Fireflies

34

I wiped the forming perspiration on the sides of my face, the lump on my throat seeming harder to swallow as each second passed. Confining myself in the limited space of the cab, I looked from Mom and then to the blurry view outside.

"Mom, do you think I can do this?" I asked her, even though I knew she would scowl at me.

For days I've begged for her to be in favor of my choice but still, the millions of possibilities that things would turn out the way I did not expect it to be, ate me alive.

"We're far too close to retracing our steps now, don't you think? This trip is not that cheap, Claire."

She placed her palms on my arms, her pursed lips mimicking the tight expression she wore on her face. This was a good idea, just not great enough to keep people from all over the world invested in young love. How foolish I have become, how lucky I get to heal.

And I acknowledge that. Marina's chill whispers roam my ears like muffled voices. But more often my head ring more on the dilemma of meeting the only boy I'd be willing to pierce my soul with.

"Let's go," she murmured as the cab halted in front of the hospital. "Claire, come on now."

I followed her outside and caught a glimpse of a facility, not too massive like the infamous buildings standing as skyscrapers. It was conveniently white and bright, the square edges of the walls reminded me of boxes piled up on top of each other. Marbled floors welcomed the clicking sound of my shaky steps and I clutched my bag getting colder by the minute.

"You're too nervous dear, you'll see him in a few minutes," Mom said as we went inside the lobby full of people passing by each other, lost in their own ticking time.

"I-I should go the bathroom first while we wait," I managed to say when Mom led us to an empty row of metallic chairs. "I'll find it."

"I'll come-"

I shook my head. "I can go alone Mom."

"But-"

"Trust me, Mom," I said, returning her sharp lasered eyes.

"Okay, be careful. Call me if something happens."

I nodded my head and scurried away, lifting my head looking at signs as to where the bathroom could have been located. Afraid that I was not going to navigate it sooner, I gathered the courage to go near the only unoccupied person on the premises. He stared outside the window while he sat in his wheelchair, the entire right of his leg wrapped in a thick cast.

"Hi," I muttered shyly. "May I ask where the bathroom is?"

The guy raised his head and met eyes with me, blinked for a little while, and then pointed in the opposite direction.

"You went the wrong way," he said smirking. "Did you get lost already? You're new here."

I retrieved my fumbling hands and tried to restrain a glare. "Do you know where it is?"

"You turn to the fi-" he got cut off the moment some person behind him was screaming in the distance.

"Wait, help me. I have to hide."

I shrieked. "Hide? What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, do me a favor, will you? Push me in the opposite direction and I'll go with you to the bathroom."

"Are you crazy? Just tel-"

Another scream echoed loudly. "Donghyuck!"

He ushered me with panicky eyes and I stared at a stranger who was yelling someone's name. Probably this guy in a cast was the one he was looking for.

"Donghyuck! Where did you go?"

"Help me. Now, just this once," he pleaded, raising one arm because the other was swathed in a cast and some bandages as well. "Please stranger girl, lend me a hand."

"You're Donghyuck?"

He nodded vigorously, grabbing onto the hem of my jacket with a distraught gaze.

I didn't know what came over me, but as soon as I witnessed the guy looking in my direction, Donghyuck's wheelchair was thoroughly attached to my overwrought hands.

We ended up sprinting all across the space, with me pushing Donghyuck's chair in a hurry, and him urging me to go faster.  The doctors and nurses were sternly looking at us but I was far too anxious to stop because the inner scars in me bombarded my thoughts.

It reminded me of the time when I was chased, the feeling that had been dreadfully horrendous.

"Turn here!" he ordered and I followed along, we took turns a lot, and as soon as we got far, my feet were pulsing and my throat was on fire.

"What was that?!" I said panting.

He laughed. "You're a pretty good runner."

"I ought to really go to the bathroom now," I said finally frowning at him. "Tell me where it is."

"It's right over there, you can go now."

I stared at him as he continued to scan around the area. "Are you in danger?"

He chuckled again. "No need to go into other people's business. You should go on your way now, thanks for helping me."

"Just like that?"

"Weren't you in a hurry as well?" he asked tauntingly.

"You know what? I'll go, Donghyuck."

"Thanks again!" he shouted when I was a few meters away.

I looked back at him and saw a guy with smiling eyes. The huge windows seeped inside the hallways and corridors and so as he waved at me with such a huge grin, I noticed that the sun complimented the glimmer of his skin.

------

"Where the hell have you been?!"

Those were the first words my Mom said as soon as she spotted my figure coming nearer.

I cleared my throat. "I got lost."

"I should have accompanied you but you kept on insisting you can do it on your own. Now Mrs. Lee is on her way down to meet us, Claire. If you came a little later, I would have approached the front desk and called for your name through the speakers of the entire building.

"Mom, you would never dare-"

She hissed. "Oh I will, I can't afford you getting lost anymore and you know that."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken so long, Mom."

A part of me sighed in dismay at the thought that I got my Mom all worried but another voice kept whispering to me the events just a few minutes ago that went by in a flash. Who would have thought I'd be pushing a wheelchair while running like my life depended on it?

I didn't know if I was exhilarated or scared.