Rachel Stanton and The Darkest Night

CHAPTER 28: BACK

28. BACK

I woke up and felt the softness of the mattress of my bed. Though I still didn’t want to open my eyes, I noticed that I wasn’t lying on a hard rock anymore. I was in my room, cuddled on my bed.

I could see red while my eyes were closed. It seemed that a big change had just happened. I stretched out my hands and feet, then finally opened my eyes and saw everything lightened up.

The sun must have been at the center of the sky while I was still asleep. I sat bolt straight and smiled to myself. Everything’s okay, I thought. Everything is back. All I could do was to look around. I was so excited to look outside the window to check out the bright lightened town. The Darkest Night was done. It was over. And King Harold was credited for returning the light.

I tried to remember the blurry memories inside my head. The first thing that showed up to me was the moment where I opened my eyes and saw Jared. Next were the kisses. Third, it was the moment where Jared said the wedding vow. Fourth was the moment where King Harold showed up. And last was the moment where I opened my eyes and found out that King Harold turned into a supernova.

All of them were foggy. They didn’t show up very clearly as I’d wished it would. If I were going to draw one of them, I was definitely sure I couldn’t. If I were going to describe them, I couldn’t. Each memory showed up to me only once then disappeared.

Now I hopped off my bed and walked to the mirror. I examined my face, sliding one hand across my cheeks. Nothing had changed a lot in me, I thought. My purple eyes were still there and all of my appearance stayed the same since the last time I checked it. My hair, though, was untidy. And I wore the same clothes I wore when I went to San Francisco.

I guessed that right after the light was back they immediately returned me home.

I took a minute to comb my hair with my fingers. But it didn’t help. I grabbed the comb from the table before the mirror and stroke several times in my hair. Now I looked better. I decided to go downstairs.

As I turned my back to the mirror, I noticed a paper that lay on top of my writing desk. I stared at it, wondering, taking it slowly into my hand.

It was my letter that should have been on the dining table. It was for my parents.

Who put this letter in my room? I thought, looking up.

I wondered for a second who might be the person. Then I glanced down at the paper again. And to my surprise, I saw shadows of a new penmanship behind. I turned the paper and there was a letter for me.

Jared, I thought. I began to read the lines.

Before you read this letter, I want need you to promise me that you wouldn’t cry.

I didn’t want to say promise, even if to say it verbally or mentally. The first sentence was making me cry now. I slapped my hand and cupped my palm in my mouth. My sight became blurry because of my tears. I could not almost read the next sentences.

The erasure in the word want caught my attention to read it again. Maybe he thought it wasn’t the right word to say. And need was.

I ran my fingers of my other hand through the paper.

I know you’re going to read this right after you wake up. Don’t follow me or drive your father’s car again to reach me, okay?

Rachel, I’m leaving you. My flight is going to be on 3:00 pm on this day. I won’t come back. I won’t see you anymore. And this will be the last time I will write to you. I won’t have any contacts with you anymore. You will still see my family there, though. But I am not going to be there. I have told my brother to come take care of you for me.