Lonely footsteps echoed through a crowed and bustling corridor. A pair of black platforms treaded on the icy smooth floors of the building. The weight of a familiar thing hugging her back and the rattling of the same steel bottle she carried along for the longest time. Her hair— back to the short bangs as compared to the long fringes they have transitioned to— swayed in front of her face covering her vision.
The view, which was only her feet and the floor the entire time, finally moved up. Students huddled together, turned to her immediately. Their faces scratched up and mangled but there was one amongst the crowd whose face wasn’t shrouded.
She gasped at the sight of them, smiling and happy like they always were. She thought how their smiles had turned into something so distant and unfamiliar.
“It... It’s… you…” Tears flooded her vision.
“Gabbie.” They did not say anymore but approached her with the same smile that Gabbie held dear.
“Don’t cry…” The voice that she had forgotten or chosen to forget came back to give her life.
They reached their hands to her face and wiped the tears away and gently lifted Gabbie’s head.
The smile still there. “Don’t cry…” they kept going but with every growing second the smile grew bigger and wider and split their face in half. Gabbie knew exactly what it was but couldn’t slip away from its hold.
“How can you cry… after what you did to me…?” The voice turned distorted and turned into nothing but noise that pierced her eardrums. But they didn’t stop nor let Gabbie go instead it pulled her closer and made sure Gabbie was face to face, eye to eye with the horrors filled inside the blank’s eyes.
And just a second later, she had woken up from the trance, back in her bedroom. Her hands trembled and sweat ran down her face profusely even though it was so chilly that it sent shivers down her spine.
She brought her palms together and noticed the uncontrollable trembling and a paleness she had never seen before. She clasped her face and let out a blood curdling scream.
“Why…? WHY?! Why is this happening…? Why him..?” Her heart broke into pieces on seeing him again after all this time after she tried to shun him from her thoughts. But even if the world were to stop, she couldn’t possibly forget about him, ever…
She stepped up and entered the bathroom, memories came rushing back from over five years ago, when times were simpler and not very complicated. Life was smooth and some were ready to explore new experiences for the first time.
“So how did you meet?” A question all nosy teenagers are fond of asking, especially if it’s someone they are close with.
“Haha! Funny you ask that, because I have just as fun saying it.”
“We met when we cheated on a test and got caught by the invigilator and were immediately sent to detention… it was a huge mess, since it was the annual exam, our parents were called and stuff. It was an entire ordeal, but we got off unscathed in the end.”
“Cheated… during an exam? Since when were you such a baddie?”
“It was a little weird since we’ve never talked with each other before and the fact that both of us knew each other’s look of adversity when we made brief eye contact.”
“Hmm… is that why your parents hate him so much?”
“Hate is a strong word, but I can’t lie when I say they dislike him a lot…”
“Are you planning on going to the same college then?”
“Of course not. But it would be nice if we did…”
No matter the number of memories that overflowed, she could not remember his voice and the sweetest way he used to call her. Was it just how things were to end or was it her own fault? Not even having the courage to remind herself of him after the course of unfortunate events that occurred.
“WELL, ISN’T IT BETTER NOW THAT HE’S DEAD?!” The voice of her father’s words was crystal clear though. The day haunts her tirelessly. The bitter screams and anguish that she had released that day was more than her or anyone in the family could bear.
There were times she wished time would turn backwards and bring her only the happy moments. Just the simplest of things— the taste of crispy and sweet waffles on a Saturday morning, casual banter with her siblings, helping out at the café whenever crowds peak and most of all, just the presence of her beloved giving her all the reasons to be happy again.
“How could you do that to me…? How can you simply forget…?” The demented voice continued to echo in her mind, revealing the truths that she had avoided to face for the longest time.
“Look in the mirror, Gabbie…”
Gabbie did not respond.
“I SAID LOOK, GABRIELLE!” The scream of the blank sent a cascade of goosebumps and shook her to the core. She reluctantly looked at the bathroom mirror.
Her pale and shaking body in the middle and behind was a man faced down. The soft black hair and those navy glasses, and his favourite varsity jacket—all that she knew very well. She couldn’t take her eyes off the mirror anymore out of fear he wouldn’t be there if she turned.
“Th-That’s not … you…! It’s not you, Marius…!” She choked up on very word. To think a day would come that she would reject him, even Gabbie wouldn’t have been able to live with herself. But she knew this was a delusion and a very, very horrible and cruel nightmare for the wrongs that she committed.
“Did you conveniently choose to forget about me and live on like this forever…?”
“Shut up!! You’re not real…” she refused to give in and decided to fight back.
The man stopped talking for a brief moment and let the silence sink inside Gabbie. He finally lifted his head that had been fixed to the floor the entire time and spoke quietly but shrilly.
“I’m… not real? Gabbie… it’s me..!” The calming and energetic voice that it tried to imitate was shattering her heart.
She finally gave in and turned to end it. Just as she made eye contact with him, his eyes weren’t the same hazel anymore—it was flowing with blood. Red droplets fell from his head, ears and mouth and drenched his clothes in an ocean of blood. It stepped closer only for Gabbie to back away in stifling fear in her eyes. Pushed against the bathroom sink, she had no where to run. Her heart pounded uncontrollably as though it was outside her body and her breathing staggered and felt like she was losing oxygen.
The bloodied figure grew closer step by step and finally just an inch away from her face, it showed it’s true colours—the mangled and disoriented face with a splitting bloody grin.
She could feel her consciousness slipping as her eyes sagged and her heart slowed. But with the sudden spell of adrenaline, she pushed past the blank and exited the bathroom. With no second to spare she slammed the door shut.
“Hey! When did you stop over there?” Demi came rushing back the pavement to Lin, who was spaced out looking at something.
She noticed him looking at a park.
“Earth to Lin~! Are you there?” She gently shook him.
“Sorry, got a… little distracted…” He continued to look in that direction.
“Well? Spill it, you want to go there but worried cause you’re a little overgrown for parks?”
“Wow! How did you know~?” Lin acted surprised as he played along.
“Wait… I was right..?” Demi was baffled, but regardless she had already come to the conclusion that they had to make a detour at this place by the relentlessly staring Lin was doing.
“Anyway, let’s go…!” Demi reached her hand out and dragged him along.
While they were there, they looked for benches to have a seat probably from a crisis they were having from being total misfits in a place full of little children.
“Gosh… I hate kids…” Demi mumbled. Lin seemed to be feeling the same way as well. “We stick out like sore thumbs—at least I stick out like one…”
“Don’t casually throw shade on my height!” She pulled out her best taekwondo stance and skillfully swung her legs for a kick that she would never lay on him.
He evaded almost immediately, “Do you forget that I know taekwondo as well?” He smiled and put his arm across her shoulder and dragged her along.
“I found a seat, so we can reminisce how old people feel…” She pointed to an empty wooden bench near a tree.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
They took a seat and once they felt comfortable, silence took over their usual talks. It wasn’t awkward but a peaceful silence filled the air, and each had a fair share of thoughts to fill up their minds in that time.
Lin had a lot on his mind that he needed to vent but without the whole story to convey, Demi wouldn’t know what was happening in his life. “How do I tell her? Do I even have to tell her about this mess? I don’t want to spoil the mood for her, she seemed to be having fun this entire time! Sure, she was feeling down at the meet-up spot but now she’s better… sigh, who am I kidding? Maybe today isn’t the day…”
Maybe it was better off that Lin didn’t want to tell her today since she was actually enjoying the peace after a long time of bizarre events. “This feels nice, especially after those crazy things I’ve had to witness… just me and Lin… feels great! Sigh… who am I kidding?! I’ve been wracking my brain over blanks, Robin and both of our safeties today and to top it all off I’m so sleep deprived, I could pass out any second!”
The moods were down by a long shot.
Demi decided to break the silence first. “So..? Why this place?”
“Well… I don’t know? I missed this place even though I came yesterday…”
“Is this a heavy topic? I can tell from that face you’re making—like a lost puppy.”
“Was that comparison necessary..?”
“What? Pups are cute and you like them too!”
“Then shouldn’t you be making a comparison with a cat instead?” He grumbled quietly.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!” He quickly moved on to what he wanted to say.
“This park was my favourite place as a kid. I used to come here a lot with my sisters and wouldn’t leave without at least a scratch or a blister.” He turned and realised maybe he shouldn’t continue further of his boring childhood.
But it seems Demi was keen on listening to his entire life story. “This place is full of memories, huh?”
“Yes…” He looked longingly at her and had made up his mind. “I think I should tell you what I’ve been wanting to tell for a while now…”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“My family… is not in the best condition at the moment.” He cleared his throat.
“How so?”
“It feels like my parents walk around and communicate with a mask on pretending everything is okay after Gabbie, my older sister, left home…”
“It’s like they don’t even care about her anymore. They get tensed up even at the slightest mention of her name, and… I haven’t been able to bear with it anymore…” He covered his face in sorrow and frustration having to describe what he had been feeling all this time.
Demi didn’t say a word and continued to intently listen to his worries. She wasn’t certain about the level of severity of the situation he was narrating vaguely but his face spoke more than enough for her to be concerned.
“It was about two years when all this started. The day she left home, a huge fight broke out in the living room… I remember hiding away in my room when it happened. Nothing was coherent but their screams were loud enough to penetrate the walls…”
“What… was the fight about?”
“Gabbie had a boyfriend at that time. They were dating for about four years. In that short amount of time, I had only seen him a few times— my parents did not approve of their relationship because they thought he was a bad influence… Then came college, Gabbie wanted a drop year before she went to study, it was her own choice. But my parents, however, assumed that he was the one forcing her into it since he was the one who suggested that idea in the first place. Things got messy from then on. Gabbie would barely come home; we never knew where she had stayed and every time she did return my dad was never pleased…”
“One day… she… she comes home with a bloodied skirt. I had never seen her in such dismay before. She wept so loudly as she held me in her arms. I didn’t know what was happening at that time and did not dare to ask… I waited and waited for her to come out of the bathroom, I couldn’t leave her alone, but I knew that I was of no help in that situation. Then the news finally spread that her boyfriend had passed from a car accident the next day…”
Demi was shocked beyond words. It broke her heart that he held something so heavy in his heart all this time, and wanting to tell her the same…
“And that was the final straw, leading up to fight that made her leave home for good…
Ah… sorry, I had to ruin the date from my untimely sob story…” He finally looked up to face her after the story.
He could tell by her body language that this story was a little too disturbing, but her eyes showed empathy even as it threatened to spill tears.
She said nothing but leaning closer, she rested her head gently on his shoulder.
“Thank you for telling me this side of your life… I’m grateful that you saw me as someone worthy of telling this story to, and whether it was comfort or words of encouragement that you seek, I’ll make sure to give you those tenfold.”
Lin smiled and locked hands with Demi.
“Thank you for listening… I feel less burdened now that I’ve actually told you this. I don’t know if I needed any comfort until now, I never really had anyone to vent to either. So… I could use some of this comfort from you…”
“Of course! Who else am I going to hold besides you?”
“Haha! That made me a whole lot happier.”
Lin still had things to say, but he didn’t feel the need to hide it anymore, the warmth that Demi gave was more than enough to bring forth some of the joyous news.
“Even though their relationship had to end so tragically, I could tell his influence made Gabbie bring out her biggest and happiest smiles.”
“Gabbie deserves that happiness…” Demi mumbled as she remembered all her encounters with Gabbie. Demi had always found her to be energetic and spontaneous at conversations and almost always in a good mood. But who knew she could hide her feelings so well.
“You know, you were the reason we started to get in touch with Gabbie again..!”
“Really?!”
“Yes, remember the first time you came to our café in tenth grade and met Gabbie for the first time?”
“Huh…?” Demi tried to remember back to that summer evening.
She remembered going there one day along with Dylan, just to check the place out. That was also when Dylan had a mild phobia when it came to seeing Lin’s aunt. The twins were quick to become popular in the Bellrose family. On the way-out alone Demi met Gabbie. She seemed a bit suspicious loitering around in front of the café and not entering.
Demi chose to ignore her and pretend she didn’t see anything. But the young lady was eager to start a conversation.
“You know the owner?” She muttered as she pulled her face mask down.
“Yes…” Demi refused to answer further to the stranger.
“Hmm… you two look a lot like Kaelin’s age…” She mumbled as she looked away.
But Demi heard every word. “You know Lin?” She seemed to have figured out who she could be when she finally looked at her face completely.
“Lin? Cute nickname, but are we talking about the same person? If so, then I’m his sister, Gabrielle but you can call me Gabbie!”
“Oh! Okay, Gabbie..? I’m Demi and that one over there is my twin brother, Dylan…” She isn’t usually as trusting with anyone new and barely says anything in their presence but the manner of trust that Gabbie showcased made her suddenly a very familiar person to talk to.
“And are you close friends of Kae? He’s usually a bit reserved but glad he has nice friends visiting the café and such…”
“Say, Demi, I know we just met but could you do me a favour?”
“Uh... sure..? What is it?”
“I just want you to get me a slice of apple pie with a side of vanilla ice cream, here’s the money!”
“Okay..? No problem, but why aren’t you getting it yourself?”
“Well… it’s a long story but cutting to the chase I can’t be seen stepping foot inside this place. I hope you understand…”
Demi didn’t question further and enters the café and buys the requested desserts and comes back shortly along with Dylan. He was curious of the new person his sister was talking to.
She hands over the box and the money that Gabbie had given her.
“Here you go, I bought it with my own money, so you can have your money back.”
“Oh! But I can’t accept it for free..!”
“It’s fine, it’s a gift from us since you’re Lin’s sister.”
Gabbie was touched and willingly took the box but was still hesitant on receiving the money again.
“Sigh… at least, take the ice cream tub, I can’t send you empty handed..!”
Demi didn’t feel the need to fuss over this issue and simply accepted the offer and parted ways with her.
“That’s Lin’s sister?! Why didn’t you tell me?” Dylan questioned after finally being told of what happened.
“… it seems like she’s a regular here, judging from the way Lin’s aunt reacted to that order…”
She opened the tub of ice cream and took a bite.
“Want some?” She offered some to Dylan.
“And that’s when she reached out to me and shortly after to Kyra as well. I got to know that she never took a break from school but instead decided to go to college through a scholarship program… we actually met for the first time yesterday, right here in this park.”
“I bet it was a tearful reunion and that explains your eyes…”
“You could tell?!” Lin felt his tireless efforts to suppress his puffy eyes that morning was a complete waste from how quickly she had figured it out.
“What? You thought I wouldn’t notice; I care you know…” she turned away sulking.
“Hey…” He reached for her face that she was hiding from him. “Don’t tell me you’re crying as well…”
No matter how refrigerated she keeps her heart, it tends to melt in his presence. Someone who always puts her own feelings behind, presents them upfront whenever it’s just the two of them. Lin was probably the only one who has seen her vulnerable side besides her family. But that never stopped him from forgetting how strong she really is and was always one to welcome both sides of her with open arms.
Lin was surprised by the sudden tug of his hand.
“It wouldn’t make sense for the therapist to be crying as well…” She smiled with heavy eyes.
“And who says I needed a therapist? I just didn’t want to keep secrets with my girlfriend…” he continued, “because, that would lead to a whole lot of misunderstandings if you found out I’ve been keeping things from you, and then you refuse to trust me ever again!” He turned away little hysterical.
Demi instantly forgot about all the emotions from before and put a leash on Lin’s sudden explosion of crazy talk. “You watch too much k-dramas.”
“Well, that I do. I grew up with sisters after all.” He chuckled at how silly that was, but it certainly helped lighten the mood. “Regardless the point remains.”
“Relax. I’m not going to let a mere misunderstanding mess with us. We went through it once, and that will be the last of it.”
“Stop trying to bring it up so you can grow indifferent towards it.” Lin sounded stern.
“Well you caught me there, I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. I, of all people, should know how much it hurt you. You are always there for me, so let me be there for you as well.”
He seemed to be referring to an old memory from around the time they met.
“Hm?” She was surprised. “Damn… did you take notes from last night’s call?”
“What do you mean?” He was confused.
“Nothing! But keep it coming, although I’m not sure my heart can handle that…” She got up and lifted him up with both her hands.
“Huh..?” He got up still under confusion about what she meant to say.
They decided to walk around the park one last time before leaving.
“Lin, how old was Kyra when it happened?”
“Oh..? She was only six…” No matter how hard he is with Kyra he could never bring himself to be actually angry by her actions. She was mature and way more than even he thinks himself to be, but in his eyes she’s just a child and would do anything to protect her child like wonder.
“Did she know all this..?”
Lin nodded silently.
“Are you worried about her?”
He nodded again.
“Kyra is certainly not someone to underestimate, she’s special and gifted with incredible maturity. But at the end of the day, she’s still a child. She probably felt lonely and frustrated just like you. And that’s why you’re a great big brother to have…”
“How am I a good brother, when I also chose to hide away because of my own feelings..?”
“You may not have filled the void Gabbie left behind, but you care for your sisters and will do anything to keep them happy. Isn’t that a reason enough?”
He was grateful but a little embarrassed from those words. But he couldn’t deny that he had been trying to fill the role of Gabbie and realising that it was just never the same.
“Even if Kyra is a pain in the butt, didn’t you keep her safe in the forest?”
“Haha! I guess you’re right about that!”
“Mm-hm! Oh, and also don’t tell Kyra I called her that. The little respect that she has for me would shatter immediately…”
“Join the club, Demi. I’ve been disrespected by so many kids it’s not even funny anymore…”
“What the hell did you do..?! Don’t make me fight children, Lin…”
Their voices faded away as they walked holding hands, closer together that before.