The sound of beeping made the young man wake up from his slumber. It was the alarm from his clock. It's already four in the afternoon. He raised his head from the desk and turned the alarm off. He yawned.
"Hmmphh!!" He straightened his back and stretched himself for few seconds.
He was closing his eyes and feeling his joints cracking and being stretched when he suddenly remembered what just happened that made him open his eyes again.
He stopped and immediately looked at the computer screen and tried clicking the mouse but it doesn't open. He looked at the socket and remembered that he plugged all of his things off, including the air conditioner that he never once turn off. Maybe that's why his room is also quite hot.
He plugged it all back in and waited until the unit turned on. He started tapping his fingers on the table. He is now being impatient while waiting for all the icons on the screen to load.
After the computer had fully started, he immediately looked at the web and saw that one tab is still open. He clicked it and became confused. It was said that there is no internet, but then looked at the wifi icon below and saw that it is working properly.
He tried clicking and entering the other sites and they all load. Just this one doesn't. He kept clicking and refreshing it a few more times but the same error appeared on the screen. He eventually gave up and just closed all the tabs. He sighed.
He leaned on his chair and started wandering his thoughts. He then remembered what he just dreamt and started touching that part of his chest. Nothing's there, yet it felt so real. The pain from that time, he couldn't believe it but on that moment, he felt scared. It was really as if something was pulling his heart out from inside his chest. It feels like some hot metal is being pushed on your chest, burning your flesh. And that feeling when someone tries to open your ribcage and insert something heavy inside. He couldn't breathe properly, it may also be the reason why he fainted. He didn't understand why, he knew for a fact that it was just a dream but he had the feeling that it really happened. He could feel it all. He couldn't explain it, but it feels like something has changed.
"What the hell was that?" he could still remember the events that happened, it was as if it really did happen. Thinking it back made him feel the chills.
He discarded all his thoughts off and left his room to get a glass of water from the kitchen. It's been so long now since he last visited the kitchen, or anywhere inside his house. All he does everytime when he go out of his room was to take a bath and then back to his room. He almost forgot what the design of this house is and where the kitchen is located.
He is currently living alone on his father's other house. The house was originally meant to be for their family vacation but because of some family problems, he is now staying alone on this house. He wasn't kicked out, he just wanted to live independently without his family's help. But apparently, he may be now living alone, his parents still send him money for his expenses. He stopped schooling three years ago and is now on his legal age, but he wasn't able to get a job and is currently living as a NEET. His parents though wanted him to continue schooling so they send him on this house instead of renting another apartment. It is located near his former school so they thought that maybe-- just maybe, he'll change his mind and attend school. But to no luck, the guy even wanted more time alone and became isolated from everyone. He doesn't even face his parents whenever they visit him. They didn't know what was the real reason as to why he started behaving like this, and he don't want them to know either.
After arriving at the kitchen, he looked around and saw that it is clean everywhere. He then remembered that there is someone who always check on him every afternoon, but he didn't know who it is. Not that he really cared. He just thought that maybe his parents sent him few housekeepers to clean time-to-time because they knew that he doesn't do house chores. He haven't seen who that person is because he doesn't want anyone entering his room and he also doesn't like interacting with other people. He also remembered that everytime he bought something online there's someone who would sign the papers and bring the items in front of his room. He don't know who that person is but he was thankful that the person is understanding. He wouldn't have trouble when someone like them would understand him and don't ask questions.
He was about to grab the glass of water he just poured from the jug on the fridge when he suddenly felt an intense pain from his chest. His breathing became heavy, and he's now gripping both his hands at the corners of the table.
It's happening again. The pain that happened the same as on his dream. No, It wasn't a dream. It's real. It is exactly the same pain he felt. The burning and tearing sensation he is feeling at the center of his chest. He continues to breathe heavily as he felt his knees touched to the floor. He is already losing oxygen on his lungs. His mind is becoming hazy, he is losing consciousness.
"I can't possibly faint again" he kept telling those words to himself to maintain his consciousness, but he is still slowly losing it.
"Fuck!" he cursed out loud when darkness enveloped his mind, again.
He felt his body lying on the cold floor when his vision totally became black. He is still aware of what is happening. He could still feel the pain on his chest.
Few seconds later, he felt that the pain has started to go away while he is still on his consciousness, just enough to know what's happening on his body. After slowly getting his body recover from the intense pain, he heard a click somewhere around the house.
"That's the front door. The housekeeper is probably back." he slowly opened his eyes and started moving his body. He could feel the pain not just from the chest, but it is now everywhere in his body. He groaned as he finally lifted his back and leaned at the side of the cabinet. He's glad it was not that painful anymore. He closed his eyes for a second to clear his mind and regain his energy.
He is still leaning against the cabinet when he heard footsteps coming to the kitchen. Seconds after that, he heard a voice that made him open his eyes. It's a voice of a girl. He was shocked when he realized that all this time it was a girl who is aiding him. Well it would probably become weirder if the housekeeper was a guy, but still. But what shocked him the most is about what the other person just called him.
He knew he heard it clearly but he couldn't understand. Is it just him or did he really remember someone from those words?
He looked at the girl in confusion. "What did you just say?" was what he was about to ask her but she still does not have enough energy to utter words, so he just stared at the girl.
But then she called him for the second time and this time he wasn't mistaken. It is clearly spoken.
"Are you okay?"
"Brother?"