OPPOSITES

Chapter 2

Sitting on one of the bar stools at the island, I sipped on the coffee mug just to find it empty. I sighed. My work is only half way done and I would never get to go another half without any coffee. Too lazy to approach the coffee machine 10 feet away from where I was sitting, I called out for Mrs Lee but received none in response.

I frowned. Had Mrs Lee left already?

"Mrs Lee?" I called out a little louder this time. Still. The apartment is awfully quiet that it was hurting your ears making it felt like they got bloated by the silence. I glanced around the dimly lit room just to notice how dark the sky was. Darker than the usual. I shifted on my seat.

"Mrs Lee?" I called again, even louder. I didn't want to shout knowing it was already past midnight and the neighbors might be sleeping peacefully in their designated unit. I could practically hear my heart started to beat faster.

"Mrs Lee?!" I hugged my knees as I tried to not stumble to the ground with the stool barely even fitting me hugging my knees to my chest. I flickered my eyes when I could hear the pitter patter sound of water droplets on my window, slowly becoming more vigorous as if they tried to break through the glass and crashed the whole room. Crashed me.

"Mrs Lee!" I covered my ears with both hands, pressing them a little too hard, in hope to stop the rushing sound from the rain conquering my mind. I closed my eyes when suddenly the sky turned white for a millisecond before they delivered the most threatening sound to the world.

The thunder.

The sky rubbed each other, striking the white zig zag lines which resembled more like a tree branches. The beauty soon forgotten by the storm that could woke up the whole living creatures, reminding each and everyone of us that we were only as small as the bacteria sticking on our hands after playing on the dirt. They were reminding us how ruthless could they be. They were reminding us how strong they were.

A strong that could kill.

"Mrs Lee!!" The sound of a person barging through a door could be heard. Not long after, I could feel someone slowly engulfed me into an embrace. Hands slowly stroking the line of my backbone as her lips would never stop  whispering words of encouragement.

"I'm sorry, honey..."

I chocked on the air I never knew I was holding. I crumpled the piece of clothing she was wearing into my fist. I tighten my arms around her slim figures. At this point I was literally sobbing on her chest. I never felt so small my entire life.

"I-i thought y-you're leaving m-me as well.." I chocked out between the sobs. Mrs Lee slowly broke the hug as she cupped my face to look at her eye to eye.

"I will never leave you," She whispered as she wiped away the tears that flew to my cheeks after I blinked my eyes. She was smiling sadly at me. Her eyes were also red like she was trying to hold her own tears. She caressed my cheek before planting a feathery kiss on my forehead.

"It's scary.." I whispered back. "I- it's scary, Mrs Lee. They-" I pointed out to the storm outside. "-scary,"

"It's okay," Mrs Lee breathed out and engulfed me into another tight hug. "It's okay...."

The night continued with Mrs Lee never leaving my side. She was cradling me like I was a newborn baby who was very fragile. She caressed my hair softly as if she was afraid the hair would fall down. She wiped the uncontrollable tears that were too stubborn to stop away from my face. She held me securely, afraid that if she loosened the hold I would be swallow by the demons in the dark night.

The next day I woke up with a throbbing head pain. I pressed my forehead as I slowly sat up and leaned my back on the headrest. With closed eyes, I scrambled my hand on the mattress to find the small rectangular metal object like always. I gave up when I couldn't touch nor feel the presence even from the tip of my fingers.