11: Dread

It’s been a month, two weeks and four days since Shinji and the boys left. Once again, Leilyn’s house is quiet as a graveyard. She’s conflicted about the silence. Although she’s glad that her usual peace is back, she feels a little bit sad that she’s alone once again.

Maybe being alone all the time isn’t a good thing after all.

With the way things are going, she might just adopt a dog. Or dogs. Maybe cats. Cats are nice. And more like her than dogs. Too energetic. But maybe energetic is good. Hmm…

Lately, Leilyn’s been having this feeling that something is about to go down. Something life changing and horrible. She hasn’t felt like this since that day. It’s frankly troubling.

“Lyn!”

Leilyn’s brought out of her thoughts by Alex’s worried voice. She blinks, focusing once more on the large holo-screen in front of her.

Alex has a worried frown on his face while the other six look confused.

“Lyn. Stai bene? (Are you okay?)” Alex asked.

Leilyn massages the bridge of her nose, heaving a tired sigh. “Sto abbastanza bene, Lex. (I’m quite alright, Lex.)”

Alex’s frown deepens and his lips purses into a thin line.

“Now…” Leilyn drops down her hand with another sigh, facing them with a pained grimace. “Where were we?”

The meeting continues. It’s nothing different. Just how the stocks of the company are fairing. As Leilyn is now the eldest child, the reports about its welfare and progress, along with the success of any invention made by the company is now reported to her – and occasional with Alex if he’s feeling up to it.

On a normal day, Leilyn would have talked their ears off, but right now, she isn’t feeling it. It’s pretty obvious to the others seeing as they stopped talking.

“Lyn.”

“Just…” Leilyn waves her hand, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just send me the report. I’ll read them once I get rid of this blasted headache.”

With nods of understanding, the six board members log off, their six holo-screens disappearing after they bid her good day.

“Furaha.”

Leilyn looks up and meets the worried stare of her little brother.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Alex immediately counters. “There’re variations of ‘fine’ when it comes to you. So, which one is it? Is it the ‘I’m sick’ fine or the ‘I’m hiding deadly issues’ fine?”

“More like ‘I’m sleep depraved and I need to fucking sleep’ fine.” Leilyn snorts out, honestly amused by her brother’s quipping.

Alex blinks, head tilting a little, making his stray dreadlocks to cover an eye. “You haven’t slept?”

“For two days now.”

Alex lets out a strangled noise. “Why?!” He looks at her in shocked confusion. “Lyn, I know we are scientist and all, but you’re getting old. Heck, you’re basically a hag now! You need your rest.”

Leilyn splutters in indignation, glaring at him. “For your information, I’m just thirty-one. And if it might have escaped your memory, you’re just two years younger than me. So, if I’m an old hag, then you’re a geezer in training.”

Alex snorts in amusement, making her eyes go soft. Once again, she sighs. By the Cosmos, she’s been doing that a lot lately.

“For your information,” Alex snorts again, making her roll her eyes in exasperation. “I’ve been getting much needed rest, but since yesterday, I can’t shake off the feeling that something bad is about to go down.” That wipes the smile from Alex’s face and his demeanor changes. “It’s the same feeling I had before Damien and R…”

Alex’s eyes go wide for a moment before they narrow into slits. His back straightens and his voice deepens. “I’m coming over.”

“No.” Leilyn immediately disagrees. “Stay with mom. I know she can protect herself – not counting the literal battalion of bodyguards surrounding her and the house – but I want both of you to be close. Shinji and the others have each other, so no worries.”

“But what about you?”

Leilyn give him a warm smile. “Don’t worry about this hag. She can protect herself.” Leilyn winks at him.

Alex still isn’t convinced. He stares at her with unsure eyes.

“Lex, don’t worry too much. I can handle myself.”

“That’s what big brother and R said before they…”

Leilyn smiles sadly at him. “And I promise you I won’t end up dead. In case anything seems off, Zoranne will personally inform you.”

Alex nods hesitantly.

“Don’t worry Alex, I’ll be fine.” Leilyn smiles tiredly at him.

“Okay.”

A tranquil silence descends on them momentarily, before it’s dispersed by Alex gently shout of,

“Oh yeah!”

Leilyn blinks at him.

“Today is the start of the Summer Solstice!”

“It’s the 19th already?” Leilyn taps her watch and yep! It’s June 19th alright. “Huh.”

“I heard that the moon this time will be a blood moon and will last till tomorrow morning. Gods, it will be magnificent!”

“Don’t blood moons come every hundred or so years?”

“Yep! But this one is a surprise. The last one was when the war started.”

“Huh.”

“You sure don’t sound enthusiastic about it.”

“Headache.”

“Right.” Alex laughs nervously.

“Thank the Cosmos for Zoranne then. She’ll wake me up around three in the morning to look at it.”

“Wake up around one or two. Three’s too late. It might be gone then. And three is the Witching Hour. I wouldn’t advise you to be out by then, especially on a blood moon.”

Leilyn holds herself from rolling her eyes at Alex’s superstition. “Well, you heard the old man Zoranne.” She huffs out.

“Hey!”

“Set an alarm for three.”

“Right away, Ms. Leilyn.”

“Who are you calling an old man?!” Alex pouts.

“As long as you call me a hag, I’ll be calling you an old man.”

Alex’s pout deepens. He’s about to say something else when the sound of an incoming transmission stops him.

“Fuck.”

Leilyn cocks a brow. “Work?”

“Yes.” The man groans. “From the lab. I swear they act like idiots who have no idea what they are doing when I’m absent.” He pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Well, seeing as you’re the only one apart from mom that knows how to deal with my inventions, I’m not surprised.”

Alex sighs again, dropping down his hand. “Well, I have to go. I’ll talk to you another time, because gods above know that whatever those idiots have done, I’m going to be busy as fuck.”

Leilyn chuckles. “No prob, otouto (little brother). Try not to kill them.”

With a long suffering groan, Alex ends the transmission.

Leilyn heaves a sigh, throwing her head back, resting her back on the chair. Her eyes stay on the ceiling, focused on the small chandelier above her for a minute before she closes them with a groan.

The throbbing in her skull is awfully persistent. Not even the Nano-bots in her could relive her. Looks like she’s taking that painkiller after all.

With a grunt, Leilyn stands up from the chair and walks out of her study room. She slowly makes her way to her room upstairs, careful so as not to jolt her headache into a full blown migraine. She walks into her en suite bathroom, opens the medicine cabinet above the sink and grabs the bottle of painkillers.

Leilyn drops two tablets in her palm, popping the lid of the bottle back and places it back in its position in the cabinet. She uses her free hand to turn up the tap and scoop a little bit of water into her mouth. She throws her head back and drop the pills into her mouth, and with the aid of the water, she swallows them. She scoops more water and drinks, washing her face along the way. She switches off the tap, grabbing the towel by the side and cleans her face.

When Leilyn looks into the mirror, she sees how tired she truly is. And she also sees that the obsidian jewel is not as dark as before. Looking closely, she sees that it now has a white tint in it. Weird.

With a shrug, she walks out and into her bedroom. She throws the towel in the hamper; removes the long sleeved shirt she has on, along with her bra, dropping them on the floor by the side of her bed. She sighs in relief as her bosoms are set free from their temporary prison.

Leilyn walks into her closet and over to her drawer and picks up a loose, slim strap sports crop top. With that and the shorts she has on, she goes back downstairs.

As it’s already three in the afternoon, Leilyn makes herself a small lunch and goes back to the living room.

The day goes by fast and before Leilyn knows it, it’s 9pm. She’s already dozing off, an empty tub of ice cream in her hands.

“Ms. Leilyn.”

Zoranne’s voice has her waking up.

“Hmm?”

“I suggest you make your way to your bed. Sleeping on a couch is not good for your health.”

“Ugh. Fine.”

Leilyn sluggishly walks to the dining/kitchen and drops the empty tub and spoon on the table. She’ll deal with it tomorrow. Blearily, she goes upstairs, into her room, removes her shorts – leaving her in only her sports bra and black underwear – and throws them on the floor before crawling into her duvet and falls into Morpheus’ bosom.