Vision

"HELP!!!"

"AHHH!!!"

"MY CHILD—!!!"

I hear them again.

A moment ago, I was staring at the gentle moon until it was completely enveloped in the dusk. I've been gazing into the darkness when it suddenly gazes back.

The cries, screams, and earsplitting clamor are unbearable. Fear overcame me when I realized what was going on in my surroundings. I'm no longer on top of the mountain. I'm back at this location. I see people fleeing like crazy all over the place, trying to save themselves, others, and their own families. I can see their terror and nightmare in their expressions.

What's happening? Why am I here again? Why does this nightmare keep coming back?

"Ugh! HELP—"

I heard a desperate cry for help.

I look from where it came from and saw a woman and her baby who got trapped inside their burning house. The mother tried to protect her child by covering it with wet towels and embracing it tightly in her chest, enduring the burns she gets from protecting her infant. However, the burning cabin had already collapsed.

They're dead.

The scorching heat is no longer bothering me since I've been frozen in shock, heaving in horror. Death is all around me. People here are dying.

What is happening?

How did this happen?

Who started this fire?

Suddenly, a tall structure is starting to crumble. The torching flame is burning up the last solid foundation of the structure. As it slowly burns into ashes, the fire got massive. It looks like it wants to engulf everything.

Ugh!

The scorching heat is unbearable.

Crumble!

The structure is finally collapsing.

I gasp as I realize that it is falling in my direction. I jump into safety and manage to evade the collapsing structure and its flaming debris. I'm lucky that I escaped from that. I'm on the ground as I look at the burning structure that had fallen. Dead and burned bodies appalled me. Many lives were taken because of that structure. They didn't manage to move into safety in time. It shocks me to the core. There's too much death. People are screaming, walking in flames, blazing. The smell of burning flesh made me feel squeamish. Smog covered the sky. I keep inhaling the ashes which gave me severe coughing.

I can't breathe.

Unexpectedly, a house behind me violently exploded that blew me away. My face, chest, arms, and legs got burned by the darting debris.

Ouch! It hurts!

This is too real to be just a dream. I felt pain when the burning materials touches my skin. I felt an overwhelming fear engulfing my soul and every bit of my sanity. I take cover. I hide beside a wagon and covered my ears as I shudder in horror.

"This is not happening. This isn't real. This is just a dream, a nightmare. I… I'll wake up soon. There's nothing to worry about. This is all ju… just a ba… bad dream."

I sob.

I'm panicking. I can feel my heart pounding wildly. I am wheezing in dread.

Cries.

Sobs.

Screams.

Howls.

Wails.

It's ringing awfully in my ears, eating up my sane reasoning. Please stop! My jaw was throbbing from gritting my teeth as it keeps coming to me.

"Mama! Papa!"

"AHH!"

"It burns!"

"HELP!"

Stop! Please stop! Someone, please help me! I can't take this anymore!

As the clamor devours my reason, the commotion mysteriously vanished.

It's quiet, dead calm.

The fire died down. The once burning village is now a ghost town. Everything was ruined. The village fire which I witnessed earlier seems like it happened a long time ago because the appearance of the burnt wood doesn't add up. The town looks like it was abandoned and forgotten by time after the fire. The cold breeze of the wind returned. The moon becomes visible again. Everyone vanished along with their screams.

But not all of them.

Despite the sudden quietude, the quiet atmosphere wasn't pleasing to me. I long for serenity but this calmness isn't the kind of peace I want. It has an ambiance of a forgotten necropolis of an ancient village. A creepy fog began to emerge from nowhere. A gust of chilly wind gave me goosebumps. I thrilling sensation caused by intense fear petrified me from my position. I heard someone whishing as it breathes. I've been behind my knees, cowering beside a wagon when I heard it.

Someone else is here.

As the sibilant sound continues, I later realize, it is closer than I think. I slowly look up as I sensed that the noise is coming from above. The paralyzing atrocity petrified my body as my assumption was correct. It was that same being with fiendish presence from the vision I had at Alby's place. It is on the wagon, leaning its head on its side, making direct eye contact with me, wearing a blank expression with a face stained by blood and ashes.

I froze because of dread. My body is trembling in panic. Its bloody-red glaring eyes forced me to stand up and back away. I'm shaking, nonstop. The being slowly maintained his gaze at me without showing any expression.

It suddenly grinned a sinister smile. I felt nauseous, not because of disgust but in severe fright.

I vomited.

The being didn't break its gaze at me. It keeps staring at me while wearing that horrifying smile.

What does it want from me?

As my heart beats faster, the being deviates its eyes and gazes at the moon. And at that moment, it spoke.

"Why are you so scared?" the being uttered in a calm tone.

Its voice contrasts its presence. I have no idea what it is trying to say.

And how is this happening?

Why is it able to speak with me?

"Why don't you just surrender?"

Its voice is so gentle in my ears, yet, it has this terrifying feeling.

"You know that you're only tormenting yourself."

"Why is this happening?" I cried out.

The being is just there, staring at me.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I yelled out of turmoil.

He keeps smiling. He seems like he's enjoying seeing me in fear.

"Because I just love the feeling of tearing hopes into shreds," the being exclaimed. "I just love the looks on people's faces when they realize that there's nothing left but despair."

Its atrocious desires are diabolical.

"Are you satisfied now?" I sobbed. "Is this what you want? Seeing me miserable?"

It had a stoic expression on its face as I let that out.

"I don't know what you are and what you want but why do you keep doing this to me? I keep seeing the worst because of you!" I cried in anguish.

Then I heard a snicker of derision.

"You're blaming me for this? Look around!" the being hissed with resentment as he points out the surrounding.

"Do you think…"

It then jumps out of the wagon and faced me with a petrifying grin.

"…I'm the one who's responsible for this?"

A sudden flash of horrifying events appeared which then vanished shortly. I heard him scoffs and turn his back on me. He gazes onto the moon and asserted, "If you still refuse to accept who you are, I tell you this."

He turned his head back to me, giving me a death glare.

"More lives will be at risk."

And after that, it just grins at me like taking a life is nothing.

As it walks away and vanishes in my plain sight, dead and burned bodies appeared, scattered all around the ground. I screamed in panic as the fire suddenly came back and resumed engulfing everything it touches. I step back until something touches my foot. I look down and saw a burned face of a mother and a child. I fell on the ground and I stumble on another dead body. I hit my head on the ground and howled in pain. When I open my eyes, all I saw was the clear night sky and the moon. When I rise, I was back in the mountain.

My nightmares are getting worse and worse. I'm heaving heavily in alarm, shock, and horror. I weep, sobbing under the open and clear sky. I keep crying and crying.

What am I suppose to do? This is too much to bear. Why is this happening? Does the universe enjoy seeing me in agony?

"I'm trying my best to stay alive and keep people away from harm yet I still suffer. I'm already destined to be alone forever yet I still…"

All I can do now is cry.

"What else do you all want from me?" I bewailed.

"If my fate is to be miserable like this, then it's better to just end it!" I bitterly accepted.

"There is no use enduring this pain. All I feel is misery. Nobody is waiting for me. Nobody will be there for me! Nobody will care about me!" I cried out.

It is lonely and empty here just like my heart. I feel nothing but loneliness.

"Then, let me be that nobody."

A familiar voice has spoken up. I look behind me and saw Alby, staring at me with such gentle eyes.

"Izac, you're no longer alone in this world. I'm here for you," he uttered in such tenderness.

I flinch right after hearing his words.

It's not like I feel disgusted or something else but because of the sudden surge of vague memories of pain. Why does every time I hear those words I feel fear? Why is it that something painful would emerge from my heart the moment I hear assurances?

Why do I feel like it's all just sweet lies?

Why do I feel like there's still hope even though there isn't?

"Please… stay away from me!"

These rouge emotions are scaring me.

"What are you so afraid of? Tell me! How can I help you?" he implored.

I refuse to give him a reply. I didn't even dare to look at him.

"Did I do something bad? Did I hurt you? Do you hate me? If that's the case… then… then tell me what the things you hate… I'll try my best to change them. Just…."

"…please…"

"…don't leave me!"

I saw fear and sorrow in his eyes. I saw how true his words are.

"Izac, you're the only one I have left. Please don't leave. Please don't do the same thing they did to me," he begged.

I saw intense sorrow in his eyes.

"I know I'm being selfish but, please don't. Please don't leave me."

He's begging me to stay.

I want to stay with him. I really do, but I can't. I broke into tears because of disbelief, fear, and perplexity as I continue gazing at him. It's not because of how badly I want to be with him but because of something behind him that appeared.

Alby will die.

I saw his future self, standing behind him. A horrifying scene that I couldn't imagine happening to him. His body is all bloody with eyes gouged out, a missing limb, and the most gruesome part is he looks like he was burned alive. A ghastly sight that would affright any person.

I never would imagine that Alby would be one of those people who'll suffer a terrible death from the vision I saw from that nightmare, shown by that terrifying being. I don't know how Alby would end up like that but if I don't act up, Alby's death will be inevitable.

"Alby, I have to leave. I must leave or else…"

I can't say it.

"Or else what?"

I really can't say it but it's the only way he'll let go of me.

"Why do you want to leave? Do you hate me that much that…"

"Because you will die if I don't leave!"

Alby made a terrified expression after I yelled that. He looks so shocked and confused.

"Alby, I am grateful that I have met you. I am thankful that you made me feel wanted for a short period. I will forever remember your kindness. I really want to stay but I can't let you die just by staying. I just can't…"

I stop from speaking further when I felt a warm embrace from him. Alby hugged me tightly and whispered, "I know. My fate is already been sealed. I already know that I will die no matter what I do. My death is inevitable, Izac."

What does he mean?

"I only have days left... I saw it in my dream."

I heard him sobbed. I felt his fear of death. But what does he mean by that?

"I committed an unforgivable mistake which I will carry on even after I die. Death is the punishment of my sin and even if I run away as far as I could, it would never cover the thing I did."

"You're the only light I have in this pitch-black life."

Alby kneeled and bowed his head as he begged me to stay by his side despite the warning I conveyed.

"Izac, I know I'm being selfish and I don't deserve to ask you anything but please…"

"Please be with me until the end because I'm scared!"

At this moment, I have no idea what to do.

"I will die because of my sin and not because of you. I'm being selfish now but I'm begging you… please…"

I don't know what to do. He's being insensitive to what I feel. Is he really asking me to watch him die? I can't endure that sight. How could he ask me to witness his death?

I wanna hit him but I can't. How could I hurt someone who took care of me when…

And from that moment…

I realize…

This is the reason why he took care of me. He did all of that so that I'll feel obliged to stay by his side. Now, I understand why I feel uneasy about this comfort. It was warning me that this lifestyle I have would not end up good.

I hate him.

But then, I can't just hate him. He did all he can so that he'll not be alone even in his last moment. He's just scared.

But, I really can't grant his wish.

I was about to say my decision when something blazing caught my eye.

"Fire!" I mumbled.

Alby, with an alarmed expression, slowly looks back. An expression of terror was seen from his face caused by the sight of his burning hut.

I know he'll rush back to his hut and try to put it out which made me decide to take advantage of it and run away from him. My decision is already final when he uttered something that surprises me.

"The cloak… no!"

Alby rushed back to his hut with pure terror in his eyes. I don't understand why he looks so scared from the sight of his burning hut. And what did he mean about the cloak?

Is he referring to a different cloak?

Or the one I'm looking for?

But he said that he lost it back when that beast attacked us?

Did he lie about it?

Why would he lie that he lost it?

Or is he hiding something?

I don't know what to believe but I have a strong feeling that Alby knows something that could help me.

But I'm scared.

If I return, that means he'll be at risk. I really don't know what to do. The fire is getting out of hand. It's spreading to the forest and because of that, I decided to come back.

I rushes back and tried looking for Alby's whereabouts. I then found him splashing buckets of water into his hut. When the fire started to be out of control, he grabs a leather coat and soaks it with water, and covers his whole body with it.

What is he trying to do? Is he gonna enter the burning hut?

Why is he risking his life for a cloak?

The strings are starting to connect. He'll never risk his life for a regular cloak. It must be the cloak with my fragmented memory. If that cloak was a fragment, then I must retrieve it! I need to save it from the burning hut or else the memory within it will vanish forever.

Alby quickly run inside the hut and tried retrieving the cloak. The hut is starting to collapse as the fire becomes more intense. I don't have any covers I could use and that's why I decided to soak myself with water and went in. I saw Alby grabbing everything he could from a chest when a burning foundation started to crumble. Without a second thought, I pull Alby away from the collapsing wood. I managed to save him but my body was stuck in the smoldering foundation of the hut. I was unable to move.

It hurts.

It really hurts.

I can't describe how painful it is as the fire touches my skin. Will I be burned alive?

As I think of it, I don't want to suffer this kind of death.

It hurts.

I screamed in unimaginable pain. I'm slowly losing consciousness when the wood crushing me suddenly was lifted and I was pulled out of the burning hut. My burns were severe. My sight is getting hazy. I saw Alby crying from the sight of me. He carefully laid me down to safety. As my body touches the garment he set for me to laid down, a surge of energy was felt.

As my murky eyes gaze at the sky, I later found myself recumbent on the cloak I've been looking for. The memories imbued within are starting to be recovered. Memories started to flash in my mind as I slowly shut my eyes.