Kio was looking at me intently.

"What are you doing here?"

"I woke up because of the windows. And saw you missing. The rest is history."

"How do you know the path?"

"I followed you after you disconnected the call."

"You didn't listen... Right?"

"I was late for that."

"So... Are you able to see the castle with naked eyes or you will need phone's camera for that?"

"I can see it. It's quite bizarre that this was just a hut in the morning and now, is a castle. Let's go inside." Kio turns on his sleek flashlight.

I nod and we head inside. We will see where it takes us...