Rain had started to pour down since morning. The air felt wet and cold, made me shiver despite the thick sweater I was wearing. I looked into the sky. The thick and dark cloud showed no signs of dispersing, creating a gloomy feeling inside ones. Sometimes, there was sound of thunder exploding as if it was right on top of the dorm, making the girls in the dorm shrieked in fear.
Thick dark cloud and the sound of the thunder. Perfect! I unhappily complained to ... no one, actually.
Huffing slightly, I pushed open my umbrella and stepped under it before I started walking under the heavy rain. The sound of rain hitting my umbrella was like a prelude to something bad that was coming to me, accompanied by the sound of my own footsteps hitting the wet roads, sometimes stepping into a puddle and successfully splashing water on my shoes.
Maybe it was just my own paranoid thought. Maybe it was because of the weather. Maybe it was also because of my worry towards Tom. My train of thought didn't seem to be able to set a positive mind. It was as if something was telling me that something bad was about to happen. I just couldn't shake this weird feeling I've been feeling ever since I saw Tom came back with an even paler face after that night.
The dim light within him seemed to run out of oil and it freaked me out. He smiled like usual, acted like usual, nothing was different from him besides his appearance.
When I asked him where he went after 'that', he said he didn't know where he was. He vaguely remembered what happened. After wiping my body with warm towel, he seemed to be sucked into a portal and appeared in a place he had no memory of. Before he managed to find out where he was, he was thrown back to my room again. And, that had been occupying my mind lately.
The loud thunder startled me, making me stopped on my track and looked up to see the raging sky.
Fine, it is indeed in rainy season, but could you, please, not scare me like that?
I frowned as I continued my steps, looking ahead of me. This road was the same road I always took whenever I went to campus. It was usually quiet, the largest number of people I met here could be counted on one hand. And it was not on rainy days.
But, now... I saw one, two, three...
What the heck?! Since when did this road become so crowded like this?!
There were at least twenty people using the same road as me. All of them were using umbrella so low it hid their face almost completely.
Not that I wanted to sneak a peek on their faces. Why would I even do that?
Whatever. It's their own business.
Deciding to ignore them, I kept walking. I could see the junction that led to the main street, and unconsciously I hastened my pace. What made me do so, I still didn't know. When I finally reached the bustling and crowded main street, I stopped and looked behind my shoulder.
To my surprise, I saw the same empty road as I always saw. I didn't notice I widened my eyes, but I realized one thing that made me hastened my pace.
Back then, I didn't notice it, but now I was in the bustling and crowded street, it was as clear as a day in summer.
The only sound I heard -besides the thunder and the rain, of course - was my own footsteps. With more than ten people around me, there was no way I couldn't hear their footsteps!
But, it happened! Even in this crowded street full of vehicles, I could still hear the sounds of pedestrians' footsteps around me. Why couldn't I hear them in a quiet alley?
Now, they disappeared. What else could that mean? It must be them!
Does it mean my seal has weakened?
Should I really open the seal?
Will I be okay after that?
Maybe I should give my father a call. I really had to have a long talk with him.
Taking out my phone from my pocket, I dialed his number and put the phone on my ear. As I listened to the boring sound of my call, I continued my walk. Probably still a bit traumatic with the previous incident, I could help but listen to other people's footsteps and watch their feet. As a result, when my call got through, I couldn't respond in time.
At that time, I had no idea my decision would change my view of life as well as my environment. I had no idea how big the responsibility I should bear to be able to see 'them'.