Behind Your Touch

BEHIND YOUR TOUCH CHAPTER ONE: THE STRANGE TOUCH Elara had never known what it felt like to grow up in a happy family. She was an orphan, and life had never been easy for her. Her mother died when she was still in secondary school, while her father died before she was even born. She had never seen his face or heard his voice. The only thing she knew about him was what people told her, and most of those stories were not pleasant. After her mother's death, Elara had nowhere else to go. She was taken to the city to live with her grandfather and her aunt. Unfortunately, moving into her grandfather's house did not mean she had found a loving family. Her grandfather hated her. From the very first day she arrived, he made it clear that he did not want her around. He barely spoke to her, and whenever she tried to start a conversation, he would either ignore her or walk away. At first, Elara thought she had done something wrong. She tried everything she could to make him happy. She helped with household chores, greeted him every morning, prepared his meals whenever her aunt was busy, and even tried to make him laugh. But nothing worked. Her grandfather's hatred had nothing to do with anything she had done. He blamed her mother for marrying a man he had never approved of. According to him, her mother had brought shame to the family by choosing the wrong man. And because Elara was the daughter of that marriage, he treated her as if she had committed the same offence. Sometimes, Elara wondered whether her grandfather even remembered that she was his granddaughter. Her aunt was the only person who showed her kindness. She always encouraged Elara to ignore her grandfather's attitude and focus on her future. "Don't worry about your grandfather," her aunt would tell her. "Just concentrate on your studies. One day, you will become somebody in life." Elara held on to those words. She worked extremely hard in school and eventually gained admission to the university, where she studied veterinary medicine. Interestingly, her grandfather was also a veterinarian. He owned a veterinary hospital beside his house, where he treated different kinds of animals. Elara chose the same profession because she wanted to make him proud. Deep down, she hoped that one day he would look at her with love and tell her that he was proud of her. But that day never came. During her university days, Elara met a girl named Blessing. Blessing was everything Elara was not. She was bold, outspoken, fearless, and always ready to defend herself. She could argue with a lecturer without shaking, confront someone twice her size, and laugh loudly in public without caring who was watching. Elara, on the other hand, was timid. She was the kind of person who would rehearse what she wanted to say several times before approaching someone. Even when she was angry, she found it difficult to express herself. Blessing liked her from the first day they met. "You are too quiet," Blessing told her one afternoon. Elara looked at her. "Is that a problem?" "Not really, but you look like someone afraid of her own shadow." Elara laughed softly. "See? You can laugh!" Blessing exclaimed. "I thought you had forgotten how to do that." From that day, they became close friends. Years passed, and Elara finally graduated. She returned to the city and started working at her grandfather's veterinary hospital. Her grandfather was getting older, so Elara gradually took over most of the hospital's responsibilities. Her aunt also worked there, helping with the daily activities. Although Elara was now a qualified veterinarian, her relationship with her grandfather had not improved. She still greeted him every morning, but he hardly responded. Blessing, meanwhile, worked at her father's supermarket, which was directly in front of Elara's veterinary hospital. The two friends became even closer. They spent most of their free time together, shared food, discussed their problems, and helped each other whenever necessary. Sometimes, Blessing would visit Elara at the hospital just to gossip. Other times, Elara would cross the road to buy something from her friend's supermarket. Their friendship was one of the few things that made Elara happy. --- One evening, something unusual happened. Elara was arranging some medical equipment inside the hospital when her aunt called her. "Elara!" "Yes, Auntie?" "Please come here." Elara walked towards her. "What's wrong?" Her aunt was holding a small notebook. "A customer just called. He needs someone to come to his house and examine his cow." "Can't he bring the cow here?" "He said the cow is too weak to move. Besides, he is willing to pay double for the home service." Elara's eyes widened slightly. "Double?" Her aunt nodded. "Yes. So, please get your things ready. You know we need every opportunity to make money." Elara smiled. "Alright, Auntie. I'm going." Her aunt gave her the customer's address and reminded her to be careful. A few minutes later, Elara packed her medical equipment and left for the customer's house. When she arrived, she was welcomed by a middle-aged man who led her to the backyard. The cow was kept in a small fenced area. "Good evening, Doctor," the man greeted her. "Good evening, sir. How is the cow?" "Not good at all. It has refused to eat properly since yesterday." Elara placed her medical bag on the ground. "Let me examine it." As she approached the cow, she noticed another person standing nearby. He was the owner of the cow's companion, or at least that was what she assumed. He was busy examining the animal's leg. There was also someone hiding behind the fence. Elara did not notice him. She was too busy concentrating on the cow. "Please hold its head properly," she instructed the owner. The man nodded. Elara bent down to examine the cow's backside while the owner held one of its legs. She was touching the cow's butt when something strange happened. A bright light suddenly appeared in the sky. At first, Elara thought it was lightning, but there was no sound of thunder. The light grew brighter. "What's that?" the owner shouted. Elara looked up. Before anyone could move, the light flashed directly towards them. For a moment, everything became white. The cow suddenly raised its head and looked towards the person hiding behind the fence. The man holding its leg staggered backwards. Elara felt a strange sensation pass through her entire body. It was as if electricity had entered her skin. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Then everything went dark. None of them understood what had happened. They had all received something from that mysterious light. Something that would change their lives forever. --- Elara eventually returned home that night. She was unusually tired. Her aunt asked her about the cow, but Elara barely had the strength to answer. "Did you treat it?" her aunt asked. "Yes, Auntie." "Was it serious?" "I don't know. I just feel very tired." Her aunt looked at her. "You should go and rest." Elara nodded and went to her room. She changed her clothes, lay on her bed, and closed her eyes. She thought she would sleep for a few hours. But she did not wake up the next morning. Or the morning after that. She slept for three whole days. --- On the third day, Elara finally opened her eyes. She blinked several times and stared at the ceiling. For a few seconds, she could not remember what had happened. Then she sat up. "Why am I feeling like this?" Her body felt weak, and her head was slightly heavy. She looked at her phone and became confused when she saw the date. "Wait. What?" Had she slept for three days? Elara quickly got out of bed, washed her face, and went downstairs. Her aunt was in the living room. "Good morning, Auntie." Her aunt turned immediately. "Elara!" "Yes?" Her aunt rushed towards her. "Jesus! You are awake!" Elara looked at her strangely. "Why are you shouting?" "Do you know how long you have been sleeping?" Elara shook her head. "Two days?" she guessed. Her aunt stared at her. "Three days, Elara! You have been sleeping for three days now!" Elara's mouth fell open. "Three days?" "Yes! We were beginning to get worried. I wanted to take you to the hospital, but your grandfather said you would wake up." Elara looked towards the dining area, where her grandfather was sitting. "Good morning, Grandpa." He glanced at her briefly before returning to his newspaper. He did not respond. Elara lowered her head. It was nothing new. She had become used to being ignored by him, even though it still hurt. Her aunt noticed her expression. "Go and eat something. You haven't eaten properly for days." "Okay, Auntie." After eating, Elara decided to go to the veterinary hospital. She wanted to check whether everything was alright. --- When Elara arrived at the hospital, she greeted the workers and changed into her work clothes. Business was already beginning for the day. A few customers had brought their pets for treatment. Elara smiled as she saw one of her favourite puppies. "Hello, little one." She picked it up and carried it in her arms. The puppy wagged its tail happily. Elara laughed. "You missed me, didn't you?" She gently played with it, rubbing its head and scratching its back. Then, without thinking, she touched its butt. Suddenly, something strange happened. A scene appeared before her eyes. She saw a woman holding the same puppy. The woman was shouting angrily at it. Then she kicked it. The puppy cried and tried to run away, but the woman caught it and beat it again. Elara froze. The image disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She looked down at the puppy in her arms. "What?" She touched its back again. Nothing happened. She touched its butt once more. Another scene appeared. This time, she saw the puppy being abandoned outside a building. Elara nearly dropped the animal. "What is happening to me?" She stared at the puppy. "Was that your previous owner?" The puppy barked. Elara stepped backwards. She looked around to make sure nobody had seen what happened. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe she was still sick after sleeping for three days. But the images had looked too real. She needed an explanation. --- Without wasting much time, Elara went to a psychiatric hospital. She was frightened. She had never experienced anything like that before, and she did not want anyone to think she was losing her mind. After waiting for some time, she was finally invited into the doctor's office. The doctor smiled. "Good afternoon. How can I help you?" Elara sat down nervously. "Doctor, I don't know what's wrong with me." "Alright. Tell me what happened." She swallowed. "Why is it that I can see people's past through touching their butt? Am I mad or what?" The doctor stared at her. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he adjusted his glasses. "Can you explain that again?" Elara sighed. "I know it sounds strange, Doctor, but whenever I touch someone's butt, I suddenly see things that happened to them in the past." The doctor looked at her carefully. "Does this happen every time?" "Yes. It happened with a puppy today. I saw how its former owner treated it badly. I didn't even know the woman!" The doctor nodded slowly. "Have you been sleeping properly?" "I slept for three days." "Three days?" "Yes. I woke up this morning." The doctor asked her several questions and examined her. After some time, he leaned back in his chair. "Nothing is wrong with you. You are perfectly fine." Elara frowned. "Perfectly fine?" "Yes. I cannot find any medical reason to say that you are mad." "But what about what I saw?" "Sometimes, the mind can produce strange experiences, especially when someone is stressed or has gone through something unusual. I suggest you rest and avoid worrying too much." Elara left the hospital feeling even more confused. The doctor had told her she was fine, but she knew what she had seen. She was not imagining it. Something was definitely happening to her. --- The first person she thought of was Blessing. She crossed the road and entered her friend's supermarket. Blessing was arranging some products on a shelf when she noticed her. "Elara! Where have you been? I haven't seen you for days." Elara rushed towards her. "Blessing, I have a problem." Blessing immediately dropped what she was holding. "What happened? Did someone die?" "Nobody died!" "Then why do you look like that?" Elara looked around to make sure nobody was listening. "Can we talk somewhere private?" Blessing stared at her. "Elara, you are frightening me." They moved to a quiet corner of the supermarket. Elara explained everything that had happened, starting from the strange light to the puppy. When she finished, Blessing stared at her. Silence. Then Blessing burst into laughter. Elara frowned. "Why are you laughing?" "Wait! You mean you can see people's past by touching their butt?" "Blessing!" "I'm sorry, but how am I supposed to take that seriously?" "I'm telling you the truth!" Blessing tried to control her laughter. "Okay, okay. Let me understand this. If I turn around and you touch my butt, you will know everything that happened to me?" Elara covered her face. "Please, stop making fun of me." Blessing finally became serious. "Alright. Maybe we should find someone who understands these things." "Who?" "There's a priest in our street. People say he has spiritual powers." Elara hesitated. "Do you think he can help me?" "Let's find out." --- Later that evening, Elara went to meet the priest. Blessing accompanied her but remained outside while Elara entered the house. The priest was sitting on a chair with several objects placed on a table in front of him. He looked at Elara as soon as she entered. "Come closer, my daughter." Elara walked towards him. "Good evening, Father." "Good evening. What brings you here?" Elara sat down. "Father, I'm seeing strange things these days, and I don't understand what's going on with me." The priest nodded. "Tell me everything." Elara explained her experience. "Whenever I touch someone's butt, I see their past. Sometimes, I even see things that have not happened yet. I don't know what is happening to me." The priest's eyes widened slightly. He looked at her for a few seconds before speaking. "My daughter, you are not an ordinary person." Elara became frightened. "What do you mean?" "You have been chosen." "Chosen for what?" The priest leaned forward. "You are definitely a priest. You have been given a spiritual gift, and you must accept your calling." Elara's eyes widened. "Me? A priest?" "Yes. You must leave everything behind and become a priest." Elara shook her head. "Father, I don't want to become a priest. I just want to be normal again." The priest pretended to think for a moment. "That will not be easy. You must undergo a special ritual." "How much will it cost?" The priest mentioned an amount that made Elara's heart nearly stop. She stared at him. "That's a lot of money!" "My daughter, spiritual things are not cheap." Elara thought about it. She was desperate to become normal again, so she eventually paid him. The priest collected the money and promised to contact her the following morning. --- The next morning, the priest called Elara. "My daughter, are you ready?" "Ready for what, Father?" "Your ritual. Come to the mountain. Do not come late." Elara agreed. She informed Blessing, who insisted on accompanying her. When they arrived, the priest led Elara to a particular spot on the mountain. There was a statue placed in the middle of the area. Beside it was a wooden board filled with sharp nails. Elara stared at the object. "Father, what is that?" The priest turned towards her. "You must dance around the statue first." Elara looked at the statue and then at the nails. "Alright." She danced around the statue as instructed. After some time, the priest pointed towards the wooden board. "You will have to stand on these nails since you are now a priest." Elara's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets. "Stand on those?" "Yes." She moved closer and looked at the sharp nails. "Father, can't you show me how I will do it so that I will be able to stand on it?" The priest frowned. "What?" "Please, show me. I want to learn." The priest was now trapped. He could not tell her that everything was a lie because he had already collected her money. He reluctantly removed his shoes and stepped onto the wooden board. The moment his foot touched the nails, he screamed. "Jesus Christ!" He jumped backwards, holding his injured foot. Elara stared at him. For a few seconds, she said nothing. Then she folded her arms. "So, Father, why did the nails hurt you?" The priest looked frightened. "My daughter, it is not what you think." "Then what is it?" He tried to speak, but Elara interrupted him. "Listen carefully. If you don't tell me the truth, I will expose you to the entire city. I will tell everyone how you collected my money and tried to deceive me." The priest swallowed. Finally, he confessed. "Alright! I will tell you the truth." Elara stared at him. "Go ahead." "I do have spiritual powers, but I cannot turn someone into a priest. I only said that because I wanted your money." Elara's mouth opened. "So, you scammed me?" The priest lowered his head. "Please forgive me." Elara was furious. "Do you know how frightened I have been? I came here because I needed help, and you decided to take advantage of me!" She demanded her money back. The priest had no choice but to return it. Elara collected her money and left the mountain with Blessing. On their way home, Blessing could not stop laughing. "Elara, you nearly made that man become a patient in his own hospital!" "Blessing, this is not funny!" "At least we have discovered that your problem is not spiritual." Elara sighed. "I don't even know what to believe anymore." --- Meanwhile, a young man named Detective Bayo had recently arrived in Akinola City. He was a detective who had been working in Kaolin City, but his parents had forced him to move. They believed he needed a change of environment and wanted him to settle down. Bayo did not agree with their decision, but he had no choice. He rented an apartment from Blessing's father, whose supermarket was directly opposite Elara's veterinary hospital. The apartment was close to Elara's house. On the day he arrived, he noticed something strange. He saw Elara touching the backside of a dog while examining it. At first, he ignored it. But later, he noticed her doing the same thing with another animal. He became curious. "What exactly is that girl doing?" he wondered. He watched her for a while. There was something unusual about the way she examined the animals. Bayo decided to pay attention to her. --- A few hours later, Bayo needed help carrying his mattress into his new apartment. He asked some men nearby to assist him. "Please, help me carry this inside." The men agreed. They lifted the mattress and began moving towards the apartment. Unfortunately, one of them failed to notice a hole in the ground. His leg entered the hole, and the mattress tilted. Bayo, who was standing at the other end, lost his balance. "Hey! Be careful!" Before anyone could react, he fell backwards. And unfortunately for him, Elara was passing by. He landed directly in her arms. Elara was startled. "Jesus!" Bayo quickly regained his balance. "Sorry! Are you alright?" Elara nodded. But before she could answer, her hand accidentally touched his butt. Suddenly, another vision appeared. She saw a man and a woman sitting in a living room. They were Bayo's parents. His father was speaking angrily. "You are moving to Akinola City whether you like it or not!" His mother supported him. "You need to leave Kaolin City. We have already made the arrangements." Bayo argued with them, but they refused to listen. The vision disappeared. Elara slowly removed her hand. She looked at him. "You were forced to stay here, right?" Bayo frowned. "What?" "You were forced by your parents to move to Akinola City." His eyes widened. "How did you know? Were you there when my parents were saying it?" Elara shook her head. "No, I wasn't, but I can see people's past through touching their butt." Bayo stared at her. There was a long silence. Then he asked, "Are you mad or something?" Elara's face changed immediately. "I'm not mad!" "Then how can you know something like that?" "I just told you!" Bayo looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Alright. Whatever you say." He turned towards the men carrying his mattress. "Please, continue." Elara shook her head and walked away. "Rude man," she muttered. Bayo heard her. He looked in her direction. "What did you say?" "Nothing!" She quickly walked away. Bayo watched her disappear. He was now more curious than ever. Who exactly was this strange girl? --- The next morning, Elara woke up early and prepared to open the veterinary hospital. She was still thinking about the previous day's events. She had tried visiting a doctor and even a priest, but nobody could explain what was happening to her. She decided to forget about it and concentrate on her work. As soon as she opened the hospital, customers began arriving. One customer brought a sick dog. Another came with a cat that had refused to eat. Before long, the hospital became busy. Elara attended to everyone. She examined the animals, prescribed medications, and gave their owners instructions. Her aunt was surprised by how quickly the customers were arriving. "Elara, business is really good today." Elara smiled. "I noticed." She was happy that things were going well. However, she still had no idea that her strange ability would soon become the biggest part of her life. --- Meanwhile, the fake priest had returned home. Despite what had happened on the mountain, he had not completely given up on his life. He knew he had made a terrible mistake by trying to scam Elara. He decided that he would stop taking advantage of people. That afternoon, while sitting outside his house, he saw a young man approaching. "Good afternoon, sir," the stranger greeted him. The priest looked up. "Good afternoon. How can I help you?" The young man smiled. "Hi, my name is James. Do you want me as your English tutor? I will teach you how to read and write, but I need an apartment. Do you have one here?" The priest looked at him with surprise. "An English tutor?" "Yes, sir. I can teach you how to read and write properly. I also need somewhere to stay." The priest thought about it. He had an empty room in his house. "Yes, I want to learn. I have one you can live in here without paying rent since you are willing to teach me English." James smiled. "Thank you very much, sir." The priest stood up. "Come inside. Let me show you the room." James followed him into the house. A few minutes later, he finished arranging his belongings and stepped outside. At that exact moment, Elara was returning from the hospital. She was carrying a small bag and thinking about what she would prepare for dinner. As she lifted her eyes, she saw a handsome young man standing outside the priest's house. She stopped walking. Her eyes remained fixed on him. He was tall, well-dressed, and had a charming smile. For some reason, Elara suddenly felt something strange in her stomach. She quickly looked away. Then she looked at him again. He was still standing there. She had never seen him before. James noticed her staring and smiled. Elara became nervous. She adjusted her clothes and walked towards him. "Hi, I'm Elara. Are you the new tenant?" James turned towards her. "Yes. I'm James, by the way. I'm the new tenant. I will see you around." Elara smiled shyly. "Okay. Nice meeting you." "Nice meeting you too." James picked up his phone and returned inside. Elara stood there for a few seconds, watching him. She could not explain why, but she already liked him. "Elara!" She jumped. It was Blessing, who had just stepped out of the supermarket.