The day started like any other day, me in my wheelchair, being escorted to school by my twin sister who was in the same class as me, my worn slacks that were covering the missing parts like it was a curtain, as well as a white cloth on my lap for hygiene purposes.
Surrounding us on the way were the usual gazes of pity and curiousness at my missing legs from the pedestrians. There were exceptions though, such as those who encountered us daily thought of it like a daily occurrence so they paid me no mind.
Houses here and there decorate the area like a rural zone, with patches of green and brown scattered on the ground. Students on their way to school, some wearing their school uniform, others didn’t, in all kinds of grades, elementary, high school, and senior high school.
Behind me, my twin sister Bea Coli was humming while pushing me through the sidewalks of the daily pedestrian traffic. She had black hair and eyes, and an appearance of a model. The same could be said for me because I was her twin. There was a time where I was labeled as a girl before because of my appearance and my classmate tried to woo me, but when he found out that I was male, he had a pale face while trying to hide his embarrassment.
Such was the daily life of me, Bert Coli after that fateful day two years ago. During a trip with my father, a car was seen crossing over a red stop light while our mini-van was passing. Without any time to stop the cars due to the inertia, the car crashed into ours.
I was sitting at the back seat alone because Bea wasn’t able to come due to a reunion with our friend from abroad. I couldn’t go with her because of an important occasion that day which my father needed me to come.
I didn’t know the reason why, but we weren’t even able to reach the destination because of the accident. My father was killed on the spot because the car crashed right on the left side of the front bumper, causing our car to spin around in proportion to the force generated. My father unfortunately hit his head on the windshield and rearview mirror in a bad way, causing internal bleeding and the fracture of his skull.
While my legs were crushed under the weight of a metal box filled with tools that splendidly flew from behind because of the crash. Because of that, my legs were diagnosed by the doctors as having the nerves damaged, never making it possible for me to walk again. And also because of a problem with my health, they amputated it, resulting in the present.
The car that crashed into our mini-van was actually pursued by police. It was said that the driver and the passenger were caught robbing a store so they had to drive away.
When my mother and my sister came to the hospital after I was brought by an ambulance, the both of them broke into tears upon seeing my figure, as well as my deceased father’s body.
“Bert? Are you still thinking about that?”
Suddenly, while I was deep in thought, a voice came out from behind. She had a worried voice with eyes that were looking into me at the core.
“Nah, not really, I’m fine. By the way, is it not really tiring pushing me all the way to school?”
“No! This is the least I could do so that you can go to school again!! Why do you have to ask that question always?”
I repeated the same question I asked last day, and the response I got was similar to last time.
“Ahaha… Alright alright… Thank you as always.”
“No problem. We have to help out each other in times of need right?”
The both of us, while not minding the surroundings, floated a smile on our faces and laughed. A few minutes later, we arrived at the school. The same as always, a campus where students were only comprised of Senior High and College grades.
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The school specializes in courses that require the usage of modern computers. One particular course, which was IT, was filled to the brim with students, I am one of those, as well as Bea.
Since I didn’t have legs anymore, I thought of a job that mainly uses hands, so how about a programmer? I got hooked on games during the free time I had because of the loss of free movement, mostly online games such as the recently trending Ap*x Leg*nds.
“Bl**dhound is such a broken character…”
“Right!? L**eline is better though!”
Us siblings where terribly addicted to the game. 25 levels in already, and we still haven’t got a legendary skin, but we had only one win. [1]
“Yo Bert! You feeling good?”
“Not as good as you Dee.”
While I and Bea were talking with each other about the game, our classmate Dee walked towards us from our backs.
“Bea, still pushing that wheelchair I see…”
“What’s wrong with pushing his wheelchair!?”
By the way, my wheelchair has a joystick I can use to control the movement. I don’t know why Bea wants to push my wheelchair, but seeing that she was enjoying it, I didn’t bother her too much.
“Hey, can we get going now? We’re going to be late. I don’t know about you guys, but teacher probably won’t scold me too much.”
While both of them had sparks scattering with their eyes, the both of them went pale when they heard my statement.
“Oh crap!!! I don’t want to get that kind of preaching again!!!”
Dee quickly ran away like the wind while leaving us in the dust, pretty understandable, because our first subject today has one of the strict teachers teaching in the whole campus. Well, he is lenient with me though…
“Bert!! Let’s hurryyyyy!!!”
“Yeah but don’t rushWAAAAHHHHH!!!”
As expected by a gold medalist athlete in track and field… She really is a fast runner…
♦•♦•♦•♦•♦•♦•♦
School went by in a flash. Nothing much happened except for Dee pissing his pants when he was scolded by the teacher, metaphorically that is. On our way home, Bea is as always, pushing my wheelchair under the sunset.
“…”
“…”
The two of us were silent during the walk, until Bea decided to break the ice.
“Bert, please tell me if it’s still haunting you.”
“Not really, it’s fine actually.”
“It’s not fine!!”
I was shocked at Bea who suddenly shouted near my face. There were tears in her eyes as she looked directly into mine.
“Don’t you think that I didn’t notice!? Everyday, that look of depression on your face is visible! Ever since that day! Ever since that day!!”
Tears continued dropping down on the ground. The area was silent as there were no people around, so only the sound of sniffing and tears dropping were audible.
“Because of that accident, you couldn’t save her!!”
“…”
The memories return. I decided to lock them up forever. Why did it come out?
The pain of losing her… The feeling of uselessness… The frustration and regret…
She was holding out her hand… I tried to grab it… The wheelchair got in the way and…
“A… Au… Aur…”
Why did I not grasp her hand that time…? Would everything be different if I grabbed her…? Will I be this lousy person if I saved her…?
“Aura…”
The pain in my chest tightens… The tears drop down… The memories resurfaced…
“…”
“Bert!?”
That was the last voice I heard before I fainted.
♦•♦•♦•♦•♦•♦•♦
Where is this place…? Trees around me… A cliff… And the view of the area where I lived…
Ahh… I remember this place…
The memory of being unable to save my classmate from certain doom flashed in my mind.
Why did you return…? I decided to forget… Why are you returning…?
A white hand extended from the cliff side and stretched out towards me, as if trying to grab my hand. I tried to run, but I realized that I had no legs. My wheelchair was gone, and I was left with nothing but the clothes on my back.
I desperately crawled away from the madness and regret, only for my actions to be in vain.
“Why didn’t you save me…?”
The voice of a girl resounded in my head.
“Au… ra…”
“Why didn’t you grab my hand…?”
The voice gets louder.
“For… give… me…”
“Why…”
Did you let me die?
♦•♦•♦•♦•♦•♦•♦
“AAAGGHHH!!!”
My body got up with the force of a train. Sweat covered my body. The sheets were wet.
“Haa… Haa…”
Again… Why did it return…? I was already starting to forget… That nightmare…
I calmed myself down while trying to slow my breathing. I don’t want to get a stroke.
After a couple of minutes, my breathing was in order, and my state of my mind went calm.
Who put me here? Was it Bea? Probably, knowing her, she could lift me easily without my legs… huh?
I felt something out of place, and when I took of the blanket, I saw two legs popping out from where it was cut.
[Congratulations!!! You have been selected as a participant of the “World Reformation” Event!!!]
“Wh… at…?”