Game of Destiny [English]

Chapter 5: Left behind

The next day I returned in front of their home. Today the climate is a bit gloomy, and it’s not comparable to yesterday that the morning dawn was beautiful. They were still sleeping, the front door of their home is still closed. I was up in the huge tree branch. I think about it last night a million times. If I want a glimpse of Gee’s everyday life, I need to do something profitable for both of us. And I came up with this plan to make sure that she won’t saw me straight from a distant extent. I feel guilty for what happened yesterday, and I didn’t aspire to do that. It just that I can’t do what she wants.

A few meters away from their home is the house of my parents at this time. My mother is currently sweeping all those dry leaves that fell on Bermuda grass. It looks like a lush green carpet in their garden. My father occupied the whole morning who’s nurturing the cattle, goats, and cows. Outside of their house fence was Mael, still wearing his pair of blue pajamas. He kept on running, tossing in the air the soccer ball. After a bit of a while, Ulysses came grinning.

“Let’s play, Mael, throw me that ball!” he said with an excited voice, “Come on!”

“How about your Dad, Ulysses?” Mael asked, his gazes are full of hesitancy.

“Early this morning, he went to the chicken poultry. He is repurchasing some alive chicken.” he replied with a broad smile that was drawn on his face, “Probably he will return before or after lunch.”

“Are you sure?” Mael, still not satisfied with his answer.

“Of course!”

He let out a deep breath, unknowingly he stroke his hair that strands are entirely grown. Even it looks short in front of his face, and it still covers the nape that made him look extra cute. He turned his back to his friend, took a few strides behind. He tosses and throws the soccer ball.

“Alright, catch the ball, Ulysses!” he shouts from the top of his lungs, “Hit it back!”

I watched them play, throw, toss, and catch the soccer ball. They jump, run, and dodge, and they both laugh that they can hear in quiet morning surroundings. A few moments later, some kids around their age from their neighbors joined them. I can still vividly recollect my younger self playing the soccer ball with Ulysses every late afternoon near the palace.

“It’s good to be young,” I murmured while granting a subtle sigh. If I had given the opportunity or a chance to go back in time, my youth would be one of the possibilities I would choose to repeat. Because that time is so limited, rare, and I feel like that stint of time, I am a flawless vampire prince. “I hope my youthful is not yet gone.”

The sky turned dreary, the beam of sunrise that climbs up from the tip of the forest is nowhere to see. Queen Selma said that daylight without so many clouds is a symbol of birth, rebirth, and a new beginning. But a sunrise vast of the gray sky is a symbol of sadness, regrets, wishes undone, and loneliness. That’s the phenomenon of emotion I was feeling right now, wishes undone with the kiss of guilt and despair.

“Only then will you recognize the value of time when it has passed and already gone.”

I shifted my gaze from Mael to the familiar woman who’s slowly walking unhurriedly.

“What happened?” out of nowhere, I asked myself, “She’s out early this morning?”

She stopped walking when Mael stands in front of her—looking enthusiastic and excited.

“Auntie Isla, how is Gee?” he asked, the sweat of bullets kept on dripping from his forehead. “Is she fine? When she is getting out of the hospital?”

Hospital?

What does he mean?

“She’s fine, Mael,” she answered with a weak and ruptured voice, “You don’t have to worry.”

Her eyes were full of unfamiliar emotions. The way how she stands, she looks so exhausted. She is wearing ripped denim trousers, a loose white t-shirt with a heart imprint. And soft creamy cardigan. Her hair is in a bun. Her tender eyes look more strained when she gives a faint smile. It escapes from her thirsty and dry lips. She seems unstable and feeble when she’s not wearing her nude lipstick. She pats Mael’s left shoulder and lets another faint smile.

“She will be out in the hospital three days from now. I was only fetching some clothes and stuff.”

Mael went silent. Based on his facial impression, he was still afraid. Aunt Isla pats his shoulder once more before she continues her walk leading the way to their quiet home. When she is about five steps away from Mael, she turned around and faced him again.

“Mael, would you like to be friends with my Geselle when she gets out of the hospital?”

I don’t understand, but I have this strange feeling when she asked him that. I have a hint that she is trying to divert Gee’s attention to him. Things that made me feel uncomfortable. I shifted my weight to the limbs of the trees. It’s not yet come but, I already sense envious of him. I understand that I am a nonentity against and compared to my human form at this place.

“What do you mean by the word ‘friends’ Aunt Isla?” Mael wrinkled his nose waiting for a response. “We knew each other from the beginning, aren’t we friends?”

Ulysses, his friend we’re moving towards him on his far left side while rolling the ball on the tip of his one finger. The middle-aged lady shrugged off her shoulder, and she is more vigorous right now than earlier.

“Mael what I mean is I want you to be her best friend.”

“Best friend?” he asked innocently, “Aren’t we already friends? Isn’t that enough to call us best friends?”

“Oh boy, you are so adorable!” she mumbled, “Hang in there. I promise you will be a helpful friend to her that you do even with Ulysses. I’ll allow you to met her once she agreed, okay.”

Then she left, abandoning Mael more confused about the things that she had declared. I heaved a deep sigh. Promptly jump down from the tree. I heard how Ulysses asked him something.

“Mael, what she told you?”

He vehemently shook his head.

“She’s kinda weird today. I don’t understand how she wants me to be friends with Gee.”

“She wants you to be her best friend?”

“Yes. And that stuff seems more strange.”

The leaves of the tree made a subtle sound as they danced in the gentle breeze. I headed straight to the brim of the wood. The sky remains gray, and the sun is still not discerned anywhere. Last night’s dew still kissed the leaves and petals of the wildflowers on the dusty trail’s near flank. I analyze what Gee’s mother meant. I know she believes in Gee’s speculation about my existence. She can sense my presence, too, but she doesn’t believe it because she never gets an opportunity to see me with her own naked eyes.

” It’s okay, Asa, you did well. You do an excellent job by pushing her away, don’t feel bad.”

I saunter continuously and unhurriedly, unaware, and don’t care about the burden that I was deliberately feeling. I halted and froze for an instant when I heard Gee’s weak and hoarse voice screaming, whimpering in my mind while calling my name.

“Asa...Prince Asa!”

I felt the massive pain in my chest. I shut my eyes tightly. Tears started to flow down from my cheeks to my neck. I wrapped both hands in my ears as the world seems spinning before my eyes. I could still hear her, her lovely shivering voice.

“Gee...please stop...”

I knelt on the turf, still covering my ears. The withered leaves made a little fuss under my knees. I couldn’t explain the enormous weight of massive distress in my chest. I felt stabbed. I sense the remorse of sadness outsets destroying my whole body.

“Prince Asa...” she continued, “Prince Asa...”

I lay down on the rough ground. The dancing leaves of the trees, the harmonic sounds of the wind, and the gray sky became blurred scenery in my spectacle. My rushing tears burst and started to cover the wholeness of my face. I screamed like a loud thunderstorm. I could no longer bear and cope with the pain in my wrenching chest.

“S-Stop...please Gee...stop!” I begged with a shaky voice. “I’m breaking down in pain.”

Before I could wholly forfeit my consciousness, I saw the rays of the daylight sun passing, kissing, penetrating the crevices of the enormous wilderness. The sky was gorgeous.

The greeting of a kissed a large number of raindrops on my body as I woke up. I was still in the woods, covered with pale and blue haze. The gorgeous blue sky earlier turned gray and was continuously weeping. I endure the loud coughs and gently caress my emotionless nape. I faintly arise as I continue to gasp, I grasp my chest. I hastily grabbed and glared at the necklace that I was wearing. It plunges and hangs on my neck again when it doesn’t contain the digit of my sleeping years.

I drag myself up using the fragile shaft of scrubs near my side. My entire body was dripping with intense rainwater. My face, my arms, my limbs are full of filthy mud. The torrent downpour strengthened. I picked up my rod, and in a split-second, I was already in front of the gloomy dusk cave inside the vast forest. The cascade downpour lasted for about a week. I just stayed and waited for them to halt inside the cave. The murky and dirty water spilled over into the stream. The strong wind blows made some of the leaves of the trees plunged and fell on the muddy surface. The atmosphere was still vague; even in my sights, the scenery was visible and transparent like the pure water in the spring.

“Still not ended yet?” I asked myself amid the gloaming night, “I am thirsty.”

Simultaneously with the onset of a new dawn, the torrential storm subsided. The blew of the gushing breeze was still frigid with the dew of another morning. I excitedly ran out of my shelter cave. The warm ray of sun is peeking through the ravines of the leaves and twigs.

“New morning, new hope, new day!” I exclaimed, still spanning. “Thanks to you!”

I promptly chased the huge wild boar that I saw. As usual, like before, I buried its body on the ground after gulping all of its blood. I can sense that I am whole.

“How is Gee?” I raised a question to myself as I was looking blankly. “Has she been discharged from the hospital? Yeah, probably. It’s been a week of a downpour.”

I squatted dreary near the stream, staring intensely at the shaggy gush of water.

“Maybe I should see her from the remote distance.”

I went inside the cave, and when I got out, I already wore my leather shoes, cape, and hat. I was gripping with my left hand my comforting cane. I was prepared enough to go on the small mortal village.

My broad smile never abandoned my eyes as I walked unhurriedly out of the forest. I don’t need to run. I don’t need to hurry out myself. I have this bizarre and foreign sensation that I can’t comprehend if it’s harmful and dangerous. I was whistling and humming my favorite melody as I scanned the gigantic and tremendous trunks of the trees—the greeting of the warm ray of sun on their wet boxes. The warm breath of the breeze was blowing from the distant plains of a human neat and small town. I can smell the sweet morning dew, the aroma flavor scent of their hot milk, chocolate, ginger tea, and coffee in a cup. The essence of roasted garlic came from their fried rice were the best fragrance here other than my woman’s scents. I’ve been in this place for a little while as it satisfies my habit. I was smelling their foods for their incredible breakfast.

I immediately stopped walking when I reached the out extent of the forest. The sweet cane that I was holding fell on the ground. It slammed loudly on the leather shoes that I was wearing. My visions blurred, I closed my eyes, and they widened while roaming around when I opened them. I was back! I am in my world, and our destroyed kingdom is in front of my sights. The only left on the households of our clan was merely their flooring. It became the eyewitnesses in the war that took place in several hundred years.

“This is not true.” I vehemently shook my head, “I’m still in the forest of Racama, not in Nambwana.”

I saw the light tinted kiss of the blazing fire in every pillar of our gone kingdom. Vampires’ voices can hear throughout the destroyed habitat, their scream of grief, every whimper for aid. In the vicinity that has crumbled for so many years, I also heard it in the breeze’s breaths and the broad and gray skies. This place was abandoned by me, by their frightened vampire prince.

I hastily turned my back from our old habitat. I sprint and hurriedly run towards the cave. The vast forest was identical, with the same breeze, the same trees, the same sky, and even the smell of this vast forest. I threw down myself on the lateral side of the cave. I was shocked, terrified, and stunned.

I want to catch a glimpse of Geselle while she is growing up. I want to hug her tight when she is old enough, even for once. I want to explain and define to her how much I treasured and cherished her at different times. I want to be with her in the same universe even if I wasn’t her authentic and fantastic lover.

My tears streamed down from my cheeks as I felt lost. I’ll have the open wound. In this world, I am entirely alone, deserted, abandoned, and left behind. In this place, there is no young Geselle, no young Ulysses. In this world, there are no counterparts of my parents that I was able to meet even if we are from a different universe.