COSMOS

Who am I?

There is an important question hanging in the air.

So who is telling this story? Who am I?

***

Brett's hands shook as he listened to Justin's message, sitting on a hospital bed. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing was believable anymore.

So was he the one who killed Hannah..? Or is Justin trying to trick him?

But does that matter anymore?

She is dead. Her hand is in the backyard. That is the fact.

"Justin...I...." Brett's voice trembled as he recorded a message.

"...I need you," Brett broke down, clutching his throat as he felt another flower flowing from his mouth. "I..I think I did something terrible, Justin. I think the police should know this if I get the surgery soon. I want you to tell them in case I can't myself."

And after the first sentence came out, the rest of the story vomited out of him. How Hannah died, how the hand appeared in his backyard, how the chrysanthemums disappeared. How he threw up cosmoses on stage and passed out.

"I'm so sorry. I'm at St. Mary's hospital. I need you."

I need you. Please. No one is here for me right now.

He will likely lose every memory concerning Eddy after the surgery. If Justin can tell the police officers about what might have happened for him, they will drop their suspicion on Eddy. Brett might be arrested but could they press charges on something he couldn't remember, done out of his unconscious mind?

And isn't that better? To live with innocence than to die of guilt. Either by these stupid flowers suffocating him or seeing Eddy suffer from knowing that his best friend accidentally killed the love of his life. Both sounded like a death sentence and Brett chose to live, although how selfish it might sound.

He will have to lose everything to live.

"Mr. Yang?" A doctor came in with a chart.

Brett ended the voicemail, looking at the doctor with tearful eyes.

"I'm afraid to tell you...you need surgery right now, Mr. Yang. You don't have much time left until the flowers will begin to swallow you whole."

Brett nodded, closing his eyes.

"Just to let you know of the consequence of the surgery, one of the side effects will be losing all romantic emotions and memory of the person that caused the disease. The surgery will only take about an hour. If you agree to the procedure, I will have the nurses come over for you to sign the consent form."

Yes, it is best to erase everything.

Brett looked down at his still blood-stained shirt, feeling the drowsiness crushing him down. He was too tired, too fed up with everything. How could he ever tell Eddy that he was the one who caused all of this? Destruction of all of him, twosetviolin, and Hannah.

"If you agree to the surgery, you will need a guardian to help you through rehabilitation. Patients experience confusion once they lose a huge portion of their memory. Do you have anyone? Any plan after the surgery?"

"Someone... Justin is going to come," Brett confirmed. "Justin will take me back to my house and I will pack and...could you tell Justin that...if everything becomes better, I wish to go back to my hometown and settle down?"

"Of course. Also, the person that is waiting for you outside-"

"Eddy?" Brett looked toward the door, his heart beating.