Chapter 25 - Longing

...

"Look at what I just got. I just bought this dress from the Blitz! How is it, everyone?? My boyfriend is expecting to see me later tonight and I think that he will go absolutely crazy over me tonight. I really can't wait to see his reaction! Do you girls think that I should wear this tonight?"

"Well... you are free to wear whatever you want. Just go with what feels right for you."

"Hmm. I think that it is cute enough though. You are already so hot that your boyfriend would be ready to devour you in anything you wear. Hmmm... even if you went to see him naked tonight, I bet that he would jump at the sight of you coming over."

"Thanks, everyone. By the way, what's with Celesta nowadays? She rarely leaves her bed ever since she came here. I think that I only saw her once or twice during the lectures before."

"I am really worried bout her health too. I noticed that she wasn't eating much at all. Maybe it is some situation back at her home that is bothering her?"

"Well, that would actually explain a lot about her current behavior. But, we can only speculate about the reason. I just hope that she gets back to her cheerful self again."

...

I could hear my roommates talking about something, but I hardly registered what was going on as I was already lost in scrolling through the old photos saved on my drive. I know how fruitless my actions were. It was as if I was trying to live within those happy memories again. The happy times that I spent with my Carene.

Hah.. I feel so lonely and hollow deep inside me nowadays. Even when I try to focus somewhere else, like the trip or my friends, I cannot prevent a deep sadness from welling up inside me.

I find myself crying again whenever I remember anything regarding Carene, even for a little bit.

And even when I realize how these feelings are actually ruining me, I.. just can't help but feel a blissful flutter in my heart whenever I recall the happy times I spent with my Carene.

The way that she smiled so cutely.

The way that she pouted whenever she felt wronged.

The way her eyes lit up every time I approached her.

The warmth of our clasped hands..

Carene.. My Carene...

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I just..

...

I don't know when I finally came out of my thoughts, but when I touched my face, it was all covered with my cold tears. The pillow under my head was already badly drenched from my tears too.

Just.. what am I supposed to do?

Sometimes, I feel like dying would be a much better way than to live while being tormented by these feelings.

But, then again, If I really die so early, then how would I ever see my Carene again?

The thought of never being able to see her again really frightens me more than even the cold embrace of death itself. At least I would be able to see her again as long as I live.

If I really have to die, then... I would much rather die beside Carene. Until then though, I must get a hold of myself!

I wiped away the tears from my tear-smeared face and flipped the pillow to hide any evidence of my pain before I climbed down the ladder and got on the floor.

The Campus was short on cash, so they booked us a recently renovated hotel with separate floor provisions for both boys and girls.

The odd thing though was that this place used to be a women's dorm before being shut down and converted into a hotel to book suites.

The furniture hadn't been changed all that much, as they still used the old ones. And here we were, stuck to using these old beds and furniture. The cleanliness wasn't an issue, however.

It's just that.. there were some strange rumors among the students, one of which really stood out more than any other. And the rumor was that this particular hotel is the reason why this trip was even possible.

In an expensive city like this, booking two floors entirely at a very cheap rate prompted our Director to choose this city for the trip this time.

As for why this place was so cheaply available, it is said that this hotel is actually haunted. My roommates were talking about it yesterday night when I woke up to drink some water.

According to their gossip networks, six girls had committed suicide one day after the other in an eerily similar manner. The girls were found to be completely unrelated and had no past issues of anxiety or depression.

The parents of other students were quick to notice this abnormality as they acted with swift response to have their kids evacuate the cursed dorm as soon as possible.

The owners however remained adamant to prove the parents that the dorm had no supernatural entity creating any trouble. Allegedly, they even spent an entire month alone in the abandoned dorm building.

In the end, though, they were unsuccessful in completely reassuring the parents. As a result, they had no choice but to abandon the dorm for many years. It was the children of the owners who took the advantage of the rumors dying out years later as they took up the monumental task of re-innovating the dorm building as a hotel instead.

And so it happened that we students are the latest residents of this cursed hotel. It is all based on just rumors though as the students were not so daring as to collect evidence against the owners about some gossip talk while residing in the same hotel.

Oh well, not like any of us have been affected in any manner whatsoever in the past few days of our stay. In my opinion, it might just be a plot against the previous owners to disrupt the earnings of their enemies. Such a thing is much more believable than some supernatural occurrence.

Back to the present, my roommates had left a while back. They are probably enjoying their escapades with their boyfriends. I cannot really blame them for it though.

I mean, I would have loved to spend my time here with Carene too... Carene...

Hot tears started to accumulate in the corner of my eyes all over again.

I tried to control my emotions by taking a few deep breaths.

It's okay Celesta. Just two more days. Hang on for just a little bit more...

As I tried to stifle my cries, the door was suddenly knocked on three times from behind the door.

Are my roommates back? That's weird. They haven't been away for long though. Better not to show them my tear-stained condition.

I quickly wiped my face clean from any evidence of me having cried and quickly fixed my appearance before I walked over to the gate and grabbed the door knob.

...