“Hey Wake Up!! It is dusk already!!!” I woke up to that shout, still feeling light-headed. I rolled myself, rumbling without any intention to wake up.

 A couple of hands then grabbed my shoulder and forcefully put me up in a sitting position. I yawned for the respond of the rough treatment for this always happened.

“Nicolas focus over here to my voice. How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak out of your room at night!?” he began his scolding with a frustrated voice. I nodded a little before he continued his rant. But at that time I had already diverted my head to something else, like the sounds of birds chirping outside.

“Hey!!” He held my head and positioned it back to the original position. “Listen to me, I know this is a hard time for you and I’ve given up trying to hold you in your room. But you really need to rest if you want to ever recover, the night is the perfect time for that.” With that statement, I thought the time to play the silent patient was over.

“It is all good doctor. It’s not like it will happen in near future and I didn’t disturb anything with my night out. I am just trying to live happily with all the time I had.”

He sighed, “We don’t know that yet. Let’s just finish your checkup first.” He got up from what appeared to be a chair and grabbed his tools. He started to examine me.

At the same time, I wondered if my words ever sank to this doctor. He was the one who came here by himself practically begging to take on my case that so many of his colleague had either distanced away or gave up completely. He never stopped and was coming here every morning without fail, no matter how petty things I said to him.

I could say that my case was a peculiar one. A long story short, there was a big tumor inside my head, covering a part of my brain and continued to grow bigger as the day passed. Fortunately, the effect from the tumor wasn’t anything near lethal. But as maybe you could already tell that I was blind.

It’s not as bad as you’ve told. I maybe missed the sense of color and the like of video or television. I could still basically sense what around me from the sound mostly, but sometimes smell or just when things get repetitive that you knew he`/she would do it every time.

“Ok, we are mostly done here, just a normal day without any decline or progress.” The Doctor’s voice snapped me out of my daydream.

“No news is a good news right doc…”

“ It is doctor Brian. How many times I have told you about my name, yet you always forget about it.” He sighed again, “Now that everything is finished. I will leave you and come back as usual tomorrow. Make sure to eat your food and remember don’t dare to escape again tonight. I have already assigned a nurse to check your room at night from now on.”

Before I could answer, I heard the sound of the door being slammed.

“Is he gone, Nico?” Another voice popped out on my ear after that. A soft and girlish voice, yet from this detail, I knew exactly who was the owner of the voice.

“Yes, it’s a wonder you manage to hide from him almost every day Sierra,” I answered with a smile to greet my only and maybe my last friend. 

“Hah, it’s easy. After all, it is my specialty to sneak around this run-down hospital.” She sounded so proudly.

“Well, that’s one reason for them to even receive us in the first place. Especially because of you.”

“Look at yourself in a mirror, I am not a troublemaker that disappear every night from my room so that the nurses have to keep on the lookout. Beside of that, you always fall asleep too fast. It’s a pain in the ass to carry you back every time.” Sierra let out a deep sigh, she slowly walked her way to one of the free seats near me. It’s impossible to tell which chair, because her footstep was so light, almost like air.

“I am sorry about that. That place beat me again yesterday. But I promise I will do better next time. But we can still go right?”

“If only you would do it. Instead of saying that every day and still fail to keep awake even in the second verse. If you keep this up, I won’t guide you to there again. “

“Eh don’t be like that.”  I tried to grab her near one of the places that I predicted she would sit. Looks like I was on point when I heard a rattle from the chair.

“Eit!! Remember the rule, Nicolas. No touching allowed, or we will never meet again.” She sounded pissed on that one.

“Come on, you know I won’t do anything. I am blind for god’s sake.”

“Still like my mom always said, all men are wolves, waiting to devour my beautiful self.”

“But-“

“No but, just listen, we will go again, just make sure you stay awake this time, or I swear to the god. I will keep you awake even if I must use force because today is special.”

“What kind of special day? “

“It is not special if I tell you, come on let’s just go now.”

Sierra was not waiting for my answer and straight up grabbing my hand away. I surrendered myself willingly to her care. She guided me down the bed and through the door into the hallway.

I could never get used to the hallway as I had never any vision about it. I was brought here when I was already blind. Nevertheless, the sensation of your feet traveled on unknown land and the thrill of not knowing that at the next corner always tingling me, a nurse possibly had waited for me to sneak out of my room.

And yet, we stopped after sometimes. Without eyes, I could only tell with my other senses. Like the sound of wind breezes through my ear, Wet grass grazed around my feet and the smell of nature. We were probably in an open space in a forest, she guided my hand slowly this time and put me down onto some kind of bench.

"Have we arrived?" I asked after she released my hand.

"Sssst .... listen." She hushed my mouth.

I focused on my hearing, waiting for the best part to come. It started with little scratchy sound from afar. It was very soft one almost unheard. But soon many other sounds followed. Like a fight, they flared each other with intense sound before everything became a rumbling sound that couldn’t be told apart.

Then suddenly everything went silent, signaling the warm-up was over. A soft click was heard from nearby and a music started playing with mutual harmonies, a Symphony that nature is playing now right before me. A string of beautiful gibberish in an endless loop of a whistling stream. And somehow all of these sounds make me calm deep inside, silencing the voice of my nightmares. It’s been so long since everything is so quiet. Quiet enough to sleep…

NOO!

I promised not to doze off, although I had lost count how many time this music had made me gave in. I wiped my forehead and slapped myself on the check.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

“It is still beautiful this night too, this music.”

“Ssst… you are disturbing the harmony.”

“I am trying to not doze off here. Please help me, we can talk in whispers if you want.”

“hmm…. I guess because it’s a little special day. I will give in but just one question, that’s all that you will get from me. So what do you want?”

“I just…” I struggled to make a topic, what is it that I always wondering again? Her reason to stay at the hospital? Since when she is in the hospital? I just realized that I didn’t know her a lot and there was a ton to ask. She popped always at the same time at dusk and just pulled me to here.

“If you met another blind guy, will you also guide him to here?” That’s all I could think for now.

“Wha—I—No--- what kind of question is that??” She almost screamed but managed to hold back her voice.

“Since you told me before that the reason you always take me here is that only a blind guy can hear this music and appreciate it. At first, I thought you are performing some kind of freak show. But after all of these beauties I heard, I guess I was a lucky one to be blind when we met.”

“Shut up!!” She shouted the loudest voice I ever heard. I almost jumped back as a reaction. Nature itself became silent. “Don’t you ever thankful that you blind!! And No! If that person is not you I will not ask him to go here!”

“What was that for?” I was still shocked by her reason. I guessed my word was too depressing, even for her.    

“Nothing… ah, you have ruined the mood. We cannot hear the symphony again. I guess it’s time to show the nature some appreciations back.”

“What do you mean?” I could feel that she is not at my side anymore.

“Shut up with all your question!!” She shouted again, “It’s my choice, I have been training for this chance. Just shut up and hear.” I was still very confused when I began to hear Seria’s voice, followed by the same of melody that stopped.

Did you know there is no lie

In our kind world

Then I will tell my only lie

To you the boy I hate

I started just as a lonely girl

Screaming my voice to, the world, without care

But my time was cut short

And I blamed the God above

As I was the one who ended it myself

My dream, with my own hand

So the sun is up through the night

Blue moon watch our day

My mouth was trying to interrupt the song that Sierra sang, for how illogical all of these situations were. There was nothing foretold and without warning, was this the special day mean? But my mind kept it shut as if trying to understand what this song meant. And the melody continued.

Now let's tell the truth

That I already told you

Cause you came into my realm

Happy and cheerful

You change the thing I know

And I used to love the most

For you the person I hate the most

I sing my truth to this end

Cause you will see

What lies in my melody

The hope of my wishes

Our always be together

Will end tonight

With a long gasp, the melody and the voice stopped. Silence filled the as it was waiting for my reaction for the song. I was honestly still confused by all of this suddenness.

“I guessed that’s all of it. My special cue to say goodbye.” Her answer struck me like a lightning. 

“Why you must use a song to convey that? Is it because you are leaving tomorrow or soon? This isn’t a drama and it doesn’t mean we are not going to meet again.” My lips opened at last.

“I just don’t know how to tell you, it is not just about our parting. It is more complex than that. I…”     

“Just say it!!” I flung my hand forward to what I assume was her position. 

But my hit stopped when I hit a cold and stiff like board body. Could I just hit a very peculiar tree? I tried to move my hand around, looking for branches or something that not humanlike. It was a useless effort.

"It's not wrong, Nicolas. What you feel right now it is me because I have been dead for a long time." Serria answered, her hands then held my hand. Both of them were cold like ice. This is the first time I ever touched them.

"Who are you!?" Fear started to grow within me.

"Sorry, I lied to you all this time."

"No…. no!!! I don't want to hear. This is all a dream, it couldn’t be!! I was kidnapped all along by a spirit, dragged along to die. Or I must be still asleep in my room now, as a baby and am waiting for you who is not you to wake me up. Yes, that's right, I believe in myself ... Please ...  "I fell to the floor, covering my ears. I hope this nightmare would end and I would wake up in my bed as usual.

"This... I also hope all this is just a dream. Since I first met you, everything felt like a dream. You are the first one to hear this transparent melody and to accept it. And with all the nights we go through, the stories we talk at dusk, your presence beside me, I continue to hope that they will continue. But I know I can't make you happy. You may be still sick, but you are still alive.”

“And you tricked me, playing with my feeling. No matter what I do, I will die anyway why can’t you just leave me in dark? Until the day I die.”

“Because everyone deserves to know the truth!” Serria suddenly grabbed my hand and forehead. Before I could react, Serria pushed my body down with a great force. I flipped around, but strangely there was no rock or bench that I thought I was sitting. My body was suspended and my head touched nothing. Will she take my soul now? I opened my eyes.

I couldn’t believe it as I saw a clear silhouette. I shouldn’t see anything other than darkness, yet I saw the scene of her face, crying and pale with dark messy hair. Strangely my fear was gone when I saw face to face with the ghost Serria.

"Consider this our separation, Nico. I promise you won't disturb your life again. Just never forget the nights and voices, even if only for a while, you have listened to heaven. Thank you ... thank you very much. "Seria said while sobbing. I could feel tears running down on my body and face.

Then her hand moved slowly over my head. Something that is not from this world, something that should never interact with my life. Will she take my soul now? But I felt a calming sensation like floating on a slow river. My consciousness became blurry and then there was darkness.

 I pulled myself up from a bed, sweat covered my face and my heart was beating as fast as it could. I stared down to the bed and to my surprise I could see my hand, it was still the same two-piece I remembered. A small smile cracked over my face, my hand, I could see my hand! A thousand word couldn’t express how happy I am to see my hand. I covered my eyes and opened it again, and to my surprise was still the same. I-I…

A dazzling light blinded me from a side. It made my heart jumped as I was afraid that this was just a dream. But I saw a figure, opening the curtain and turned to head for me.

"So how is Nicolas? I take that the operation was a success." A voice made me realized who the figure was.

"Doctor Bima?" I said as I saw him for the first time in my life. A tall old man with a leafy white hair and beard in a white coat and brown round frame glasses. He looked at me with relief.

"It was Doctor Brian. But never mind about that. You almost made me suffer a heart attack, Nicolas. We almost lost you if you weren't operated on last night. I am grateful that someone suddenly woke me up and told me about your condition.”

"Who is it? This is amazing!! I want to thank him or her. "I shouted. Could be it was Sierra?

“That’s the strangest thing, none of the staff was there.”

“I see…” I answered with a flat tone.

“But another interesting was that after all hours I poured into research for your Tumor, I seemed somewhat missing a very precise small cut that spanned across the Tumor, making it almost fall on top of your brain and killed you. But on another side, it made the operation easier and shorter. I cannot believe my eyes when I saw the cut. It was almost mystifying.” He praised it as a miracle, but I realized it was the reason why Sierra always dragged me with her and made me sleep in a soothing symphony.

I diverted my attention from the doctor to see the room that had kept me here, an unknown room that yet felt the same as the one that I imagined. I noticed a big lively green tree outside the window. Bathed by the light of the sun, I could see the dew lingered on the leaves and slowly dropped down.

"Do you know that tree? That’s where we find you, the first time you attempt to escape. It was quite spectacular." Asked the Doctor.

“And quite depressing, I remember my attempt suicide there and since then…” I suddenly remembered Serria, my chest tighten. I wanted to meet her, was that night really our last meeting? I still didn’t say either goodbye or thank you.

“Well, that’s all behind us. Continuing your story, since we found you hanging on one of its branches. You always seem to disappear every night. Now that you are cured, mind telling me where were you going all this time?” He asked with a great curiosity. 

"It is impossible. Doctor, you won't believe me if I tell you. "

"Really?" He answered as he put a chair close to my bed and sat on it. “Cause, believe it or not, I saw a glimpse of a girl when I was operating you all night yesterday. I was shocked to hear that, but manage to keep my calm. I just didn’t want to put my hopes too high.

"This will be a long story. I don't know if I can tell it all. "I replied.

"Don't worry, because now we are alive and we always have all the time in the world right?"

I was laughing.

I was crying