HELLO, STRANGER

CHAPTER 18

KAI’S POV

Mom called and she wanted me to get back home, because they said the case was dangerous. I didn't want to go home yet because I wanted to stay there with Mr. Ollins but he wanted me to get back home. It's good that Mr. Ollin's condition has improved. Ms. Jackie also arrived earlier and she was surprised that I was there. Other people would have let me out, but they also said that they were not so lucky and allowed me to stay there.

Ms.Jackie let me out first, and she said she would talk to Mr. Ollins alone, I agreed and let them talk. I just sat while waiting for Ms.Jackie to finish but my phone vibrated when I looked at Paul.

From: Paul

Layla had an accident.

I dropped my cell phone in shock and covered my mouth. No! Can not be! This is not true!

*Door's open*

"Kai? Are you okay? What happened?" Ms.Jackie asked and she knelt in front of me. When she picked up my cellphone, her eyes widened when she saw what the contents of the message were. She immediately called someone and I felt dizzy and my vision and hearing were blurry.

I hear the voice of Ms. Jackie, but suddenly, everything becomes blurry. I heard her call my name but I only got more dizzy and collapsed.

I woke up because of the sound of the air conditioner. A light appeared in my eyes. I waited for my vision to adjust until it became clear.

"Do you want some water?" I looked to the side to see Paul sitting and I was surprised because there was blood on his clothes and cheeks.

"They're on their way." He said, and I sat down and leaned on the bed.

I started to cry.

"Please, tell me that what you said is not true." I begged, but he had no expression on his face.

"Layla was hit hard, her ribs were broken and she had problems with her spine, one of the most dangerous." He promised coldly.

"My God" I cried.

"Only two. She will live or she will die." he said coldly.

"How do you keep calm with everything going on?! My best friend had an accident!" I cried to him and he looked at me.

"I'm trying to be calm because I believe that neither we nor you really have anything to do with what's going on. I believe Layla that you're not really involved in suicides or let's say murders." He said and I fell silent.

"I was talking to Layla before she had an accident. I heard over and over again that she sounded very scared and like someone was chasing her." He said and I saw that he was in tears.

"Meanwhile, I'm useless," he added.

"I don't know what to believe anymore. Maybe the others are right, maybe you had something to do with the incident. I'm sorry, I still want to believe you but what happened to Layla, I can't." He said and he was about to leave when he met them, mama. Mom was surprised.

"Sorry son." Mama said, but Paul ignored it and left my room.

My sister and mom came to me and I remained dumbfounded and couldn't say anything. My tears just kept flowing.

"Thank god and you're fine baby." Mom said and wiped my tears.

"I'm sorry Kai, for.. your friend." Sister said.

"I don't want to hear about them." I said coldly and mom and sister looked at each other but they didn't answer.

"I'm just going to the accountant to get you discharged." My sister said and left my room. Mom grabbed my chin and lifted it up.

"I'm sorry, son, for what's happening, I'm sorry for your friend and the good news is that Layla is alive." I looked at mom and suddenly, more tears came out. Mom hugged me.

"I'm sorry, because you're the one who's suffering right now and I can't do anything. If only your daddy was here, maybe all the pain and suffering you're feeling would be gone. I'm sorry, baby , and I can't do anything. I want to get everything you're going through, but I can't know how." Mom said, crying.

"It hurts to say it, but you need to stay away from them for their own good. I don't want to get to the point where you are the one chasing after them, they are the ones to leave. Let them give themselves time. The situation is still too fresh, especially with Paul, who Layla is his girlfriend." Mom said and I nodded, I agreed not just because of mom, but for them.

"Paul is right mama, since I arrived, everyone has been dying, hurting, and scared. Ma, I'm scared too." I said.

"Remember, I know, we know it's not your fault. You had nothing to do with it, so don't ever blame yourself. They're just scared." Mom said.

"Daddy won't be happy when he sees you like this." She added, and my sister entered the room.

"You can be discharged, let's go home." Sister said.

*Minute passed*

"Honey, I made you some hot milk." Mom knocked before she entered the room I was using.

I didn't answer and I just hugged my knees and I just kept crying. I was still crying after I was discharged from the hospital. I would have liked to see Layla and see how she was doing, but my mother and sister did not allow me to visit her because there were already many police officers being interviewed at the hospital and I did not want to get involved with them. They said that I might be accused by others again.

I would like to because I know that I have nothing to do with it, so why do I have to avoid it if I have nothing to hide? Mama put the milk next to me and rubbed my head.

"Shhh love, that's enough, that's not going to do you any good. You're just going to be stressed out by what you're doing." She said, but I didn't answer.

Mama gasped because she couldn't do anything to make me stop. He turned on the TV and suddenly broadcast the news about what had happened.

"Here you can see where the tragedy happened. If you can see, it is where the victim, who was a university student, was run over. You can still see the blood of the victim here." The reporter said that he interviewed Layla's neighbors in their area.

"Ran over? It's impossible for him to be run over here because cars are rare here, non-locals also rarely enter here because outsiders are strictly prohibited." The neighbor said.

"My God. My wife and I talked with her just this morning. She passed by our place exercising but what we noticed was that she looked scared and nervous but she didn't mention anything to us." The old man said.

"Ah, so she passed by here?" The reporter asked.

"Yes, my wife and I asked her to eat and drink tea first. She accepted our offer, so it was surprising to hear that she had an accident. Cars are rare here because we are all old people here living in a neighborhood and we don't want any noise, so we were really shocked. My wife and I were just talking to her after we heard that she had been run over. Poor child." The old man said.

"How did you know that she was run over?" The reporter asked.

"The neighbors also said that she had a boyfriend and said that she had been run over, but we didn't notice a car passing by. We didn't hear any noise, so we don't know if she was really run over, but that's what they said here. Because it is also said that a child's bone is broken, so it is a pity." The old man said, and I sat down properly.

"Do you think it has something to do with the school where many students are committing suicide? Because it was found out that the student is studying at the university where many are committing suicide. What can you say?" The reporter asked, Isn't this an interference? This is too much out of what happened to Layla!

"I can't answer that anymore because it seems to be out of the situation that happened to the child. Excuse me." The old man left in front of the camera, leaving the reporter embarrassed, but forced a smile and finished his speech.