I found myself in the midst of unfamiliar people, and despite my throbbing head, I managed to calm down and realize what situation I was in.
'I'm still here…''
I moved my heavy hand to touch my face, and eventually found a reflective surface along the stairs.
'That…'
Staring at the image in the makeshift mirror, I laughed softly and realized I had messed up.
'Yup, bad habits are scary.'
…
Micheal had run out of the room in a haste and with immense worry.
He didn't know what had happened to Sil or why Derrick was like that, but what he did know was that it was related to what happened earlier on.
'"It's just, when he gets drunk he's like a different person"'
Derrick's hesitant voice rang in his head.
Is this the difference he was talking about?
A personality switch?
Come to think of it, Sil was much more different back in middle school. He had an odd aura around him and always seemed to know what to do.
And even though he didn't talk much or interact with people as much as he did now, he wasn't as… plain as he is now.
Could he have been a victim of the Myst?
Micheal paused in his steps and began to think things through.
The Myst…
General symptoms include partial memory loss, personality defects or recurring memory loss.
Sil had never displayed any of those before, but there was a four year gap between them, so something could have happened but what was it?
Could he really have been hit with the Myst? If so, what stage is he in and why did it just show now…?
"Huh?"
Micheal turned around and came face to face with a strained Sil.
Sil met his concerned gaze and resisted the urge to frown.
'How bothersome, who is this?'
He had confirmed something on his way back to the private room.
Although he was like this and didn't know where he was, he hadn't signed any stupid contracts and was just 'here'.
He wasn't drunk, nor awake.
'It must be a fluke.'
He concluded and mustered up a smile, to calm the worried Micheal.
Now that he had calmed down, he gradually remembered who these people were.
'Micheal, the nice one.'
He flashed an embarrassed smile at Micheal, who hesitated but walked up to him.
"Si- Hey, are you okay?"
"…"
He trailed Ronald with his gaze as he approached him, and stepped back subconsciously to avoid physical contact, but stopped midway and responded.
"Yeah, I was dazed and nauseous. So I quickly ran out."
"Really?"
"Yeah! I mean, how much did I drink to just black out? I swear when I woke up, I didn't even know who you were or where I was. Haha, let's not do this again."
He said casually, embodying the epitome of "My bad, but hey you could've done better."
Micheal looked at him, unconvinced, and warily spoke up.
"But what about Derrick?"
"Who?", Sil asked, stunned.
Which Derrick!?
"I said Derrick, he was acting so strange and- Sil?"
Micheal began to complain but stopped once he saw Sil's gaze.
It was dark, and cold, frightenly so.
Sil noticed Micheal's silence, and barely snapped out of it, before speaking with a low voice.
"Derrick, huh?"
"Sil-?"
"It's nothing.", he smiled gently, then continued.
"It's because of what happened last time."
"Last time? What happened last time?", Ronald asked from behind them, exhausted.
He had taken the opposite route Sil had taken, and effectively missed them both.
"That… hm…", He tilted his head as he thought of what to say.
His actions, though simple and unassuming, were simply unfamiliar and alarming.
"I had a panic attack of the sort, and he freaked out. Silly Derrick."
He broke into an embarrassed grin, and spoke lightly of the incident.
"What do you mean by a panic attack?", Ronald asked, stunned.
"And when was that?!", And Micheal, worried.
"I don't know… I don't remember it well. How about asking the person that witnessed it all?"
Sil said, his placid gaze on the open air.
***
Tap
Tap
Tap
(Pause)
(Splash)
Blanked out, I was in an unseemly reverie, with no idea of what was going on, or where I was, I remained, dazed.
But then, a cold stream of water was poured all over me.
Instantly snapping me out of my previously somewhat lucid state.
It was chillingly cold and was only for a short while. But despite being forced awake by the cold, I remained stunned.
And by the time I finally came to my senses, the person who had been next to me was already leaving.
'Hmm, Derrick…'
I thoughtfully stared at his receding backview.
…
As I walked back to the private room, I thought of what to say or rather how to act.
I didn't completely remember what happened, but I know it would've been big enough to leave even Ronald shaken.
I pondered over what to do once I got back. And it was then I realized I had to find Micheal first.
Having someone who'd support me no matter what, would definitely come in handy.
…
Minutes before I returned to our private room by myself, Eunice had gone out to take a call, and Micheal was no where to be found.
Click
Wrrrr----- inng
Inside the reserved room.
Ronald was missing, Derrick had his head on the table, so I couldn't tell if he was awake or blacked out, and Micheal wasn't in there.
'He's not here, must be his babysitter, maybe she's here already.'
I said internally, then wondered why I was looking for him so badly.
However, Camila and Jackson were seated in an eerie silence. Jackson was immersed in his thoughts and blankly scrolled on his phone, while Camila was quietly working on her laptop.
Pah pah pah
I tapped the door thrice and managed to get all three of them's, attention. As it turned out, Derrick was just resting his head on the table.
Turns out he was trying to sober up too.
"Oh you're back, where's Micheal?", Jackson asked as he straightened up, his gaze on me were especially annoying.
"I don't know, I was drunk.", And I shrugged him off and walked towards my seat.
"We know, he took you outside. Said he was going to sober you up, because you still had some errands to run or something like that.", Camila spoke up, seemingly normal.
Stiflingly a smirk, I asked, cluelessly.
"Errands? What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember?", Camila asked. Finally looking away from her laptop, in confusion.
"I-"
"You wanted to get aunty's gift.", Derrick intervened quietly.
"Oh, that's right. I must not be sober enough, haha."
Laughing casually, it suddenly occured to me that I actually had errands to run.
I picked up my jacket and draped it over my cold shoulders.
"I'll be going now then, bye."
"Do you need a ride?", Derrick asked as he stood up and stumbled as he did so.
Barely standing properly, he looked at me with an earnest gaze filled with hidden desperation.
I smiled, amused.
But shook my head gently.
"I'll be fine, Derrick. Don't worry so much. I'll just walk back to clear my head. But don't drive while drunk, I'll call your sister to come pick you up."
"No I'm fine.", he frowned slightly. But I wasn't sober enough to care about his problems with me, or his problems with his sister.
Those siblings always gave me an headache anyway, and I wasn't interested in his concerns, since I've found a way to shut it off.
I walked towards him, and spoke in a voice only we could hear.
"I'll really be fine don't worry. I made a promise didn't I? Well I've found a way to keep it."
"And the other one?", he asked almost immediately.
"The first one?", I asked, nonchalantly.
"Yes.", he said forcefully.
"I'll be okay, I guess. As I said, I've found a way to keep the promise 'Sil' made to you. And as long as nothing goes wrong again, everything's gonna be great!"
I beamed a smile at him, and he was stunned.
It was a sight he was familiar with, but had never seen again.
'He's not Sil but why does he act so much like Sil when we were younger…'
Lost in his thoughts, he did not notice me when I slipped out of the room, after bidding Jackson, and Camila bye.
Camila took her gaze off the door then asked Derrick who was still looking at it.
"Is it me or is he acting strange, again?"
Derrick tightly gripped the chair he was holding, and looked away from the door but not to Camila.
"He's okay", he said.
'He said he is, so he better be.', He thought with complicated emotions written all over his face.
Now he wished he hadn't drank anything at all.
He sat back down and pondered over the incidents that happened, that evening.
Just like that, the next fifteen minutes passed in silence.
But he stood up once more and resolved himself to go after Sil, and find him.
Despite his assurances, he still could not shake off the feeling he felt from that chance encounter. But the door opened, the moment he stood up.
And Ronald stepped in.
"Oh Derrick slow down.", He joked then looked around and frowned, "Where's Sil?"
"He's gone, he just left"
"Just like that? But I didn't see anyone on my way here…"
Ronald muttered to himself then asked for Derrick's keys.
Derrick handed it over to Ronald, the only person who didn't drink tonight, and watched as he ran off to find Sil.