~BEEP BEEP BEEP~
What's wrong Oreiha? Maro looked worriedly at her whilst scanning all the food items.
~BEEP BEEP BEEP~
Oreiha tried to calm herself, shaking her head trying to get rid of those thoughts.
"Deep breaths Oreiha…"
Maro signalled to her to slowly breathe in and then exhale.
Leto was buying his own items at the cash register with the help of a cashier.
"I think I'm okay now…"
Oreiha took another deep exhale before walking with her brother towards the exit. They were standing there waiting for Leto to finish paying. Like a kid, Jecca was playing around in the snow outside of the market awaiting Maro and Oreiha.
Leto sluggishly ran up to us immediately after finishing paying for his groceries. But the way he had put things into his bag was messy and made the items almost spill out.
"Here, do this."
Maro helped to unpack his bag and rearrange it in proper order making it much more stable for Leto to carry.
Just about when Leto was going to pick up his bag, Maro picked it up for him and carried it away along with his groceries.
"I can't make you do that…" Leto anxiously outburst.
The second Leto said that a smile that was radiant and warm melted his words of responsibility and just let it take over. It was like a baby being cradled in a warm embrace, not needing to do anything.
"Don't worry about it! I got these muscles for a reason, hehe."
Walking back in the thick snow Leto looked repeatedly at the bags Maro was carrying. But despite feeling like a burden, he felt that for the first time, someone had seen him.
The anxiety slowly vanished from his face as we started to know each other. Not before long, Leto became a part of our hangout group.
He liked being spoiled and taught by Maro, all of them did. They could spend hours with Maro and still not be bored.
Oreiha loved her brother with all of her heart.
A love that couldn't be expressed or written down in a poem or text. She adored her older brother and wanted him to be with her forever.
One cold winter day in December, it was both Oreiha's birthday and Christmas. Maro, Jecca, Gel and Leto were there celebrating both Christmas and her birthday.
Exquisite food adorned the white pristine cloth that covered the table. Balloons and Christmas decorations were all over the house. In the middle of the table is a rectangular-shaped box.
~BEEP BEEP BEEP~
Oreiha closed her eyes trying to suppress the sound coming from her head.
"What's wrong sis? Open it!"
Her small pale hands reached out towards the present. Ripping away the thin paper layer of wrapping paper Oreiha saw it was a black rectangular box with a lock on it.
She unlocked it and opened her gift. Her eyes widened in surprise seeing what her friends had given her.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY OREIHA!" Everyone shouted in unison.
"I know how much you wanted to play with me so we all decided to save money for a violin for you!"
Inside was a gift from her friends, something expensive. She took it up and wrapped her thin fingers around its neck.
"Try playing something!" Maro encouraged.
The small wooden stick next to it lay in front of her with white silky tightened horse hair. She picked it up and placed it against the strings of her violin. Her neck supported the violin as she played her very first note.
~KLICK~
"Hey! Where did you get that camera, Leto?" Jecca called out.
Oreiha stopped playing her violin as she looked at Leto who had snapped a photo of her.
He waved it around in the air for a little bit before everyone gathered around him to look at the picture.
"That's my sister!" Maro proudly exclaimed with both his hands on his hips.
Leto took out his photo album and wrote on the first page. "Oreiha's first note."
Then he glued the picture he had taken next to the text.
"That's a pretty idea. Once that book is full, we can all look at the memories we had!"
~BEEP BEEP BEEP~
The sound was unbearable now and Oreiha grabbed her head with both her hands trying to shake off that abhorrent sound.
"What's wrong?!"
Just before her brother could save her, just before he could touch her. Just before she could say that she loved him once again. She had been transported into the white void.
~BEEP BEEP BEEP~
The sound was still ringing inside of her head like a woodpecker pecking at her skull.
She found herself amongst all the drawings of blood and stormed off in an unknown direction. The bloodied knife lay there on the ground waiting for Orei.
Brushing off all the pieces of paper around the knife she picked it up and slashed her throat with no hesitation. A horrendous gargling sound could be heard from the open wound on her throat as air escaped her airway. Blood rushed out and mixed with the air making bubbles. It continued to rush out of her jugular vein and artery, and not long after, Orei bled out in the white void.
~BEEP BEEP BEEP~
Immediately, she slammed her hand down onto the nightstand, flinging her alarm clock into the wall.
~Be..ep..~
Orei woke up and looked around annoyed and angry. She stared at the alarm clock which had ruined the perfect world.
As she stepped out of bed and looked out of the window to see the skies darken. Had she slept for that long?
But then another sound disturbed her tranquillity.
~KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~
Orei knew exactly who it was and sighed and put on some old clothes she found on the ground and turned the knob of her bedroom door.