I woke up with a start at Lana's scream. I held my forehead because of the sharp pain I felt there. I sat up straight on the bed, glancing at my friend who was looking at me with a guilty expression.
"I'm so sorry I didn't make it yesterday. I know apologizing won't change anything, but..." She was on the verge of tears when she paused, noticing something about me.
"What's that?" she asked, staring closely at my eyes and face. I was more confused now because I thought she was here to apologize, but she kept looking at me like something was off. I looked at her, wondering what was happening, and she shook her head.
"I'm sorry, it's just... something seems strange in your eyes. But never mind," she said, turning her attention to my hand. I followed her gaze and noticed the bandage wrapped around my arm.
"If only I had shown up yesterday, this wouldn't have happened to you," she said seriously, her eyes holding some kind of mystery.
"Uhm..." I struggled to find my voice as I tried to remember what happened. I was nervous as I thought back to last night and how I even got home.
"I understand, Lana," I said quietly, feeling drained this morning.
Lana helped me sit up and stayed with me as I had breakfast. My parents were out of the country because of some urgent matter regarding our family property. They left last week in a hurry after receiving an urgent call. Tomorrow's my 20th birthday, and they won't be home until the early morning.
Thank goodness for Manang Nena, our helper who's been with us since I was a kid. When my parents are away, she takes care of everything I need. We're not a rich family, but what we have is enough to get by, for now, and maybe even in the future.
Manang Nena had been really worried about me last night because I hadn't come home until late. I didn't know how to explain what happened, especially since I wasn't even sure if it was real. But Manang told me that the police had taken me home because they found me sitting outside the abandoned mansion on the corner.
I thought for a moment and remembered running from some kind of monster, but I wasn't sure if it was real or just in my head.
According to the police, they were going to take me to the hospital, but I told them I was just exhausted and fell asleep outside. When I asked about the bandage on my arm, I was told it was from hitting the door.
They said I wasn't drunk, but my behavior seemed a little off. I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my eyes. They were hazel brown, but the darkest part seemed to shimmer, almost like something was hidden there. It felt familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen it before. I sighed, frustrated that I couldn't figure it out. So, instead of thinking about it too much, I grabbed my laptop and started searching for information on bad dreams.
"Bad dreams happen when the mind is overwhelmed with overthinking..." I read a highlighted sentence.
"Am I stressed?" I asked myself as I continued browsing the internet, but I didn't realize how much time passed until I dozed off.
"Xiara!" A voice echoed through the darkness. I looked around and saw trees surrounding me, the scene resembling a grove, all shrouded in darkness.
"Xiara." The voice called again, this time with a soft tone. I searched desperately for the source of the voice, but what struck me was how calm I felt. It didn't feel like it was the first time I'd heard this voice.
"Who are you?" I shouted, and suddenly, the wind picked up. My hair flew into my face, so I quickly brushed it back behind my ear.
The voice vanished, replaced by a loud growl from a familiar monster. My skin felt cold as I stood frozen in fear. I looked around, and there it was—just one meter away from me. It was black, and its eyes were red again, staring at me with intensity.
I took a step back, terrified, but it didn't move closer. Taking advantage of the moment, I backed away quickly. But in my panic, I stumbled and leaned against a tree. I was too scared to look away from it, afraid it would attack me the second I turned.
I let out a deep breath and kept walking, but the monster stayed where it was. I turned my back to it and scanned the area for somewhere to go, but to my horror, I saw an even larger black monster with green eyes. Before I could react, it grabbed me and threw me into the unknown. I screamed in fear.
"Xiara! Xiara! What happened?" I heard my mother's concerned voice. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I took a deep breath when I realized I had woken up in reality. Thank goodness it was just a nightmare.
"What happened?" my mom asked again. She was wearing a brown winter jacket and carrying her shoulder bag, clearly just arriving.
I shook my head. "Just a bad dream, Mom," I said, smiling as I stood up from the bed and hugged her. "Your birthday's tomorrow. I hope everything will be okay," She whispered to me. I shrugged lightly, clearly not understanding her concerns, but I didn't want to worry about it.
I looked for Dad, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Where is Dad?" I asked Mom as she was preparing breakfast. It was already 6 AM, and I couldn't believe it was my birthday.
"He's still sleeping. He's tired from yesterday," Mom replied.
I was excited to see Dad because he promised to give me a unique item that could be considered magical. I had just remembered that a while ago when I was looking at myself in the mirror.
After Mom and I ate our breakfast, she busied herself preparing for my party. That is when Daddy woke up.
"Dad!" I jumped to him for a hug. He smiled excitedly as he showed me a photo of him and Mom in the Sahara desert. I mad face.
"You didn't tag me along" I pouted. Dad chuckled at my reaction and showed me the way to the dining area where Mom was staying.
'Next time, we will be together." Dad said as he went to help with setting up the area.
I went out to grasp some air. I called Lana to inform her that she could invite our friends during high school. This year we will be turning into our 2nd year at university. It would be a waste if we didn't have time together before we parted ways.
After that long call, I decided to go to our backyard. It was a peaceful place where one can find 'rest. I sat on the wooden chair as I watched the birds fly up high on the horizon.
There was a footstep behind me. I looked immediately and found a piece of old brown paper on the floor. I looked around and found no one. I stood to pick up the piece.
"Behind the wall of fame lies the rhythm of truth". I read but can't grasp the meaning. I looked around again, hoping to see someone else. But the surroundings were quite like before. There was no noise and it seemed that the time stopped clicking.
I moved quietly towards the exit and found a shadow behind the wall going to the storage room. It remained still. I moved closer and saw a person wearing a black cloak covering his face with the cloth. It was looking directly at me.
What is wrong with this one? Is he or she a stalker, robber, or killer? I froze in fear thinking about that. I was about to scream when an arm covered my mouth. In the blink of an eye, that person was already behind me. His presence was familiar.
"Tell no one about this. At midnight, wear this amulet to keep you safe". The man said with a deep voice. It was so beautiful to listen to. I was about to say a word, but I suddenly saw myself sitting on this wooden chair.
"Was I asleep?" I asked confusedly. How many times have I experienced something like this? I felt frustrated thinking about it. I do not know what is happening to me these days. I do not know what made me feel so stressed that I am hallucinating things. I stood up, and a purple-like bracelet fell on the ground. I was shocked because this was what the man a while ago gave to me.
I might not have been asleep a while ago. I was awake. I do not know anything about these. But I think it would be better if I talked to my parents after the party. Maybe they knew something that I did not know.