When Darkness Falls - Hebe & Aaron

Epilouge Part 1

“I love you, Hebe Tien…I’ve loved you from the day I met you…from the day I crashed into your house…”

…

Hebe’s eyes shot open. They were generous in stinging tears, which dripped down her chin and onto her bed sheets. Sweat trickled down her temples and her heart was racing faster than ever. Her muscles and her bones ached; it was as if she had an hour-long work out in the gym. Her eyes were heavy and tired and she felt exhausted.

She found herself lying on her bed, wrapped in her warm bed sheets. She sat up and rubbed her painful head.

Was it all a dream? She wondered, scanning her room. It seemed like it, for nothing seemed to be missing in her room. Everything, from her collection of pandas to her schoolbooks were all in their right place. Her table and her closet was neat and orderly and she could already hear the bluebirds singing out her window and she could see the morning dew stick to the leaves of the trees outside.

Was it just a horrible nightmare? She thought once more and massaged her aching arm. She looked at herself in the mirror; her eyes were puffy and had eye bags drooping down under it. She had to admit that she looked drained out and hungry.

“Arron” she murmured sadly, remembering last night’s confession. She then shook her head and banged her fists against her drawer. “Damn it!! Why did you have to…”

Then she stopped and massaged her fists. “If it was a dream…then probably…”

Hebe then ran out the door and ran through the quiet hallway. She then came across the guest bed room and stared at it. Turning pink, she twisted the doorknob so slowly that she could hear it creak. She let go of it, but it wouldn’t open. It was locked. She backed away, her eyes glimmering with tears.

But before she could have her heart get smashed into ten million bits once more, the smell of pancakes arose in the air and caught Hebe’s nose. She followed the smell to the kitchen and saw someone in pajamas, peering into the refrigerator.

“A-Arron?” she said, walking up to the refrigerator.

Please let it be him…

But sorry to say, it wasn’t.

“Oh…grandpa” Hebe murmured with a hint of disappointment in her tone, as grandpa closed the refrigerator.

"Ah…Hebe, you’re up early” he said, giving his granddaughter a kiss on the cheek.

Hebe simply shrugged and sat down.

“Have you seen Arron?” she asked, resting her chin on her palm.

Grandpa gave Hebe a weird look.

“Arron? What?”

“Arron!! The boy who lives with us…duh…is he still sleeping or something? Cause his room is locked, normally…he leaves it open…” she muttered.

Grandpa scratched his head. “Arron…”

Why is Grandpa acting as if it was the first time he heard of Arron? Hebe thought, her mind in turmoil.

“Is Arron some new pet you just adopted or something? A dog, perhaps? I saw one outside this morning so…”

“A dog!? Grandpa, don’t be silly!!!” Hebe yelled as Grandpa made himself a cup of coffee.

“I’m not” he replied with a tone of confusion in his voice.

“Grandpa!!! Don’t you remember Arron? The boy who lives with us?! The one who has been with us for a year now, the one who lives in the guest room!” Hebe insisted, her voice slightly cracking.