Guontiveros: Vivid

Chapter 3

"Theresia..." Alice murmured in her sleep.

William, busy working on his laptop, thought he heard something. He glanced at Alice and saw her hands twitching.

"Theresia..."

He stood up and went to her side, gently holding her hand.

"Alice, are you going to wake up?" he asked, hoping his niece would finally regain consciousness.

"Theresia..."

Alice squeezed his hand and slowly opened her eyes.

"Thank God! Alice, you're awake!" William exclaimed, feeling immense relief.

"Where am I?" Alice asked, her voice weak and confused.

Alice looked around, the room was bright, the walls and ceiling a stark white. The steady beep of a monitor punctuated the silence, making it clear they were in a hospital.

"You had us worried, Alice. How are you feeling?"

Alice didn't respond, lost in thought about her dream. She felt a deep longing and sadness as if she could still feel Theresia's hand in hers, even though she was gone.

"I'll call the doctor," William said, stepping out of the room.

Alice lifted her hand, tears streaming down her face. It was just a dream, but it felt like she had lost something important, something she needed to find soon.

•••

It had been three weeks since Alice was discharged from the hospital. She was now under William's care, aiding her recovery and preventing any further self-harm.

William thought she was getting better. He noticed Alice smiling more often than before. However, he didn't realize that she had become obsessed with sleeping, taking medication to dream about Theresia again, but to no avail.

Alice grew increasingly frustrated every time she woke from a dreamless sleep. She got out of bed and grabbed her journal to recount the last dream she had of Theresia. Her journal became filled with entries about the girl she had dreamt of, and she even sketched Theresia's face perfectly from memory.

Alice felt an intense connection to Theresia as if an invisible thread was pulling her towards the girl.

One evening, Alice was deeply engrossed in her journal when William knocked on the door.

"Alice? Dinner is ready. Let's eat," William called.

"Okay..." she replied, bringing her journal with her.

They went downstairs, where her cousins Sherwin, Rex, and Wes, along with her uncle's wife, were already seated.

She sat next to Rex, who was already devouring his food. Alice thanked her aunt for the meal and served herself.

They began eating, and making small talk. Occasionally, they asked Alice if she was okay or offered her more food.

Suddenly, Jian Zhong and his bodyguard arrived for an unannounced visit. The housemaid let them in, and the bodyguard wheeled him to the dining area.

"Brother!" Jian Zhong greeted them, his voice dripping with false warmth.

Everyone stopped eating, except for Alice, who continued to ignore her father, her defiance clear.

"Alice! Don't you see your father is here?! Where's your respect?!" Jian Zhong shouted, his voice filled with rage.

"You're in my house, Jian Zhong. You can't just shout and act like you own this place. Where's your respect?" William replied coldly, his words sharp as a blade.

Jian Zhong scoffed, "I own all of you, William! How dare you talk to me like that?"

William laughed mockingly. "Our grandfather stripped you of your title. You only own your farm, nothing else. So, how dare 'you' talk to me like that?"

Alice kept her back to her father, refusing to engage.

"Alice! We're going home, now!" Jian Zhong commanded.

William instructed his wife to take their sons and Alice upstairs. She nodded, leading the children away. As Alice followed, Jian Zhong grabbed her arm, trying to force her to come with him.

"There is no home, father! I don't want to go with you!" Alice cried, struggling to break free.

William intervened, forcefully prying Jian Zhong's grip on Alice.

Enraged, Jian Zhong ordered his bodyguard to draw a gun.

William instantly shielded Alice with his body.

A gunshot echoed through the house, and Jian Zhong laughed—until he realized his bodyguard had been shot. William's wife, her hands trembling with adrenaline, held the smoking gun.

"LEAVE! YOU WON'T THREATEN MY FAMILY!" she shouted, her voice unwavering as she aimed the gun at Jian Zhong.

Defenseless in his wheelchair, Jian Zhong wheeled himself out, assisted by his driver, and they sped away.

Alice, trembling and on the verge of panic, was comforted by William and his wife as they helped her calm down, her PTSD triggered by the violent encounter.

•••

Alice fell asleep after calming down, and William and his wife gently placed her on the bed. They whispered goodnight, although she wouldn't hear it and quietly left the room.

"Alice..." a soft voice called to her.

Alice opened her eyes and found herself on the farm once more. This time, she saw Theresia looking down at her.

She quickly sat up, Alice's heart filled with joy. "Theresia!" she exclaimed, rushing to hug her.

Theresia laughed, returning the embrace. "Where have you been, Alice? I've been waiting for you," she asked, her voice tinged with longing.

Alice looked puzzled. "You've been waiting for me? I thought you disappeared. I was afraid I had lost you and I thought that's the reason why I am having a dreamless sleep."

"No, Alice. You were the one who vanished. You asked my name, and then you were gone."

Confusion clouded Alice's thoughts, but she pushed it aside. What mattered was that she had found Theresia again.

"How are you, Alice?" Theresia asked.

"I'm good. I was in the hospital three weeks ago, but I'm recovering now. How about you?"

"I feel happy to see you again. I've been wandering this endless farm, searching for you. I just don't understand why I can't go home."

"Maybe, if we walk together, we'll find your way home," Alice suggested.

She offered her hand to Theresia, who took it gladly, and they started walking.

"This is so peaceful..." Alice said, breathing in the fresh, soft breeze.

Theresia nodded, smiling. "Yes, it is. I feel peaceful too."

They walked in silence, hand in hand, cherishing each other's presence.

Theresia glanced at Alice. "You're pretty, you know that?"

Alice, unaccustomed to compliments, especially from Theresia, blushed. "O-oh, t-thank you. You too, you're very pretty," she stuttered.

Theresia chuckled at Alice's shyness.

"Do you think we'll meet again, even if this is just a dream?" Alice wondered, changing the topic.

Theresia smiled, squeezed her hand, and said, "Of course, Alice, and even if it's not I will still find you in every dream and seek you in this life, Alice. Knowing you're walking the same ground with me fills my heart with hope..."

"...we'll find each other, Alice. I can feel it."