Beyond the Bounds

Chapter Fourteen

I attempted to flutter my eyes open but my blurry vision prevented me to see. I shut them again. "Help!!!" I heard Jasper screaming at a distance, together with constant banging on the wall. I tried opening my eyes again but all they did was fail me. "We're here!!! Help us! Hurry!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs and undeniably sounded desperate. What's happening? I was lightheaded and couldn't find the strength to open my eyelids. I wasn't meant to wake up yet. "Hold on, we're coming." A voice of a man shouted in a distance, together with a diversity of noises in the far background. The wall sounded like a machine was breaking it down. "Stand back!" I heard one say. I continued to struggle regaining consciousness. I wasn't sure if it was the police, or an ambulance, or both. All I know is I heard sirens. "They're here, Ellie. Please hold on."

Beep beep beep. The next time my eyes fluttered open, I heard beeping. I looked around and the white walls were the first to catch my attention. A needle was taped to my right hand and on my left was a compression wrap around my elbow. I was laying down a comfortable white bed with a blanket over me to keep me warm. When I finally realized I was in the hospital, I instantly sat up the bed, almost shaking off all the devices attached to me.

I see my mom sleeping on the couch to my left. "Mom?!" I called out in shock.

She woke up startled by my voice and immediately bolted to my bed side, "Sweetie?! Oh thank god, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

I brushed away all her questions with my own, "Where's Jasper???" I scanned the place, hoping that we were placed in one room. He wasn't there.

"He's been discharged from the hospital yesterday, El. Don't worry, I paid for his bills." By the tone in her voice, she seemed utterly aware of our situation. I don't think she was.

Little did she know that the bills were the least of what I was worrying about. "Where is he?? Did he leave a note? Didn't he tell you anything, mom? Where did he go? Do you know if anyone picked him up??" I threw out various questions like a detective, evidently concerned for Jasper.

My mom, on the other hand, was obviously taken aback by my reaction, "He didn't sweetie, he just left."

My heart started feeling heavy on my chest like I was carrying a rock inside of me. I hate this feeling. "How long was I trapped in there?" I asked, taking a deep breath, trying to compose myself.

"Four days." She gazed her hand over mine, "I call you every day, right? So when you failed to answer me for four days, I called the police and asked them to check on you. Chastine also gave me a ring. She was extremelyworried, El."

I shook my head and completely ignored what she said. "Then why am I staying longer in the hospital? He was trapped in there for 4 months mom! I was only down there for 4 days??"

She sighed, "Honey, he was conscious. You didn't wake up for 2 days." She held my arm, trying to calm me down.

That's when reality finally hit me in the head. I refused to believe the truth in this—he left me.

It was the 6th of September. There I was in the hospital, a bunch of devices stuck to me, and a heart broken into a million pieces. I can't believe he left. I can't believe he would leave me just like that.

I had my hand in a clenched fist as anger started to boil up inside of me. He's gone without a goodbye. Is he? As much as I wanted to stay mad at him, my worry for him was still overpowering. What if he's still in danger? What if someone untrustworthy discharged him? He's not the type of person to do this to me, right? He can't be suddenly gone like that?

I was able to instantly turn my mood around.

"When can I leave?" I asked my mom without delay.

"Whenever you feel better, sweetie."

"I feel better now." I demanded.

She combed my hair with her fingers and I could see the excessive worry in her eyes. It was evident how she wanted me to stay here in the care of the nurses. But I knew it was time to leave. I swallowed the lump that was rising in my throat and grabbed her hands. "I promise mom, I'm fine."

This is probably one of the factors I loved about my mom. She always knew when I was telling the truth. She shut her eyes before giving me a smile. "Tomorrow El, okay?" I smiled and nodded my head.

"But before that, can I speak to the police?"

Her smile still hasn't faded, "You always know the right thing to do, don't you?" She kissed my forehead. The way Jasper did the same action to me suddenly flashed before my eyes. I shook it off. "I'll give them a call right now."

My mother walked out of the room to obtain service. Several minutes later, the door swung back open and together with my mom were two properly-built officers. I spoke to them about what had happened to us and told them where they could take hold of the evidence that they needed. This was the least I could do.

I was released from the hospital the next day as promised. However, I was in no state to rest. I have to find Jasper. If he was taken again or not, I didn't want to risk losing him this time. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he was not captured, where would he go? An idea crossed my mind in an instant, which wasn't actually usual of me. I eventually find myself running into my bedroom. There were still debris of my bathroom wall getting smashed into pieces, but my bedroom itself was doing fine away from the scene. I instantly rushed to my drawers where I had kept a crumpled paper—an innocently wrinkled note that contained his precious house address. I refused to read it weeks ago, but now it just seemed to reek of uttermost importance. I slammed it on the top of my drawers and straightened it out to get rid of the wrinkles. When the writing was visible, my feet eventually dashed its way out the bedroom door and outside my own house.

I was standing on the sidewalk, a few steps away from the house. I looked at the paper and attempted to read his apparently horrible handwriting. The first character I made out was the number 7. I squinted my eyes and placed the paper closer to my face. I wasn't sure if it was the letter K that was written down on the next word or if that was an R.

I struggled to attain the right words. "K- Kan- Ra- Ranho?"

That's it.

Ranho St.

I had three figures down. Next, I tried making up the remaining words. The letters O and V were readable since they were in giant capital letters. I blinked constantly, trying to put all the words together. Eventually, the two of them hit me in the head with an unbelievable answer. I ended up with "One Village." Wait. Realization takes over me. Our house is in One Village. If that's the case, then it only meant that his house had been close to me this entire time?

My heart started racing at uncontrollable speeds. #7 Ranho St., One Village, Manila. It was his complete address. The street as well, sounded oddly familiar. I felt like I came across it before and it was practically somewhere near. Being new in this neighborhood isn't absolutely getting used to my advantage. I haven't fully memorized the places around here, and I found the streets always too difficult to remember. I slowly turned my head to my right where the intersection was, hoping for additional help. I then attempted to make out what the street signs in the distance said. When I couldn't quite comprehend what was displayed, I started walking towards it with the paper in hand. I jogged for a few steps, trying to land there as quickly as possible. However, I was a few steps away from the street sign when it completely stopped me in my tracks. I instantly saw it. Ranho St. I was on Ranho Street this whole time.

My feet backed away slowly as I was confused and in shock. I immediately turned my head to the house on my right. I checked its house number:

15.

I completely turned back to where I came from. I started sprinting on the sidewalk, taking notice of each house I passed by.

House 13 came after 15.

Wait.

Then 11.

No, no, no.

9.

It can't be.

7.

How could I have missed it?

There I stood, shaking, in front of house number 7.

It was my house.