After another four days, Amethyst's nightmare didn't seize. Instead it sometimes escalates to the times she was in front of the computer and telling tales to her sister. That was a happy one destroyed by the events that followed.
It was a good thing that it was currently Sunday, she didn't need to open her store and could rest all day.
But life wasn't as easy as that, every time she closes her eyes, the nightmare continues and she'd just end up being shaken even more.
With a heavy body, she got up to have something to eat at the very least, but once she opened her cup boards, nothing was there, even her refrigerator only has water in it.
"I forgot Sunday was the day I should be buying groceries," she held her head as she shook it.
Since she lived alone, she tends to buy grocery enough for a week, sometimes it was only enough for about four days. And it just so happens that this week was only for four days.
"I really should have bought more of those unhealthy foods, then maybe at the very least I have something to eat right now," she berated herself as she dragged her heavy body to at least have a bath and get changed, if she doesn't eat together with her lack of sleep she might end up dying like this.
Amethyst laughed as she approached her door, "Funny I am thinking about dying with hunger and lack of sleep."
She once again held her head when she felt a bout of dizziness.
She couldn't help but to laugh at herself, right now she has no desire of dying yet, there was one time maybe two years ago? That she decided to just go and have a hunger strike.
How was she saved back then anyway?
She does remember hearing the doorbell but then she totally lost consciousness, the next thing she knew she was in the hospital being reprimanded by the doctors of torturing herself.
In her sub consciousness before then, she heard someone say that she must not take her life lightly when there are people who wants to live longer but couldn't do so.
Yet she has no idea whose voice that was or what was the gender.
Up to date, she took her life seriously. For that person was right, she had her life ahead of her.
Too bad her nightmare just didn't want to disappear even though she had decided to live her life.
"Amethyst?"
She heard Scarlet's voice just as she got out with great difficulty. She looked up and strained herself to smile.
"You don't look good, are you okay?" Scarlet asked.
She just came from enjoying the morning by the garden when she saw Amethyst coming out from her unit.
"I.. forgot my grocery," Amethyst sad with a laugh.
Just like that she collapsed.
"Amethyst!!"
'Ah, I really am not feeling so well,' was her thoughts as she felt Scarlet approach her.
She could hear her calling someone but she could no longer understand what she was talking about.
"Again?" Slate who heard his sister's shouts and was also in his day off came out to see the collapsed Amethyst.
"I think this time it is different though, back then I just thought something was amiss and we found her in a condition of her almost dying. This time it seems she has no intention of such thing," Scarlet explained as she watched him carry Amethyst.
And since Amethyst's unit was still open, they brought her in and to her room.
Slate checked her pulse and her eyes before sighing.
"I'll have to put her into an IV drip. She's having anemia at the same time it seems she haven't eaten anything proper... once again," Slate said as he walked back to their unit.
Since Scarlet was sick, he has some equipment with him in their unit.
Scarlet watched her brother with a smile on her face.
Despite his grumpy attitude he still took care of Amethyst, their neighbor.
'Come to think of it, I do remember him bringing back a medical book that he was grumbling about not having any use of it. Must have bought it in her place,' she thought.
The two of them have noticed a certain pattern in Amethyst. Around this time of every year, her health would deteriorate a lot. She would always look pale at the same time, she seemed to be out of it a lot.
The worst was two years ago when she almost died, in his anger Slate brought her to the hospital and left her there.
And Scarlet knew why he did that, why he became aloof even more towards Amethyst.
It was because of her, Scarlet was terminally ill and no matter what they do, she will never be cured.
That is why, Slate hated those who took their life lightly when she, his sister, wanted to have longer time in this life.
After getting her into an IV drip, Slate stood up ready to leave.
"Where are you going?" Scarlet stopped him and asked.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking the question instead? Why do you still want to support her? We have done more than enough. Just leave her be now," he replied with obvious irritation in his voice.
"I also don't know why I am attracted to this lady, but I felt like something about her was the same as me," Scarlet replied looking at the sleeping face of Amethyst.
Slate just sighed.
"So, can you go and have some grocery shopping while I watch over her?" she then smiled while looking at him with her puppy eyes.
Slate wanted to retort but ended up grumbling instead before going out and Scarlet knew he would be buying some groceries.
She smiled wider before once again looking back at the sleeping person on the bed.
Since coming here, not once have she seen people visit Amethyst, not once did she leave her unit for a vacation.
This somehow made Scarlet conclude that Amethyst is either estranged to her family or that she has no more family.
"Though I do wonder what is it in you that attracts me to you?"
Was it three years ago? When the first time she spoke with Amethyst that she was pulled along?
Indeed, it was back when she first visited Amethyst store and bought some books, of course they are novels. And the two of them talked about the wonder of the stories within those books.
~"How lovable it is to see those stories come to life as your fingers danced through the keyboard."~
Was Amethyst's words when their chat became deeper, Scarlet wondered if Amethyst was an author but the latter was able to brush it off as someone speaking in a reader's point of view.
Yet her eyes spoke differently, it was speaking of stories different than what was being spoken by her mouth.
Scarlet looked around the place and found a laptop and a few books in her shelf.
She can clearly see that the laptop was an old model but the books seemed new. They look like they were barely opened and what makes Scarlet wonder even more was the fact that there was only about five of them when Amethyst was a bookstore owner.
"Could those be her favorites?" she wondered as she stares at the names on the side of those books.
She tilted her head to the side upon reading the author, Astral.
It was a name famous five years or so ago, someone who inspired Scarlet herself in her own journey.
She does remember an announcement a few days ago about Astral coming back after her long hiatus. And she does remember clearly the face of that person.
As she stared at the sleeping Amethyst's face longer, she could clearly see the resemblance in them.
"Could it be?"