Chapter 9: Here We Go Again

Tuesday

If I were to say that I had a peaceful sleep last night, I would definitely be lying. But I did get some sleep, at least. Some. I woke up to the sound of my alarm apparently going off for what seems to be a long time. Yes, I am a really heavy sleeper. Like, seriously.

I realized that my phone is still in my hands and the tab 'Does the moving-to-Mexico-and-changing-your-name-to-Jeff method actually work?' is still open. I checked what time it is.

And I'm late for school. By hours. I didn't feel like going, anyway. It's no secret that I have ditched school a few times now. Either, sleeping for the entire day or just slacking off. It's not that hard to catch up anyway.

Normally, I wouldn't care about the sunlight glinting through my room, but I found it annoying today. I guess, this might be a good sign to start searching for the sketchpad. I roll around the bed for a bit, remembering what occurred last night. Realizing I don't want to do that, I hastily sit down and realize my feet cramped. Oh, right, I have a scratch from the tree branch yesterday and I didn't tend to it. Crap.

This is going to take a long time to heal.

Lazily, I check out the window to see if it rained and it was completely dry. I wonder why there were thunders last night.

I went inside my bathroom to wash it off and slightly winced as I put bandage tape on it. It seems like a light scratch, so I should be fine. "That should do it." I tell myself. I used to get hurt a lot when I was a kid, so we usually own a lot of first-aid kit supplies in this house. That means I also know how to fix up a lot of my bruises on my own. Back then, I even considered being a doctor to be my dream. Realizing the state of my grades right now, I snort to myself.

I go back to my room and let my body fall on the bed again. I think I'm just going to sleep the entire day. Just as my body was starting to finish shutting down, I suddenly hear someone knocking.

"Rhys? Hey Rhys? I know you're up. Can we talk?" It's Aunt Maine. There goes my sleep.

Damn, I thought she already left for work. Why the hell is she still here? I can't waste time thinking about that now.

Quickly but quietly, I get out of bed again. I grabbed my bag and quietly open the window. I go outside and step on the back of the house. One thing I'm very thankful for is my isolated access to this. I go to the back of the house and down the ladder. This leads to my backyard, which is where I parked the dirt bike yesterday. I also do this a lot and know at least 5 escape routes from my house. I grab my helmet and drove away, fully blast using the dirt bike. Sorry, grandma.

I speed down the hill, even if it is dangerous as hell, so I can have a good distance away from my house. I don't look back and let the wind kiss my face.

Slowing down and using my multitasking skill, I grab my phone and press a random song on my Spotify 'Play this when feeling edgy' playlist. Don't judge me.

Ooh, we're playing Weathers.

~

sick of my phone

i'm kind of liking this feeling on my own

remember that dress?

remember how the air shined in the west?

~

I retrace the path I took when I was going home yesterday whilst looking around if I can find anything. If I don't find it, I'm honestly planning to make those flyers for missing dogs. Yes, it's very important. Again, don't judge me.

~

and the road is taking over

in my '66 blood nova

and my car is beating faster and faster and faster

~

I spot the Japanese store I went to yesterday. I parked the bike and I go inside and ask if I left a red sketchbook with a big white stripe on it. They said no but I still searched some more before going back to the dirt bike. I keep driving all around town, about to lose hope. I've about to circled around town but it's nowhere.

Until a thought comes into mind. What if it's not IN town?

~

i can do anything I want to

i can jump in the flames

i can love anyone I want to

i can burn out the days

~

The cave.

I can go there again since that's where I lost it the first time. Ugh, that freaking nonsensical girl stole it again. Oh, wait, she can't escape the cave, like she said, so maybe it's not her. I roll my eyes.

It's so dumb. She also might not be there anymore. But I'm going back.

~

just gonna run, nowhere to go

until my cracked lips kiss the curb

i can do anything I want to

i can burn up the days

~

I arrive back at the cliff from yesterday and park the bike near the stairs. I take a quick look of the view since it was mesmerizing. When, I started to search around the place, again, there's nothing here. It's the last place I can go, but I'm still tempted not to because the weird girl still might be there. Malinda.

Surely, she still can't be there again, right?

After losing all my luck of finding my sketchpad, I go downstairs and roam around the valley first. It looks exactly the same as yesterday. Then I heard it again. The singing. I continued roaming and found the cave, once again. I grabbed my phone to check the time.

12:13 pm.

I stare at the ominous darkness of the cave's entrance. The sculpture of her is still there. And she's still singing inside. I give a short sigh before finally entering. It's as dark as yesterday and I still hear water droplets. I feel like everything was repeating itself that I might as well be having déjà vu. When I finally reached inside, it really felt like a replay of yesterday.

Knew it.

With a tired expression, I cleared my voice while crossing my arms. Malinda looks up to me, holding my sketchbook, and seems more surprised than yesterday. Her expression seemed like her dead friend just resurrected.

Ignoring that, I sarcastically greet, "Good to see you again. And good to see that you have my sketchpad. Again."

Malinda gives a small smile, but still looks a little surprised, "I- yes." She stutters, "I'm just amazed of the sketches."

I take a seat on the boulder again, knowing this will take a while. "There really is some schoolwork in there that needs doing. So, just give it back. I don't want to do this again."

She hugged my pad, protecting it, while replying, "Can I just have it for a minute, please?" Yeah, right. A minute, "Just this one last time."

"You already looked at all my drawings yesterday. Why not go out of this stinking cave and go borrow someone else's sketchpad?" I convinced her but I wasn't going through her. I guess I have no choice but to come back once again. "Fine," I sigh, "you can have all the time you want next time."

"First off, I can't leave this cave! And I-I probably don't have a next time." She bowed her head, still not letting go of my sketchpad.

"Oh, right, because you're going to die from a curse because no one will fall in love with you." I mock her.

"Yes, I told you. That will happen."

I roll my eyes, "Stop playing with me already, it's getting boring."

"I told you I am not lying!"

"Uh, yeah, you are. Magic isn't real. None of that curse thing you're talking about isn't real."

"Yes, it is!"

I stand up aggressively, getting tired, "Okay! Fine! If this so-called-magic thing is real, then prove it to me."

Her face suddenly becomes more serious. She sets the sketchpad down and stands up. Just because of that, I feel like the entire atmosphere of the place changed, and it's creepy. Malinda looks at me with an unhappy smile before walking towards me and stops a few feet away from me. For a few seconds, she's just observing me like I was a lab rat or something. She squints her eyes, thinking. What is she doing?

Malinda looks at my knee bandage with a different expression then bends down. "May I?" she gives a sweet smile again.

I was weirded out of the entire situation, but I did tell her to prove her unrealistic magic, "Go ahead." I say, still standing by my word.

Her face bends down as she holds her hand out in front of it, but not touching it.

What the absolute hell?

Malinda closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and her hand sort of emitted light towards my bruise. My eyes widen and my heart started to beat fast again. This might just be one of those stupid, cheap magic tricks. Yeah, that's it.

Or that's what I thought.

Suddenly, my entire body felt tingly and I couldn't explain it, but it's like my blood is all focused and transferred to my bruise. By each second, I felt this overwhelming sensation and that I was getting better in some way. What the hell is she doing? I sit down, trying to be patient and understand what's happening. It happens for a few seconds and I was just sat silent. Malinda looked really focused and seemed to struggle.

The light finally deteriorates, and she looks at me, smiling again, "Take a look." Gesturing the bruise.

I watch her go back to the pond, sitting down and resting her feet on the water again. She looked very proud as she childishly twiddle her feet on the water while I was very confused. I hesitantly look at my bandage, kind of afraid to open it.

Wait, why should I be? This entire time, I held true to my belief, and I still do. This is all surely just a joke.

I open the bandage meticulously, while wondering what she did to it. Malinda was waiting patiently. I finally opened it and…

The bruise is gone.

It's gone. Haha, nice joke. Now, give the bruise back. Wait, it can't be a joke… it's literally gone. I stroke my entire leg.

The bruise is gone.