Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The messenger from Gaia (1)

I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. The edgy thought made me chuckle, and along with it came a jostle of pain through my head. As I hissed and tried to sit up, I noticed the room around me. White curtains, white floors, and walls, a basket of fruits on a table not too far away with a vase of flowers next to it. No wires went through my body, but a hospital room wasn't easy to miss regardless of that. 

 

I rested my back against the wall behind me, exhaling a deep sigh.

 

With my eyes closed, my mind went back to that scene. That monster.

 

Was it all a nightmare?

 

My hands and feet trembled as I thought of that.

 

Too real, it was too real to be a nightmare.

 

Loud clangs rang outside the room.

 

There was no doubt in my mind anymore as I bit my lips tight. This world must have already been overrun by monsters. The monsters would come in at any moment.

 

I clenched my fists.

 

The door to the room shook.

 

My body stopped trembling. Surrendering here was not an option.

 

It screeched as it opened up with a bang.

 

"Monster!"

 

"—What? That's no way to talk to your father."

 

I froze when I looked up. Standing at the door with a face that only had two wrinkles and hair that had streaks of white flowing through it was someone extremely familiar.

 

"W-what...? Dad! The monsters didn't get you?!"

 

My dad suddenly pulled back and looked out the corridor. "Excuse me, nurse! This patient needs to be shifted to the psych ward."

 

"Hey!" I snapped. "I am perfectly sane!"

 

"That's what they all say, dear daughter."

 

"Gah!"

 

My dad raised his hands in surrender and stepped inside the room. He closed the door behind his back and walked over to my bed, placing a hand on my forehead to check for any fever. Once he was satisfied, he pulled a chair and sat next to my hospital bed.

 

"Did you have a nightmare, daughter?"

 

"No."

 

"Then what's this about monsters? Did you really lose your mind?"

 

I bit my lips again and lowered my head, curling around my knees.

 

"... It's nothing."

 

Who was I kidding? Monsters? In the modern world? Even I wouldn't trust myself. There's no way that was true. I must have been hallucinating.

 

He must have noticed me trembling as dad let out a deep sigh.

 

"The kidnappers were hired by our competitors," he said, as plainly as he could. "They wanted the Eno company to drop a government-funded project, so they went after Michael Eno's daughter."

 

"Is that so..." I peeked at him. 

 

He bowed his head deeply.

 

"I am sorry, Elle."

 

My eyes widened at the completely unexpected reaction. This wasn't the first time I was in trouble because of him, but it was the first time he apologized. I had no idea what to say.

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"Where's mom?" I changed the topic.

 

"Work. She'll visit you at night."

 

I nodded and looked up at him again. 

 

"Daughter, are you hurt anywhere?"

 

"Nope..."

 

"Any pain in your head? Neck?"

 

"Uhm, not really."

 

"I see..."

 

Dad sighed.

 

A sharp pang of pain etched itself on my cheeks. It felt as if a burning hot clothing iron was stamped on my cheeks as my neck snapped to the side.

 

I was slapped.

 

My eyes widened again and my head dropped down.

"Why were you out of the house at 1 AM?" He asked, his voice much colder than ever before. "Do you know what would have happened if your friend didn't see your phone on the ground and called the cops? No, even before that, do you have any idea what happened to that delivery boy classmate of yours?"

 

"Vera...?"

 

He was there? 

 

My dad lightly pulled my shoulder to make me face him, his face was just as cold as his voice. 

 

"That boy risked his life and tried to help you escape. Even that wouldn't have been enough. You guys were lucky that the construction site fell. No, only YOU were lucky."

 

His every word felt like a hammer hitting my head.

 

Construction site fell?

 

"All four of the kidnappers were crushed with the pipes and rods going through them. That boy protected you and ended up with part of the floor falling on his back."

 

Crushed? Pierced? I couldn't understand what he said, but his words were still strangely as clear as water in my mind. Instead of stringing his meaning together, my mind kept rushing back to that thing. That monster. It crushing the body of that boss, its tongue piercing through the rest on the stairs.

 

"His entire back burnt off and he took blunt hits on his head."

 

The monster's acidic spit. Vera covering for me.

 

"You didn't get hurt by some miracle, Elle." My dad's voice lowered. "Even if I don't count the death of three criminals, only to give you some peace of mind, a young boy is still in a coma with no signs of him waking up."

 

"Coma...?"

 

"He's a kid who couldn't even afford his schooling. We'll be covering all his hospital expenses for now, but the doctors say he might not wake up."

 

This time, I couldn't think of anything but his words. Won't wake up? That guy really was there then? And he won't wake up, because of me?

 

My dad dusted his sleeves.

 

"There's not much I can say," he sighed. "I don't know what to say."

 

I couldn't move my body to face him as my dad got off his chair and turned back.

 

"I am glad you are alright, Elle."

 

I didn't move to face him till the end. Even after the door creaked again and my room was filled with quiet, I didn't move.

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