Translucent

Chapter 38: The Discovery

LISA

Aileana...

"Lisa..." a soft voice forced me to open my heavy eyelids. "Lis..."

I forced myself to open my heavy eyelids, fighting against the blinding sun shining through the window. The sun was high enough, meaning I must have woken up very late during the day.

But the scenes reeling in my head were too vivid to be a dream. Faces flashed by and action by action took place: the abusive father, the mother, and the beautiful redhead with blue eyes–whose features resembled that of young Maureen O'Hara. The countless quarrels I had to witness that led to his eventual death.

I witnessed Cornelius die. How he really died, proving all my assumptions to be wrong.

My vision adjusted and soon, I registered everything around me. I was on my bed. The side effect of the prolonged dream I experienced started pounding my head like a hammer pummeling a nail.

"Thank God, you're awake." Mum's faint voice welcomed me back to reality, Nathan was on her side with a worried look. When my focus was restored, I saw more figures. Sophie? Greg? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but my slowly stabilising vision confirmed that it was them.

"What happened?" I groaned. Where's Cornelius?

Diane came up with a glass of water, handing it to Mum who handed it to me. I took a big gulp of it.

"Slow down." Nathan added.

"Nathan, could you please wait outside please?" Mum's tone was firm. He threw me a meaningful look before he walked out and Mum shifted to sit at the edge of my bed.

No, everything wasn't fine. I straightened myself to convince them that I hadn't been through anything serious. I needed answers.

"Why are you guys here?" I gazed up at Sophie and Greg.

Greg bit his lips. We hadn't actually reconciled after he walked into my house drunk and I had to rush him to the hospital. How the hell did he get to be here with Sophie, Diane, mum, and Nathan? What exactly was going on? If Cornelius was behind all of this then, why did Greg, mum, and Nathan–those who had no clue about his existence–were here?

"Lisa, you were–" Greg began.

"–you were kidnapped." My mum finished Greg's words. Her voice was calm and collected but sharp enough.

"What?" I frowned.

"We were so worried about you that I...had to call Greg and Sophie."

"You called Greg and Sophie but why not Lorelai and Phoebe?" I demanded.

I eyed at Sophie whom I hoped could shed some light. But she didn't speak a word. I sensed she could've revealed everything if she wanted to, except she couldn't.

"Who is he?" My mum ignored my question. "Who is that boy, Lisa?"

My stomach churned I could vomit right then and there.

"Diane told me she saw you were going out at night." Mum trailed off. "And I thought you were kidnapped, and we rushed to your room to find...him..." 

She choked a little before continuing.

"At first you were floating over your bed. I must have been seeing things but no, I knew what I saw. Then this strange young man just appeared and he was laying you down on the bed. But you were unconscious..." she paused again, like there were too many things she'd like to say but she just found herself speechless. "I thought I must be hallucinating. He even turned to look at me before he just...vanished."