“What’s wrong?”
Laeli could sense something in the air the moment she woke. It was like a dark miasma had filled the small room, and set her head pounding with pain.
“Why... why are you here?”
A sense of dread seeped into Laeli, as she realized that Matt’s whole family was standing by his bedside. Whenever family came, it meant either an early release, or...
“Ah!” Silai turned from her spot at Matt’s bedside. “You’re awake, Laeli. Matt...”
Her red eyes told Laeli all she needed to know.
It wasn’t an early release from the hospital.
“No...” Laeli whispered, her eyes wide. “Please...”
“Matt’s going to be gone for awhile. He asked me to keep... to keep you company. Here.”
Silai handed the shocked girl a slip of paper.
Laeli opened the folded sheet, her eyes skittering over the words. Upon reaching the end of the note, Laeli’s expression turned dark. She was angry. So angry.
Never had she ever felt such an urge to destroy something.
It wasn’t fair.
She hadn’t known.
And Matt... he had to wait until the last moment, when she couldn’t even give her answer.
Laeli looked blankly up at Silai, an unreadable expression on her face.
Silai looked back, her red-rimmed blue eyes--the exact shade of Matt’s, plainly expressing the grief.
Silence filled the room, save for the quiet sobbing of Matt’s mother. His father calmly lead the crying woman out of the room, but Laeli could see tears falling down the stoic man’s face as well. Laeli closed her eyes, summoning all her self control to hold the tears at bay.
“I was the one...” She muttered, voice bitter and angry. “I was the one that was supposed to die.”
“Laeli...” Silai took Laeli’s shaking hands into hers, “I...”
“There’s.... there’s not even anyone waiting for me. He... he had all of you!”
Her voice cracked, and the angry tone from before was reduced to a whimper.
“It’s not fair. Not fair. Not fair!”
“I know! I... I know.” Silai started crying again, loudly, her tears bringing water to Laeli’s eyes as well. The two cried.
So ended day 3.
Laeli could sense something in the air the moment she woke. It was like a dark miasma had filled the small room, and set her head pounding with pain.
“Why... why are you here?”
A sense of dread seeped into Laeli, as she realized that Matt’s whole family was standing by his bedside. Whenever family came, it meant either an early release, or...
“Ah!” Silai turned from her spot at Matt’s bedside. “You’re awake, Laeli. Matt...”
Her red eyes told Laeli all she needed to know.
It wasn’t an early release from the hospital.
“No...” Laeli whispered, her eyes wide. “Please...”
“Matt’s going to be gone for awhile. He asked me to keep... to keep you company. Here.”
Silai handed the shocked girl a slip of paper.
Laeli opened the folded sheet, her eyes skittering over the words. Upon reaching the end of the note, Laeli’s expression turned dark. She was angry. So angry.
Never had she ever felt such an urge to destroy something.
It wasn’t fair.
She hadn’t known.
And Matt... he had to wait until the last moment, when she couldn’t even give her answer.
Laeli looked blankly up at Silai, an unreadable expression on her face.
Silai looked back, her red-rimmed blue eyes--the exact shade of Matt’s, plainly expressing the grief.
Silence filled the room, save for the quiet sobbing of Matt’s mother. His father calmly lead the crying woman out of the room, but Laeli could see tears falling down the stoic man’s face as well. Laeli closed her eyes, summoning all her self control to hold the tears at bay.
“I was the one...” She muttered, voice bitter and angry. “I was the one that was supposed to die.”
“Laeli...” Silai took Laeli’s shaking hands into hers, “I...”
“There’s.... there’s not even anyone waiting for me. He... he had all of you!”
Her voice cracked, and the angry tone from before was reduced to a whimper.
“It’s not fair. Not fair. Not fair!”
“I know! I... I know.” Silai started crying again, loudly, her tears bringing water to Laeli’s eyes as well. The two cried.
So ended day 3.
