I woke up the next morning feeling better. Different types and colors of flowers are neatly arranged on the tables along with baskets of fruits, each with get well cards attached. Hundreds of cards from fans are all on a separated table on my right, honestly I couldn't wait to read them.
I looked around and found my mom sleeping on the couch, her mouth was slightly parted, a sign that she was in deep sleep. It feels like months have passed and I already missed her so much. I cleared my throat, hoping it won't hurt. There was still a slight pain but I knew I could handle it. My shoulder was still hurting but I knew it's safe now and that alone was more than enough.
I took a deep breath, feeling the sun's ray passing through the blinds and the peacefulness around me. I was glad it's all over. Until Michael crossed my mind.
"Mom..." my voice came out as a whisper. "Mom, wake up please I need to know where Michael is..." I tried to make the sound louder but my raspy voice was not loud enough to wake her. I know she might be tired but I just needed to know where he was... Right now.
I looked around my bed, trying to find something to drop and make a sound but I found nothing. I wanted to scream but I was afraid that it might worsen something inside my throat. Well I guessed I have no other choice but to wait.
•••
The thought of not knowing if he was alright occupied my mind for hours and I didn't know when I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes again my mom was not in the room, but I knew very well this mop of blond hair sleeping on the side of my bed.
"Arun." I said, stroking his hair.
He lifted his head and smiled, happy to see me alive and awake before his eyes. He blinked for a couple of times, until his smile vanished. I knew he remembered something awful and I knew something waswrong.
"Arun, how's Michael?" I whispered.
He shifted in his seat and looked around, stood up and went to the table to get some orange. He sat back down in a chair beside my bed and sinks his thumb on the orange to peel off the skin. I didn't say anything, for I know what he was doing. And I was afraid why he was doing this, but I still waited for his next words.
He kept peeling the orange's skin, and removed some of those little white root-like thing that covers each piece and I still waited patiently. He glanced back at me through his lashes, his eyes had the same glow of blue but there's undeniably a shade of sadness in them.
"Arun, I'm waiting for your answer. But don't worry, I can wait all day." I said, half smiling at this boy who seemed to lost the confidence in his gestures as he stared back at me.
"Andria, this is not the right time to talk about My brother." he said in a low voice it's almost a whisper.
Something at the back of my head sparked again with the thought that something happened to Michael, that he might be hurt badly or worse, they killed him. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the beating of my heart as it hammers against my chest. I could feel a lump raising in my throat and my eyes started to well up with tears.
"Arun, tell me please. I need to know. Is he..." I cleared my throat, my voice shaking. "...is he d-dead?" The last words came out with a sob, my hand found its way to cover my mouth for saying those terrifying words as tears roll down my cheeks.
Arun stood up quickly and ran his fingers through my hair. "No. No no, Andria." he cupped my cheeks. "Andria, look at me. Open your eyes." I opened my eyes and meet his worried blue ones. "He's not dead Andria, Michael's not dead. It's not proven yet, Andria please don't cry."
"W-what do you mean it's not proven yet?"
My eyes followed him as he sat back down on his seat, then rubs his temple. When he looked back at me, his eyes were brimming with tears as well. "The police... They found the cabin, after they found you in the woods. And... Three of those kidnappers are arrested." I watched him as he narrated anxiously and each hanging information stabbed my heart as I waited for his words to refer to Michael.
"They never found Michael in the woods. One of the kidnappers said that he escaped that day when the officers found you."
"Michael's with me that time..." I said, not even sure if it was really him or just my imagination.
"Andria, the officers said that a big black American bear was hovering at you and was about to kill you at that moment. We are lucky they found you in time before that beast cuts you with its claws." he reached for my hand and cupped it with his warm hands. So that explained the loud sound that I heard, they shot the bear. "You were almost lifeless when they found you."
"Michael's with me at that moment, they must've found him!" I said, and I immediately pressed my palm against my neck when I felt a sting in my throat.
Then I remembered Michael in my dream, when he said everything in the woods were real. In the woods where he stayed with me when I fainted in the clearing, when he said he loves me when I'm hopelessly lying in the wet mossy ground and when he showed up when a bear was about to kill me. It was like he's there to protect me always.
Then I looked at the bracelet hanging around my wrist, and held the heart shaped jewel between my thumb and forefinger. "Michael gave this to me that night we got kidnapped." I whispered, Arun nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line.
"This was a reminder... that he will always be with me." more tears rolled down my cheeks, it's endless. "It did... It did remind me that he's there with me. He's always been there with me."
The door cracked open, revealing a panting Richard.
"Did they found him?" Arun asked.
Richard shook his head. "One of the kidnappers confessed that he killed Michael, t-that he shot him in the head when he ran out of the cabin. But the police did not buy it simply because his body is not found anywhere near the cabin."
"They shot Michael?" I said, unable to contain it. How could they do this to him? Then it felt like all the emotions came to me at once, I found myself screaming his name and trying to get out of bed, trying to remove the cords attached to my body as I feel the pain struck my throat and shoulder. Richard stopping me and holding me back to bed, Arun pressed the button above my head. Moments later, the door bursted open, my mom rushing in along with the nurses.
"Honey, calm down." I hear her say. But everything felt like a mess and I couldn't stop myself from lashing out as horrible pictures of Michael flashes my mind.
I felt a needle going through my skin, releasing a liquid inside my vein... Taking me to a dark place as my eyes rolled up to whites and fell asleep within seconds. ....
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