Melody.

I attempted ways to sneak out without Raphael's notice, but his flute skills instantaneously pulled my heartstrings. Not only it was like a melody to my ears, it forced me to remain on the spot. I hate to admit, but I was attracted to the song. My pounding heart started slowing down, and my muscles relaxed. The noises of rustling grasses, whispering wind and the anger of the ocean seemed to be in sync with the song.

Of course I would love to listen more, but regardless, my mind was divided on what should I do next. A part of me wanted to listen to his performance, but the others wanted me to leave as soon as possible. If I stayed, Raphael will notice me, and I knew that things won't be going as well. If I left, however, I wouldn't be able to hear the calming melody again.

I looked around for Myla, and she was there in the distance, playing with some random plants. Despite the loud crunches she made, Raphael didn't seem to notice the dog and continued on with his music. He really poured his emotions through the flute, as time passed by, the harmony the instrument let out grew depressing.

This is my chance. As soon as I rushed towards Myla to pick her up, however, Raphael abruptly stopped playing. A deep, frustrated sigh was emitted out of his lips.

"Seems that I can't get the pitch right." He mumbled to himself, and brushed his hair. "Maybe I should practice more often."

He slowly whirled his body around, probably trying to get down, but before I managed to get out, his eyes quickly met mine. I snuggled the pomeranian dog closer to my chest, instantly turning my head away from him. I still felt his boring gaze as he went down from the railing.

Shit... I'm fucking doomed...

"Oh hey, Chris..." He greeted, but he didn't sound so happy and energetic, unlike usual. As I glimpsed, Raphael placed a weak, forced smile on his face, as though he had dashing hopes. Myla, on the other side, seemed to be sniffing his scent, as her nostrils were up in the air. My hands were clenched tight on dog, but I was mindful not to squeeze the life out of her.

"Hey." I decided to greet him instead of being ignorant, although I preserved my low tone and my awareness. I slightly stepped back, attempting to keep a distance away from him.

"... Sorry about last week. I should have known your feelings before I talked to you." He murmured, placing the flute inside his bag. The ocean breeze quietly hit against my face, tousling my bangs and almost lifting them up. In intuition, I quickly brought my forelocks down, even before Raphael could see what was hidden behind them.

"I know." I retorted, snorting. I didn't understand people who have to repeatedly say sorry, even though they had done it on the first place. I get it, you are sorry. I don't need to hear it again.

A deafening quietness then surrounded us, with the exception of nature noises. Myla glanced up, her eyes were looking at me, expressing intense curiosity. Her tongue was rolled out as she breathed a bit too fast, probably as a result of her rough play. She mildly swung her tail back and forth, its movements tapping against my hoodie.

There, I noticed Raphael was observing Myla with scrutiny. He appeared to be taking details of the animal.

"Your dog's all fluffy and adorable..." He complimented. "What breed is it?"

"Pomeranian." I answered. Raphael's eyes grazed upon her long furs, and judging from it, I knew what he was about to do. I withdrew the animal away from his sight. "Don't touch her."

"Wasn't going to. I was just checking her out. It's just shocking how her furs can grow that long." He claimed, hiding his true intentions behind his flagrant lies. At it, I mentally rolled my eye. "What's her name, anyway?"

You don't fucking need to know. I was about to snap this answer at him, but for some reason, I couldn't spat the words. It was completely lodged in my throat, and I couldn't easily cough it out, so instead, I brusquely answered him.

"It's Myla."

"Wow, that's a cute name." Raphael praised, but it didn't trigger any feeling inside, even a slightest happiness. It was simply a pointless compliment that I could shrug it off. Many people had said this so frequently that it didn't affect me in any way.

Out of all, only one did impress me.

"Yeah." I said.

"...You know, when you made me remember about this place, I've been visiting here almost everyday." Raphael then faced towards the ocean, and walked towards the edge. "It's also a perfect spot for a practice, so I've always brought my flute. The elderly around here even wanted me to play a song for them, so it's a good thing."

When he turned around to look at me, I simply blinked, and kept my frown intact. Do I look like I give a fuck?

"Guess I talked too much." Raphael sheepishly chuckled.

Yeah, you sure do. 

"But it's true, Chris. I enjoyed this place, thanks to you."

I didn't know whether I should be grateful or not that I used to show Raphael this place. To be honest, I felt indifferent, as if my interest in him had died. I ran my hand through my hair, deadpanning him.

Raphael did seem to finally realize it.

"...You're still going on about that day, do you...?" He hesitated on his question.

Of course I fucking am!

What do you fucking think?!

You think I will be wandering around with no recollection of what happened?!

I wanted to scream at him.

He should have known that I wasn't interested in reconciling with him anymore. I didn't want him to bother the shit out of me, and I didn't want to fuck with him. No matter how hard he tried to be nice and kind, or how hard he tried to show that he was guilty of what he did back then, I wouldn't have be harboring the same feelings as he did.

Out of nowhere, my head throbbed. It felt like my skull was being pressured down by an unseen mass. The muscles inside my brain constricted as a kind of response, and so the wavering pain multiplied. Nevertheless, it was still negligible enough, and so I could ignore it.

I didn't sleep well last night. I kept on waking up, expecting a nightmare to haunt my dreams. And I still happen to remember that grin of his before he...

My headaches started to grow worse at  these crashing thoughts, but I kept resisting it. I gently placed Myla on the ground, and fortunately, the animal didn't seem to know about my pain. Best of all, she didn't whine about wanting to be lifted again, and simply walked behind my legs.

Ugh... I have to go home...but... I have to deal with that shit again...

I have to go somewhere else to rest...

"Chris, what's wrong?" His eyes were tight and worried. "You don't look so good."

WHAT'S WRONG?! YEAH, EVERYTHING!!!

"I'm just tired." I responded, simultaneously swallowing my boiling anger, and enclosing it in a space. It wasn't an easy one keeping it down, since it was expanding. I spun around, then walked away from him. "I'm going home."

"W-wait!"

Raphael abruptly sprinted towards me, as I heard his footsteps. In less than a few seconds, his hand reached out and grabbed my arm. I immediately flinched at the harsh touch, and I admit it, I almost lost my momentum. I glanced over my shoulder and glowered hard at him, but every parts of my skin turned pale white when I saw him grinning from ear to ear. His eyes were bloodshot.

Colors were drained from my face, and all the anger I have been keeping disappeared. My heart quickened in pace, and my breaths had become unpredictable in its pattern. My entire body shuddered and I felt like I could crumble into pieces. Cold sweat was forming in my forehead, trickling down the edge of my face.

Stop...

With a dangling mouth and a dilated eye, I tried my best to escape from his iron grip. I struggled and wriggled around, giving out groans, but it was beyond impossible.

"Hehe... You think you can escape this time?" Raphael laughed heartily, and on his other hand, he wielded a pair of sharp scissors from his pocket. My headaches got severely worse, pounding against my chaotic brain and so I was unable to process anything but total fear.

"How much times do I need to tell you, Chris? Give me... give me your beautiful eyes, and I will utilize them better than you do... Hehehe..." He snipped his scissors, right in front of my sight, and my body trembled even further. Everything seemed dizzy, and every breath that I inhaled rocked my rib bones, paining my lungs.

I could imagine myself dangling at the edge of the cliff. I was holding tight, even though my strained muscles were screaming for me to let go. My fingers began to bleed as its skin cut through the sharp edges of the rocks. However, time after time, I was too tired to survive any longer, and so...

I let myself fall.

"Ge..."

"Ge...?" Raphael tilted his head.

"FUCKING GET OFF ME!!!" After minutes of not being able to speak out, I finally got to scream. My instincts drove me to forcefully shove Raphael away as fast as possible. The method worked: Raphael finally loosened his grip of my arm, and so I was able pushed him completely away, making him hit the ground.

Fuck... fuck...

I backed away as nausea wavered over me. I hacked and coughed, pushing the digested food and fluids up through my pharynx and into my mouth, but I prevented it from leaking by clamping it shut. My head erupted with agony, like that of a volcano spurting out its lava; it was even painful than before.

My head fucking hurts so much, but I have to hold on... I have to go somewhere...

Raphael had regained his balance, but before he could speak, my reflex quickly jumped in again.

"STAY AWAY!!! DON'T TOUCH ME!!!"

I raised my tone, moving further back from him. I didn't step on Myla, fortunately, but I wasn't so focused on the dog. The others nearby were probably hearing me, but I didn't have time to ponder about it. All I need to do now was to tell Raphael to fuck off before I snapped out of my sanity.

"I'm sorry for startling you...! It wasn't on purpose!" He proclaimed, his eyebrows furrowed. "I was trying to ask whether you're fine going home with that kind of condition..."

I forcefully shook my aching head, and realized that I was gnawing on my fingernails. With this boy around and fucking with my head, my deranged mind would deteriorate further than it already was. If I stayed here for too long, I will turn insane by the time I go home.

"... I said... get the fuck away from me..." Due to all the shoutings I had done, I felt like someone just slit my throat, cutting off its vocal chords and so, as a result, I ended up with a gruff, croaky voice.

"But..."

"Pl... please..." Something cold and moist trickled down my cheek right after I whimpered a word out. It seemed to slip off my eye without any prior warning. My lips subsequently shivered, despite the warm temperature that cloaked my body.

I'm so lightheaded... I clenched my head. I need some rest...

I helplessly turned around and stumbled away, I didn't hear any noises, indicating he wasn't following me. To make sure of this, I took a glimpse from my peripheral vision.

There, I saw Myla sparing him one last glance, before she propelled her legs after me. The dog's rapid, tiny footsteps as it crunched the grasses were distinct enough for me to recognize that it was, indeed, her.

***

The throbbing pain continuously hammered my skull, and also struck my chest every time I took a shaky breath. My eye burned, as if there were hot needles piercing against it. Nausea still lingered around my throat, and was ready to attack me whenever I was vulnerable. My legs felt like they were made of rubber, and so I was on the verge of falling apart, but there were problems around me.

Myla was walking beside me, looking at me with those concerned eyes. I just gave her a tiny smile, trying to convince her that I will be alright. She continued staring at me, somewhat uncertain about my condition, but she resumed walking.

Due to the overwhelming amount of affliction, I decided to move closer to the walls, using them as my support. I gritted my teeth, as I walked slowly through the sidewalk. Some people were looking at me funny, but luckily, they didn't seem to be paying attention.

Good, I don't need them, but I can't hold this pain for too long...

...and if I gave up, I would make a fucking scene...

...and I still have to find a shelter...

...but where...?

My house was a bit far from here, and I would have collapsed before I even reached there. The other places that I loved visiting were beyond my current capabilities, so I have to go to my friend's house nearest from here and rest there. I clenched my fists to keep the pain back further. At this point, my brain severely ached under a large pressure. Argh... my head... ugh... it fucking hurts...

Shit... My teeth chattered. I have to push myself to move, and surely I cannot let my own misery get the best of me. I shouldn't stop in here, otherwise...

In the midst of the pain, I forced myself to contemplate to which district that my friend lived was the nearest to Mayfield. I have to just think for a moment, without letting my consciousness give in to my own suffering.

The closest one from Mayfield is... Euclid Avenue...

That's right...

It's where her house is...

I could rest there for a while...

I continued walking, stumbling on my steps, now with a goal set into motion. However, I was oblivious of an uneven surface in front of me. As my shoe hit the lower ground, I nearly tripped and plummeted to the concrete, but thanks to my agility, I was able to recover from the loss of balance. Myla whimpered softly as she drew near me, gently licking my legs as I panted.

"Hey sir, are you alright?"

My ears picked up a feminine voice from behind me. As I turned my head around, I came across a pair of dark, chocolate eyes, belonging to a worried woman. She appeared to be in her late twenties, judging from her young appearance. Her raven hair was a wild, tangled mess of curls, as if she had simply left it unkempt, and hence it looked bushy. Her skin was quite bronze, as if she had spent much time backing under the sun.

She looked... familiar... for some reason...

Do I know her somewhere?

She was slightly taller than me, due to the high heels she was wearing. A black tote bag dangled on her shoulder, filled with some documents.

"I'm good. Don't worry." I mumbled, giving her an acknowledgement. Thanks for worrying when nobody gives a single fuck.

Before she could say anything, I quickened my steps, away from both the woman and the public overall. Myla sprinted after me, barking for me to wait for her. I walked pass some crowd, crossing the street without looking at the traffic light. It was green probably, because there were no cars, but who the fuck cares?

I have to be quick.

In the middle of the way, I came to learn that walking fast would just worsen everything.

Argh...

My head...

It felt like it was being split open by a sharp object. It was way worse than my previous headaches.

Just... a little bit more... Ed...

Please... hang on...

***

After a few minutes of walking in agony, I finally found myself standing in the driveway of her house.

Relief washed over me, but I felt my body swaying from left to right, on the brink of collapsing. With the last of my energy, I hung on my spot. I was drenched with sweat from head to toe, staining my clothes. The corners of my sight began to cloud up, and so everything seemed unfocused. Myla was literally screaming and whining as I staggered.

Just...

I forced my muscles to move forward. I shook with might as I struggled to even walk one more step. A pain like that of a knife suddenly pierced my head.

...a...

I moved again, through the small rocky path at the front yard. Another pang  stabbed through me.

...little...

When I finally arrived in front of the door, I pressed on the doorbell.

...more...

I felt myself finally accomplishing a hard goal when I got a response from inside.  Some muffled footsteps were heard, and they got louder and louder. A second passed, a jiggling noise of a key was heard, before the door gradually clicked and was pulled open.

Even before I could see the person who opened the door, I finally succumbed to my pain. My vision gradually darkened, with black spots taking over everything I saw. My legs weren't even on the ground anymore, but I did feel a pair of hands catching my body before it collide to the floor.

Someone was repeatedly screaming my name, demanding me to come back. I didn't respond to it, as I had fallen apart.

...Re...

...na...

***

A/N: Oh geez, Ed fainted even before he got a chance of seeing his friend...  Damn... thank God he did survive the entire trip from the park to her house though.

This chapter is probably short compared to the others, but I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to leave votes and comments :)

Anyway, what are your thoughts about this chapter?

Do you have any idea what will be going on next?

As always, tune it next week for a new chapter (:

- Tara