"Why were you staring at me? " She asked me.
She looked annoyed but there was a hint of an expression in her face I cannot comprehend.
Her eyes held a faint glint one can see in the eyes of an owl. At least one thing about her hadn't changed.
Is she still angry with me after a year?
"Of all the possible things you could have said you choose that" I said with a smirk.
"Well, if my old stalker is staring at my lips like a clown I must… say something, shouldn't I?" she said staring me down, still annoyed.
"huh?" what did she just say.
"A 'stalker'. Really?"
She just raised an eyebrow as if saying what.
"Guess you really found your peace" I said referring to the people who were there with her.
Her jaw tightened.
For a moment there was a flicker in her eyes of softness. But it was soon replaced by something fierce.
"It is not as you think it is Zayed." She looked back at the old man she was talking to earlier,
"Even if things hadn't gone south back then, we wouldn't have been able to stay together. We were never meant to be."
Her lips parted as if to say something more but they were pressed back into a faint line.
Her expression didn't change but her eyes where distant as if she was seeing something happen.
"A… are you okay?" I asked her searching for something in her eyes.
For a second her expression froze.
Not shocked nor confused. Just caught… off guard.
Her face grew heavy with something I did not understand.
"I am. I was… remembered something else." She said with a composed face.
"Anyways, as I said you must go from here now." She said her voice almost a whisper.
I didn't wanna push her but still….
"I guess you could at least tell me what has happened since… I left?" I asked unsure whether I wanted to hear the answer.
She looked at me for a moment, her brows pulled together slightly. I stared her back.
She sighed.
And after a moment she sat down next to me.
Her face relaxed but there was still some uneasiness. She closed her eyes as if, the darkness was hurting her eyes and laid her head on the wall.
Even though she sat down beside me yet there was a distance between us I cannot fathom.
"I…uhh... after that night, I waited for your call, believed you would come back, call me, tell me its okay" she paused,
"But it never came." She said, suddenly turning to look at me.
I did not have the courage to look at her.
"I was… worried and angry. I did not understand why it had to be like this. I thought of calling you but… something always stopped me.'
"After some weeks had passed, I tried to get myself together and start a new life all together."
I suddenly felt something sting me in the heart.
"For that I felt I needed to talk to you. I don't know why but I felt it would help me start anew." she said staring at the ceiling looking at something I will never understand.
I felt ashamed. In the past one year I haven't even tried to move on, let on think of talking to her.
"But you never came" I asked confused
"Yeah, I know. It was because I fell into some trouble. I didn't know what to do or how to get out.
I felt weak and horrible. I… just wanted to... It got bad, you know" She said her voice on the verge of breaking.
When I heard those words something in my chest tightened... suddenly breathing became difficult.
"Yeah, I understand, I do." I replied with as firm voice as I could muster.
She looked at me with intense and narrowed eyes. She nodded and a little smiled appeared on her face though that didn't last long.
"When I was almost about give up, tired form running, they found me and saved me", pointing at the group of people who I noticed were trying hard not to constantly look at her direction.
"They said that I didn't belong here. I was from somewhere else and time was nearing where I have to move from this place, earth." She said looking down on the floor, refusing to look at me.
"What?" I looked at her, my brows knitted together demanding answer.
My face might have been funny as she laughed after looking at me and it felt real.
I just stared at her, not able to understand what is funny.
But somehow... hearing her laugh again was enough. Something inside me seemed to found peace.
I once wanted to protect this smile and still do, but now... it feels I never will.
*After a brief moment of silence.
"So…you are saying that they came out of nowhere and said that you are ummm….not from this world and you believed it?" I felt something stirring inside me.
She didn't respond for a while.
Then she nodded. A soft yes.
It was almost a whisper.
Whatever had happened it had taken a toll on her. And at that time I was not with her.
"So…okay…yeah great. All of you are basically.... not from earth and now you are going back." I asked her still expecting it would be a joke...
"And I cannot go with you..." I added.
"Yeah, that's correct. They... they call you and other normal people as homo. Basically, it means a race of humanoids who have left the path of cultivation."
"Like you know the fantasy novels that we used to read together where people get powerful from cultivating or practicing. That's what it is about." She said in a discreet voice.
"I know you like fantasy and you want to go with me... I mean... with us, but it isn't possible." she continued.
"That is….partiality. I also wanted to come with you... and everyone else"
"Whoever the god of earth is, he is surely playing some games" I added with a smirk.
But honestly i just wanted to punch the god from the heavens to the earth.
I heard her smile a bit but.... it was not of comfort.
"Why do they seem to not see me?" I asked her pointing at the mob in front of us.
"You are covered by this 'mist thing' which they call 'maotlan mist'. It makes you ….umm I don't really know how to put it."
"You... you became one with the reality." she said in a steady voice.
But her eyes didn't match her tone. they were constantly moving back and forth.
She kept tightening her mouth around the corners as if she was trying to hold something back...
But why? Who is forcing her?
"Like if someone else saw you they would think you are just a part of the door behind you." she said with a slight frown on her face.
"Then how did you see me and what's this maola- thing?" I asked.
"Because of these eyes. They help me to see…things for what they are. I would have gone insane and mad if they hadn't helped me to control it." She looked at me with a chill expression.
"And you don't have to worry about the mist." she said but her eyes seemed to be searching for an answer about something.
"OKAY…wait. So you are saying that I am same as the reality around me to others who look at me, because of this mist and you can see me because you have special eyes" I asked with a confused voice.
"hmm." she nodded.
"But even with these eyes I, only realize you were there when you spoke out loud." she replied.
Great, so I had just announced that I was there for some people. But if I am blended in with reality they shouldn't be able to hear me.
"But though you are blended in, some people here knew you were there even before I realized." she said staring at the 5 old peoples who were staring at her.
Wait, what the fuck.
I just thought i was pretty much safe.
"They say that this mist is not 'perfect' and even if it was, there are other ways to discern a thing's life force" She added.
"So like when they heard me speak?" I asked.
"Are you stupid?" she asked scornfully.
"No. I am not. I said that because when I spoke out loud they turned towards" I said trying to get back.
She looked at me with wide eyes and terrified.
"no, no, no, no, please no." her voice was shaky.
She looked at the four old man, who were suddenly looking at me.
"No please don't, it shouldn't be.... it can't be" her whole body was shaking.
She was pulling at her hairs.
She jumped and suddenly put her hand on my forehead. Her hands felt cold as if...
I pushed it away, and said "I am alright. You are the one who is not, what the just happened?
Why.... why are you acting like this?"
"You should be alright, but something like that didn't even happen." she said.
"No soul except me and those four geezers know you are here and when you spoke no one turned their heads or acted shocked" she said, her voice suddenly full of concern and fear.
"Please say that you hallucinated, nothing you saw was real, SAY IT GOD DAMMIT" she crashed out.
She never once lashed out or acted like this before.
Except that time...
It's almost as if i am seeing a nightmare.
I got a premonition that I must answer her soon.
But, I know what I saw. I felt it happen.
I was not hallucinating. But then...
Suddenly there was chill feeling on the back of my neck and I felt death's hand on my shoulders.
"No, I didn't hallucinate." I turned to look at her as I said it and,
She had a revolver in her hand. It was... pointed at my chest.
"I am sorry I have to or else they will..."
Her hands were shaking but there was no doubt in her eyes.
*crack
*thud
*Thump-thump, Thump-thump, Thump-thump....
I felt hot blood gushing into my mouth. Air seem to be entering my chest through the place where the bullet had hit.
Surprisingly I didn't feel any pain. There was only hollowness in my brain, which was not able to catch up to what had happen.
I felt my heart getting weaker and slower.
I was hearing dull ringing, and mumbling of different voices all around me. One of them was hers.
My eyes were getting heavy, and I was seeing stars.
I moved my eye... as much as i could.
I wanted to see her face again. See the face that had killed me.
It was buried in her hands and she was crying.
But why?
You shot me?
Why are you crying?
WHY?
I wanted to scream at her... but...
No voice came out of my throat.
I wanted to live a bit longer man... I felt my eyes watering.
Looking back, it all started back then.
I wish I had one more chance, just I one more chance,
just-one-more-chance...
*thud.