Twenty:
Next day
I woke up feeling very heavy. As I lift up my left arm, a sudden pain filled me in and I almost lost my breath. I quickly put it down as I try to breathe calmly to ease my pain. I took a few deep breaths before the pain I felt completely disappeared and that's the only time I open my eyes.
I just look up into the ceiling with an empty mind and empty thought. Nothing.
The pain that I felt earlier… I really don't know what it caused. I don't even know if I dream last night or I just simply slept even though... There is something missing that I cannot explain what it was.
I just feel that there is something that I totally forget and I couldn't remember anything about it.
A knock at my door cuts off my staring before I heard my mom's voice.
"Are you awake, Anne?"
"Yes mom." I answered before she entered my room.
"Are you alright now?"
I slowly sit up before I answered. "I'm fine, mom."
She went beside me and checks my forehead. "I'm glad your fine." She said. "But still, you need to rest more and I think you can go back to school by tomorrow." She added that I just nodded and smiled.
…
In silence, I look at my laptop blankly. I don't know why I open it or for what reason, I just open it and just look at it until the screen turned black.
"So, what are you trying to do with it, Anne?"
"Chaddy!" I surprisingly answered. "What are you doing here? And why did you suddenly enter my room without even knocking?"
"Visiting you since you're excused for two days, and I knocked few times but you didn't seem to hear so I asked your mom's permission first before I finally entered your room. And as what I saw, you seem too busy thinking nothing." He answered and sits across me. "So, I'm thinking if I'm going to asked if are you're well or not?"
"I'm fine, thank you." I answered and he just stares at me intently. "What?"
"It looks like you are not well."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know." He answered as he shrugs off.
I look at him before I heave a sigh and close my laptop. "I don't know what is going on with me, Chaddy." I finally surrender and tell him what is going on with my mind.
"Do you mean, the blank stare at your laptop and the feeling like there's nothing in your mind, it is simply… empty?"
"You're right. I feel so empty."
Chadd stares at me intently and it took him longer before he answered. "Did something happen to you before you get sick?" he was so serious when he asked me and for some reason I feel like there's something more than what he asked me.
…
"Are you alright?"
"Dione?"
"What? You seem so surprised?"
Yes! I am so surprised! Because I was just talking to Chadd and now I'm here in my dream world? How did that happened?
"Hey! Are you alright?" Dione asked me once again.
"Yes! I am!" I quickly answered and quickly added. "Have you seen Almos?"
"Ha?!" she surprisingly stare at me.
"Have you seen him?!" I asked again and this time I am more desperate because he was the last person I remember after the darkness chased me. "Where is he?!"
"Hey! Calm down!" she answered. "Why are you in a hurry?!"
"No lo sé." I answered almost a whispered.
"Huh?!" Dione surprisingly stared at me before she ignores it and said. "Anyway, Almos didn't go to school for a week."
"What?! Why?"
"Because he is sick," she plainly answered.
"Has anyone visited him to their house to check about his condition?"
"That I don't know."
"Why you didn't know?"
"Excuse me, I'm not an officer and besides, I don't know if he has friends here at school, well, I don't know anything about him." She answered that I sigh and silently think of a way to find him. "Why don't you try looking for Sylvia and ask her about Almos?"
I suddenly look back at her. "Sylvia?"
"Yes, his ex."
"She's not his ex." I quickly defended.
"What was that?!"
"What?"
"You're defending him."
"No I'm not. I'm just telling what he explained."
"Oh, so you two are close enough to explain himself to you." She answered with malicious meaning.
"Stop it will you?!" Dione just laughs at me. "Anyway, where can I find Sylvia?"
*** ***
Section One
I was very close to the room of section one where I can find Sylvia but no matter how fast I walked I couldn't reach that room.
Just like the saying goes, 'So near yet so far.'
Why? Though I already knew the answer I still couldn't believe that this is happening. Until my mind suddenly feels empty while my feet begins to feel heavy, indicating that I will wake up any soon.
'No! I can't wake up now! I need to find Almos! I have too!' I screamed to myself but my dreams have its limits and I really need to wake up. 'Ah, darn it!'
"Move!" I shouted as I slap my knees to feel pain as I try harder to move forward but to no avail.
'No! Almos!'
That was the last thing I said to myself before I finally wake up.
…
Next day
Again, I'm looking up to the ceiling in silence and with an empty mind. I don't know why I feel so empty or maybe because of my dream. Not about the dream that I just woke up but the one that I walk through. The darkest path and now I finally remember it clearly.
The feeling of emptiness, lightness and just completely darkness made me feel like this. Not even the name of 'Almos' can fill up my emptiness.
'Yet, I still want to see you Almos. Please come back.'
*** ***