Chapter 30
I felt relief when the heavy rain poured down. I almost jumped from the joy I felt. I turned to Mj and she was smiling while looking up. I could see hope in every glint in her eyes.
Later we exchanged glances for a while and then we exchanged smiles. We both giggled as we looked up and closed our eyes. I feel every drop of rain falling on my face.
Later I heard footsteps coming towards us. And as they got closer and closer to where we were, my face suddenly sank into the mud. And I also felt a sudden weight on my back.
"Crushmate! I really thought I would never see you again!" I felt anxious in Almira's voice as she wrapped her arms around my neck and ran behind me.
"You're heavy, crushmate!" I screamed even though my voice was almost hoarse.
I felt my back lighten up so I quickly stood up and turned to her.
I see behind her that our schoolmates and classmates are approaching. Also schoolmates of Mj. They were so happy, they laughed while they were all wet. The others even danced, like Sarah G. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the rain and some were even fighting.
I was grinning at everyone. I watched their every smile as they continued to tease and laugh despite the heavy rain. If only everyone in the world could think of love and happiness. Apparently, it still has hope to become paradise again.
Without realizing it, I felt a hug from behind causing me to shiver slightly. I slowly moved my back to see Mj's face leaning on my shoulder. Her face is clear and I don't see any fear even though she is still pale.
"Thank you, Rhea," her tone was soft and sincere, "It never occurred to me that you would save me."
I removed her arm that was hugging me causing her to lift her head from my shoulder before I faced her.
She was smiling. A cozy smile full of emotions. I watched her for a few minutes with a faint smile. Later she lowered her gaze and put her hand together.
"Why did you help me? You don't seem to want to talk to me." she was almost the only one who heard what she said as she played with her own fingers.
"Do I need a reason to help?" I answered calmly.
She quickly raised her gaze and it hit my eye. My eyes caught the small tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes. She swallowed to stop it from dripping and then smiled.
"Even if I don't have a reason to help you, that's still not enough to watch you disappear from the world." I continued in the most sensitive tone of my voice.
Even though she was smiling, tears still fell from her eyes and she hugged me very tightly.
I was slightly taken back. She caught me off guard twice. But instead of protesting, I had this warm feeling while she's in my chest. I felt relieved as if the wind blew away all the bitterness I had just now.
Unintentionally, my hand moved slowly and landed on his back. I just realized that I was patting her back. Suddenly I felt comfortable.
"Crushmate, is Mj the one you're hugging?" I heard an inquiry.
Before I could turn around, Mj separated from me and looked behind me first.
"Almira?" surprised by Mj.
Do they know each other?? I don't know..
"It's you!" Almira exclaimed, "How are you?"
"Do you know each other?" I interjected before Mj could answer, as I looked at them.
"Yes." Almira was still very happy, "She's Jc's ex-girlfriend."
Mj nodded with a smile. While I was still in the middle of thinking.
Yes it is. Jc mentioned that Mj became his ex. When we were in the middle of 10 questions with the influence of Scotch.
"Hey, Castino!"
We all turned at the same time to whoever called me. And though I didn't understand, my heart beat suddenly accelerated.
Renzo appeared in front of me from where he was, panting and it was hard to explain his look.
"Have you seen Gonzaga?" He mumbled as he caught his breath.
I froze as my heartbeat stopped.
Ceejay by the way...
I automatically turned to the woods that had been consumed by fire earlier. It was covered in fog caused by the heavy rain but I could still see black smoke coming from it.
My heart was about to burst out of my rib cage and my palms started to sweat cold again. I swallowed when Ceejay's name came to my mind. Tears began to form in the corners of my eyes again due to the possibilities that entered my mind.
Before I could get paranoid from overthinking, I broke into a run, back to the woods where we came from earlier. I rushed to the remote woods to find the person who made me understand the word sister.
"Ceejay!!!" I shouted as I looked around and kept running without stopping.
The surroundings are gloomy, especially since the rain is heavy and the smoke that surrounds it is incessant. The deeper I ran in the forest, the darker it got. Making my heart race like crazy. I couldn't see much because of the fog and only the silhouette of the trees was the only thing I could see.
"Ceejay!!"
"Ceejay!!!"
I made it louder. But my lips started to tremble. Knots slowly forming in my throat and tears escaped from my eyes. I was having difficulties to breathe but I didn't stop running. I know he was here somewhere. I can feel it. Hanging on the single strand of hope I had.
Accidentally, my foot bumped into something. Strong enough to make me fall on the ground. My arms were shaking as I leaned them on the ground to support my weight. Although my knees don't have enough strength to stand, I still tried to stand but my face sank to the ground again.
"Ceejay!!"
I burst into tears while hitting the ground. I pressed my forehead to it as tears continued to flow from my eyes. I sat down and looked around.
I could see nothing but fog and black smoke. The trees ahead are not clear to me either.
Am I really never going to see Ceejay again? It's unfair. We even argued the last time we spoke.
I closed my eyes as I took heavy deep breaths. I was having trouble breathing and my heart was beating so hard, I could even hear every single beat of it. My fist slowly clenched as I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes.
I did my best to save the day but why did it have to turn out like this?
"Are you crying?" I heard a familiar voice behind me.
My eyes widened. A voice I knew so well stopped my world. My heart beat faster and faster when I stopped breathing without realizing it. I hesitated to turn around or maybe it was just my imagination.
"Stand up now," continuing this in a calm tone, he reached out for my hand, "Drama is not for you."
My feet stood up on their own when he pulled me. I mustered up the courage to face him and look him in the face.
Even though his face was full of mud and his shirt was a mess, I still recognized him. Because of his brilliant and captivating smile.
I was still in tears when I smiled at him too. I can see that he is very happy to see me and I am the same for him. I didn't hold back anymore and rushed to him to hug him very tightly.
But I suddenly pushed him at the same time as I retreated when I felt something sharp pierce my chest. My forehead furrowed as I moaned in pain. I quickly grabbed my chest.
"Are you still mad?" he said full of wonder.
"It's not that..." I answered while holding my breath.
Apart from the rain, I also felt sticky on my palm. I gaped as I slowly looked at my palm. My eyes almost fell open when I saw what was in my palm.
Blood? I-Is there blood on my palm?
My hand was shaking as I stared at it. And because I had turned to stone and my gaze was fixed on my palm, he quickly approached me.
Frowning, he took my hand and looked at it.. Later his gaze shifted to my chest.
"What are you doing, Rhea? Are you going to kill yourself?" He asked one question after another as he looked at me pointedly.
Annoyed, I withdrew my hand from him and met his gaze, "I just came back to the woods to look for you even though I know I could die. Then you still feel like getting angry?"
My voice became weak and deep because of the unexpected tears. He hissed as he gritted his teeth with a sharpened stare on my eyes.
"Who doesn't care about your situation? Look at your chest, your bleeding as if an open faucet!!" He even scolded in a shrill voice.
"If only you had run so fast, you wouldn't have perished!" I even scolded him in a high tone.
I tried to be tough even though I was still in tears.
He hissed as his jaw clenched, "If you hadn't come here, I wouldn't have come here either!"
My eyes spontaneously blinked at the same time as my mouth gaped, "Did I tell you to follow!?"
His jaw tightened as he looked at me. My lips were trembling staring at him while tears continued to flow from my eyes.
"Shit, man! Stop crying! I'm disgusted!" he screamed at me. Annoyance was evident in his tone.
"Be angry with yourself!" I screamed but lost my voice in the middle. I immediately turned away from him and covered my mouth with my hand.
I heard him sigh, "I'm being concern about you and you're still stubborn?" his voice suddenly became calm, "Good thing that someone is caring for you. I just don't know about me."
You are really annoying, Ceejay and exhausting patience.
I only slightly looked at him, "You're really an idiot, Ceejay. Will I come back here if I'm not a concern for you?"
I took my eyes off him. I close my eyes as I rub my fingers against my forehead.
You're annoying, you...
"Press it to your chest to stop the bleeding." he commanded in a low tone.
I opened my eyes and his hand holding his dirty clothes appeared in front of me. My eyes widened as I turned to him.
Instead of his face, I looked straight at his half naked body and took the initiative to examine his body. He's not that muscular and he's not that fat either. His body is average and even though he doesn't have abs, his stomach is not big either.
Before my eyes could land somewhere else, I quickly grabbed his shirt and pressed it to my face.
I heard him smirk so I buried my face more in the clothes.
"Press it on your chest, not on your face." he teased.
My smile turned raw as I removed the cloth from my face and pressed it to my chest, without looking at him. I felt that my cheeks were slowly heating up.
Later he came in front of me and knelt down with his back turned. I quickly looked away from him.
"Get behind me." his command.
"I do not want!" I gave a short answer then turned my back on him.
I was about to take a step when he caught my hand and I immediately looked at him. My eyes briefly went to his body but I immediately took it back.
"Do you want to go to heaven?" He said sarcastically.
"I've been in heaven for a long time." Suddenly the word came out of my mouth without my mind checking it.
I turned away from him again but he pulled my hand that he was holding before I could step so I turned to him again.
This time, his sharp eyes were really focused on me.
"Are you out of your mind? If you walk steadily while the blood is flowing in your chest, we haven't reached the camping area yet, your blood will run out." He scolded again.
I'm not a mortal so I won't run out of blood. But why do I have a blood??
My mouth couldn't argue anymore and it closed because of the bad look he gave me. I just swallowed while watching him kneel down in front of me again with his back turned. I slowly climbed behind him. I put my arm around his neck while locking both my legs in his arms.
But there seems to be something different about Ceejay that I can't explain. The speed of my heartbeat still does not subside even though he is in front of me and he is still carrying me on his back. I really don't understand why.
Maybe I just need a break. With so much that happened today. I probably don't want to do tree planting. I'm traumatized.
- End of Rhea's POV -
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Why is the surrounding dark?? where am I?
And what place is this? Why can't I see anything but black? And I can't even move my body. It seems to harden. I can't even feel it.
My eyes widened when I saw a small yellow thing floating in front of me.
My fur started to stand up with a floating skull next to the yellow color. My heart started to beat faster when a white candle appeared under the yellow color. And there is something engraved on it that…. My name????
My heart raced randomly as I gasped. A cold sweat broke from my forehead as chills started to get in my nerves. My whole body was shaking as I thought of where I could possibly be.
Please.. Let this be just a nightmare. I don't want it to be true and I don't want to believe it's true…