The shadows were slowly disappearing and a new day was beginning to dawn outside the windows. Tabby opened her eyes cautiously and smiled happily. She never dreamed that a hellishly boring party would end so wonderfully. She didn't feel guilty at all for abandoning them all so carelessly. Dad would surely understand, and Ted...and Nicole... Tabby smiled maliciously. At this moment, there was nothing sweeter than this revenge. Actually, it was...it was lying next to her, smiling in its sleep. David...
Curls of hair were falling into his face and she resisted the urge to push them back, kiss him, and lightly trace the contours of his face with her fingertips...she didn't want to wake him up. It was still too early, but she didn't want to sleep at all. She decided that staying in bed any longer was no use. She wanted to take a shower and prepare something for breakfast. So she quietly climbed out of bed and tiptoed towards the bathroom. Her eyes fell on the huge travel backpack, which was already full to bursting, and her heart stung a little, because she realized that the time to say goodbye was already at hand. She sighed weakly, hoping that David would change his mind after all, and stopped for a moment at his desk, where those ancient maps still lay. She approached them carefully. They looked amazing, like something from an adventure movie. Their edges were blackened, as if they had been burned. She reached out her hand to them and suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation, and stared in amazement as a faint flash passed through the old yellowed paper. At that moment, it seemed to her as if she heard a faint whisper from somewhere far away, sounding like "Junoon" several times in a row…
She suddenly jumped in fear because she felt a light touch on her shoulder and at the same time she felt cold, as if a frosty breeze had blown over her. She shivered slightly and quickly turned around. David was standing behind her… the feeling of fear suddenly disappeared and she smiled at him. He hugged her to him and said quietly and slightly reproachfully.
"Why aren't you sleeping, Tabby, when I woke up and didn't see you next to me, I was scared that you had run away from me…" She suddenly froze in his firm embrace. "It's nothing, I just wanted to go to the bathroom…" she whispered, but she still couldn't help it and told him about what she had seen on the table. David thought for a moment and replied.
"Hm, that's strange, it's happened to me too, and more than once, maybe the maps have some phosphorous symbols, otherwise I can't explain it. But I've never heard that whisper before."
"Are you really sure you want to go there? Please, think about it! I don't really believe in any ancient myths, but I have this strange feeling in my heart..." "You fool, it's just an exploration expedition, nothing more, you don't have to be afraid at all..." he whispered hoarsely, and in his mind he was again troubled by all the circumstances that were disrupting their relationship. Before he fell asleep, he thought about it for a long time. That's why he decided to leave suddenly. The night with Tabby had been too wonderful for him to start believing that some miracle would happen and he would be able to give her what she wanted, deserved, and what would keep the cheerful lights in her forgetful eyes. The reality was completely different. The nightmare of his sad future gripped him tightly and painfully inside like crab claws. He closed his eyes and tried in vain to suppress the tears that had moistened his dark eyelashes. One of them rolled down his dark face like a small pearl and found its refuge in Tabby's raven locks of hair. Without wanting to, rather cold words escaped his mouth, cutting through the sweet feeling of the night like a sword's edge.
"Tomorrow Aaron and I are leaving, you have to accept it... with everything... please understand me, I am sick, your dad knows best how I am and you probably suspect it too... love, I am like a half-broken clock that no one can ever fix... and which will gradually lose all its cogs until it stops completely... please, Tabby, forget about me, what happened tonight, I will cherish inside me like the most precious treasure, until the very end... but..." Tabby looked at him in disbelief and fear.
"What? Are you serious?" He nodded silently, even though the pain she felt inside was unbearable. Tabby sobbed softly, pushed him away and quickly threw her clothes on. Her heart was racing, her chin was shaking and her head was buzzing with excitement. She was trying hard to hold back the tears to preserve her pride. "Tabby, please understand me…" he said. Now she was angrily tossing her raven mane and shouting.
"Then go, go, I see you don't care about me at all! I'm stolen from you, like a fake nickel, right? Some stupid caves and old maps are more important to you! Okay, I'm leaving and I'm taking everything you just told me to heart… It's your decision. But you'll see that you'll regret it all!"
Her words burned like fire. When she slammed the door behind him, he sat on the bed and cried into his hands like a little boy, whispering between sobs... love, I'm sorry, everything is completely different, I'll never love anyone like you again in my life... I won't even have time for that... and then he buried his head in the pillow. For the first and perhaps the last time in his miserable life, he gave free rein to his painful feelings, which poured out like a river through a deep valley.