A Bizarre Place

[Myka]

I opened my eyes to see myself lying in an unfamiliar place. It's as if I've been transported somewhere, or should I call it heaven? Because by the looks of the clouds beneath my feet and all these white and blinding lights everywhere, I say that this is the literal definition of heaven.

I started to walk around only to see nothing and no one.

Trying to recall why I was here, I gave up after a few minutes of brainstorming, I wasn't able to remember anything.

A sigh escaped my mouth, echoing through my vast surroundings.

"Hello?" I tried calling for help with the assistance of echoes, in hopes that someone would hear me, but nobody answered back.

I continued wandering around, and finally, a few seconds later, I heard a faint giggle. If you're in my shoes, it might sound creepy or suspicious that you might run away from it instead. But I'm desperate to see another soul to at least converse with. So I ran to find where that came from.

"Mikhail," another faint voice called out. I found myself running in the direction where I heard it come from. I'm not sure why, but there is a certain urge, a feeling coming from deep within me to chase after that someone.

"Where are you?" a worried tone came out of me as if I was expecting the one who called that name to be in trouble. I can't explain it properly, but it's as if I'd go crazy from this unexplainable heart-pounding feeling.

"Mikhail," I froze when I saw a butterfly amid my panic.

Horror flooded my mind as I slowly stepped closer to it. As the mysterious butterfly noticed my presence, it flapped its explicit wings as it circled me.

It's the exact one, the butterfly that I've been catching sight of quite frequently

"Mikhail," a deep but gentle voice turned into an atrocious and endless record that kept playing inside my head. I even tried covering my ears but it kept calling that name.

"Who even is Mikhail?!" I shouted as tears ran down my cheeks. I was in no control of my body when I didn't feel that I'd been clutching my ears so hard that blood started to drip down my elbows.

Then another giggle ended every sound that could be heard. As I tried and looked up to the source of the blinding light that magically appeared in front of my kneeling self, I saw the boy. The one that I was so mesmerized by back in the library, the boy who gave me shivers down my spine, and the one who reminds me of someone dear to me...someone who I've long forgotten.

"My dear Mikー" he was smiling, about to say the name again when he suddenly vanished.

"Myka!" I hear a familiar voice this time. "Please wake up," I didn't quite recognize who that voice belonged to immediately from all the sobbing and ruckus going on. But when Jullie chanted my name once more, I found myself surrounded by a crowd of curious people.

"Are you alright?" she frantically looked all over my body once she noticed me awake.

"What happened?" a grunt escaped me as I felt lightheaded.

"How is it, mister?" Jullie suddenly changes her glance to a fine man, wearing a full suit and tie who looks busy, calling someone on his phone.

"They said all of their ambulances are currently dispatched," he then ends the call, thanking the other person on the receiving end before he puts his phone in his pocket. "I'll take you there myself," he started to walk in our direction and kneeled, attempting to carry me to his car.

Once I had grasped what was happening, I hurriedly stood up even though I felt like collapsing to the ground. "I'm perfectly fine," I say nervously upon seeing all those eyes and flashing camera lights on me.

Please, just go away and don't stare at us.

"What do you mean fine?" Jullie protested. "Your legs are shaking!" she shouted as she gave me her shoulder to lean on.

Part of me is perfectly fine, while another just blames it on the huge crowd why I'm feeling this way.

The man just sighed and held the door of his car for us to hop in. "Slowly and steadily, you might injure her more if you rush like that," he advised Jullie who was panicking as she assisted me upon entering the car. It doesn't appear to be a sports car or an expensive one, but an ordinary black four-seated car.

"I told you I'm fine though," I tried convincing them that I was well by moving my arms and smiling.

I can't explain it in detail, but I do feel alright. My lightheadedness must be from the nervousness I felt when I was surrounded by a lot of people. It was the first time in my life that a lot of strangers were staring at me, and I didn't like it.

"You are far from fine," we hear the man say. And when I looked in the rear mirror, our eyes met and he gave me a worried look. "Even if there is no sight of blood externally, your internal organs might have been damaged," he sighed. "So please refrain from moving too much," focusing on getting us to the hospital as fast as possible.

"Thank you, mister," both I and Jullie said simultaneously because we realized that not everyone will stop and help someone who they ran over. And that cleared some of my suspicions of him. Whether he was a bad person or a good one.

"Don't be. I should be the one apologizing," he said and I saw him smile with relief. "Also, I'll pay for the bills so get every test there is to take," he continued.

Now I just feel bad.

It was my fault after all. I crossed the road even when I kind of knew that the lights were still red. I admit, I did catch a glimpse of the color but at that moment, everything was just so peaceful and I had a lot of questions. That must be why I walked blindly into the street.

I'm not quite sure.

I was rushed to the emergency room and took a ton of tests just to make sure that I was perfectly fine internally. It took us a few hours to finish every paperwork and test. And I am glad that there was particularly nothing wrong with me.

The man did stay true to his word; he paid for everything, stayed by our side, and treated us kindly.

"If you'd allow me, I'd like to take you girls home safely too," he was rubbing the bridge of his nose as he said that. He must have had a rough day already and now he's still here at this hour because of me. It was quite late, around nine-thirty.

"We wouldn't want to intrude on your day any longer sir, but thank you for the offer," Jullie respectfully bowed at the man.

"No, please, It's all I could do to atone for running over your friend," he was shaking his hands, uncomfortable by her abrupt constant bowing.

"Sir you already paid for the bill, we're more than thankful, to be honest," Jullie stood her ground and continued persuading him to let us go on our own.

"Is it because I look scary?" he started to do some puppy eyes to appear reassuring. And honestly, his facial features made it more petrifying.

"No mister, it's justー" Jullie was stunned and turned to me for help.

"It is dangerous to walk by ourselves at this time of the hour," the man's face glistened when he heard my response. But on the other hand, Jullie gave up and just went quiet on the corner. "But can you drive us to a convenience store in our neighborhood instead? I'm craving some instant noodles right now," I tried to be considerate of his feelings and at the same time, be careful not to give our address to a stranger.

"I can do that," he smiled and went to get his car from the parking lot.

~~

"Thank you, mister," Jullie and I are now waving our hands to the man's disappearing car after he dropped us off at the convenience store.

"He was so nice," Jullie says. He did entertain us inside his car by vibing with our favorite songs which he nicely played and chatted with us, making sure he didn't make us uncomfortable.

And I suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right, can I sleep at your house today?" I turned to her and abruptly asked.

"Again?" she was a bit surprised but it didn't last long. "I mean sure, but" she was about to say something but I hurried and made an excuse to convince her.

"Come on, my parents and I had a fight," I tried to look helpless so she wouldn't chase me away.

"I already said yes so don't give me that look," I instantly smiled when she said that. "But seriously, how often do you people fight?" she sighs, questioning me but I just shrugged to dodge it.

I'm sorry Jullie, I'm not ready to tell you all about my Aunt because I know that you'll worry about me more and I'd hate that.

"And while we're here, why don't we buy a few snacks to bring to your house?" I said to her, but she desperately told me that she didn't want any and neither did her family.

"But come on, I need to bring something to your parents at least," I said stubbornly when she started pulling me away from the direction of the convenience store.

"I told you we don't need it! And I'm saying it on behalf of the Rozellett household," she kept pulling me away but I kept fighting her with the help of a street lamp nearby me.

"I've been going to your house too often, this is the least I could do," I begged.

"We're friends!" she excused.

"I know that butー," I stopped midway when we were interrupted by the sound of a horrifying tone of voice that we both hate. And that's the sound of a happy couple's conversation.

"Thanks, babe," we hear the girl giggle. "This is so delicious," she added cuddling her lover's arm.

We were finally able to take a glance at the couple after they passed through us. 

"What a happy couple," Jullie cleared her throat and took a peak at the convenience store's signboard that's endorsing their limited edition of dragon fruit ice cream. And from that, I could already think of what she wanted to do. "That does look delicious. But uhー" she fakes her coughs and then looks at me with hope in her eyes.

"It does," I responded and waited patiently for her comeback.

"Let's go," she says with a shaky voice, wanting me to read her signs and make the first move. But I decided to play with her a little.

"If you insist," I sigh, pretending that I didn't understand her signals. "Let's go to your house," I continued. And her reactions were hilarious. She could only whimper in secret.

"Myka," she stood, shocked by my answer and my sudden walking away from the store. "Alright," I can hear her defeated whine as she follows me.