Chapter 5: Couldn't Afford To Lose Another

Muttering incoherent words in her sleep, Hazel wiggles from one side of the bed to the other, sweat oozing out of her body in streams, soaking her lacy nightwear and bedcovers.

Her face pulled together in a frown, her eyes spasm frantically under her eyelids as she clutches the bedcovers with both hands.

Traces of burns appeared on her right breast under her cloth, forming a rose flower-shaped design; in the middle of the rose flower, another diamond-shaped design and a half moon appeared floating. They moved about and around the flower before eventually settling in its middle.

As the diamond and moon glowed red, Hazel let out a pained scream from her sleep, her toes curling, alerting both her parents, who rushed in to see their daughter clutching her chest while screaming.

"What is going on?" Amanda asked, as strings of curses escaped Eric's lips as he beheld the sight before him. He rushed to his daughter's side to see what was happening but quickly backed off at the heat radiating off her.

She screamed again, thrashing on the bed as her eyes glowed red, veins popping out from the sides of her head.

This time it was more of a screech than a scream, causing her parents to cover their ears in fear and horror.

"What is going on, Eric? What is happening to her? Why is she like that?" Amanda asked, at the brink of tears, looking from her husband to her daughter.

"Fuck! I don't know!" He cursed, pacing back and forth beside Hazel's bed. He tried getting close one more time, but the heat increased, burning his palm.

He stopped in his tracks before rushing to his study, remembering the instruction that was given to him years ago.

"When you notice any kind of abnormality, inject her with this. She'll be fine," the person had instructed.

He rummaged through his drawers and bookshelves in a hurry, looking for a certain black rectangular box with a weird crest on it.

He had hoped, for the sake of his daughter, that there would never be a day he'd have to use the unknown substance in the injection.

"Where is it? Where is it?" he asked as he threw books and vases out of the shelf in search of it. As he picked up the last book and realized it felt heavier than it looked, he opened it and saw the rectangular box lying inside the hollowed-out book.

"If this gets into the hands of the wrong people, your daughter would die. There is only one of this ever made, so be careful where you place it; be careful whom you tell about it. If possible, don't ever mention it to anyone," they had warned him before handing the box over to him.

He let out a sigh of relief and ran back to Hazel's room with the injection in hand. Biting his lips, he endured the scorching heat that radiated off her and injected her with the red substance in the syringe, waiting patiently to see any differences.

"What is it made of, and why should I use it on my daughter?"

"What is it made from is none of your business, Halton. You would know why your daughter needs it when it is time. We shall meet again."

"Wait! Why should I trust you!"

"You shouldn't."

The screaming stopped not long after; her hands fell to her side as she passed out. The heat dissipated as the flower, diamond, and moon disappeared, leaving her skin clear and without blemish.

"Eric, explain to me what's going on. What is happening to Hazel?" Amanda asked solemnly, her voice shaking in fright.

"I don't know, Amanda. I swear I don't know. I honestly didn't know what was going on with her," he confessed truthfully, silently begging her to believe him. His hands caressed Hazel's head as it rested on his lap.

"What do you mean you don't know? Didn't you inject her with that thing? How do you know the cure if you don't know the sickness? Eric, do you think I'm a child? Do you think I can't see you've been hiding things from me since Ruby ran away? What exactly is going on? What have you gotten yourself and my kids into with your damned research!" she screamed, her voice growing higher and higher as she grabbed his pants while on her knees.

She couldn't afford to lose another child—not again.

Eric remained silent, unmoved by his wife's screams and tears, as he watched his daughter's breathing return to normal.

‘What have I gotten myself into? Why didn't I stop when I still could?’

***

"Tori and Beth, right?" Dylan called as he spotted the two walking toward the parking lot.

"Professor Dylan," they greeted. Tori desperately tried to hide her starry eyes and bright cheeks from being too close to her newest fascination behind Beth, who rolled her eyes at her and stepped forward.

"Hello, ladies. I have noticed Hazel hasn't been attending classes these few days. Is there any problem? She didn't call in sick either," he explained calmly, going straight to the point.

The two shared a glance before Beth replied, "We were planning on going over to her after classes today. We haven't heard from her either, and that's unusual. She doesn't go this long before giving at least one of us a call, and it's been almost a week now."

"Has it?" Dylan asked. "Then please inform me when you get any news about her. There might be a test next week, and I wouldn't want her to miss it." He smiled and continued walking to his car.

"Oh my gosh!" Tori squealed excitedly. "He sounds so sexy!" she gushed, holding her flaming cheeks.

"Yeah! Yeah! We know. Come on, let's go visit Hazel. I still have to go to my part-time job later," said Beth with a bored tone as she dragged her fangirling friend towards her car—not before giving Dylan one last meaningful look.