Silent Cry

CH29 - Dream

3rd Person's POV

Xander was called to the Chairman's office, to his father. It was the first call he received in the early Monday morning.

He went straight there and already prepared himself for the worst. His prospect was somehow worth it as the moment he stepped a meter apart from his father, he received a hard slap. He was unmoved from where he stood and the chairman slapped him again on the other side.

Serving him right, is what his father thinks. Those slaps are too little to be a rebuke for the imprudent thing he made. But Xander was not repenting one bit. That jerk deserves it, he believes.

"How can you lose control like that? You're such an idiot, you know that?" his father pointed to his forehead and pushed it hard multiple times, amplifying foolishness.

"How should we explain that dispute, Xander you tell me!" He is getting so enraged the more he thinks of what happened.

"We don't have to explain," after saying that, he received a kick that caused him to fall to the ground. But he stood up quickly as if nothing happened.

"We don't need to explain? Ha! Hahaha! And what? That we admit guilty?"

"We can't possibly deny it, though," he remained appeased while his father is losing it.

"Are you hearing what you're saying?!" The old man is now emitting invisible smoke from his ears and nose. "We have people to please Xander. You have an image to take care of. You cannot stain the pure white cloth I've tailored for you. No one should know and see your dirt, you insane rascal!"

Xander glared at him but his father glared back, "Why? Did I say anything wrong? If those dumbass people see some hole, they would dig it even how far they would go. So you should never let down your fences especially when the reason is that woman," he hinged, foregrounding some words while poking to Xander's chest each time.

He walked back to his desk and continued blabbing, "I've let you marry the poorest girl so she wouldn't have any say but now, you're the one who has a lot to say. What Xander? Are you pulling back from the battle?" His father is provoking him and Xander could only form fists on his hands.

"Remember, we're still finding your mother's killer. There is a huge possibility that that fucking someone is from Clyde's family. They are the only people who have access to our house. They're the closest ones. Will you give this company to those criminals?"

"Stop!" Xander is now fuming. Every time he hears about his mother, his blood instantly boils. He may feel revengeful at times but on the other side, regret takes over him. It has been his greatest weakness ever since.

.

It was past the tick of the clock to midnight, small footsteps is tramping the hallway. The kid is scratching his eyes because he is sleepy but at the same time, scared of the thunder strike. The rain is heavily pouring, too but he woke up on his bed alone.

"Mom! Where are you!" he calls, half sobbing.

His father would always tell him to be strong and brave, he always gets some smacks whenever he is seen crying so he restrains from doing so. But the rain is just too engulfing, he felt water monsters pouring down on him. The thunder has been so loud and the lightning is even sharper, too. He stepped down the stairs and meandered the mansion on the first floor but there was no one.

He went back upstairs until he reached the bar area on the third floor. He heard a glass getting broken and a muffled voice from inside. He thought it was the lightning that strikes the glasses inside that room but realized for the second time that the room was sealed.

"Ahh!!" he heard it. It was a clear voice of a woman, the voice of his mother. He quickly stepped inside the bar and went straight to the wine cellar where he heard the havoc.

But due to too much panic, he slipped while running through the triangular cellars. Upon helping himself stand up, his eyes were fixed on a hole where he had peeked at the happenings on the other side. He was knocked senseless and was unable to move.

A man in a black hooded jacket is holding a sharp knife and at that exact time, that man stabbed her poor mother in the stomach. The man stabbed her again, and again, and again until her mother falls to her knees while holding the man's legs for support.

Blood spilled out from her mouth and she saw the boy peeping from the hole, crying silently. The boy was shocked. His mother pulled up to put her shuddering index finger between her lips to signal her son not to make any noise. She even draws a smile to him to show that everything's gonna be fine for as long as he obeys her not to come out.

When the hooded man lets go of the woman's hold on his legs, he walked away in the exit direction and the boy didn't want to lose him. He could not save his mother but he, at least should not let go of the killer. He attempted to. He stood up while the man is walking away. He was about to run to him even though that would cost him his life.

But to his dismay and greatest regret, someone from the back pulled him while covering his mouth so he won't make a sound. He tried to get off from the tight hold of it but he couldn't. He could only see how the culprit vanished until he is no longer in his eyesight. Tears fell continuously from his innocent eyes.

He now faced the person who restrained him. He was confused and surprised. The lady put her index finger between her lips to signal him to be quiet.

'Pauline...' he calls her in his head as he couldn't spell a word. From that very moment, he was not able to speak anymore.

The scene fades away slowly...

He woke up and quickly touched his neck for he felt asphyxiated from the nightmare. He coughed and rolled over his bed. The pain in his head is coming again. It's making him mad. It tortures him like his skull would crack open.

He climbed down from the bed but falls on the floor immediately while he was still wracking his head to stop it from aching. It's going to be the end of him if this will continue.

"Stop!" he kept seeing flashbacks in his brain. Random events, objects, and people are making him more bewildered. "Let it stop! Stopp!!" this might be one of his many unfortunate nights where he would roll over in his room just to find a cure to his madly hurting head. But just until morning, nothing heals the pain.

.

A knock on his office brought him back to reality. He has been spaced out again thinking about that dream or perhaps a memory he regained. He has always been seeing that incident when his mother was stabbed but nothing else is on the scene after that.

It was all just a dream, he would sink into his brain but why does he feel it's not?! It was a solid memory. He closed his eyes but was now fully awakened after letting that someone who knocked, enter his home office.

"Good morning, Sir Xander. I brought your favorite hot chocolate drink," Pauline merrily greeted holding a cup.

Xander has always been a fan of sweets and his favorite drink is hot chocolate. But not many people know that. Only a few. Those few are the closest to him and this woman coming towards him is surely one.

She placed the hot chocolate on his table and was about to go out when Xander called her, she stopped and faced the man.

"Yes, Sir, you need something?"

Xander wore hesitant eyes and was holding his tongue for a quiet while. Pauline waited for him to express anything. Her face assured Xander that whatever he will say will be all right.

"You have been in this house for 20 years. You basically raised me," he started and paused. "Pauline, I have so much trust in you, you know that, right?"

The statement was quite startling. It was an all-of-a-sudden question that made Pauline doubtful. Nonetheless, she still answered with full honesty, "Yes, I know," she smiled at him before she went out, a smile that feels so much motherly.

🔸🔸🔸

At this point, I don't know who to trust anymore. Share me your thoughts, will you?

💙💙