18 Hourglass

The little redhead laid down unconsciously on the hospital bed. Noel carried her to the infirmary. The automatic diagnostic box which had a performance like a real doctor could treat basic cases. It reported that Becky just fainted without any harm relating to the head part. No one knew exactly what caused her instant blackout but they heard she screamed out loud as though she got a bad headache that caused her to be immobilized and shrieked. Alexis remembered that sound so well; the sound that prompted a feeling of blood-curding. Evidently, the girl was scared to death of something…or perhaps she was scared of Alexis.

Alexis and Oslo gazed at the girl on that bed. She was very young Becky wore an old yellow-white dress and had her copper hair in messy French braids. The light green eyes were the saddest pair Alexis had ever met. Seeing her bruises and scars on the body as tiny as Minnie, the older remembered these kinds of bruises well. They were similar to the ones Cameron had made it.

Becky came from the mental asylum in Castimonia. In the land where the news often reported about extreme religious rituals, Alexis wondered what kind of Becky’s life had been and why she was so scared of her. Is it because she saw me killing someone?

“Can I get back to my room?” asked Oslo. He looked uneasy.

“What happens?” Then, she saw him grab his T-shirt around his stomach tightly. “I told you not to drink milk when your stomach is empty!”

“I know. I know. Don’t be my mom.”

“Hurry!” She told him. Oslo was about to run out but did not forget to leave a message. “See you at the cafeteria!” Suddenly he disappeared. As she turned back, Becky was blinking. And when she saw herself with Alexis alone, the girl almost buried herself in the wall.

“Why do you stay here?”

Nobody wanted to stay here except for her and Noel but Tessa disagreed. They had never fought for a week (since Ben joined their group so she mostly spent her time defending herself from Ben’s teasing). For this reason, Noel did not want to destroy the good ambiance between him and his sister. Rami hesitated a little bit because he was his first friend of Becky but eventually had been abducted by Ben and Alex for an in-depth interview about his hacking. Therefore, Alexis and Oslo stayed here. And it was because she wanted to make amendments to this girl.

Alexis thought of the way her father handled Jesse when he was caught hiding some liquor bottles under his bed. After selecting the way to destroy Becky’s fear, Alexis moved to the medicine distribution box, saying, “Scar healing cream.”

The window of the automatic machine slit up and a small square box slid into her hand. The same pastel green color with a blue scar gel inside, she recently used it to cure all the scars and injuries. Alexis handed it to Becky.

“Use it. In the next few days, all those things will be gone. I promise.”

Becky hesitated to receive it as if she gave her poison.

“Wade and I have tried it. It perfectly worked well.”

Her round face rose upward. The green eyes shone the interesting sight, the green that reminded Alexis of a deep forest and melancholy. “You have scars too?”

Alexis nodded. “They were similar to those on your neck and arms.” When she saw Becky still listened, she decided to tell her how she got it in terrible details and extra side stories (fingers crossing behind her back). “…his hands were on my neck and he beat me several times I couldn’t even count. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t remember my face after this thing happened to me.”

The eyes of fear now changed to sympathy and they were fusing with emotions. Becky collected the ointment inside her pocket finally. “Why do people hurt each other? Those who hurt you are the police and mine are doctors and nurses.”

“What? Doctors and nurses? That’s not the way they treat a patient. It’s unlawful.”

“In Castimonia, the legal process is inferior to the tradition.” The little girl sat quietly and then acted like she just remembered the most important thing. “No, I shouldn’t say that. Please forget what I said. You met bad people but my case is different. They’re good people. They took care of me. They tried their best to remove the curse. It’s a good purpose. My father hit me too because I’m cursed.”

The heat suddenly boiled up in her head when she heard Becky speak as though it was an ordinary story, as though she deserved it even though the girl profoundly perceived that it was not right, as though they were watching her.

“Can you tell me that dream?”

The girl hesitated. “Do you really want to know? Do you believe me?”

“Honestly, if I say I do, I tell a lie. But I can’t say I don’t believe it either. Anyway, I really love to hear your story, especially your dream of me. This is without any conspiracy against you.”

Becky exhaled. “All right, in my dream, I saw your face and your hand holding a gun aiming at me. I mean someone else. When I dream, I looked through someone else’s eyes but I cannot know who you’re going to kill. Really, no idea at all. I saw your eyes many nights and I woke up screaming until my parents could not tolerate me anymore so they sent me to the asylum. Those eyes were cold to the bone. I don’t know why your eyes scare me that much. Perhaps, it was the violent rage inside the coldness.”

“I’m sorry,” said Alexis even though it was not her fault, wasn’t it? “I wish to kill that two police many times but I don’t know how to kill them and I’m not sure if I really want to kill them or just want to make them suffer the same way they did to the others.” Her eyes swiftly glanced at the girl. At least, Alexis succeeded in gaining Becky’s trust, not entirely but some more.

Peculiar, perhaps, it was. She sensed that the girl spoke the truth but how true her story was? If Becky believed her dream would come true, it usually sounded true to the ears but was it true? Was it Minnie right? This girl had the ability to see the incoming future but although she imagined herself killing Cameron and Bruce several times, Alexis still wondered if she could really do that.

“How often did it come true?”

“I’ve never counted but sometimes.”

Sometimes.

“And why you screamed and fainted?”

“Because of the big man.”

“Noel?”

She nodded. “I saw him. It’s a vision. Sometimes it pops up in my head and…the pain, the severe pain. I saw him with blood and I heard guns…very loud.”

Speechless, her vision of Noel was totally horrible. Should I tell him? Should I tell Tessa? They will think I turn mad too.

“Now you heard it…Do you think I’m weird?” Alexis saw the agony in Becky’s eyes as if she walked into the meadow of the darkest day. She caught the tiny hands and spoke softly. “Am I scary?”

She shook her head and then gradually revealed a timid smile.

That was how her father made Jesse disclose his problem though it was half true, it seemed to work with Becky.

“Becky, I know our first encounter is not pleasant for both of us. But my friends are not the kind of people you have met. They won’t hurt you. Remember the way you scolded me? You’re angry when people judge you, right? It’s the same feeling for us when you judge us but I don’t think what we did is right. Some joke is not funny. We’re really sorry.”

Her pale face turned red, her eyes looked downward. “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry about saying that to you too.”

Relieved, of course, she was. Alexis remembered the time she forgot to talk, forgot to observe the other people, and it taught her a big lesson—losing June. Although she just met Becky, seeing her unfortunate life, Alexis did not want to chase her away from her group. She was a girl and a victim of radical beliefs and ugly people.

“Okay, shall we go?”

“Where?”

Alexis jumped to her feet with a bright smile. “Dinner! Come on, new member!”

Despite gaining Becky’s trust, the little redhead, rather than walking beside, trailed behind Alexis. They accidentally bumped into Alex and when he saw Becky, the young man smiled and clapped his hands. He said, “congratulations! A new baby sister.”

“Shut up. Where’s your buddy?”

“Coming. Hey, I’m doing nothing,” he complained when Becky still hid behind Alexis.

“Becky, he just teased me, not you.”

“She doesn’t fear you anymore?” Alex noticed it. The ‘baby sister’ beamed. “I see.” He collected the glance and turned to her. “Only three days left, do you miss the planetarium?”

They were heading to the cafeteria. It was the first time she had a private talk with him (though they had a little sister trailing behind) since their meeting in that room. That day, they chatted until the morning and forgot the breakfast. It was like a separate world. They shared their skepticism about everything freely and talked about many philosophical ideas until the other guests entered the room. The conservation ended but the impression remained. Eccentric but unforgettable that she could talk with someone who she just met, the topics she could not communicate with anyone but him, this was his pure magic.

“We agree that we won’t go back.”

“Yes, but not the way I visited there. I mean our conversation. Can we break the rule?” He leaned his head a little causing a bunch of his black hair to cover his face. It was the gesture that made Alexis bit her lips.

“Oh, yeah...it’s not fixed, right?” She agreed.

“How about…”

“How could you gain your power?” Becky broke in. Her shining eyes reflected the thought within. The little redhead tried to be a talker but chose the wrong time to practice. Alexis hoped she had not done it because she felt like Alex was going to ask her out this night and her jolly heart danced as if it was waiting for that invitation for a long time. No, not jolly heart, I just love talking. That’s all. Anyway, she stopped thinking about that as Alex’s face lost all the merriness when that question attacked him unexpectedly.

Alexis tried not to look at Becky because the girl would think she blamed her. It was not the right question to ask someone you just knew. The girl was too innocent to be aware of it.

“I—I am so sorry asking that,” she bubbled.

Alex kept quiet as if he sank into the ocean of his memory. He had very pale skin so just when he dropped the spirit, the young man was no different from a young vampire. Regarding his present look, even though wearing just a t-shirt and black jeans, Alex had the charm but not the kind of danger or alluring like Ben, or supremely hot like Wade, not even close to the angelic charming Michael. It was his unique charisma, queer but cool. When he smoked (though she did not like the smell), he looked devilishly handsome, and without it, he was a young fine business heir.

“Is he angry at me?” Becky whispered.

Alexis met his eyes, “she didn’t intend to ask something too personal”

Alex shook his head and pushed the hair out of his face. “No, it’s not…personal. It’s just… I was in the hospital and…know that I lost...”

“…lost?” Both girls uttered.

“…”

Alexis gazed into his darkness that returned melancholy and grief. In an instant, as if her body falling into space where she saw stars, the girl found that the young man carried a portable universe within himself. He was close, close enough, at least his shoulders touching her; it seemed like both forgot the other one. Without the smell of smoking cigarettes, the scent from his body and soap, clean and fresh, she felt a magnetic force created by him. Becky is here. His magic impressed and imprinted longer than she expected and it evoked a strange feeling she tried to cease. Becky is here. But damn those eyes, they had the power like a supermassive black hole so she felt like being consumed. Alexis instantly looked away when she felt Becky’s strongly observative eyes.

The girl backed to be herself. He seemed to say something but then changed his mind. “I remembered that you bring a CD player. Can I borrow?” The question popped up without warning and he pretended like Becky had not asked anything.

“Oh, yes. Of course. Now?”

He nodded.

Alexis adjusted her facial expression. “Okay, I’ll go back to my room.”

“How about the dinner? I…I can’t go alone.” The little redhead voiced.

She wanted to hit her face for forgetting that. “You come with me. No.” What’s happening to me? “Can I give you after dinner?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex agreed. “Hey, how can she start trailing you?” He jerked his head to Becky. “Like a little puppy.”

“Hey,” She clapped on his arm. “Don’t say that,” whispered. Becky had similarity to Minnie but also difference too, due to her sensitiveness with words.

The young man gave a slight snigger. “You did succeed in brainwashing her.”

“I didn’t do that.”

“She didn’t do that.”

Alex bent his head and smiled as if he said through his gesture, “See?” Then he said, “How many people do you want to kill or going to kill?”

“Two. You?”

“Plenty.”

The girl softly laughed. Alex poked his head at Becky, “you?”

The little redhead shook her head.

“Good girl.” Then he patted her top head which was why Becky started to feel at ease with him even though he treated her like a puppy. Perhaps, she preferred to let Alex treat her this way rather than annoy her or see her like a monster.

“Back to the old topic, how about…the CD, what artists you have?”

She felt a small headache on the two sides of her head. Alex’s moods were unstable. “Carmen, The Dark Age, and Echoes of Mine.”

“Good taste. All are my favorites but I need Carmen tonight. What will you eat today?”

Two girls exchanged their looks. “Honestly, Alex, I can’t follow you. You change the topic so abruptly. Are you okay?”

“Empty stomach, empty head, I’m so hungry,” he said and left them bewildered.

When the two girls stopped, he turned back. “Same way, are we?”

Alexis sighed and fanned her head to Becky. “If people say you’re weird, don’t care about them because you’re going to have weird friends like us.”

Without a single glance to see if she understood or not, the new sister grabbed the younger’s arm and followed him.

**********

They welcomed Becky warmly, especially Tessa (an amendment from the beginning). She was always like this, attacking everyone who harmed her friends and when the little redhead became her friend, apologizing to each other, the feud ended. The only thing Alexis taught the younger girl to live with was Ben’s and Wade’s sarcastic jokes and specifically when they were tack-team.

In her room, Alexis was sitting and searching for the music player Alex asked for.

Will he ask me out?

The girl gently hit her head several times. Boring of questions, she searched for the gadget. It was collected in the backpack. She had never listened to it since her arrival because of her over-obsession with the past memory. The album of her family and friends previously had been on the top now was at the bottom as same as the CD player. She missed them so bad but also was scared to open them. Because when she opened it, she felt lost again.

Recalling the rules of relocation, in any case, the girl must bring some stuff even if they were prohibited but she hoped that just a small bag might be fine. At least, she could bring her family with her (keeping her fingers crossed.) Only three days left here, the fear scarcely affected due to the fear of moving to the other unknown place.

Someone knocked on her door, “Alexander Volcov takes a visit.” The male synthetic voice gave the alarm. Certainly, he came for the CD player. She picked it up, and pushed the button, the door slid to the left side. Alex stood before the door and Ben stood little centimeters away with arms crossed on his chest.

“Women always keep men waiting,” the charming guy teased. Just when Alexis had more chance to talk to him, Ben openly flirted. His wolf eyes did affect her like the way they affected the other girls; however, she had never felt provoked or moved by him. She still dreamed of Davy, yet the frequency decreased. To love for fun or to love forever, she lost all faiths.

Ignoring Ben, she complained to his friend. “You don’t have to be so haste. I just came back to my room.” Then, handed the CD player to him.

“Carmen?”

“Yeah, the disk is inside it.”

Alex put off the earphone and shut into his world but he did not leave. Ben moved towards.

“We met Carmen several times,” Ben mentioned her favorite singer. She was very famous for her unique genre of music and writing style. Her music was mostly ballad, sometimes, R&B, but ‘Carmen’ was the most proper word to describe her music.

“I met her once. She arranged the mini-concert in my hometown.” Alexis shared her experience and decided to step outside before Ben made the move. The door closed. “No auto-tune, no freaky dancers, she’s truly amazing.”

“You really can read my mind,” the little lord from the capital slyly grinned. “Anyway, she’s Alex’s sugar mommy.” Ben pointed out. “We met her several times at my father’s VIP lounge. She loves to spend the night there. You’re her fan. You know all of her songs.”

“Of course!” replied she. They were walking, heading to nowhere with Alex following behind.

“Libellule is the name of that lounge,” Ben whispered and smiled mischievously.

That lounge shared the same title as Carmen’s song.

“I know it’s a place but did not know that it was your lounge! What’s your family business?”

Instead of giving an answer, Ben’s turned his lip corners up, and then he began to sing.

“You saw me sitting alone in Libellule, Weak and fragile, under the neon moon. Sweet love, you returned my youth and healed my wound. My midnight eyes, you forget our night in June. Do you think who the boy is? The boy with those midnight eyes?”

His singing was far from bad, he had the talent.

Alexis turned to Alex and he narrowed his eyes in return. Enlightenment, she stopped her pace and gave Ben a penetrating stare, “You always input false information into my head!”

“Yes, he loves poisoning people,” Alex supported her words which meant he was still with them, not lost in Carmen’s world.

Ben wrapped her shoulders, “Thought my joke would work. You’re innocent enough to believe it. I know you’re bored with the club. Why don’t we go somewhere else tonight before the relocation? Two of us…”

She removed his arms away and completely neglected his invitation. “Innocent?” A curl of her lips appeared. “Guys… I’m younger than you just a few years but it doesn’t mean I know anything. You came to me just to ask this again and again?”

“I know. I know. If you don’t feel at ease with me alone, how about three?” Ben shrugged. “I mean you and me…and Tessa?”

She stretched her leg to kick him but the wolf could avoid it. His villain laughter echoed around.

“You’re just…” She was not sure about her words so stopped saying them. If Dad knows my new friends…

She was chasing him, aiming at kicking and punching, trying so hard to eliminate all the freaky thoughts out of his head, while he was moving, fleeing, and chortling. “Say it, Bambi. I love to know.”

“You’re stubborn and arrogant, too narcissistic.”

Both men laughed out loud.

“You don’t have to be polite! Pervert! Call him a pervert. Call him an asshole. Call him a dickhead,” Alex shouted, sounding like cheering.

Ben groaned at his friend and mildly spoke to her. “My Bambi, you delicately select the smart words. You’re too strict with yourself, m’lady.” And then he sang again but changed the lyrics, “Why don’t you let me heal your wound and teach you womanhood?”

Alexis gave a gleeful laugh and stopped chasing Ben. They think I’m too immature. “You’re quick but use your wits in the wrong way. Ten points for the use of double meanings. Zero for that meaning.”

After realizing they were in front of the spa room, we ran like a racing car. Some girls that walked past them sent a secret message through their sight towards the two men. Alex shut his message receiving box completely. Contrasting his friend, Ben opened every channel to receive and reply to their messages. Younger and older, he opened up to everyone. Sometimes, he got the bad ones too, such as ‘Asshole’ or ‘Go to hell’. Those were incapable of irritating him.

“Cursing you is like talking to the wall. Don’t you get bored? You know? You were like a super charming prince at first and then…”

“And?” He narrowed his eyes.

“You tear off that image. Stop acting like a wolf towards me! I’m not the red riding hood. And stop calling me Bambi, I hate it.”

“If I’m a wolf, what is Wade? Angry bear?”

Two men laughed together, seeing it funny.

“Is it your normal habit? Seduce every woman you meet,” Alexis asked him, seriously curious.

“Not everyone, every lovely one.”

“Except this one,”

“Who?” Ben wondered so she pointed to Alex. “This one is not a woman.”

“What?” Both men cried at the same time, especially Ben who was really shocked. This strategy was working so well because Ben forgot to flirt with her.

“Sorry, but I can’t help feeling doubtful. If you don’t flirt at me, you keep asking what Alex talked to me, what Alex asked me…blah blah blah.”

“Oh no, you’re out of your mind!” Ben closed his ears as if she said the most painful word. “Bromance, damn, why do girls these days love this kind of romance?”

“Because love is not about gender but you guys don’t listen….”

“See?” Alex pulled out the earphone as if someone overstepped his boiling limit. “I doubt that too! You keep annoying me and stealing my girlfriends! I know I’m hot, friend. But I love you like a little brother.”

“I’m not gay! If I am, why do I sleep with women? Shit! You know I love to sleep with them. I love to sleep with you too if you allow me.” The girl frowned. Ben kept shouting at his friend. “Sleeping with your chic is because I have a good intention. I told you million times, Alex!”

“Hey! I’m sorry but you two speak very loud. It’s alright if you’re interested in both.”

“Such a kind word!” Ben inhaled deeply and continued shouting at Alex like being mad, it was the first time Ben abandoned the lordling image.

To be honest, his charisma increased when he was really himself by turning off the women predator and evil mode, Ben was naturally fun to talk with. Although he loved to make sarcastic comments about people, hearing his creative comparison enlightened her choice of wording skills.

“I like this side of yours,” she told him directly while both men were sharpening their mouths to each other and they were always like this. As he heard, the Casanova peered at her and grinned. “Not that way. I like when you're being yourself, not the prince charming and the wolf.”

“Really? How do you know I am me? Do you think this is the real ‘me’? Maybe I help you discover ‘me’ better?”

“Shut up.” Then she touched his bangs. Why did you put gel here?”

“No, don’t touch my hair.” He drew back.

“He covers the wide area on his front head. Ben will get bald when he reaches middle age,” Alex spoke merrily. Again, they started fighting. Ben stopped annoying her and charged at Alex locking his neck but because his friend was taller so they played wresting instead. People started to be interested in them.

“Hey stop, stop. It’s alright. They’re always like this.” She talked to the boys who were about to charge them. “Hey. Stop! Don’t destroy my kid!” The girl tried so hard to snatch her baby back. “Hey, people are looking. They think you’re fighting. I know you’re fighting but…Shit.”

She hit both of their heads. “Sorry.”

Alex breathed deeply, putting the earphone in his ears again. Anyway, there was a glimpse of satisfaction on his sleepy face while Ben managed his hair. His face turned red. All of them were tired of jabbing, defending, pushing, and kicking. All of them rested and those who walked past looked at them as if they were weirdos. They must wonder why the three idiots sitting in the passage of the corridor. And a girl with pneumatic boobs sneered when she walked past.

“Three days left, where are we going?” Ben asked. Everybody asked this question.

“You must learn to live with it, the life without all answers,” she said.

“Is it you who always make questions?”

“Maybe we’ll get the answer on that day,” Alex guessed.

“Wish it’s a good one.” She showed her fist.

“A good one.” The other two men bumped their fists with her, the way people clinked their glasses.

“Hope the answer is not Godot,” Alexis concluded.

So both men exhaled.