When the Sky Meets the Sea

Chapter 14

Trials of Reality

Everything is dark.

Chilly, and

Silent.

All I can hear is the thundering roar of the waves, people murmuring somewhere, and

I heard cries.

I tried to open my eyes and was shocked to see that I was in front of a river. However, I saw nothing, but the river only...

And the little girl in front of me, who is crying endlessly.

She seems to be holding someone, but I can't see who because of the darkness that surrounds us.

"E-excuse me? O-okay ka lang?" I tried to talk to the little girl in front of me, but I received no response from her.

Instead, she just stared me in the eye. Glaring at me.

Those eyes mirrors rage, mourning, guilt, fear, and sadness.

Just one glance from the little girl sends shivers down my spine. I instantly feel uneasy, and the murmuring in the back starts to grow louder and louder, but I cannot comprehend what they're saying.

"It has to be us."

I stopped breathing for a while when I heard the little girl's voice.

It seems familiar to me.

"It has to be us, but we are saved again... We cannot do anything at all!"

The voices are louder and I feel that someone is behind my back.

I tried to run away... Away from the scene... Away from those voices...

Away from that little girl.

She's scaring me, however, I felt that I knew her.

I stopped running when I realized I could only see darkness. No more river. I tried to look around, but it was all dark.

I began to feel nervous and scared because of the chilling breeze on my skin. I planned to take a short walk when I felt someone abruptly grab my wrist.

It's the same little kid I saw earlier.

She's holding my wrist too tightly that I can feel how painful her fingernails are.

I can feel her anguish.

"It must be us! What are you going to do now?" Her voice echoed loudly in the darkened room.

"No one will save us! No one will protect us! We're going to die!" she screamed as she continued to push me harder. Her force nearly caused me to stumble.

As she continued to push me, I heard a loud honk and felt a pain in my side.

"Tama na!"

As I recovered my senses, I gently lifted my gaze, only to discover that I was in a hospital room. My breathing is still rapid, I'm sweating, and when I look down at my hands, they're shaking again.

"Eve, o-okay ka na ba?" Nabigla ako sa humawak sa balikat ko. It's only Aseana.

"Tatawagin ko lang saglit yung doctor para malaman ang kalagayan mo."

"W-wait?" I stopped her by gently reached for her wrist. "A-anong nangyari saakin?"

Hindi ko na maalala kung paano ako napunta dito. My brain is still foggy and my head still hurts. Napansin ko din na hindi lang dextrose ang nakalagay sakin ngayon kung hindi pati na din ang oxygen mask.

Malala ba ang nangyari saakin?

"Well... Nakita ka lang namin ni Sariah sa kusina na nakatumba... You look so pale and your breathing, was not normal... Both Sariah and I panicked kasi alam na namin na hindi ka okay pero binalewala lang namin iyon. Tapos tinulugan ka pa namin..." She said as she carefully reached for my hands and sat alongside me on my hospital bed.