The Stars Among Us

Chapter 9

ELAINE

     I woke up to the light that was so bright and white, even the whole place is white. I must be in a hospital because I feel like my calf was wrapped around something. It sounds quiet. Not a single sound. I tried to get up but my body feels weak. There are flowers on the table beside my bed. Some are brown and lifeless, but half of them are fresh and colourful. I heard someone open the door and close them again quietly. My space is closed with a curtain. From the shadows, the person who walked in was a man. And that man is reaching out to open the curtain.
     “You have no idea what I just went through–  Elaine!” He gasped.
     “That’s right, I have no idea,” I laughed. “Hello, Grayson. How’s everything?”
     “I'm so glad you’re awake,” he said, putting down the flower that he just bought on the table already full of flowers. “Does anything hurt? I could call the doctor” He walked towards me and gave me a hug. He didn’t let go until I whined because I felt drenched. He gave me a glass of water and I finished it in seconds. After that, he pulled a chair and sat there next to my bed.
     “Clam down, Woods. I'm fine,” I said, “Guessing from the dead flowers, I was asleep for quite a while?”
     “Three days, you lost half a bucket of blood.”
     “How lucky I am. So what happened while I asleep? Fill me in here, please.” I rested my head on the bed.
     “After I found you and Vesper in the costume room. I called the ambulance to come and get you.”
     “Did you call the cops?” I asked.
     “I didn’t. I'm sorry. Maybe I should”
     “Why?” I wondered.
     “He’s still our friend. Even when he lied to us or tried to kill us.”
     “I couldn’t bring myself to stab him too, at that moment.” I confessed.
     “If it makes you feel better, he said sorry. He was truly sorry. When I called the ambulance, I was sitting between you two. You’re unconscious and Vesper was weak. But he cried, he sobbed. I think that’s the first time I ever saw him actually cry. Then, he apologised.”
     “It does make me feel better. Where did he go after that?”
     “I led Vesper outside and let him run.”
     “I miss him when he’s not trying to kill us,” I said with a weak smile.
    “Couldn’t say I don't agree. So, he stabbed you pretty badly at that calf.”
     “It was horrible and I tried so hard to keep my cool so that he doesn’t think I’m that weak.”

     They let me out after a few days, Grayson, Wini and Echo kept me company the whole time. Today, they finally let me out. Grayson’s driving me back to campus with Wini’s car. While Wini and Echo are expecting us to meet them at a coffee shop, in Springfields.
     “Springfields? What are they doing in Springfields?”
    “They were bored, and missed that place. You know? The Cheshire Cat Inn.”
     “I didn’t know they liked the place.”
     “They miss the place,” said Grayson. “I understand if you don't want to talk about the stars brothers yet.”
     “No, it's alright. In Fact, I’ve been thinking about them.”
     “Do you remember? That one night at Springfields, we talked under the stars about that time when Vesper came to my room. He said that he was forced to do it and there’s going to be consequences if he doesn't.” Grayson asked.
     “Yes, I remember. What are you saying, Grayson?”
     “We’re going to save him. Get his brother killed or in prison, press charges, not press charges, depending on what you want.”
     “Sure. But, do we really have to?”
     “He’s still our friend. Heze is controlling him and forced him to do this. We have to save him,” he said with determination on his face.
     “I know. What if someone gets hurt again or dies?”
     “So far, no one’s died between the four of us.”
     “Guess you’re right,” I mumbled.
Grayson parked the car and stopped the engine, “We’re here. Echo and Wini’s already inside.”

     It was a small, but comfortable cafe, the whole room smelled like coffee and everything in there was perfect. I caught my eyes looking at the two cheerful figures at a table in the back of the room. Grayson closed the door behind us and Echo seemed to notice. She waved at us and even mouthed ‘over here’. We walked towards the table they're at. I limped towards them and Grayson had his hand over my arm and shoulder to keep me from falling. When we were finally there, Wini told Echo to scooch over to make some space for me and Grayson.
     “Glad we have you back, Elaine.” said a cheerful Wini.
     “Glad i finally get out, I hate the smell of the hospital,” I said.
     “I know, right! It could kill a dead man twice.”
     “I'm going to get a drink. What do you want, Elaine?” Grayson stood up.
     “I’ll get what you get.”
     “Alright, Echo and Wini want some refills?”
     “No, it's alright. Thanks” said Wini, her mouth still chewing the toast that she ordered earlier. Echo handed her mug to Grayson and said thank you.

     When Grayson got back, he brought three mugs of coffee at the same time. Echo jumped out of her chair and quickly helped him by taking a mug. She gave that one to me. She sat back down along with her refilled coffee. And Grayson sat beside me.
     “So, do we need a plan to catch them again?” asked Echo.
     “I don't know actually, I guess just catch them and try not to get killed?” I replied.
     “But, how? We don't even know where they are.”
     “Actually, I do. Vesper gave me the address.”
     “Is it in riddle? Because I’m sick of it,” Echo complained.
     “No, it's not. He whispered it to me the day we met him.”
     “Well, take us there. And we’ll keep each other safe.”
     “I’ve been wondering why they do this to us?” Wini asked.
     “I have an answer for that one,” I said.
     “You do?”
     “Yes, Vesper told me. He said that my father killed their father a long time ago, and they want to get revenge, I guess,” I paused. “But I don't know if it's true or not and if it is true, I still don't know why my father killed the man.”

     After we talked about a bunch of different topics, we finally went back to campus. We decided when we were going to do our next and hopefully last mission. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the big day. The plan is: break in safely, don't get caught, kill Heze, save Vesper, break out safely, call the cop. Sounds easy enough. Well, everything is easier said than done.

     We parted ways to our dorm rooms. As always Echo goes to our room first because she’s a bit tipsy, she drank a little on the way over here. And Wini went to her room to get some sleep. While Grayson and I went on a little walk near the lake. We were waiting for the sun to set, so we sat on a bench beside the lake.
     “You know what I love about this place? Being able to watch the sunset peacefully,” he said.
     “Really?”
     “You never watched sunsets?”
     “I have watched sunsets. But never at this place.”
     “Well, I don't want to spoil anything for you.”
We sat in silence as we waited for the sunset. It's not an awkward silence, it's a comfortable silence.
     “How’s your leg?” he asked out of the blue.
     “Oh, it's fine. I think I can almost walk normally now.”
     “You better be. You will need that leg tomorrow,” he said. “What’s your favourite colour?”
     “You really have no other better questions, Woods?”
     “No, I just want to know.”
     “You already know.”
     “I know it's green, but what green?”
     “Olive green. It's just the prettiest.”
We fell in silence again.
     “What do you think’s going to happen tomorrow?” I asked this time.
     “According to me? Well, let's see. No one dies and we got Vesper and his right mind back,” he said. “Maybe we’ll hire a therapist for him. It must be a nightmare to be forced to kill someone.”
     “How do you feel?”
     “Scared, nauseous, excited. Everything at once. You?”
     “I'm scared. I'm scared that somebody will die and they died because it’s my fault.”
     “Why would you think it's your fault?”
     “If my father didn’t kill a guy, none of this would’ve happened.”
     “Yes, none of this would have happened. But our lives will be boring. It's just like we’re living inside a book about crimes and mysteries to solve. Just like Sherlock Holmes.”
     “It's pretty fun, isn’t it?” I said, giving him a smile and he nodded. “Maybe someday I’ll write a book about us.” I could only imagine.
     “Sure, write that book. Keep us alive and remembered.” He said softly.