Missing (Part 2)

Vivi rang the doorbell to Cottage 2 and waited for a few moments before using her key to enter. She wondered if Mr. Adams was still asleep. He must have been so tired after walking around town the entire day yesterday.

She suddenly stopped after taking a single step. Something felt odd the moment she walked through the front door, like she was transported into an alien world. She looked around. Everything seemed to be in perfect order, but she could feel that the atmosphere remained heavy and it was unusually quiet. 

She carefully walked inside. Glancing around, she felt as if the air seemed particularly heavy in the vicinity of the bedroom door. 

She placed the tray of food on the table. Then slowly walked to the door. She placed a hand over the knob and gingerly turned it open.

The room was dark. The curtains drawn.

The air felt so thick that Vivi had a hard time breathing. In an instant, she felt her heart beat faster; the adrenaline rushing through her, a sign that her body had gone to survival mode.

She heard a groan and turned in the direction of the sound.

She found Leo lying on the bed, seemingly in pain. But as she walked to his side, her eyes caught a glimpse of a column of white mist on the opposite side of the bed. She couldn’t make out any features, but she was sure that it was watching her. It was only for a second. Then she blinked and the mist was gone.

Leo was asleep and having a nightmare. His eyebrows were lowered, eyes squeezed shut; he was breathing heavily. Vivi tried calling him, but he wouldn’t respond. She tried to shake him awake but was instead surprised at how hot his skin felt.

“Yuna…” he murmured repeatedly.

She quickly dialed for the front desk and requested for the doctor to be sent to Cottage 2.

While waiting for the doctor, she drew the curtains aside and opened the windows to let the fresh air in. The room immediately became lighter, as if the sunlight and the salty sea air had driven all the heaviness that hung in the atmosphere.

She filled a small basin halfway with cool water from the tap and dipped a clean face towel into it, wringing off the excess water, before placing it on Leo’s forehead. 

He caught her hand just as she was about to change the towel.

“Yuna… don’t go…” he pleaded softly.

‘But I’m not Yuna,’ she thought to herself, feeling a sharp stabbing pain in her chest.

However, she couldn’t bear to see him in pain, so she responded, holding his hand. “I’m here. I’m here, so don’t worry and just sleep,” she said in a soothing voice.

Leo calmed down considerably and has started to breathe a little easier.

There was a knock on the front door. “Miss Willows, may I come in?” It was Dr. Roberts.

She tried to pull her hand, but because Leo’s grip was too tight, she had to pry his fingers off. She quickly ran to open the door to let the doctor in.

“Miss Willows,” the doctor whispered in surprise, recognizing the man on the bed. “This is…”

“I hope we can keep this between us, Doctor.”

He nodded and pulled out his stethoscope and an infrared thermometer. While he examined Leo, Dr. Roberts asked Vivi what happened. She explained how she found him in great detail. 

“His fever has gone down, and he seems to be fine,” the doctor told her. “Help me change his clothes.”

Vivi checked the closet in search of a clean shirt. She had found one and turned to give it to the doctor when she happened to catch him undressing his patient. Vivi couldn’t help but recall the first time they met when she inadvertently touched his chest. 

She felt her face soon become hot.

The doctor turned to her, and she saw his expression change into one of concern. “Are you feeling well, Miss Willows?”

“I’m fine, doctor,” she replied, trying to look innocent. 

-----------------------------------

She was dancing in front of a wall filled with mirrors. She had her back to him and the reflection on the mirror was blurry, but Leo knew who she was nevertheless. He could easily find her in a crowd of people.

Yuna.

He realized he was in the practice studio where she would usually train.

She continued dancing, not showing any hint of awareness that she had an audience. Not that it mattered; he was perfectly content with watching her from the sidelines. 

She suddenly twisted her foot and fell. Without thinking, Leo immediately rushed to her side.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Yuna looked up, and he was taken aback in surprise. Her face was so blurry that he could barely make out any features.

“Leo, save me.”

Leo woke up with a headache. The clock by the bed read 6:00 p.m. Beside it were some packets of medicine and a glass of water.

It was only then that he noticed Vivi sitting asleep on a chair near the bed.

He smiled.

He pulled the blanket from the bed and gently placed it over her. As he was fixing the blanket, his eye caught something on her face. He leaned forward and saw that there was a tiny mole right beneath the side of her left eye.

She stirred and opened her eyes, which ended up meeting his. Their faces were only a few inches apart. Still half asleep, she smiled softly at his startled expression before going back to sleep. 

Leo felt something tug at his heart.

He stood up and walked to the balcony, savoring the fresh air that greeted him. His mind was racing as he recalled his interactions with Vivi since he arrived at the inn. 

Everything about her felt so familiar. From the way she stood to how her head would tilt to the side when she was considering something. Everything about her reminded him of Vivi.

Even the mole under the side of her eye. It was the same place where Yuna also has a mole, only Vivi’s was smaller and less noticeable unless you get close to her face.

He tried to shake the conclusion his mind was moving to. It couldn’t be. Could it?

The more he thought about it, the more she began to look like her. Was he so affected by his dream that he was beginning to forget what she looked like?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.

“You’re awake. How are you feeling?” Vivi stood by the balcony entrance.

“My head hurts a bit.”

“I’ll heat up the porridge. You need to eat first before drinking medicine.”

Leo followed her to the kitchen, carefully watching her every move. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was his grief so deep that he was beginning to see her in others? He needed to know. 

He decided to try something.

“Was I talking in my sleep?”

Vivi looked at him and smiled mischievously. “You were calling out to someone named Yuna, pleading with her not to leave.”

He watched her expression closely for the slightest change, but found none.

“She must have been very important to you. Is she your girlfriend?”

Leo felt a wave of disappointment wash over him, and he cursed himself for expecting something impossible. Of course, she couldn’t be her.

“She’s dead,” he said abruptly. “She died in a car crash.”