Thick Skin and A Jeweled Heart [6]
17th April, 2019
School passed in a blur. Before I knew it, I was already walkinghome.
No, not home. I won't be going there for a few days.
Let me start over.
School passed in a blur. Before I knew it, I was already walking towards the abandoned graveyard.
Who cares if I'll meet Jades and her stupid healing stone. Or Meri and the twins. I need to visit someone important.
I took off my backpack and hugged it tight against my chest, sitting cross legged in front of a particular tombstone. It read, "Stella Carter, 1976-2013. A loving wife and mother."
"Good evening, mom. Are the angels treating you well?" I smiled a bittersweet smile. " I brought food from the cafeteria. It's just... stale pizza." I chuckled to myself as I take out said pizza from my bag. "It got flattened, but still good enough to eat." I took a bite and spoke with my mouth full, "I hope you're eating much more yummy and healthy food."
I chewed slower and quickly wiped wiped a few stray tears rolling down my cheeks. "Oh mom..." I whispered after swallowing the chewed pizza. "If only you were here." Then dad wouldn't be like this. I thought, remembering how he touched me, did things to me. I stuffed the rest of the pizza into my mouth, willing myself to forget.
I continued to sit there in silence, occasionally braking into sobs. I wiped another set of tears away with my sleeve and willed myself not to cry anymore. Despite that, my lips started to tremble. I traced my dear mother's name engraved on the tombstone, it's surface smooth under my fingertips. I sighed and closed my eyes, my hand slowly falling back to my side.
The sun was getting lower. Shadows came out of hiding and loomed over the already dark graveyard.
"I have to go now." I stood up with my backpack. "I'll visit you again tomorrow." I nodded a silent farewell and walked away. The tall gate separating the graveyard from the silent, deserted road stood high, slightly slanted. This place is abandoned to the point it doesn't even get vandalised. People just... doesn't bother. This place is forgotten.
I felt a bit lightheaded but shook it off as the result of standing up too fast and pushed the gate open. All of a sudden, I felt bile coming up my throat and threw up. My stomach heaved painfully and tears stung my eyes. By the time I managed to stop, my face was wet with tears, lips smeared with my own puke.
I spit at the pile of throw-up on the grass and grimaced at the bitter taste. I stayed in that position for a while, body hunched and my hand gripping the rusted gate, panting as my vision blurred with more tears. I wiped at my dirty lips and stood straighter, attempting to walk. Instead, blood rushed to my head and darkness clouded my vision.
I scrambled aimlessly for support but found myself face first on the ground, vaguely noticing the wet feel of my puke on my right cheek. My eyelids fluttered, once, twice, before completely closing. The last thing I remembered before darkness engulfed me were rushing footsteps on the dead grass.
School passed in a blur. Before I knew it, I was already walking
No, not home. I won't be going there for a few days.
Let me start over.
School passed in a blur. Before I knew it, I was already walking towards the abandoned graveyard.
Who cares if I'll meet Jades and her stupid healing stone. Or Meri and the twins. I need to visit someone important.
I took off my backpack and hugged it tight against my chest, sitting cross legged in front of a particular tombstone. It read, "Stella Carter, 1976-2013. A loving wife and mother."
"Good evening, mom. Are the angels treating you well?" I smiled a bittersweet smile. " I brought food from the cafeteria. It's just... stale pizza." I chuckled to myself as I take out said pizza from my bag. "It got flattened, but still good enough to eat." I took a bite and spoke with my mouth full, "I hope you're eating much more yummy and healthy food."
I chewed slower and quickly wiped wiped a few stray tears rolling down my cheeks. "Oh mom..." I whispered after swallowing the chewed pizza. "If only you were here." Then dad wouldn't be like this. I thought, remembering how he touched me, did things to me. I stuffed the rest of the pizza into my mouth, willing myself to forget.
I continued to sit there in silence, occasionally braking into sobs. I wiped another set of tears away with my sleeve and willed myself not to cry anymore. Despite that, my lips started to tremble. I traced my dear mother's name engraved on the tombstone, it's surface smooth under my fingertips. I sighed and closed my eyes, my hand slowly falling back to my side.
The sun was getting lower. Shadows came out of hiding and loomed over the already dark graveyard.
"I have to go now." I stood up with my backpack. "I'll visit you again tomorrow." I nodded a silent farewell and walked away. The tall gate separating the graveyard from the silent, deserted road stood high, slightly slanted. This place is abandoned to the point it doesn't even get vandalised. People just... doesn't bother. This place is forgotten.
I felt a bit lightheaded but shook it off as the result of standing up too fast and pushed the gate open. All of a sudden, I felt bile coming up my throat and threw up. My stomach heaved painfully and tears stung my eyes. By the time I managed to stop, my face was wet with tears, lips smeared with my own puke.
I spit at the pile of throw-up on the grass and grimaced at the bitter taste. I stayed in that position for a while, body hunched and my hand gripping the rusted gate, panting as my vision blurred with more tears. I wiped at my dirty lips and stood straighter, attempting to walk. Instead, blood rushed to my head and darkness clouded my vision.
I scrambled aimlessly for support but found myself face first on the ground, vaguely noticing the wet feel of my puke on my right cheek. My eyelids fluttered, once, twice, before completely closing. The last thing I remembered before darkness engulfed me were rushing footsteps on the dead grass.
---
"I don't remember anything about a human in our plan."
"Actually, we don't have a plan--"
"Guys! Focus on the situation at hand. What are we gonna do with him?"
I groaned as the familiar voices continued to bicker, sometimes fading away then coming back in pieces.
"They knew where we were all along!"
"...take action."
"We can use him--"
"Ugh." I rubbed my eyes as the voices got louder and clearer. I gripped my head and tried to sit up, struggling against the familiar feeling of sleep, my eyelids heavy. Oh how nice it would be to continue sleeping, oblivious to the problems that awaits the chance to drag me under in a pool of regret and self pity, but I had to wake up. I had to.
"Oh look, the poor thing's waking up."
It took me a while to figure out who was talking as my vision cleared. Crouching beside me was a fair-skinned boy, probably around my age with black hair and piercing blue eyes. He was gazing at me curiously before cocking his head to the side, his hair falling onto his eyes and smiled. "Hello there."
"Ah." was all I said as I took in my surroundings. Everyone was there; Jade, Meri, Ally, Matt and this new guy; either sitting or standing, looking at me. I registered the look on their faces; worried, sceptical, curious.
We were in a room with whitewashed walls, with no way out other than a white metal door. There were tables full of trinkets and mechanical tools, some of them spilling onto the floor.
"You've been asleep for quite a while." the new guy hummed, brushing my messy hair off my face. "Two days, to be exact." I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a raspy squeak, like a dusty rubber duck. I'm sure I could come up with a better simile than that. Where the hell was I? I've been out for two days? I need answers. I couldn't just pass out for 48 hours because I threw up. I attempted to speak once again, and asked in a throaty voice the first question that popped into my head, "Are we dead?"
Possibly so. This room was awfully white. Maybe those machines are to see if I committed any sins and or punish me. But Jade and the others are here, they could't have died too, could they?
Possibly so. This room was awfully white. Maybe those machines are to see if I committed any sins and or punish me. But Jade and the others are here, they could't have died too, could they?
The stranger pursed his lips, frowning. "I think this human is broken. We are clearly alive, and made of mass. Does he have sensory issues? Do we need to send him back?" He leaned in closer and I tried to shift away from him. He asked, annoyingly slow, emphasizing every single word as if I was an alien that doesn't speak his language in the first place, "What-colour-are-my-eyes?"
Matt pulled the boy back by his collar, grinning sheepishly at me. "Sorry--" he turned to the boy. "Hugo, he's not broken. Just confused." he whispered hastily, letting go of Hugo's collar. The raven crossed his arms and huffed, "How was I supposed to know?"
"Where am I? What is this place?" I demanded, eyes flickering to the many machines littered on the floor and tables. Maybe this is some kind of torture room? I could feel the start of a panic attack, like a snake wrapping around my lungs as I struggled to breath and imagined my wails of protest as they do unspeakable things to me with those machines. I imagined my own blood splattering across the whitewashed walls--
"Woah! Okay, woah." Hugo exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around me tightly. Something about him makes me feel at ease, making me relax in his hold as I stopped shaking. I didn't realize I was shaking. "Take it easy on the brain. You're imagining quite the scene." he said, his voice kind and velvety and smooth. Taking deep breaths, I looked up at him. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
Hugo looked conflicted as he thought my question over, then looked at Meri. It seemed like he was asking for permission. Meri sighed, "Well, Liam. I guess we owe you an explanation."
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