The Cursed Gift

Part 21: Truth

Clausia stared out to the night from the window opposite of her. Stars twinkled in the darkness, a crescent moon glowering as beams of moonlight shone at her face.

Despite being in bed for already three hours and the late time, Clausia couldn't sleep.

She doubt anyone could, after what happened that day.

The red light coming from the security camera at the ceiling of her room seemed to shine at Clausia's eye. Clausia looked away, seeing the sensor shutters at her window.

Clausia sighed. She doubt anyone could sleep with probably a thousand gadgets frowning down at her either.

Clausia fingered her throat. It seemed sore. When she woke up, she realised something. It had become incredibly hard to sing ever since. It took up all her willpower and energy to sing in the music room, and Clausia found that fact horribly disturbing.

Clausia closed her eyes. She imagined she was on stage with her band, doing a live performance with a huge crowd roaring and screming in front of her. The music started to play. She clutched the microphone.

Then darkness enveloped. The same burly man appeared. The so called judge as he gave a wide grin. Clausia screamed in terror, but it was drowned away from the music and the audience. Suddenly the music seemed to hell to Clausia. Her veins throbbed, and her throat tightened as if her claustrophobic weakness had gone to full alert.

Tap, tap, tap.

Clausia's eyes shot open. Someone was at her window. Her heart thundered as she saw a finger tapping at the glass. Clausia's eyes widened, horrified.

A burglar.

A researcher.

Clausia's first reaction was to use the sensor shutters.

Tap, tap, tap.

Then suddenly the hand disappeared. For a short moment Clausia thought that the bad guy was gone, but she decided never to say that again when it reappeared with a huge, fat permanent marker.

It started to write on the glass.

Clausia peered at the glass, but it was too dark to see what it read.

Her curiosity was pricked, and she grabbed a flashlight in the desk drawer that was beside her bed. Flicking it on, Clausia pointed it at the window.

There, right on the window, was a huge word "KIZE" sprawled all over the glass, and behind it was Kize's face himself.

"Gah!" His muffled scream could be heard inside as he covered his eyes with his hands and nearly toppled over the edge of the window. The sensor of the shutters went off shrilly, going down her window, and blocking Kize out.

Clausia arched an eyebrow. "Thanks for that, airhead."

Clausia got off the bed and slipped her feet into her slippers. She walked to the door and opened it, seeing a dazed Kize giving her a dazed smile.

"Airhead," Clausia muttered. "What do you want one in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep," he shrugged. "Anyway, in quiet nights like this, there has to be a rule for going a certain place."

Before Clausia could say anything else, Kize dragged Clausia out of her house.

"W-wait wha-"

Kize grinned and put a finger to her lips, guiding her into the streets.

"My attire!" She complained, pointing in her nightie and house slippers. Kize shrugged once more, oblivious to what she was saying.

Kize brought Clausia round a dark corner off the neighbourhood lane, goong into a gravel path that was enveloped with thick pine trees.

"Woods?" Clausia hissed in disbelief. "Its dark! We can get into trouble! We may get lost! We-"

Kize eyed her, like, you honestly don't trust me?

Clausia pouted, clearly annoyed. Kize replied with a cheeky grin.

They finally emerged from the rhick bunch of pine trees, revealing a cliff showing the horizon of the glimmering ocean below. The full moon glowed in the night sky, surrounded by twinkling stars.

Clausia gasped.

Kize plopped down at the edge of the cliff, gesturing Clausia to sit down. She nodded, settling down beside him.

"Told you you wouldn't regret it," Kize whispered, and Clausia let out a soft smile.

They gazed at the breathtaking scenery before them for a moment.

"Soooooooo," Kize slowly started.

"Soooooooo?" She arched an eybrow.

"What did Sis tell you?" Kize said, now focusing on Clausia.

"Uhhhhhh--"

"Come on, there's obviously something going on. Misa isn't the type of person who hides things. Ever since some things happened, she hardly hides the truth from others."

Clausia was tempted to blurt "what things?" but she restrained her big fat mouth. She lowered her gaze.

"Misa told me...that the doctor said some depressing stuff. Although I had woken up and I'm feeling just as fine, inside my body I'm actually suffering more than expected.

...

The cells in my body are decreasing fast due to the impact in my brain, and the body is also struggling to produce more.

Early symptoms include lack of energy, strain in your senses, memory loss..."

Clausia was barely looking at Kize.

"There's no medication for this... if I continue to live and things actually get critical which will very likely happen, my chances of surviving...

...

......Close to zero."

As soon as Clausia said that, Kize had squeezed her hand so hard that both hands were trembling. Yet it didn't hurt Clausia. It only made Clausia feel so weak, she wanted to cry all over again. But she fought them back.

Yet, she buried her face into Kize's chest in case the tears that were struggling to let loose ever escaped out of the rim of her eyes.

"No matter what," Kize said in a trembling voice.

"Even if because of this stupid disease or curse or whatnot..."

"Forever....

I'll stay with you."

Clausia smiled. "Thank you."