Penumbra:Shades Of Covet

Chapter 13: A calm afternoon

Alice

It's late afternoon and it began to get dark now. We sat on a gutter facing the sunset's sinking, as the water sparkled with bright orange for every crease, we had a lovely talk, Cole remained on the pool and same as Jake, while us girls dry ourselves up on the gutter, sharing stories and dreams.

Since we had opened a topic about our dreams, Ley shared about her dream to be fashion designer and a make-up artist, she also wants to do vlogs and travel around the world.
Seline is a slightly "foot-off-ed", it means she has no real plans upon her career " Well, I'd like to try modeling." She said... Although she is enrolled to an Accounting course. I don't know what's with her.
Myla will pursue her Accountancy, no doubt. But she dreams to live simply and happily. 

Cole shared about his career, a Freelancer, he's not much of a work-a-holic, but he find it fun to do different jobs. Val is the most gallant of us, she wants to be a fashion designer, a model and a painter! What ambitions! Oh well, that explains all her sketchpads and walls  in her room.

All is in a jolly chat, until they asked me what will I do after college.

I know, we are in the same department, but we have different dreams (so why did you all took this, guys?) 
Deep inside me, I have so many wants, I'm not famous, I'm not that smart, Mother and I have been burdened by my Dad's debts, I am miserable.

"I...just want to go on." I quietly replied. They're left voiceless, smiling afterwards.

"Wow, you're so brave then." Seline applaud.

"Why so?" I asked.

"It's because you're willing to take the dangers life has to offer you. That is a commendable attitude." Val added.

I stared back at the sunset, now only has a little portion of it left to view.
"It's like jumping off a tall cliff with no visible view on where y' would land soon." Cole said, gliding on waters away from us then swimming again next to Val's legs.

"And girl, everything is achieved with hardwork. It doesn't have to mean if you fail,your life ends. There will always be redemption, to prove yourself you are better than what you think." Finally, Myla said, a really good advicer indeed.

She rested her head on my left shoulder, so as Ley did to my right. As the sun went gone, and the light starts run away from the dark.

"Can we go now? I'm starting to get cold." Jake's shivering statment.

"No, you'll freeze there. Stay." Seline teased him,splashing her feet against the surface, getting Jake more wet.
"Wait why do we even stay here Cole? Let's get up!"

>Later that night, in Alice's room woth the three girls.<

"What a fun day today isn't it? Too bad, we'll be going home tomorrow." Ley said looking on the window.

"Well, fun doesn't here though, we could still make good times outside this resort."subjected Seline, browsing on her phone on a lazy chair.

I thanked them for their effort. For everything for this two days in this resort. They're so true to me, never left me.

"Hey girls!" A sqeaky voice called, It was Stella! Seline called her via Video Call, look at her smile, still makes the night day.

Myla just got out of the C.R, just right to hear Stella's voice , we gathered altogether on the bed, greeting her, asking how she was doing.
Her sister is sick and she's left on the house to take care of her. She didn't let us have a clue she is sad for not joining us here, "Eh, maybe it's meant that I wasn't able to stay, it's because Sister got sick. Oh well, lucky her." She said.

The call did not last long, Stella had to her "night shift" with her sister. So our little chat ended.

After half an hour of silence, staring at each other, we decided to watch movies. Good thing  their drawer has discs of movie already set, and various genres!
Barbie, Narnia, Final Destination, everything that we could watch.

Shared a little talks and insights about the movies  we've watched. Ate popcorn and chocolates.
And oh! The classic Pillow Fight!!! It is so so so much fun! And guess what, we cleaned up all feathers in the end.

After we had rested for a bit. A thought came inside my mind; that this I hope will bever end. Where I could forget everything.

...and speaking of forget everything, I'll try to call mom, checking how she doing home.

The phone rang but mom hasn't answered it. It rang until the beeping sound took place. I tried to call her back like three times but no answer form her.

"What's wrong Lissy?" Myla seemed to notice my worry.
I answered,"Nothing, it's just. Mom wouldn't answer my call. She didn't miss any of my calls, this just now."

"Maybe she fell asleep or her phone got no power left?" She pondered for a little while.

"Maybe you're right, she easily gets tired this days. Oh I can't wait  to go home tomorrow!"

Finally we tucked ourselves to sleep.
Excited to wake up, to tell everything what happened here.
************************************************************************

>Alice is in a dark, blank space.<

"She failed her subjects again,what a loser!" a voice familiar to Alice said.

"No one wants her here, no one even loves her too." Said another familiar voice.

"Her days are full of misery and sadness."
"She's not as famous as other students here, she's a third rate after all."
"She's not smart enought for this school."
"What an absurd behaviour this girl displays."
Voices starts to overlap, adding each sentence heard to another.

"Hello?" Said Alice, but the voices keeps on mocking her, not even her echo returned to her.

"Who are you guys? Show yourselves." She shouted, but still no use, the overlapping continues and starts to get louder, closer , and closer, driving Alice into irritation and anger.

"Shut up!!" She screamed once more. This time it all went silent. Deafening silence.

Suddenly there's a path that dimly lit. A straight path leading to nowhere. Alice ventured to the path following the glow.
It took time of walking until she heard a voice again, saying, " You can never be smarter than me.".
Alice turned around to see who said that," Myla?" She called, no response after, she abide to her pacing, venturing forward. Then another voice was heard by Alice," Your life is a misery!"the squeaky voice echoed across the space.

Alice seemed not to mind, rather starting to walk faster "When will I reach this end?!" She thought of her self. "You can never be famous as I am." Another voice was heard, and it felt like thunderstrike to Alice, she incessantly walked through the path, her patience is begining to run out.

"You're an ugly, disgusting bitch!" The voice roared, blowing a wind that made Alice stepped backward.

A tear started to escape her eye.