Night's Warmth

Chapter 4.1 - The Cabin

I wait as I hear Alex leaving. With the second door closing, I quickly get off his bed and peek at the window. I see him walking away, probably to a clothing store or something. I give out a loud sigh.

Since Alex is away for some time, it won't hurt to explore this cabin, right? While my memories are still blurry, exploration would be my only entertainment for now. Before that, I decide to stretch myself-

"Oww!"

My entire torso and arms are still painful despite these bandages. I sigh again. I explore Alex's bedroom first.

Looking around, the walls, floor and ceiling are all made of dark oak wood. The flooring is very smooth when I slide my feet against it. I turn back to the bed; It's plain white. I look around. There are some closets and cabinets that cover the walls. Some framed pictures of Alex are hung on some of the walls. There's also a pair of bookshelves right next to the door.

To the right side of the bed stands a study table and chair with a laptop on the table. 

There's another door to the left of the main bedroom door and I open it and enter. I open the lights. It's the bathroom. There's a sink and mirror on the right side. A toilet on the left side. A large bathtub and shower at the end of the bathroom. I turn off the light and walk back to the bedroom and close the door.

I then notice a small table right beside the bed. What catches my attention is a framed photo of him and an old man. I take it and I sit on the bed as I look at the photo.

Alex is standing next to the old man and they're both smiling. It looks like they were in an airport.

...

I can't help but focus on the old man. Something is quite familiar about him, but I don't know what it is.

"..."

I recall my first ever encounter with Alex, where I pinned him against the wall and snarled at him. I think that was a few minutes after I had woken up. I was so confused and quite frankly, scared of what was happening. When I saw Alex enter the bedroom, I did it to him out of shock and I reacted very harshly.

When I was snarling at Alex, I looked at his face and... This old man suddenly popped into my head. It felt like.. The old man was connected to Alex judging by how similar they both look. I felt that... the old man was probably someone who helped me before I lost all my memories. At the time, it both felt a bit relieving and guilty when I saw Alex's face and let go of him. I guess it's also the reason why I grabbed his shoulders and deeply looked at his face again.

The old man is probably Alex's grandpa.

...

I feel guilty now.. I never elaborated to Alex about my behavior and that whole pinning down incident. If I did that sooner, then he would've quickly guessed that the person I saw in him was his grandpa and he would've been able to help me remember at least one bit of my past.

When Alex introduced himself, his last name, dela Cruz, sounded familiar to me. Now I know why. His grandpa is probably involved with my past, though I don't know how.

...

I shake my head. I'll deal with this later. For now, I should continue exploring the cabin. I put the photo back on the table and I get up from the bed. I slowly make my way outside the bedroom.

It looks like I'm in the living room. The sunlight passing through the windows makes the whole cabin look brighter even without any lights being on. Turning to my right, there's a large window overlooking the neighborhood. I look back at the living room. There's a black couch. A large TV right next to the main door and a large coffee table in the middle of the room. There's another long black couch at the left wall and some large framed photos of flowers on the wall.

I turn to the left and I see another room connected to the living room. It's both the dining room and the kitchen. In the middle is a large square table with four chairs and to the right is the kitchen counter and cabinets. The left wall has a large landscape painting of some town. I see another door at the north of the room and I walk to it and open it.

Turning to my left, I see a basket filled with what I assume is Alex's clothes. Right across the room is a washing machine and next to it is a valet rod with a few hangers on it. Turning to my left, there's another kitchen counter, albeit empty.

Thinking I'm done with the tour of the cabin, I decide to walk back to the bedroom and crash into Alex's bed.

As I lay on Alex's bed, my mind wanders to the events of the past few hours. It's been quite a whirlwind since I woke up in Alex's cabin, injured and with no memory of who I am or how I got there. Despite the chaos and uncertainty, Alex has been nothing but kind and helpful, going out of his way to take care of me.

Thinking back on my actions earlier, I can't help but feel a twinge of guilt. When I first woke up and saw Alex, I reacted out of fear and confusion, pinning him against the wall without a second thought. It wasn't until later that I realized he was just trying to help me.

I also can't shake the feeling of familiarity that washed over me when I heard Alex's last name, dela Cruz. It's like a puzzle piece that almost fits, but I can't quite place it. And the photo of Alex and his grandpa only adds to the mystery. Who is he, and what connection does he have to me?

With a sigh, I push aside these thoughts for now. Dwelling on them won't bring me any closer to the truth. Instead, I focus on the present moment. I'm safe, I'm being taken care of, and for now, that's enough.

...

I take the framed photo again and I stare at it as I try to remember anything. As I stare at the photo, trying to coax memories from the depths of my mind, a faint image begins to form. It's like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands; elusive and intangible. But slowly, the pieces start to come together, forming a hazy picture of a man with kind eyes and a warm smile.

The man in the photo... he's someone important to me. I can feel it in the depths of my being. His presence brings a sense of comfort and familiarity, like a beacon in the darkness of my forgotten memories.

But try as I might, I can't seem to grasp onto the memory fully. It slips through my fingers like sand, leaving me frustrated and disheartened.

"Who are you?" I whisper to the man in the photo, as if he can hear me. "And why do you feel so familiar?"

But of course, the photo remains silent, offering no answers to my questions. With a heavy sigh, I set it back down on the table, feeling defeated. It's clear that I won't be able to piece together my past on my own. I'll need help... but from who? And where do I even begin?

Lost in thought, I barely register the sound of the front door opening, followed by Alex's voice calling out my name.

"Gab? I'm back!"