As Caleb stood up from the couch, the low rumbling that had previously filled the room abruptly ceased. His eyes, consumed by darkness just moments before, began to clear and regain their natural color. At the same time, the deep cracks that had marred the smooth marble flooring of the grand mansion came to an abrupt halt.
Caleb suddenly collapsed onto the unforgiving, icy floor. Brian's heart leaped into his throat as he rushed towards his fallen friend. With trembling hands, he gently lifted Caleb's head and shook him in a desperate attempt to rouse him from his unconscious state, like a bartender shaking a cocktail shaker.
After the accident, Brianne was carried to the couch where she was laid down gently. Brian sprinted towards Caleb with a sense of urgency and swiftly lifted his head in a sudden movement. He shook Caleb like a snow globe, hoping to bring him out of his trance. But Caleb continued to snooze as if he was auditioning for the role of Sleeping Beauty. As Tabitha watched the lovey-dovey couple, she suddenly felt like she was hit with a truckload of cheese. It was like watching a Hallmark movie but with extra cheese.
As Diya began to stir, she felt a throbbing pain in her head and a heavy weight on her chest. She slowly fluttered her eyelids open, and her surroundings swam into view. Diya woke up feeling like she had been hit by a bus. But then she realized that would have been impossible since there were no buses in the living hall. It took her a few moments to fully comprehend her situation and the events that had led up to it.
She wondered if she had been sleepwalking again or if her shadow had somehow managed to knock her out. She was thankful for being alive. She wished to retrieve her lost memories without any interference from needles.
Diya gasped in shock, holding her head in pain, "What happened? And who is this on the floor?"
Tabitha and Brian were completely taken aback by Diya's words. They were shocked to the core as they had never expected her to be so badly injured that she couldn't remember who was to blame for all the chaos. Tabitha swiftly guided Diya to the cozy couch and inquired if she required anything to make her feel comfortable. Although Diya declined, her eyes remained fixed on Caleb, who was lying on the floor, leaving her perplexed about his identity and the purpose of his presence.
Tabitha was shocked and exclaimed to Diya, "Don't you remember Caleb? You two were pretty close."
Diya, taken aback, asked in return, "Oh, his name is Caleb?"
Brian heaved a deep sigh, carefully carried Brianne in his arms, and made his way towards the staircase. His thoughts were in disarray, but he knew he had to take her back to her room and tuck her into bed. Tabitha was standing there, looking like a lost puppy, trying to figure out the crazy events that had just taken place. It was as if she was trying to solve a complicated math problem in her head, but the only number she could think of was 42. However, she was happy to know that her best friend, Diya Isabella Brown, had finally woken up from her beauty sleep after what felt like an eternity. Maybe she had a good dream about cute fluffy unicorns or something. Who knows?
Diya turned to Tabitha, her face twisted in pain, "Tabi, I feel like a thousand needles are piercing my body. It hurts so much."
Tabitha's expression showed her surprise, "You should take a break, Diya. Rest for a while."
Diya agreed with Tabitha and followed her up the stairs to her room. As she climbed the stairs, she felt like a jellyfish trying to walk on stilts. Her legs were wobbling so much that she thought she might break into a spontaneous dance party.
It was like her body was saying, "I don't do stairs, I do couches and Netflix."
Despite the throbbing pain in her head and the disorienting feeling in her stomach, she was resolute in her determination to make it back to her room. Her only desire at that moment was to collapse onto her plush and velvety bed, close her eyes, and try to piece together the events that had led her to this state.
Tabitha kindly assisted Diya in getting into her bed and tucked her in with a warm and cozy comforter. Diya expressed her gratitude to Tabitha and asked her to keep the door open before leaving the room. Tabitha double-checked that everything was in order and that Diya was comfortable before making her way downstairs.
Brian seemed to be in a state of confusion and anxiety as he dwelled on recent events. He couldn't seem to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in his mind, as he tried to recall the details of Diya's struggle to remember Caleb's face and the reason behind her current state.
As Caleb slowly began to regain consciousness, he found himself staring at the blank, white ceiling above him. His eyes felt heavy and bleary, and he struggled to orient himself after being in a deep trance. His mind felt muddled and confused as if he had just woken from a dream that he couldn't quite remember. Despite feeling disoriented, Caleb tried to focus on his surroundings and take in as much detail as he could, hoping to ground himself in reality.
Caleb turned to Brian and Tabitha, puzzled, and asked, "Why am I here? Where's Diya?"
"Can you recall what happened to you before this, Caleb?" Brian inquired curiously.
"I'm not entirely sure, Brian. I remember checking on Diya before heading down to the basement," Caleb said, holding his head.
"And then what happened, Caleb? Do you remember?" Tabitha interrupted.
"I recall seeing a woman in a black veil and a black bridal gown. She was attempting to tell me something, but I couldn't quite comprehend it. Then, I felt a sharp pain in my head, and I lost consciousness," Caleb explained what happened before all the chaos.
"Thank goodness, at least someone remembers what happened to them," Tabitha breathed a sigh of relief.
Caleb looked bewildered and asked, "What do you mean? Is Diya okay? Where is she?"
"Caleb, Diya is resting in her room. You must now assist us by telling us what the woman in the black veil requested of you," Brian swiftly prevented Caleb from calling out for Diya.
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💕Hey, have you wondered about the mysterious woman with a black veil who was looking for Caleb? I wonder what she wanted from him!