Wind Arrow

Chapter 3: Dusk

Chapter 3: Dusk

The following morning, I went to meet up with Zander and his family. I knocked on their front door while scrutinizing the blue painted walls and green coated roof of their house. The last time I visited them, the walls were still captured in dark reddish brown paint. The wooden porch where I step on was masked by light green shades. Flowers and shrubs protruded against the plain wooden fence with a picturesque architecture and scheme.

My conjecture is that while I've been busy in school, dealing with tension in a few semesters and I couldn't find time to visit them, they totally changed their home lifestyle while I was unwarily gone. What more could I expect when I step in?

Zander's mom opened the door with a blissful smile. "Nice to see you Xeleria. It's good you came to visit us after a long time." She gave me a nice warm hug along with a motherly aura.

After all the greetings, I perambulated through the wooden stairs up to Zander's room. I'm glad that nothing changed inside for I might've stumbled or broken vases and such. I opened his door without knocking and saw him on his laptop. He heard the creaking of the door and turned around flabbergasted, as if he's seen a ghost.

"Hey. You seem surprised. Remember inviting me in yesterday?" I asked in a flippant manner.

"Oh, of course I do. You should have knocked first you know. I'm a still a guy and you're still a girl and we're a-"

"Fine fine. But you should lock your room, you know; and I know that guys will always be guys." I teasingly grinned as I pointed at his abruptly closed laptop.

"Ehem." He regained his composure and tried to change the topic. "Wanna go down and eat snacks?"

"Yeah, sure." I know he's embarrassed but he doesn't need to be; if what I think he was doing before I barged in was correct... If you know what I mean.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him all the way downstairs into the dining room to have a fun chitchat with his family all day long. After having our bellies turn into balls, Zander and I separated with them to have ourselves watch a movie together in his bedroom.

After a few minutes of watching, the part where the main character held the girl when she was about to faint made me nauseous. The scene completely reminds me of the dream I had last night.

I stayed silent and still without minding the next events. Zander though, starts to notice me not laughing or even if the movie's a romantic comedy. He paused the screen and began to stare.

"What's the problem? You're acting like this is a horror movie with the look on your face." I knew he's teasing to make me laugh but I just can't.

"Umm.. Nothing." I lied.

"I know you when you're lying. Come on. Tell me." Of course, he knew. I'm a see-through human being when it's with him.

Droplets of tears suddenly ran down my cheeks even if I didn't anticipate it. He places his hands over my shoulders to give out a hug. It's the first time I've ever let him see me cry in all these years ever since we've turned into young adults. I expected him to comfort me awkwardly but I saw the calm enduring warmth in his eyes as if he knew what I've been going through all along.

"I always had this nightmare." I started to open up as he tucks me in the warm velvety blanket.

I gathered up the strength to tell my nightmares as he looked at me, weary. "I was running, frightened and hiding from an unknown identity without knowing the reason why. The feeling of terror fills me and it always ends up on the part where a tall guy walks closer and my visions stars to get dim. I never saw his face. It's always the same dream ever since."