Tangled Affections

38.

Becky's PoV

The cafeteria buzzes with the low hum of conversations and clinking dishes, but I'm lost in my book, trying to drown everything out. My exam is soon, and I've been cramming hard, focusing on anything but the gnawing feeling in my gut. I try to push away the thoughts that creep in whenever I see that woman—the one who seems to always be there, watching me. She's around too often to be a coincidence, and today, there's a strange tension in the air, like something's about to break.

I flip a page, but the words blur together. My eyes dart around, and I feel a familiar weight settle in my chest. And there she is again. The woman who's been shadowing me for days. This time, she doesn't linger in the background. She's walking straight towards me, her steps slow but deliberate. A cold wave of dread washes over me, and my breath catches in my throat. "What does she want?"

She reaches my table, and without asking, she sits down across from me. My hands tighten around my book. I don't know whether to bolt or stay put. Her eyes are gentle, almost pitying, but there's something else there—a depth that unsettles me. She leans in, her voice soft but piercing. "You are Becky, right? Becky from Thailand?"

A chill runs down my spine. My mouth feels dry, my heart pounding in my ears. I nod, swallowing hard. "Yes... but, Aunty... I really don't know you."

Her expression shifts slightly, her lips trembling as if she's holding back something. "My dear, I'm Rose's mom."

I nod slowly, relieved for a second. Rose's mom. That's all. I relax slightly, forcing a small, polite smile. "Oh, actually, Aunty, Freen and I are friends since high school, and we love—"

She cuts me off, her tone changing. "No, my dear, I'm your mom. Don't call me Aunty. I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you."

Her words slam into me like a punch to the gut. My blood turns to ice. "Your mom." The words repeat in my mind, over and over, and I'm suddenly a child again, back in that dark, suffocating room. My heart starts racing, my breath quickens. No, no, no, not again. My vision blurs, and the room begins to spin around me. I can't breathe. I feel like I'm trapped, my lungs tightening as if they're being squeezed by an invisible force.

I'm trembling now, the book slipping from my grip and falling to the floor with a thud I barely hear. I want to scream, to tell her to go away, but my voice won't come out. My body is frozen, locked in a fear I can't control. I can hear her still talking, her voice reaching out to me, but it's like I'm underwater—everything is muffled, distorted.

Memories flicker at the edges of my mind, dark and fractured. I try to shove them back, to push them away, but they're like shadows creeping in, threatening to pull me under. I clutch the table, my knuckles white, my legs weakening beneath me. I feel like I'm five years old again, abandoned and vulnerable, a pawn in a nightmare that feels too real. My stomach twists, and I feel like I might vomit.

Suddenly, everything around me goes quiet, as if the world is holding its breath. I'm teetering on the edge of my chair when strong arms catch me just as I'm about to fall. I blink, struggling to focus, and see Freen's face inches from mine. She looks terrified, and her voice is urgent, though I can barely hear it through the ringing in my ears. "Becky, are you okay?"

I want to answer her, to tell her I'm not okay, that I'm far from okay, but my words are stuck in my throat. The fear is overwhelming, crushing me. My whole body is trembling, and I can't stop it. I grip Freen's arms, desperate for an anchor, for something real to hold onto. Tears I didn't even know were falling blur my vision, and my breath comes in short, panicked gasps. "I...I don't know," I manage to whisper, my voice barely there.

I look at the woman again, her face filled with regret and something like desperation. She reaches out, her hand almost touching mine, and that's when I break. Everything inside me collapses, and a wave of dizziness sweeps over me. My body goes limp in Freen's arms, my eyes rolling back as the world fades to black. The last thing I hear before everything goes silent is Freen's panicked voice calling my name.

A Shattered Mind

Darkness surrounds me. I'm falling, sinking deeper and deeper into it, and I don't know if I want to come back up. I feel trapped in my own mind, echoes of a past I've tried so hard to bury clawing at me, dragging me down. I see flashes of faces, hear the sound of laughter that turns to screams. I try to fight it, but the more I struggle, the deeper I sink. The feeling of betrayal, of fear, of a loss so profound it consumes me, wraps around my heart like a vice.

Somewhere, in the darkness, I hear Freen's voice again, distant but there, calling out to me, trying to pull me back. I latch onto that voice, my lifeline in a sea of shadows. I want to reach out, to follow it back to safety, but I'm so scared. I'm so, so scared. My body feels heavy, my mind clouded, but slowly, Freen's voice becomes clearer, more insistent, and I hold onto it with everything I have. Because if I don't, I'm afraid I'll never come back.

The Light at the End

I don't know how long I've been under—seconds, minutes, hours—but when I finally start to come back, I feel Freen's hand holding mine, squeezing it tight. Her voice is shaky, filled with worry, but also determination. "Becky, I'm right here. I'm not leaving you. Just breathe."

My eyelids flutter open, and I see her tear-streaked face hovering over mine. Relief floods her eyes as she sees me waking up, and I feel her grip on my hand tighten. I don't have the strength to speak yet, but I feel the warmth of her presence, the steadiness of her love, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I feel a flicker of hope.

.....