Hope of the Dying World

CHAPTER 11 - THE GUT

Ferran was eating his breakfast when his phone rang inside the bedroom. When he picked it up, Sanchez was calling.

"What's up?"

"Are you going to work or not?"

"Maybe? I don't know. My whole body aches and I'm a little bit dizzy, you know?" Ferran answered.

"Well, you don't have to go to work today. You should take your day off." Sanchez's worried voice could be heard on the other line.

"Alright."

"And I have something to tell you tomorrow."

"What is it? Can't you tell me now?"

"I want to tell it in person and it's confidential. Someone might hear our conversation so I'll better end this call."

"Okay."

Since Ferran had nothing to do in the afternoon, he thought of cleaning the whole house.

Throw away what should be thrown away, fix what should be fixed, clean up what should be cleaned, and when he was arranging some things on a bookshelf, he saw an upside-down photo frame.

When Ferran looks at it. It was a photo captured almost 15 years ago. Hot tears fell on his cheeks while staring at it.

"It's... it's been more than a decade." He touched the part where her girl best friend was all smiling. "I'm sorry..."

He wiped his tears, put back the frame on the shelf and finished cleaning Ferran's messy house.

After he took a nap on the sofa, he planned to go to San Lorenzo University, the oldest school in their town. He was so curious about Gigi's last words and maybe he can find out something behind that place.

He parked the car not far from the university and then walked around until he reached the vast and dark forest behind the school.

Ferran also found a high steel gate of the university that was full of rust probably due to longevity.

He was about to enter the forest when he heard something strange from afar. He hid and peeked from where he was hiding.

He saw a puppy coming out from the woods and he breathed a sigh of relief because it was just a puppy. He would have taken the puppy if only the bell, a sign that the classes are over, had not rung which would have distracted him.

When he faced the spot where he last saw the puppy, it was gone. He tried to search for it but after a bit, he stopped and just went back to his car.

Before he leaves, he sees a familiar teenage boy coming out of the university with a little girl holding his hand. Ferran immediately got out of his car and approached them. He was so glad to see his children without pain and suffering.

'Right... This is the reason. This is my chance. To save my children from the danger and of course, the innocent people around, I need to prevent the disease from occurring in the future.'

After that thought, he became more determined to work on it until he found everything.

"Trestan," Ferran said. "May I talk to you?" But he was ignored. "Please I need to say something important---"

Trestan took his bicycle and put his little sister at the back where the bike rack carrier was placed. Then he started pedaling until they could get away from Ferran. He face-palmed and laughed at himself.

'I was ignored by my own son. Funny.'

Ferran released a deep sigh and went back to his car. He was about to start the car's engine when someone appeared at the window of his car.

"Hey, uncle! Are you picking me up?"

"No... Not really. I was just passing by..."

"Oh... I thought---"

"...but you can go home with me. Hop in."

"Nice! Thanks, uncle." When all settled, Ferran started driving and they're on their way home. "I saw you approaching Alfarez? What is it for?"

"I---I just wanted to talk to him but he ignored me. Haha." Ferran laughed as if it was funny.

"Get used to it, uncle. He doesn't talk to anyone and I didn't hear him say just a single word! And I'm really curious if he's mute or if he just doesn't want to talk?" Blair crossed her arms on her chest and sighed.

"Hm... Do you like that boy, huh?"

"W-What!? No way!" Blair's eyes widened and her cheeks blushed, that's why Ferran laughed even harder. "Don't make fun of me uncle. And by the way, what food have you eaten? It seems like its fine for you to talk about Alfarez's."

"Why? I don't want to talk about them?"

"What kind of question is that? It's a big YES."

"Eh?"

"You always say: 'I don't want to hear that name', 'You must distance yourself from them', 'They are toxic people', 'Bad influence', blah blah blah." Blair copied her uncle's deep tone and after that, she laughed.

Ferran raised his eyebrow when he heard what Blair said a while ago.

'So he always bad mouths my family to other people? Such an assh*le!'

"But hey, uncle! I thought you were... tired?"

"I have rested well," He looked at his side while rotating the steering wheel. "Besides, work is very important."

"Tss. You're such a workaholic, uncle." Blair frowned. "Maybe... you don't get married because you only care about work. You'll grow old alone, uncle." There's a deep feeling in Blair's voice but Ferran stays silent, just listening to his niece.

"But don't worry. I understand, why." She tapped his broad shoulder.

'Why...'

"We're here." Ferran declared when the car stopped in front of Blair's house. His eyes caught the two siblings, Trestan and Cally, arriving at their home five blocks from where the car was parked.

"Thanks, uncle. Uhm... You can join dinner with us and dad will be home later. He'll be glad if you're there." Blair said before she opened the door and got down from the car.

"I have tons of tasks to be done. Maybe next time? Just send him my regards. I gotta go. Bye."

A busy morning came when Ferran arrived at the station and of course, PO1 Jimenez always tries to get his attention but he doesn't have time for that 'coz there is a lot more important stuff than that.

"Ferran."

"Hey," He walked towards Sanchez. "About the confidential one, I need to know. What is it?" Ferran whispered to him.

"Ah yeah. About that, later I will discuss it with you but first thing first. Why are you there?"

"Where?"

"Hospital. How did you know that Georgia will be murdered at that time?" He stilled and quickly thought of an excuse.

"Gut." The first word popped in his mind. "Yeah, gut. According to my... gut feeling." He answered. He knew it's a lame excuse but Ferran needed to be careful and not give his whole trust to anyone.

Maybe, the real Ferran knows Sanchez but he's not.

The reason why he knows about Georgia's incident is because of the radio news before. The police didn't capture the murderer until the case closed.

There is no justice to Georgia's death at that time and he wanted to find who's behind this crime.

"Gut feeling eh?"