The Stranger who knew everything

"Erika..", the faint voice called my name.

Who is it?

"Erika..", the same voice called up again.

My mind was playing a tricks. As the voices echoed through my head. I couldn't recognize who was calling.

I try to open my eyes but the stark smell of bleach was overwhelming. I scrunched my eyes at the bright light that was sipping through my closed eyelids. I couldn't move my hand, my head or my body.

I felt powerless and heavy.

Desperately trying to open my eyes and see where am I ? As blinding light slowly subsided. I took a look around me. The room doesn't look familiar. It was pristine clean with gloomy aura. The walls were sickly greyish. The room was silent, I can hear my heavy breath and monitor beeping.

I was at hospital. Alive.

The sound of soft knock on the door made me look at the person standing in a professional attire, a dark blue uniform pantsuit along with a clipboard on her hand. She looks like in her late twenty's with an average figure, narrow eyes ,trim eyebrow, natural skin with flawless long ebony hair. As she moved towards me smiling.

"Miss Erika, how's you feeling now?" She asked softly.

It will be lie, if I say, I am fine.

I didn't say anything, then the sudden realization hit me of the warehouse event.

I screamed.

"Where is Sean??"

The nurse startled and looked puzzle.

The chill added up to my back as it brought back terror thoughts. I tried to pull off my insulin drip, attached to my hands, removing the mask from my mouth. I saw her pushing an emergency button.

"No! Don't " she yelled, while holding me.

"Let me go!" I begged to her.

The pair of two nurses loped in through my room.

"We got her!" Grabbing my arms.

"It's okay. Sean is fine now."

I looked up to see a new voice, gray haired man in a white coat, probably a doctor, standing very close to Sheriff.

"Mr Gerald?" My voice sounded strange and small.

He nodded.

"That's right, dear," he said. "Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked worriedly.

His warm hand touched my forehead.

"I'm not hurt" I whispered.

"Let me see my brother please!" I begged them.

I felt everyone's eyes on me. The doctor nodded, thoughtfully. As he gesture everyone to move out, except Mr Gerald.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with her," I heard the doctor saying to him. "I'll come, check on her tomorrow." He added and left.

A few minutes later, Mr Gerald, brought me up to Sean's room before leaving.

To my surprise, Bonnie, was there looking after my brother. His legs were covered in tubes and wires, tape across face and nose. He saw me coming and smiled. I couldn't help myself but to run and hug him.

"Hey, sis! Be more gentle" he complained while grinning. I pulled myself back. He looked terrible.

"It was my fault." I murmured myself.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again.

I heard Bonnie, clearing her throat, picking her stuff and glancing to Sean. As both of them smile and blushed.

Am I missing something?

She looks like a complete different person to me. Her eyes look guilty as she was hiding something.

I was sure that she was there, on that day, of an incident. I wanted to ask her. But without even looking back. She left the room.

"Hey! Leave my girl alone. You're going to burn a hole to her by staring constantly," he paused while blushing. "We kissed."

I sighed, Sean is alive. Ehhh - WHAT?

Did I heard wrong. What? When did this happen? Bonnie and Sean? I can feel my eyeballs hanging out. I tried to say something but I look like a fish with no mouths. I tried to reach his forehead with my free hand to check, if something was wrong with him.

He rolled his eyes. He looks unpleasant with my reaction.

"C'mon. Don't make a big deal. I like her. She likes me. And we kissed." He explained, while avoiding an eye contact.

I thought about it for a moment.

"When was it?" I asked, looking stunned. He knew what I mean, because he was still looking on an other side.

"Just a few minutes ago, before you entered" he whispered.

"Oh," I was speechless. That makes sense now, why Bonnie was behaving weird. Somehow I was happy for him and felt betrayed.

"Sorry, I overreacted." I apologized sincerely.

"Yeah, that's fine" he said calmly looking at me. I looked at his face. There were some bruises under his eyes.

Some very unpleasant memories began to come up. I shuddered and winced.

"Everything's all right now. What happened on that night, just forget as one of the nightmares." He comforted me, as he studied my eyes getting filled with terror.

"I was so stupid to believe that our parents might be alive." my voice fading away, as I try to push back my tears at the realization that they are not going to come again.

There was a silence, until the door opened a crack and a nurse came bustling inside to check on him. She asked me to let him rest. With a quick pat on his forehead. I left.

As soon as I left the room. I saw Mr Gerald was waiting for me.

"Thank you for everything Sheriff," I said sincerely.

He paused. Thinking something before he answered, "Be more careful Miss Tan." He added, "but it's a quite strange how could your friend's ID would be lying there."

I stare at him uncomprehendingly, "Whose?" I asked, my voice more surprised.

The only one person who came into my mind was.

"Bonnie?"

He nodded. He didn't say anything. He watched my face warily. I was blank. I wanted to know about why she was there too.

"Do you remember any specific details? Or Do you remember the face of that person?" He questioned me with worried look.

"No" I mumbled to myself. I was not sure what to answer. My mind was a complete fog.

"Okay!" He sighed, "Hit the call button if you need anything" he said while leaving with an anxious look.

Time passes. Everything went up so fast like it had happened just yesterday. This whole subject of warehouse event was utterly forbidden.

Sean got his discharged in a week from the hospital. Mr Gerald checked on us more often than the usual. The rest of the day was compromised of, Bonnie, giving me a cold shoulder since that day. There were no trails of the culprit.

This leave me no choice but to look forward for Miss Clarke's lecture to be finished. She was the only one left. Who can answer me. There were lots of things I wanted to ask her. But somehow she keeps ignoring me.

The bell rang, I took my chance to dash towards her.

"Miss Clarke?"

She didn't heard me calling. I forced myself to keep the sight of her through the flock of students, as she was rushing to parking lot. In my haste to catch her, I ended up absentmindedly stalking her, in the restaurant. Why she was here? Whom she was going to meet?

Quickly, before I could be spotted by anyone. I disguise myself and took the corner seat across from her table.

Just then, when I was, about to approach her.

I noticed she waved excitedly to someone. I won't be surprise, if it's a blind date. But to my surprise, it was a girl, in her mid twenty's with a slim and slender build. Her olive complexion and dark brown long hairs, makes her look like a greek goddess.

I was too engulf in glancing them, that I didn't notice that people around me were giving a weird look. Before, I could leave the place. I was caught off guarded by the waiter who had stopped by my table and passed on the folded slip.

I turned around to see the waiter's heading for, but it was too late. He was nowhere to be seen. I paused without thinking, glancing to Miss Clarke's table. It was empty.

My heart frozed with a strong sense of

déjà vu. Not again.

I stare back at the slip. It seemed too coincidental that it might be the same threatened message.

My hands started trembling to hold the slip and it fell down.

"Erika?" A new voice called my name.

I shook my head, not wanting to look up.

"I don't know anyone here.." I muttered myself.

What was I doing? I should be running as fast as I could, but my mind and legs were numb to even move a single inches.

My body were locked to where I was sitting. Because it wasn't the voice that rebuked but the mention of my name. Who could be this person? I was in disguise. How come she know my name?

I saw no reason for fear, but curious. I looked up slowly, to see the familiar figure who were sitting next to Miss Clarke, few minutes ago, was standing right in front of me.

I was not sure. I twisted in my seat to look back, if there was any other girl behind me who was having a same name as me. To confirm it, I asked her.

"Are you talking to me, Miss...?"

I don't know her name. Her perfect eyebrows did not even budge, showing no emotions. I couldn't read her face. It was a plain expression. I don't know if she was mad or not. She looked at me with a blank eyes, as she settled herself in a seat next to me.

"It's Sarah." She said blandly.

I don't know what's her problem was. But she was kind of giving me an aloof feeling. She passed me the slip. I didn't noticed when she picked it up.

"Don't panic. I don't bite." She said indifferently. "The slip. It was from Miss Clarke."

She paused and looked in my direction. I was too nervous to talk. Who won't be panic. If the person is being treated like a remote.

"Oh." I bit my lip. It took me a second to realize myself that Miss Clarke Knew, I was trailing her. I felt the adrenaline rush in my face, due to embarrassment.

"Did she left?" I finally managed to ask her.

She ignored my question and demanded, "What do you want from her?" She murmured, with her intense eyes never stopped watching me.

I don't know what to say to her, instead I asked, "Who are you?" I tried to make my voice lighter. Not rude.

"Hmm," she said. "I am Miss Clarke." She said calmly with a straight face.

I dumbfoundedly stared at her's direct bluff. She is totally faking in front of me. If she doesn't wanted to tell me, it was better to speak a better lie than that.

"Mm-hmm." I kept my reply short, not sure, whether I should trust her or not.

It was an awkward silence.

She took a casual step to stand, and get ready to leave soon. In my head, the voice responded. Stop her.

"Wait! I don't know who you are? But can you please tell me. where is she?" My voice was too loud to make everyone's attention towards us.

She paused. "I've never stayed in one place for so long. If you want to meet her. Follow me quietly." She said in a sour tone.

I gulped my own saliva. What's wrong with this girl? Is she mentally ill. I thought myself. My foot started to move into forward direction. I staggered on my own steps.

I watched as she moves out gracefully from the front door, walking across the road. I wonder where she wanted me to follow her.

My eyes scanned. At first I saw nothing, but my gaze move back to my surroundings. An isolated street.

And Miss Clarke's car was the only one in a driveway, under the quiet huge thick tree.

There she was. Waiting for us.

I was calmer, but still a mess. I don't understand why we were here.

"Erika! Finally you are here." Miss Clarke sounded relief, as she was waiting for me.

Her eyes were behind my back. To Sarah. They nodded. As they were talking telepathically. Sarah went straight to the driver seat.

"I think it's time to reveal something" Miss Clarke gesture me to climb into the back seat.

"Are you okay?" She asked while looking back and forth through the window.

My head bobbed in a weak nod. Confused by her action.

We sat there in a silence. I was waiting for her to start. But she was busy looking in all directions as someone was watching over us.

"What was your relation with my mom?" I demanded first, to tell me the truth.

She didn't say anything. Still watching across the empty streets.

"We used to be a best friends" she murmured.

"What?" I was shocked. My mother never mentioned about her when she was alive.

"What happened after that?" I asked her calmly.

"Your mother, Ken and me. We used to be best friends. If only your uncle Tan didn't loved your mother.... I don't like your mother." She paused. Now completely focusing on me.

"Our friendship broke apart from that point. I never heard from her until that day when I received her's book and a letter from an unknown source...." Her voice trailed off as she looks in my direction with a sign of sympathy.

I didn't know if she saw me. But she seemed to noticed my expression changing as she was studying my face for a minute and paused.

"Erika listen to me carefully. You should avoid talking with Bonnie. The attackers are on move."

Why Bonnie? Who was the attackers? It was so sudden to accept everything. It sounded like Miss Clarke Knew something about the culprit and who it was.

"How do you know?" My voice sounded more loud.

She avoided me and look towards the direction of Sarah, who was glaring through the rare mirror, already driving to an unknown street.

"Jr. Collins" Sarah spoke for the first time during the whole conversation.

Miss Clarke looked worriedly to me.

"Who is this?" I asked, confused and puzzled.

Miss Clarke shook her head. Not wanting to tell me. I demanded my question again to Sarah.

"Who is this person?"

"Who tried to kidnapped you" she said bluntly.

"Why this person wants me to kidnap?" I asked her, puzzled. "I didn't offended anyone." Unless... My parents would.

I was in disbelief, completely shocked. How come Sarah knew everything so confidently. She saw right through me because she answered my unasked question.

"Collins, used to be my Master."

Minutes passed by in silence as I struggled to speak. I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I closed it again.

"I don't know, why are you all trying to protect me? You don't even like my mother. How come I should trust you. I don't even know what's going on here?" I demanded loudly, frustrated.

"Look, Erika! It doesn't matter why we are doing this. The only matters now is to, you need to be careful from now on. Everything won't be end it well like before. Things will happen again. Sarah is here to protect you." Miss Clarke warned me again and again.

"Bonnie was the one who had sended you the fake message." Sarah cleared my confusion.

I had no true answer. I took a deep breath to calm myself, ignoring the dizziness. I don't know whom I should trust now. The sudden beep from my mobile, distracted me. It was from Sheriff.

"Hello sheriff!" I answered the call.

"Can you come around. I need to talk something regarding that incident."

"Yeah, I got it." I muttered before cutting the line.

They were staring at me. Waiting for me to talk. Sarah was still driving. I guess she was heading to Miss Clarke's house, who seems upset.

"Thanks for your concern. I will be taking care from now on." I said slowly. "Can you please drop me. I need to go somewhere." I added.

Sarah didn't even waste any time to pullover. She parked near the runway, wanting me to move out of the car. Miss Clarke hugged me.

"If you need any help, come anytime" she smiled, while adding "disguise yourself better next time." She laughed quietly.

I tried to force my smile. As I saw them leaving. Sarah didn't bother to look to me. I guess she didn't like me. She was a stranger to me, but why I have this gut feeling. She was hiding something.

I hadn't realized how late it was. The sky was already dusky. When the sudden pair of hands came from behind me. I jolted in surprised.

"I Miss you Er! I love you" he whispered. I could feel his lips at my ear.

Livius.

I turned my head slightly.. before I could say something. His lips crash with mine. It was different. His touch was gentle. I felt like I was flying. My legs went into jelly that I hardly manage to hold myself. There was just one thing I wanted to tell him.

"Livius?" I struggled to pronounce his name correctly.

"Yes?" His cold breath touching my bare naked skin of my neck. I felt goosebumps.

"Did you really came back?" I hold back my tears. All I wanted was a warm hug.

I heard him chuckled. As he embraces me. It was really him.

"I love you too!"

"I know" He laughed quietly as he continue kissing me gently.

With everything was going around me. I don't care now. As the night was over us.