The Dorm Room 0.2

A cold sensation travels through my nerve ends as I slowly gain consciousness.

Confused by the feel of cool water being wiped along the length of my arm, my eyes shot open.

I once again saw a beige sealing that seemed to have an orange hue to it. Confused, I silently looked around while trying to remember what had happened. Until my eyes casted forward.

Immediately, my eyes fell on to my stretched arm that was slightly damp from the previous swipe of a cloth. With widened eyes, I looked at the woman that was holding my arm out, a damp looking cloth in her right hand.

Seeming to notice my gaze, she lifts her head up and a smile immediately appears from her face.

"Oh! You're awake!" she exclaims in joy.

I was still registering the situation when she suddenly stands and leans towards me. The proximity between us was more than what can be registered as 'uncomfortable'. So, I backed away by instinct and tried to grab something that could separate the both of us.

I grabbed the nearest object that I could get my hands on and I was thankful that it was a pillow.

"U-u-uhmm... What are you doing?" I asked, completely flustered by her sudden reaction.

Seeing my instinctual act, she smiles sheepishly and backs away from me. Which relieved me in so many levels.

"Oh, sorry... hehe... I might've gotten too excited again," she says as she rubs her nape in embarrassment.

I look at her for a moment, unsure of what to do or where am I so the silence drags on and it was starting to feel a bit—no, really awkward.

"S-so~... How are you feeling..?" she starts, seeming to feel awkward as well.

I was about to reply, but when I actually started to speak, my throat burned feeling like two sand papers grinding against each other making my voice barely audible. I coughed in pain feeling the searing feeling within my throat.

"Oh, wait! I'll get you some water! Please wait!" the girl says as she frantically scurries off to another door.

I was coughing uncontrollably increasing the pain within my throat. I wanted to stop but was unable to control it. Moments later, the girl comes back with a tall glass of water in hand.

"Here!" she says as she hands me the cup.

Desperately I reached for it and gulped the contents in. I almost choked on it while I took big gulps. But I could care less, the cool water replenished my dry throat.

Though it felt strange, it also felt relieving as I continued to drink to my heart's content.

After downing the whole glass, I coughed a bit more before it gradually subsided. I slumped on the headboard, weakened as pain comes from my lungs.

I sighed in exhaustion before turning towards the girl again.

"Thank you~..." I sighed contently, regaining my breath and being careful not to cough again.

Stranger or not, I still had the decency thank her for that.

"No problem.." she trails as she looks at me with a relieved expression.

An awkward silence soon follows, as the both of us didn't know what to say to each other.

I grew very uncomfortable by the long silence so I spoke up.

"Look—"

I abruptly stopped when we both spoke at the same time. I could not help but chuckle at the uncanny scenario and I was slightly surprised that she followed soon after, laughing along with me.

"Sorry about that..." she started right after calming down.

I shook my head and offered a soft smile.

"No, no..,. Uhmm thank you for the glass of water," I say in deep appreciation.

"Like I said no problem... Anyway... are you okay now?" the nameless girl asked.

For a moment I looked at her a bit confused, not knowing what she meant by that. But I responded courtly.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." my voice was quieter than I intended it to be.

A quiet silence then followed after.

This time, I was the one to break the short silence.

"Where am I?" I asked bluntly as I stare at my hands that are clasped together.

It seemed that there was a short pause before I heard her speak again.

"I--... you're here, at our dorm room," she says gently.

My brows furrowed at the word 'our'.

"Excuse me, but are you implying that this is my room too?" I asked, not able to grasp the idea.

"Yeah, this will be your dorm room too. We just have to settle you in—fix your stuff there--," before she could continue to talk. I cut her off and interrupted.

"I'm sorry—but I won't be moving in—where am I even? I mean, where is this place?" I asked slowly beginning to get frustrated.

"Calm down, you must still be not feeling well, you need to rela—" I cut her off again.

"I'm completely fine! I'm alright! So now, where the hell am I?!" I was not letting her shift the subject or avoid my questions. I needed answers and I need them now.

Her mouth closed shut after my outburst and for a moment, she looked like she was thinking.

She sighs before beginning to speak.

"First, do you remember anything before arriving at this point?" she asks, her face now blank and unreadable.

I thought of the question for a moment. I could feel a lingering headache twitching at the back of my head making me stop myself from trying to remember. I could only recall small bits and pieces of what had happened to me.

"Not... really," I answered, clearly unsure of myself.

It was frustrating me to think that I couldn't remember anything.

I don't usually forget stuff so this was immensely aggravating.

"I see," she says with wondering eyes.

"Okay, seeing that you have to know sooner rather than later, I'll tell you what I know—" she trails, she cuts herself off as she picks up the emptied glass and tidies up the basin and wet cloth that she used on me earlier. "—But before any of that, let me get you a fresh batch of bandage and we'll start off from there."

She exits the room with the basin and cloth in hand without waiting for my reply.

For a moment, I felt a tinge bit of guilt for bursting out like that. I mean, as far as I know, she had done nothing but be hospitable towards me. Here I was, yelling at her for answers. I mean, could you blame me?

I admit that I get too aggravated when I don't understand what's happening.

With a sigh, I leaned back towards the headboard of the bed and closed my eyes, trying to calm my raising heart. Then, my eyes landed on my bear arms.

My eyes grew wide at the sight of bruises and cuts forming on most areas.

'What happened to me?'

As if a train had ran over me, memories came flooding into my headspace and I was slightly overwhelmed. After a few minutes of recollection, I came to have an idea on where I might be.

I looked at my left, to see a bed situated there and the stuff that I saw earlier today, I believe, were still there. My joints still felt slightly stiff and almost rustic feeling, but I tried to get up.

As soon as I shifted on my spot, I heard a crunching noise from my back pocket.

Pausing midway, I lifted the bed sheet that was covering me, I reached for my back pocket, and sure enough the folded envelope that my 'mother' supposedly left for me was there.

As I stared at its now crumpled form, I pondered whether to open and read it now or later. Oddly, the voice of my consciousness shifted my thoughts on the idea of the strange girl walking in on me reading the letter. For some reason I had a feeling that this letter was meant for me and my eyes alone.

So with a final conclusion, I hid the letter at the crack of the mattress and the bed post leaving it there to read it on another time.

Just as I was done hiding it, I heard the door open and in came the girl from earlier with a first aid kit now in hand.

"Okay, let's get started?"

Quote of the chapter!!!

"The worst distance between two people is misunderstanding"

-Unknown-