I was bathed with my sweat as I hide under a small compartment.

Why am I hiding?

What am I doing here?

And why am I... so scared?

It was dark and I scanned myself for any cellphone or flashlight to light up the place but I do not have anything to light me. I am all alone and I don’t know what is happening so I pushed the compartment’s door up only to be greeted by an overwhelming light.

Why is it so bright up here?

I don’t have any idea how but the next thing I know, I am already facing my parents soaked in blood and the whole people in the house dead on the ground.

What is happening?

I felt a sharp pain behind me. I reach for my back and I am greatly shocked by the amount of blood in my hands.

Blood.

Why am I bleeding?

I held my chest, striving to inhale air but it seems like I am running out of it.

My hand fell down the floor and I have no strength to move it anymore to reach for my parents.

I felt my tears drop— before I close my eyes to sleep.

I am feeling the caress of someone on my face.

I waited for seconds for it to stop but it didn’t. I carefully moved my right hand on my body to reach for a knife but stopped when I remembered where I am.

I opened my eyes only to met a pair of grey eyes watching me so close, touching my cheeks.

I abruptly rose on my position to bump him on the forehead.

“Ouch!” he exclaimed, touching his forehead.

He glared at me as I wipe my forehead off.

“What do you think are you doing?” I accused him.

“I was just wiping your tears!” he said, and the brute just rolled his eyes on me.

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This childish.

But I paused understanding what he just said.

I flicked his slightly red forehead again.

“Stop talking nonsense,” I argued, even when I noticed how damp my cheeks are.

He only stared at me with fake irritation.

I combed my fingers in my disheveled hair trying to remember my dream. What would I cry about?

“Did you dream something bad again?” his tone suddenly became serious, maybe because he is again reminded of how I frequently had dark dreams after that night.

He is a witness of me struggling with those nightmares, which made me cry almost every night.

“I cannot...remember,” I said looking at him.

I notice the concern in his eyes so I remove my eyes off him and stared at the opened window instead.

I really cannot remember anything about that dream no matter how I want to remember it.

I felt like it is something dark though, even if it already escaped on my memory now.

There are remnants of what I felt during it.

I let a minute of silence before I stood up to face him again to discuss my agenda for coming here today.

I have to get going, I still have a lot to take care about.

“Let’s go,” I said before walking out.

I saw him get two pairs of jackets before following and closing the door.

I bow a little everytime I met eyes until we reached the front door.

We opened it and I felt the wind move my hair again as I turn to look at the inside of the place back.

This is not the way they should live.

Looking at the bond they are making here, a ghost of a small smile escaped my lips, before I decided to turn my back to leave.

The sun welcomed us with its full brightness and heat.

“You do not have to worry about them here. They are fine,” Mark comforts me with his words out of nowhere.

“They are my family. I will always worry about them,” I replied as I started to take a step away.

“Whoa. And I am a part of your family right?”

I didn’t answer him, instead, I ignored him like I didn’t hear him.

He held me by the hand to get a response but I glared at it so he removed his hand at me, now being irritated like before.

He turn around on the side part of the building, and although I have no clue why—I followed him still.

There I saw him remove vines, revealing a close to medium-sized gate.

I didn’t know it existed here?

Then I saw him use a key to open the gate, and we were led to a 5 step stairs that leads us a way out of the building and a passage to the shed.

I walked behind him as he casually drop the key on his pocket.

With years of going in here, it is my first time to know that. I always climb up on the big gate to enter the place and climb up again to go out of it.

We managed to reach the little shed where my motorcycle is parked even with his sour mood. And believe me when I say, he even put a distance between us!

As soon as I got near my motorcycle, I grabbed and threw the helmet at him immediately to test something.

I thought he will not be able to catch it, like back when we were young and he is irritated, but he swiftly catch it with one hand, which he immediately placed on my head.

I searched for his eyes before he close the cover fully, but he only gave me a glare.

And a loud knock on the helmet.

“I will drive.” he declared, before suiting himself in front immediately.

Does he own it?

No.

I am about to complain, but with his actions now, we would take forever here when I insist to drive.

I’ve known him so much that I know he won’t leave without doing what he wants.

I shaked my head once at him before placing myself behind.

This man needed to meet a woman who can cool off his hot-tempered attitude and sometimes childish behavior.

We drove under the heated sun, and with me is a hot-tempered friend.