Meeting you in the City

Chapter 29: Troubled

Salvy’s mind

Huh?..

What’s that noise?

It’s sounded like someone erratically breathing, speaking a heavy, muffled voice which I can’t understand.

But I recognize that tone.

Or so I thought?

Is it really a voice? A distinct sound, but I couldn’t seem to distinguish. Whether that voice is all in my head? Or is it real?

Is it talking to me?

What does it want to say?

“..kno...he...is Im.po..rtan-t to...you….o.”

Important?

Did I hear that right?

What is it trying to tell me?

What’s important

What is the voice saying to me?

I want to know

it...

It seems troubled…

In a way that I’m still confused as the breathing becomes heavy, almost like...

Sobs and snivels, a heavy drained, stuttering voice I listen

Almost like a voice weeping

Is that…

someone crying?

___

Wait, why can’t I see anything?

I tried to open my eyes, but it was only then when I realized Darkness had already filled my vision not even a single beam of light penetrates my dim view, just the pure blackness.

Why is it so dark? I still asked myself, disputing whether this was just a dream or If I was awake as my eyes only saw the nothingness.

I can’t open my eyes….

I can’t

Am I blind?

In a dream? Somehow half asleep?

Or in a dream loop, I can’t escape, ahh!

____

Nah!

I’m just overreacting.

Maybe I’m just consciously unconscious?

If that’s even a thing

*(someone crying)*

Why is that person crying

I’m so confused right now

Am I dreaming?

But why does it sound so real…

So troubled….

So scared

“A rest”

Huh?

Is that Chico?

Wait?! Where am I going

AHHHH!!

______

Darkness swiftly zoomed-in, bursting into a rapture of lights, then the lights in my eyes turned shut.

As it once again comeback

Ahhhhh!!

Where am I?

How did I manage to get here to this place? Beem of rays dances, squinting my eyes as the colorful dancing lights clear its path, and I look around to observe my surroundings.

Oh,

I could see now

Wow...

The Fields? I must be aware that I’m dreaming as my mind just takes me to places.

But why here?

The fields?

It’s like I’ve seen this place before

Why are these fields familiar to me

Wait!

That sound again.

It’s someone crying.

Where is it?

Where is it ??

Where is it ????

I quickly stand up from the ground

following the sound as I let myself get sucked in the tallgrass piles and be lost

Where am I? Ha? Ha...haaah... I took a deep breath as I cleared my head

That’s what I want to know

Why am I here?

I can’t see anything but just this hay-like yellow grass. It’s empty in here; I can’t find my way out.

Why am I even here in the first place?

I was following the sound of someone crying just a while ago and soon lost it too.

I can’t find my path going back as well.

What am I going to do?

I’ll probably fall to the ground and cry and let myself die.

_____

*(someone weeping)*

No!

That cry again!

I need to find who is it fast before I lose it again

I hurriedly proceed my way into the seemingly endless summer greenfield, not bothering to know where I’m headed but just following wherever this path leads me, wherever I can hear the sound is coming from

The wind is gusting through the fields. It was somewhat exciting just feeling the cold breeze in your face while running.

But that sound

It’s getting louder

I might be near

I jump to make an opening for my eyes to see the view at the top of this tall yellowish-green grass.

I can’t see anybody

I continued to run

Faster! faster! as it goes

That’s good. It’s now deafening. Maybe I could look again

I jump once again to clear my view

I see someone

I know that hair…

It’s Chico!

I rushed closer to him.

As I called his name in hopes that he’d see me

CHICO!

HEYYYY CHICO

CAN YOU HEAR ME?!!

CHICO, I’M HEREEE!

I waved my hands, but he couldn’t notice

I’M HEREE! Once I called again

but he continued crying

Maybe he can’t hear me

But I have to find a way he would though

I made my way to get closer

And closer

But every time

Why

Why is it like I’m not moving?

Hey Chico, can you hear me?!

No response…

All I heard was just the loud sounds of sobs escaping from someone’s mouth can be heard.

Chico!!!

Notice me

I jumped high and waved my hands

And waved and waved as I jumped higher and higher

Then finally

He looked in my direction as he wiped his tears away

Wait, did he see me?

“Well, Salvy”

Yes, Chico?

“I’ll leave you be for now” wha..leave me be? But...

“Sorry for troubling you.”

But I need you

“I’ll leave”

Wait, noo!! Don’t!!!

Chico!

CHICO!!!

CHICO WAIT!!!!

CHICO, DON’T LEAVE ME! I shouted as I ran to catch on with Chico, but no matter how loud I called to him, he didn’t notice me.

It’s like he can’t hear me...

He can’t see me ?....

What?...where am I?

Where am I? Stop playing with me!

Am I dead?! is that it?!

________

That can’t be, right?

_______

I ran as fast as I could, but I couldn’t seem to catch him

Chico…

Chico vanished as the wind blew, his body be one with its flow

What kind of a stupid dream is this? I asked myself as I looked at my hands that were slowly fading away

I was left standing there alone as I gaze everything around me

Where am I

Why am I so…

Alone…

Then darkness came again.

Astra’s POV

(The fight)

Ha… every chance I could get... breath

Breathe because it may be the last time that you will

Breathe because it may be the only moment that you can

Breathe….

Until you’re out of it

______

Welcome to my world

Troubling, chaotic, frightening, and loud

This is my world

every day

I stray farther away from myself

From me

Every day comes with endless pain

And this is what you wanted to see, right?

The real Astra…

The Astra that everyone knows about

The Astra they avoid

They feared

Everyone knows him

But not myself

who is really this Astra they talked about

I don’t know who am I anymore

Am I….

the one who’d punch this guy face below me

Who is it

Who are you?

It was the one eating the real me inside.

It was the one who made me lose myself and lost my cool, and now

The one who’ll be willing to lose everything again.

Do they really know you?

Me?

Is this even the real me?

Cause I don’t know who I am…

We? are anymore

Am I really you

Or are you the real me?

(You let yourself go)

Then this is the real you

"ASTRA, STOP IT!"

Yoru?... He called

HA?!

What am I doing?

"Astra, please!..." silence, a deafening silence comes after his call as my body froze and my mind stopped.

Huh?

Where am I?

I looked at his eyes filled with frustration and sadness as I slowly looked at the boy underneath me. His eyes filled with terror.

(everything comes back to Astra’s sanity)

_______

I wake up

Wh...what am I doing?

Ha? Why is someone below me frightened

What did I do

Yoru?

Yoru…

Am I really willing to hurt somebody

I’m so lost

"Please stop it already," Yoru, no

"I give up" Yoru, I...

"I GIVE UP!!!" I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…

No

"Yoru..." I’m sorry, help me

"'I don't want to see you again." Yoru, I’m sorry

"Yoru, this is just a misunderstanding. Don’t do this to Astr-" Velo, no, let me...

"Yoru, I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apologies. I don’t want anything to do with the lies that come out of your mouth. What is it going to do about this pain inside me."

(sub thoughts of Astra)

(The lie…)

(Everything in my life is a lie.)

"Yoru, look at me." Yoru you don’t understand, please look at me

(Everything is)

"No!"

"Yoru, please" no...he restrained himself from looking at me, and that time, I knew what you wanted me to do, but I just can’t let you do that.

"Ain't this familiar to you that day I'm beginning you to look at me too." …

That day, I put you in this situation, isn’t it? I put your life in danger once again.

All I did was hurt you, but no, please

(Yoru, I’m still here, the real me)

"Yoru, just look at me."

"I don't want to look at you and feel sorry for you again!" I’m really a burden to you

"Yoru pl-" a heavy, heavy burden he was right Nubes was correct. All I did was hurt all of you.

"I said I don't want to see you, Astra, so what the hell is your ass still doing here? Start to move your feet and get your face out of here!"

(I don’t want to see you)

"Yoru, stop this, Yoru, don’t do this, Astra."

"If you're against this leave, leave leave leave!!! Go with Astra and leave me alone, you insensitive jerks!" I wanted to come closer. I tried to reach out to you, but one thing I know is that I need to leave you alone.

“Leave!” so this is the price

“Leave! Leave! Leave!”

“LEAVE, I BEG YOU, JUST GO, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE CAUSE IF YOU STAY HERE ANY LONGER, I COULD JUST CHANGE MY MIND, SO PLEASE LEAVE SO YOU CANNOT HURT YOURSELF OR US ANY LONGER!”

“Yoru…”

“Leave now, Astra” This is the price of executing my plan.

___________

Losing everything

Something I’m used to

Is losing everything

_________

What is real and what is not?

In my life…

And in my soul…

Who am I again?

(Astra)

Astra…

I don’t really know

There are secrets everyone can tell about me

But there are secrets only I know

Those secrets that people tell is not what I’m trying to hide

But what I’m running away from

But the secrets that to me is hidden

Are the secret to the

Real me….

Chico’s POV

*(Salvy’s Room)*

*(Chico Cleaning Salvy’s Room)*

I left Salvy to rest as I let all my feelings out. I felt a little better, but still, I was not okay. It’s not because of me and the boss anymore, but it’s about Salvy and the boss now. I hope for Salvy to wake up, but I’m constantly worried about how Astra will treat him when he is awake and how I will find the answers to his questions.

Salvy,

I gaze upon his resting body once again its been the 5th time I supposed since I started cleaning. I borrowed a feather duster, a broom, and a mop to clean the floor and everything in this room as it was already a bit dusty and might affect Salvy.

Man, I really don’t know. I just want this room to be spotless as thank you for Salvy. Cleaning is the only thing I can do, and, besides, I’m used to it as sometimes Astra could be a germ freak.

I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but there were picture frames with Salvy and his family in them at the small round table at the small sofa place in the room. Well, it’s also a little dusty, so I decided that I should wipe it with a clean cloth.

Hmm, where did I put that cloth again

Oh wait, yeah, the restroom

I walked towards the restroom as my peripheral caught a glimpse of Coco, who was seemingly quietly whining and waiting for the door.

Is she waiting for someone?

I don’t know. Maybe Coco just smelled something. Nonetheless, I didn’t bother myself as I knew Camille and Reed would not be back anytime soon. I continued to walk and go into the bathroom as suddenly Coco barked. I was planning to go outside when I heard the doorknob turn.

Someone is here. Who is it?

I kept myself waiting inside the bathroom, not revealing myself as I stayed quiet and hidden from any possible people who threatened to inflict Salvy harm.

I waited impatiently; I was ready to fight.

*(door opened)*

*(Coco still barking)*

Ha! He’s here

The door cracks open, I heard as my eyes peek through the small opening of the bathroom door.

Some had entered, but Coco didn’t attack him

Wait, who is it

What?!

What is he doing here?

Why is he here?