What's that? I heard a loud noise coming from the balcony. I open my eyes and the darkness is the one who meets my vision.
I stand up and turned my head on the balcony. It's open? I'm sure that I closed the glass door before I go to sleep.
I decided to go to the balcony and I checked if there's is something or someone. I scanned the whole area, but there's only a broken pot.
The soil was scattered on the tiles. The cold wind suddenly blows up and it's touching my whole body.
It makes me feel like the coldness was crawling to my spine. Plus, I'm just wearing my pajamas.
I wiped all the dirt and I went back to my room. After I closed the glass door, I also closed the curtain to hide my room.
I jumped to my bed and closed my eyes.
However, it felt like my mood for sleeping was already gone. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
I should go back to sleep because tomorrow I will go to school for passing my requirements. This Sunday, my father told me yesterday that I need to go with him.
We are going to deliver some sugar and coffee to South City. After a few moments of silence and staring at the ceiling, I heard some loud barks from the dogs.
I covered my ears, but unfortunately, the loud howling was still entering my hearing. I closed my eyes.
My heart was pounding and it feels like there's something in my throat. It's hard to swallow and the air feels like it's not reaching my lungs.
After a few minutes, someone knocked on the door.
“Astrid? Are you okay? I heard that you're screaming, do you need help?” I gasped when I heard her voice.
It's my mother. I open my mouth, but I can't make any sounds. My body began to tremble and my heartbeat was triple, unlike a few seconds ago.
I couldn't move my body. The knock was already gone and I didn't hear her voice.
It's not good. I heard the lock from the glass door! It can't be! Someone opened it, but how?
The last time I checked it, it's not broken. Does someone break it? I can't open my eyes!
I heard its breath! It's walking in my direction! Mom! Dad! Help me!
All of a sudden, I feel like it's caressing my hair. My heart skipped a beat. It feels like some light appearing in the darkness.
However, I couldn't see the person. Its soft-touch makes me feel comfortable and those touches are calming my heart.
The person keeps touching my hair until my system became calm. I couldn't stop myself from yawning until I didn't bother my surroundings.
Someone kiss my forehead that makes me fall to sleep.
Until the next morning...
“Astrid! Wake up! It's already 7 in the morning, yet you're still in your bed!” I open my eyes. I stretched my arms and legs.
My eyes widen when I remembered something. I stood up and went to the glass door to the balcony.
It's locked! However, the broken pot was still at the side of the railings. I went to the bathroom and washed my face.
When I'm done, I went down and my parents show up. They are smiling while waiting for me to join them at the dining table.
“How's your sleep?” my mother asked. I remained standing at the corner of the stairs.
“It's fine, but I had a strange dream last night,” I responded. Their eyebrows arched.
“Dream? What kind of dream?” my father asked. They looked at each other. It looks like they know something.
“The door at the balcony suddenly open, even though I'm keeping it close and the lock was good. It doesn't have some issues to fix.”
I walked and sit at the side of my mother. There's a lot of food in here.
“In addition to, I can't move my body nor open my eyes, but I can hear all the movements, besides I heard Mom's voice last night,” I stated while preparing my breakfast.
“Me? You heard my voice?” my mother said with a bewildered look on her face. I arched my eyebrow and looked at them.
“Yes, but it seems like you're not going to believe what I'm talking about? Are you interested or not?” I asked while my eyes were squinting.
“No, nothing, just keep going,” my father muttered while chewing the food.
“Not only that, but someone suddenly came in and it's started to caress my hair, it's like the person was putting me to sleep.” They gasped.
“Indeed a strange dream, I thought you're going to your school to pass some requirements? I want to go with you,” my father said with a serious tone.
“Yes, that's right, in the afternoon, I'm going to the cafe because they said that we are going to have a meeting, I don't know the agenda,” I announced.
“Astrid? I want to tell you that this week, your father and I will be having a long trip, we were assigned to deliver some meat.”
Huh? Meat? Long trip? Seriously?
“Eh? Long trip? You're going to deliver some meat? I'm hoping that the freshness of the meat will not be going to decrease, and its textures will remain to its original.”
They looked at each other once again. My father awkwardly scratches his nape while my mother was giving me an awkward smile.
“Are you lying to me? Mom? Dad?” They shook their head immediately.
“No! Why did you think like that? We are telling the truth, we're going to leave this afternoon,” my father added.
My shoulder slumped down. They are not telling the truth.
“Please, Astrid, don't be upset about that, we are going to do this for your own sake, even though we wanted to keep you away from it, fate will still going to hunt you.”
My forehead wrinkled. My head tilts to the left side.
“Hunt me? Why? What happened? Is there something that I didn't know? Tell me,” I whispered.
“It's a good choice if you will discover it by yourself, we don't have the place to say it to you, besides this will be going to be one of your journeys,” my mother added.
She smiled at me and walks in my direction.
“You know that we love you, right?” Her voice was already cracked and her hands were shaking.
My mother kissed my forehead. What's happening? My head is aching, I'm confused!
What's going on?
“Astrid, Daddy Trace will be going somewhere with Mommy Astra, okay? Be a good girl, protect yourself like we always protecting you when you were a child.”
My tears started to flow because I know the things that will be going to happen is unknown. It's either for good or for bad luck.
“Astrid, would you promise to us that you will be going to graduate from that school and if we go back to you, we are hoping that you will have a good life.”
“Mom? Why are you saying those things?” I whispered. My head was hanging low and it feels like there's a bunch of knives was stabbing my heart.
All of a sudden, a sharp object was injected into my flesh. I smiled bitterly while my eyes are slowly closing.
“Please, take care and go back for me,” I said with all my voice. I hope that it reached them.
In a split of seconds, the darkness was showing up again. There's no light, I'm in the darkness.
I wonder if I can still move away from it. I can't feel my hands and legs. I couldn't move, just like last night.
It's hard to breathe. The smell of the darkness was suffocating me.
Can somebody save me and help me from this feeling?