2-1

(Asher’s POV)

In my whole life, I never have thought that I could run so fast. I might even beat the fastest kid in my school if I were to race against them, but that wasn’t the point right now.

“Me and Rufus, we just saw someone die…”

Upon hearing those words, my heart sank to my stomach and I felt like vomiting. However, I swallowed back any feeling of turmoil and immediately ended the call and rushed outside the house to Chips and Charm. Fear and worry flood my thoughts as I dashed along the empty and drenched street, with me also getting drenched in the rain.

While still running, gruesome images of the violet-eyed girl’s bleeding and lifeless body haunted my mind endlessly. I tried to shake it off and increased my speed as I ignored the excruciating pain from my burning lungs.

I gasped and groaned for air when I reached the restaurant.

To my surprise, I saw Ryan with Rufus and his group in front of Chips n Charm. They looked completely fine and even cracked jokes among themselves.

“What?…” My eyebrows creased.

Ryan noticed me and immediately gasped. “Asher, dude!” He trotted near me and pulled me to under the roof.

“What’s the meaning of all this?” I shot Ryan a look.

“Well, you see…” He scratched his neck.

“Heyyy, Asher.” Rufus sauntered to me as he smirked. “I knew you being unwell is a lie. Look at you, even running in the rain.” He giggled.

I suddenly feel something different welling up inside me. Rufus instantly went silent when he heard a soft crack, which comes from my phone that I snapped inside my hand.

I then stepped away and into the raging thunderstorm, leaving them shocked and frozen on their feet.

“Asher, wait!” Ryan followed me from behind while shielding his head with his backpack.

“Look, I’m sorry for pulling pranks on you, okay? It’s Rufus’s idea.” Ryan tried to defend himself. It’s granted that he won’t feel anything from the pranks, because he didn’t experience what I witnessed inside my dream.

“Come on, dude. Calm down, it’s not like someone died or anything, okay?” His words managed to slow down my steps, though I refuse to look behind to see him.

Maybe I really should calm down. Like Ryan said, it’s not like someone died or something. I inhaled and exhaled slowly as I tried to gather back my reasons.

CRACK!

I froze.

My body halted for a few moments while my brain tried to register the strange sound I just heard amidst the sound of the rain.

“Dude…” Ryan’s voice suddenly trembled. I turned to my back to see his eyes widened in horror towards the view he just saw past me.

My eyes darted to where his focus is. There, on the puddled pavement not too far from us, the dark red liquid spread into the water like dipped watercolors—growing bigger and bigger until it flow down the drainage on the side of the road.

My breath intensified when I saw the source of the blood.

A cream colored cardigan paired with a soft brown shirt and a pair of black trousers, just like the one I saw in my dream.

It was her, that violet-eyed girl who I saw countlessly in my mind.

I tried to shake this nervousness off and immediately darted to the body’s side—the warm body which slowly became cold as her violet eyes loses its shine. My hand trembled as I kneeled beside her.

This girl, she really killed herself just like in my dream. But then, what happens after that?

“Help me…”

I heard that pleading voice again, this time coming from my head and rendered me to wince from the head throb. At that moment I knew I shouldn’t let her die, because if I did… Something inside me will…

“Call the ambulance!” I shouted to Ryan before I glanced again at the girl’s body.

My senses suddenly went numb. I don’t know if this numbness comes from fear or something else, but due to that inexplicable feeling, I just gazed at her helplessly.

At one moment, I abhor myself for not saving her. Though, in the next moment, if I did, what difference will it make? I didn’t even know who she is, and I don’t know how to save her with all these blood oozing out from her cracked head.

I tried to pick up myself, though I know that bawling—which what I’m doing right now while holding her near—won’t help me getting back my reasons.

Her chest was the only part which was warm, but the warmth was faint. “No, NO! Shit!” I looked towards the road in front of me in hope the ambulance have arrived. But that white vessel was nowhere to be seen. I start gritting my teeth in frustration. Is there really nothing I can do? Was it really too late?

“…Huff…”

I sucked a gasp when I saw the violet-eyed girl gaping her mouth as if trying to say something that she couldn’t. She looked soulless, making me think that hearing her breathe was just an utter mistake, but her slightly moving mouth convinced me that she’s still there. Although weak, she’s there.

“Hey…” I caressed her cold cheeks.

The violet in her eyes have turned grey, yet her gaping mouth was mumbling something.

“Asher, don’t get too close to her.” Ryan’s voice suddenly broke my focus in wanting to hear what this unknown girl wanted to say. I glared at Ryan, making him flinch before looking down to my lap where the girl was lying down.

I just realized that my clothes were drenched with her blood. Whoever seeing this would’ve probably saying the same thing as Ryan; to steer clear from a dead body and not to come close.

But who would be near her if it’s not me? If it was uspposed to be her parents and friends to be near her, I didn’t see them anywhere.

“Help me…” That whispering voice came back to me.

“I know…” I clenched my fist. “But how…?”

Think, brain, think. What can I do right now to at least prolong her life for a bit?

All of a sudden, instead of pressing the wound or giving CPR, the word from the lyrics which I heard in my dream surged inside my mind.

“Heather…” I mumbled.

That’s it.

I gazed into her eyes, although I know chanting some strange word to a dying person might sound crazy, it won’t hurt to try.

“Heather…” I said to her, before all went black.

***

I gasped as I opened my eyes.

“What-”The red surrounding once again came into my view. I paced my breathing while I looked around, the mass regret I felt now replaced with terror.

I carefully stood up while still gluing my eyes towards the surrounding. If I’m correct, those creatures should appear anytime soon now.

Suddenly I heard a loud sound from behind me. Those undescribable sound which I’ve heard before that signals the birth of a grotesque creature, I knew it very well, and it managed to instill more fear in me.

I turned around as my body trembled.

The creature behind me looked different from the first time I saw it. It’s more, big and hostile?

“Damn…” I widened my eyes. looked around to see the red surrounding again.

“Help me…”

The voice rang louder than before and the flesh creature formed even faster. I look at the being in horror and threw whatever I was holding in my hands to the creature. The cracked phone bounced off from the creature’s wet and slimy skin before it fell down to the ground.

I stared listless at the phone. Before I could discern anything else, again I saw the fleshy tentacles of the creature circling around my neck and once again, hearing a loud SNAP!

***

I woke up drenched in sweat. With rugged breathing, I checked the calendar and again, saw the same date, 18^th July. I put down the calender and rubbed my face while I heaved a heavy sigh.

“I must have gone crazy…” There’s no other explanation that best describe my feelings right now. Everything feels jumbled and murderous like it will kill you in any moment.

“This is bad…” That sentence spilled out from my mouth unconsciously. “I feel like killing myself now.”