After a little walk, they finally got to the parking lot.
"Thanks, Mr. Traveller, for giving me shelter under your umbrella."
"Hey, no, it's not a big deal, Mr. David."
...
"So, I will be going now. Have a great da—"
"Good thing that you don't get wet in this heavy rain. Isn't it? Hehe."
...…
"Okay, thank you. Bye then."
"It will be hard for you to walk there from the clinic. You will get wet if I'm not there. Right?"
...
"Yes, that's right. Thanks. I'm going to take my leave now, and you should too, Mr. Random Traveller."
"Is that so? Hehe."
"Yes."
...
"Can you give me a ride?"
"Yes, than—What? What!? You didn't say anything about it."
"You are going on the highway, right?"
"Yes, but how did you know that?"
"It's not some top secret. I just guessed it."
"Aren't you guessing too much?"
"Don't overthink it, man. When we reach the highway, we go our own ways. Okay?"
"Huff, okay, but only until the highway."
With a thought, he let the traveler in his car. As he was driving in an awkward silence, the traveler's voice broke it.
"So, tell me something about yourself, David."
"Wha—why?"
"It is going to be a long ride, so you tell me something about yourself, and I'll tell you something about myself. Just to pass the time."
"Why don't you just guess it?"
"Oo, come on. It's not going to harm you to tell me about yourself. Okay, so I'll ask you a question first. What's your job?"
"I work as a software engineer."
"See? It's just simple questions. Now you ask something."
"What do you do for a living? "
"Yeah, I expected you to ask me this question. So what do I do for a living? I go on adventures and travelling."
"Really? Very funny."
"I'm telling the truth."
"Okay, okay, I get it; you're telling the truth. And what next? That there are adventurer guilds?"
"Why are you so tense, man? Loosen up a little."
And once again, an awkward silence formed between them, which was again broken by the traveller.
"So why were you going to the therapist? "
"That's not your business."
"Maybe telling me will help you with what you're suffering, I guess."
"Thanks, but it's nothing that special."
"You mean your wife's death is not that important to you?"
As these words reached David's ears, his eyes widened. He immediately pressed the brakes. The car drifted on the wet road, but he somehow managed to control it. With an uneasy and almost afraid look, he glanced at the traveller.
"H-how did you—"
"I think I got to my destination."
While opening his red umbrella, the traveller casually stepped out of the car and started walking toward a place. David also got out, his dull eyes widened, and with a trembling voice, he asked again.
"W-who are you? "
"Don't I tell you? I'm a traveler."
"H-how did you know about me and my wife?"
"You know the answer."
"Guess? Bullsh*t. Tell me the truth."
David deliberately asked questions, but ignoring them all, the traveler continued walking.
"Where are you going? Answer my questions first. Huh."
His legs stopped as he saw the gate of the cemetery. It's not his first time seeing the gate, but this time somehow, the gate looked different, almost unreachable.
"Wha—why are you here?"
"My friend, thanks for the ride, but now it's time for me to go on another adventure. But before going, I want to ask you something. Who are you running from? You know? I also lost many loved ones who were everything to me… but that is another story for another time. Goodbye. And don't run away."
With these words, he walked inside the gate. David stood there frozen, his heart pounding. With shaky legs, he walked toward the gate, all the memories of him and Emily appearing one by one in his mind.
"I'm sorry, Emily… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
As David stepped inside the gate, he saw nothing, nobody.
"Wh—how? I'm sure he went inside. So why is he not there? Am I hallucinating? No, no, it can't be. It's too real to be a hallucination or a dream. So where did he go?"
There were so many questions but no answers. While thinking about all that, he suddenly sensed something—something unnatural and different. He looked around, but nothing, just rain and a little fog.
"I think I should go home. Whether he was a hallucination or a real person, it doesn't matter. He is gone now. I should just go home and eat my medicine."
He turned and moved forward to the gate. As he reached the gate, he thought something and looked back. As he looked back, his eyes widened. He felt a chill down his spine, his heartbeat fast enough to be heard.
"W-what is that?"
His words fumbled as he tried to make sense of the situation. A dark figure was standing at a distance, looking at David. When David saw him, he pointed his finger at him, as if telling or judging him.
David started to go back while looking at him. As he was stepping back, suddenly his foot slipped and he rolled toward his car. He was injured, but the fear and anomalies were too much more than the pain. He got in the car and tried to start it, praying to God. He was shaking. As he looked at the gate, the figure was just standing there, looking at him. Finally, after some tries, he started the car and with full speed got out of there.
"Huff… huff… W-what was that? Huffffff…"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but his hands and legs were still shaking.
When he thought he was far away from the cemetery, he stopped.
"What was that? The traveller… he… just disappeared… but how? Is he one of my hallucinations? No, it can't be… it is just too real to be a lie… If that is true, then… where did he go? Did he just disappear in thin air or get swallowed by the soil? And that dark figure, what was that? I'm sure that is not an imagination; it is just too real to be fake. I don't know what is happening with me anymore. Is it a side effect of not taking the medicines regularly? Huff… my head… Today is a very long day."
So many questions flooded his mind, but there were no definite answers.
Then he saw a boy. But because of the rain, he just saw a blurry view of him.
"Huh? W-what is a boy doing on a road in this heavy rain? Is he talking to someone?"
As he saw the boy vanishing far away in the rain, he thought, "Is that another hallucination? It is getting worse and worse; I should have taken the medicine. Ughh... Whatever, I have to go home quickly."
Despite all that, he started the engine again and vanished into the misty rain.
While driving, his headache started becoming worse, yet somehow he managed to get to the building. He parked the car and then, as he got out, his head started to spin. The entire parking place felt like distortion. Lights started flickering.
"Ugh… It's getting worse every minute… I have to quickly reach my apartment…"
With one hand on his forehead, he walked toward the elevator, smashing the button until the doors opened. As he went inside the elevator and pressed random buttons, he collapsed. As his vision slowly faded, he heard the sound of the elevator and saw the flickering light.
"Huh… wha— I… I have to rea—"
When he became unconscious, he suddenly found himself in the middle of nowhere, drifting through black space. Everything was black. Then he realized something.
"Where am I? Why can't I see anything? Huh… m-my eyes! I-I can't… Open them… why? My headache… gone? Is it some kind of dream? I don't know anymore… I just want to relax here."
Suddenly he heard a faint voice. A familiar voice.
"W-who?… someone is calling me."
"Mr. DaVid… Mr. DaViD…"
"Huh… that voice."
"Mr. David!"
"Ugh… Huff… Huff… Lucy?"
"Oh thank God you woke up. For a second I thought you were dead. I was sooo worried."
"What is happening?"
"I… I was bored inside my house, so I thought of going outside for a bit, and then I saw you."
"N-no… I mean, what is happening to the lights?"
"Oh… maybe a fault in the power board or something, I guess? The good thing is that you seem… kinda… okay."
"Ugh… sorry for the trouble, but I'm fine. I will go now."
"W-wait, Mr—"
She tried to stop David but slipped and fell down. And David also couldn't walk properly. After some steps, he leaned on the wall.
"You have a high fever, and your whole body is wet from rain. You can't—"
"Okay, I understand. I can't go without help. And there is nobody other than you and me…"
"Yes, Mr. David… so…"
"Huff… Ms. Lucy, can you please help me get to my apartment?"
"Huh… o-of course."
After that, Lucy helped David get to his apartment.
"Thanks, Ms. Lucy. And sorry for the morning… I wa—"
"It's okay, Mr. David. I know you have your own reasons. If you need anything, you can come to me; we are neighbors after all."
"Thanks for understanding. You can go now."
"Oh… yes, good night, Mr. David."
"Yeah… good night."
David stood there watching her go. When she entered her apartment, David opened his door, but as he touched the handle, the door opened automatically, like it was never locked.
"What? How?"
His whole body suddenly felt a chill, as if it was telling him not to go inside. But David stepped in. Once inside, he felt something off. Everything looked normal… and too perfect.
David looked around. The living room, which was messy and dirty this morning, was now perfectly neat and clean. David grabbed the baseball bat from behind the shoe rack. He was cautious of his surroundings. The apartment was silent; there was no sound. Only rain and thunder spoke in the dark and dense night.
He walked toward the bedroom, hoping for something, but as he reached the room, he saw the door was closed. David got a little surprised, yet he went to the door and opened it.
"There is nothing… there is nothing. It is like before, normal."
As David tried to make sense of the situation, a thunder and lightning strike happened. It was louder and brighter than before. As the sound faded, David heard humming. At first it was distorted and cryptic, but as it became clearer and clearer, his whole body froze. Like someone was behind him.
He slowly turned around. Again, a lightning strike, and as the glow faded, David saw a person on the balcony.
"Emily?"
A word slipped from his mouth.
"Emily, is that you?"
The humming stopped.
"Emily!"
The person turned around. It was Emily. The same face, smile, and kindness are on her face. When David saw her, the bat slipped from his hand. Everything felt like a dream.
"E-Emily… it is you… sniff… you kno—sob… get it together, David…"
He was unable to speak. The feeling was too overwhelming. He tried again to justify himself, to ease himself.
"Emily… w-why? Why did you leave me? I was—sniff… so lonely… without you."
And then he heard a voice from the balcony.
"I know, David."
"Huh… Emily… hehe… don't worry… It's not your fault… it's all my fault… I couldn't protect you… I'm sorry."
"That's good that you now accept your mistake and fault… hehe… what happened? Why did you stop?"
"E-Emily… I… I just… sob… sob… can't… I can't find him… the one who did all this to you… I'm… sniff… sorry, Emily…"
"It's okay, you tried your best, ;y•21k!π€₹#8hi… why did you do that?"
"Huh… wh—"
"Why didn't you save me? Because of you I got killed! You are the reason! You are pathetic!"
"B-but… I tried everything… you know that… every possible way… I did everything I could but—"
"LIAR!!!!! Everything is a lie, keeping bedroom clean, telling everyone about how much you love me and the case! Just so you can cope. You are just a hypocrite. You just want to look good in others' eyes."
"W-what… hypocrite? Me? Over one year I… sniff… tried like a dog to find him. I quit my job, used all my savings… I can't even sleep at night… It always haunts me… See my eyes… I haven't slept properly after that… going to the police station, then the cemetery, then the clinic… Next day, same… again and again and again and… I don't even know when it became a routine… I was tired, yet I continued… why? I don't know anymore… I even thought of quitting… lying on the couch and never moving… Yes, I'm pathetic… Yes, I wish to end it all… and I also think… what if I didn't see you that day… and—"
He eventually ran out of breath.
"Then why don't you end it?"
"Huh…"
"If it was that hard, then why don't you just quit and come to me? If you really care about me, then why don't you come to me?"
"Come… to you?"
"Yes, I was also scared and lonely."
"Huh?… really?"
"YES, I was so scared I didn't even know.... what to do."
"So why are you here?"
"To be... with you."
"With me… b-but how?"
"You don't have to do anything. Just come here… to me. Don't you want to come to me?"
"Of course I want to... Why wouldn't i."
He slowly walks toward her, from the the dark bedroom to the balcony, lit by the lightning.
" Emily, i never thought i can meet you again.... I want to but i know that i can't and-"
" You don't have to worry any more, just follow me."
David now stood at the balcony, the railing just one inch away from him. Emily was floating in the air right in front of it.
"Just one step more. And we will be together forever."
David look at Emily and then below, for a second he hesitate, trying to rethink it again.
"What happened, David? Why aren't you coming? You don't love me anymore, right? That's why… now you have someone else? "
"Emily, how can you say that! I only, and only loved you!"
"So why are you hesitating now? Just one step, and let you flow with it."
"Emily? Emily!"
As she finished the sentence, she started to fall. In reflex, David reached out but couldn't catch her.
The wet floor did its job; as he was falling, everything slowed down. David closed his eyes, letting himself flow with it, as he accept it.
"I'm sorry, Grace, that I can't accept your feelings... Maybe... just maybe-. Ms. Lucy.....thank you for being a very good neighbor, and sorry you had to deal with me. I will always be grateful to you too, and Mr. Constable also—"
His vision suddenly went black. Now he was on the ground, looking at his balcony. The rain made it difficult to see, but he managed to see a figure in black wearing a white skull mask. And slowly, everything started to fade.
"Welcome… David."
The end.