Vision of the ruins

The whole scenario was in absolute ruins. No sign of nature could be seen, not even a single human passing by. Everything seemed lifeless, destructions here and there. From crumbled buildings to battered cars to the broken down earth. Tall trees stood in bends due to what seemed to be an impact of a tsunami, the leaves withering away.

The weather itself was unpredictable. Constant changes from crystal clear to intense cloudiness then back to crystal clear again and switching back to the other, the regulation kept on that way.

Piles and piles of bodies which once harbored human lives and that of animals were scattered all over the broken down earth, picturing something equivalent to a mass murder. The strong stench of dried blood filled the air, the stains evident here and there.

They kept on running, not attempting to look back as their legs carried them to where they didn't know of. Her clothes were tattered, his too. They passed by several ruins before coming to a halt, catching their breaths in the process...

___________________

What was going on? He was confused, his mind couldn't pick up the memory he just envisioned. The headache had thankfully stopped but he was left with a memory he has no idea of.

He still held on to the side of the car while still massaging his temple. The pain he had felt... his mind recollected a similar occurrence. He had also felt this same headache when he was at the dream specialist's earlier today. And yes, he had remembered something at the same time. Something he had literally dumped out of his memory box.

That first memory of seeing himself being introduced to the specialist at a cocktail party was similarly understandable and even this, he couldn't fathom.

When had that first memory occurred that he couldn't even pinpoint the exact time? Why does it seem elusive to remember up until now?

The concept of this most recent memory was quite surprising and terrifying at best. Seeing himself dressed in tattered clothes, like he was mentally ill. Even Lily was dressed the same way.

But, the scene of the place... Ruins? Destructions? Piles of dead bodies? It looked similar to an apocalyptic scene. Was it a movie he had seen? No, it was simply himself and Lily running hastily to God knows where...

He was feeling much better now but was still worry-filled to the extent that he didn't even realize Lily was standing by his side already. Her voice jolted him back to reality.

"Are you feeling it again?" She gently touched his shoulder as she asked.

His head was nodded in response. "I'm okay now,"

They both stood silently as he relaxed his whole body on the spot. But on a closer look at the lady behind, she seemed to be contemplating what to say next.

"Are you sure you can drive home? You can choose to spend the night here instead, you know?"

A smile escaped his lips. He could take advantage of the situation if he really wants to. But there was work tomorrow and he couldn't skip that for a single moment of bliss which would not offer him the needed income. "No, it's fine seriously,"

"Are you sure?"

"I really am. Wouldn't want to be a bother to you," He reasoned.

"Never said you were." She rolled her eyes at him from behind to take over the awkwardness that had befallen her.

He suddenly touched her hand on his shoulder and the reaction he got from her was what he was expecting... an impulsive startle.

Turning to her, he made her hand fall off his shoulder and with a quick thrust, he pulled her closer to him as he held her by the waist. She became more startled with his flash action and revealed such expression with mouth agape.

"Wh– What are you trying to do?" She stuttered a little as she spoke, her face all flushed as she began to feel hot all over.

He smirked a bit, inching his face close to hers, feeling the heat of her body. "Aren't you going to give me a kiss before I leave?"

This was the first time he attempted to tease her since they got into a relationship and he could see the impact it was having on her.

"K– k– kiss what?" she stuttered again.

He inched his face closer and closer, eventually rubbing his nose on hers while feeling the nervousness she was emitting, then raising his right hand up to her head as he began running it through her hair.

"Get your hands off me, Ryan!" She managed to get a grip off herself as she forced her body out of his grip, taking a few steps away from him. "Don't tell me you faked the headache this time to get me down here..."

He didn't give a reply as he found his way into the car instead. "I'll give you a call," he told her and drove off.

.....

Inside what seemed to be a technological lab. The plain white room was filled with modern state of the art facilities, well equipped machines, rows of computer, wires and cables and a fifty inches breadth flat screen mounted on the wall.

Sets of programmed data could be seen reflecting on each of the monitors as well as the flat screen which equipped the details of every data from each of the computers connected to it as it served as a combination of database collection.

"What in the hell is going on here?"

A middle aged man, standing behind, barked angrily at a set of people who had their gazes on every of the monitors, accessing information into the database. They all stood up immediately, turning to face the man in fear.

"Can anyone care to give me a definite explanation of what I'm seeing?" the man yelled at them.

"Sir–" one of them who seemed to be the team leader began to speak but was immediately cut off.

"Didn't I order everyone not to go on with the tracking again? So you all decided to refute whatever order I gave to you... right? How dare you all!?"

"We are sorry sir," the team leader spoke again, "but President Ruben ordered us to continue with the tracking,"

"Which of the President Ruben are you talking about?"

"Who is asking?"

The man immediately turned back as he heard a tone which contained arrogance voice out from behind. A man with brown hair walked up to him in a majestic form, hands pocketed inside a pair of black pants which was the direct combination of a black overall suit.

The tall structure of the brown haired man overshadowed the average height of the middle aged man as he stood in front of him.

"Director Dickson," the brown haired man called out calmly. "Do you care to tell me why you've been disrupting the tracking I personally ordered the team to commence?"

The middle aged man glared at the brown haired man, unable to hide his disgust. "With all due respect President Ruben, this is not your company. You can't just come to order anyone around like you own this place,"

A wicked smile escaped the lips of the brown haired man, his gaze containing a devilish instinct. "Do you realize who you're talking to?"

"Yes I do," a straightforward reply came immediately from the middle aged man, leaving cold shivers erupting inside the systems of the team of personnel behind him.

"And do you realize that with a snap of my fingers, I could ruin everything you've worked for?"

The middle aged man seemed unfazed by the threat directed at him. "President Ruben, all protocols must be duly abided by. If you have no shareholding or directing power, you have no right to order anyone in this company even if the company belongs to your brother,"

The brown haired man turned, backing the other man without giving a reply. He didn't move yet but he maintained the smirk on his lips as he stared out the lab, looking at his bodyguards who were occupying the two sides of the entrance outside.

"Such confidence, I must say, Director Dickson... and now, I'm having the gut feeling that you have a hand in the release of those information regarding my brother's indisposed state,"

"You have no right to accuse me wrongly, President Ruben," the middle aged man retorted.

"But I have the right to shut you up if I want to!" The brown haired man's tone became extremely cold. "Get the tracking done before the end of today and be quick with it or you'll regret going against my order. Don't say I didn't warn you Director Dickson. You might not like the end result of my anger..."

He walked out of the lab after speaking but the middle aged man continued to glare at him. The man couldn't say anything else and didn't even bother to give an order to the team before walking out the lab as well.