The curtains swayed along with the rhythm of the light breeze. Moonlight slid its way into the room through the open window.
She was sleeping peacefully one moment, and the next moment, sweat beads formed around the temple of her forehead, soaking the strands of hair in sweat.
Her eyes forced shut and eyebrows furrowed.
GASP.
She jolted up from her sleep, panting, eyes teary.
Melina Grey.
She had seen the dream again.
She buried her head in her palms, trying to calm herself and trying to understand why she was seeing recurring dreams like this.
She and a masculine figure stood on both sides of a river, looking at each other. She was breaking down, kneeling on the ground, trying to make out the face of the guy but failing miserably.
Her chest always ached in the strangest way possible every time she snapped out of her sleep ever since that incident.
She took off the blankets from her body and gazed at the clock.
2:56 AM.
Sleep had already made its way out of her eyes, leaving her to question her existence—a silent struggle she wished not to share with anybody.
Getting out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom—slightly limping. She turned the showerhead on, letting the cold water hit her scalp, washing her thoughts away.
The nights she wished she'd rather died than live a life with shattered memories.
The chilled water flowing through her body woke her body and emotions. Her eyes started to pool up.
Tears began to glide down her cheeks along with the cold water from the shower.
Silent sniffles and muffled sobs left her mouth.
The cold water seemed to calm her down a bit. She walked up to the mirror, looking at her face, lifting her hands to touch the white cloth piece around her forehead concealing a scar.
She unwrapped the band-aid, staring at the scar which was in the process of healing, as if she had stared at it long enough, the scar would give her answers.
A knock on the door pulled Melina from her thoughts. She dragged herself to open the door to see her sister, Melodie, standing outside.
Even at this time, seeing her sister looking out for her warmed her heart, but the guilt of worrying her like this was heavier than the warmth she felt.
"Shall we talk?" Melodie asked in a soft, comforting voice.
Melina stepped away from the door, making way for her sister to get in, without uttering a word, eyes still glued to the floor, where water droplets were pooling near her from the wet dress.
"Did you stand under the shower with clothes on again?" Melodie asked with a nagging tone while fetching a pair of pajamas and a towel for her sister.
"Hmm," Melina just hummed in response, shifting her gaze from the floor to the window.
"Do you know what time it is, Mel? It is almost 3 AM. And look at you… acting like a toddler… It hurts to see you like this… What happened is happened… Fetch yourself together, Mel… Please."
Melodie kept talking to Melina as she dried her and helped her into the dry pair of clothes.
"It's been four days since you got discharged, Mel… We all are waiting for you to come back as our Melina…" Melodie's voice cracked, betraying her emotions, while Melina had her head hung low.
"At least speak to us, nah? You only hum to everything we ask or say, Mel…" Melodie said in a soft tone, caressing Melina's hand in hers.
The night had arrived long ago, and the dusk was almost minutes away, but the house hadn't slept peacefully for days.
Melina's mother and father, the same people who hadn't given Melina any attention, were now at this midnight, leaning on their headboard, sleepless. Hurt.
Waiting to hear Melina's sound. Just her voice.
Tears kept rolling down their faces as they waited for Melina's voice.
They had been waiting for her voice for the past days she had been home after the hospital.
Months in a coma, weeks in the hospital, then days at home.
All this while they wished she would open her eyes and speak to them, wanting to love her as much as they wanted, but couldn't.
The little girl they got as their first baby from that orphanage, the little girl who made them parents for the first time, and the same little girl who was denied affection as soon as her sister was born, the same little girl who hadn't complained about anything and kept living as if she was alright.
____
"I… I don't… remember anything…"
Melodie's face turned to confusion.
Doctors asked her who they was as soon as she woke up, to which Melina had answered correctly. Melina's memory was alright at the hospital. But now she is saying she doesn't remember anything…?
"Melina, I am your sister! Melodie! And the others at this home are your father and mother," Melodie said hurriedly.
"Adopted," Melina finished Melo's statement.
"What do you not remember then…?"
"College… The people who came in when I opened my eyes from the coma… The group of almost ten peoes…"
"Yes, you said you know them!"
"I lied… I c-couldn't remember anybody… I… I was scared, M-melo… I was scared… I don't recognize this… emotions… it hurts… not physically… It hurts to think…"
"You don't remember Zara, Dove, Gregg, Theo, Ellie… anyone?"
Melo asked, prying into Melina's face which was still hung low.
Melina shook her head.
"Do you remember no names I said?"
A sigh was Melina's response.
"Dove and Zara were your closest friends…" Melodie said her tone audibly getting softer, caressing Melina's back, rubbing in comforting circles.
"Theo is MY boyfriend. And Zara's brother," said Melodie.
Mel nodded, partially hearing and partially forgetting what Melodie said. There was a mischievous glint so powerful in Melodie's eyes which Melina missed to notice.
"H-hospital?" Melina looked at Melodie with hope, to ask if she was going to take her to the hospital and help her cure the problem.
"You know how parents are… They'll probably scold you if you told them… But don't worry, I myself will go to the doctor and ask what's wrong with you."
Melina hugged Melodie, thanking her from the heart.
"If you weren't there… how am I going to survive this," Melina said in a weak tone,
whilst Melodie's chin resing on Melina's shoulder.
Melodie's lips formed into a thin smirk.
"Right."
---
To be continued