Stars Of Life

✦ Pain

SAGE POV

The temperature was at worse. My frozen hands tighten around my arms to conserve whatever latent heat was left. Despite darkness all around me, the road was visible due to leftover melting snow. Discovering the lost road in fifteen minutes before giving up was my hard luck. I didn't care who came in the forest or what if that unknown person find me staggering here? My state of breathing was arduous than those situations. Unlike my numb hypothermic body, my head throbbed like broken welts plus throat was sore of extreme coldness.

Never in my life, I'd felt the destructive side of the chilly air, it pricked every inch of my bare skin, my face and hands like sharp pointed needles. I couldn't move my legs faster than few strides so running to home was my lamest idea. Time was unknown; my phone was somewhere inside my pocket with dead network. My parents must have called me several times after finding that I was not in my room. And that rough letter on the table, I had wrote:

Mom, I'm leaving early for the gathering. Don't worry I'll be fine and home soon. Love, S

So going home in this ill state gave me a bitter vibe, a pang of regret crossed me. I didn't fool my parents but my soul.

And Kenzo? Yesterday was our first good talk, I screwed up everything. My heart ached as if it was being squeezed with greater force.

It took a long time to reached down the main street feeling far more warmer than the forest road. I make a satisfied sound like the chicken feeling the warmth of incandescent bulb for the first time. The cars were running, streetlights were blindingly glowing and the most important thing was my home. It was near. There were no people on the sidewalk and the shops were almost closed.

I deeply savour the warmth in the air, moreover my leg stuck to fault on the ground. I lose my balance and landed with my hands pressing to the concrete floor. Pain shot me everywhere, then in an instant my eyes noticed something very annoying to look at. My skin was covered in dark purple patches.

Gulping with sore throat, I stood up getting dizzy. The surrounding spun in tormenting speed.

I need help.

"Mom," my voice was small. I closed my eyes, needy of support or else fell again. Darkness summoned me to lay on the slumber bed.

I cannot feel bad of the choice I made to be with him. Can I? This time probably will never provide a chance for a walk to forest with a supernatural stranger. Neither the hearty invitation from my friend. I would have tell my parents before sneaking out...Ugh, nothing is making sense!

I've to take step forward.

I felt my phone inside the pocket of my long coat. I called mom.

"Sage," Her brooding voice, "Where are you?"

"I...outside. I'm out..side." I trembled wandering my eyes around the empty street to keep myself alert for living.

* * *

[After few days ]

I was completely back to normalcy, well maybe not now because my parents can't stop their moody faces to brighten up. And I was admitted at the private hospital for whatever days; I may not be able to go home today. This keeps repeating. Any visitor are not allowed to see me. That's why no one has come to my recovery room except my parents. I missed my grandparents, friends and my room.

I stare down at my hand. Light red patches are intact there which sometimes itch wanting me to tear off my skin. Nobody listened me that I'm fine. Probably they were right, my fever is rising, in addition my hot breaths are not so giving me good clue.