Holding each other’s hands

"Jodan, Look! What a wonderful place is it! It's so beautiful."

"I-Is that you, Jessica?" I wasn't sure if it was her as I was only able to see her from the back. Her smooth, glossy hair slide through my hands, by looking at me, she made a gentle smile that melted my heart.

"Who else it would be?" She tilted her round head that was had a flower ring on top of it. It made her looked like a princess of a flower kingdom. The kingdom that only exists in dreams. Only in my dreams. She was willingly embracing me using her hands and began walking through the flower garden that never exists. It was huge in size. In a corner of it was a small hut. A hut for the gardeners to live. The bees were humming while trying their way to extract honey from the sunflowers. I was unconditionally following her while gasping the flower field. The massive field had no end to it. Everywhere my sight went, it happened to be bright colors. I didn't ask her where we were heading to despite, she was the one grabbing me. It would be common sense to ask where she was trying to take me. But when I had the feeling that we have spent long enough to reach some destination. The flower field that we were crossing while holding each other's hands, was in a never-ending loop. I got a gut feeling that it wasn't supposed to end.

With that conclusion, I spoke out to Jessica who was in front of me. I could hardly see her white face as the bright sun was hiding it.

"If you don't mind, would you tell me where we are going to?" I said as politely as I could, I never know when she's in good mood. She can swing her mood every ten minutes.

Without facing me for a split moment, she uttered, "huh? Where? I wonder. Oh, right! To the depth of hell." Her cheerful, low-pitched voice transformed into a rather cold, metallic one. I pretended I didn't hear that and asked again,

"Huh? Where exactly we are going?"

"Didn't I say it earlier? To THE DEPTH OF HELL!"

"A-are you okay? Jessica? You didn't seem fine to me. Let just go home."

I became quite worried all of a sudden.

"Home, you say?" For once I heard Mom's voice. Probably I misheard it. How could she be still alive? There's no way that could happen until she became a zombie.

I was ridiculing about that and spoke to Jessica in the usual way,

"So, Jessica! Let's head back." I said to spice things up but what I got instead was another question."

"Say, Jodan, if someday I got attack by one of them. Will you come to save me?" I think I heard the same thing once again. But for some reason, I couldn't remember it correctly, I gave her the answer I had in mind.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Up until now, she was having a conversation without looking at me. All she did was talk to me didn't even look back once. Was it because she could trip if look?

But This time she turned back slowly, "Really Jodan? Then why did you leave me there?" Her soft voice was glitching from soft to cold tone. Am I in a video game or something? I was getting to see her front face but it was still having a dark shadow. In an instant, the whole atmosphere changed. It was as if I was time traveling. Within a few seconds, I was in a hospital room. The same room where my sick mom was staying for five years. I was frightened to see that medical equipment once again. I was still holding the hands but it was not the equivalent hand I was holding before. It was skinny and old. I slowly averted my fearsome eyes from the rotten hands to the actual face.

"M-Mom?" It was none other than my dead mother.

"You left us to die, Jodan" Her face was changing to Jessica and again to herself simultaneously. I attempted to cast my hand but the hand was glued to mine like a LEGO. I remembered those scary memories of Jessica lying in her apartment. Those bloody unmentionable scenes were flashing me with terror.

"I-I didn't! No! I didn't! I didn't leave you!!!" I finally spoke out something. Till now I was like the deaf.

"Hey! Sick ASS! Wake the hell up!" I heard someone cursing me more than anyone in the world could.

I wake myself up unable to hear all the curses. Why am I being cursed? And for what reason? The instant I opened my dim eyes I saw a not-so-pretty girl wearing a half-assed top and leggings. It was as if she doesn't give a damn about appearance. Moreover, what's with her attitude?

"Get your weak ass out of the bed! Mr. Heriss is waiting for you!" What's with that? She had no manner what's so ever. She's calling Mr.Heriss by his name. I was kind of furious but retained myself from doing anything. That girl isn't something I could take lightly.

I nodded my head in appreciation even though I felt like sleeping some more. While rubbing my eyes, I left the room I was unfamiliar with. This isn't my apartment neither Peter's. Then why am I here? Furthermore, why was Luca here? Wait! Wait! Am I in her house? My head began spinning as I thought about that conclusion. But when I reached downstairs, my misunderstanding was cast away. Mr. Heriss, Kelan, Sutashi were seated on the couch located in the drawing-room. The floor was large. Next to that room was a kitchen where Luca was heading to. She must be making breakfast. On second thought, she didn't look like a housewife-type girl to me. In my imagination, she might have been worse in those things, especially in cooking.

After noticing me Mr. Heriss threw the conversation he was having with Kelan and began with me.

"You wake up! That's great. Come here."

I walked myself to the couch room and greeted him softly.

"So, did you have a good sleep?" He asked me but the answer was given by someone else.

"Why wouldn't he? This is your house in any case." It was Kelan who did the answer. Without explaining for a second time, I understood that where I'm standing is Mr. Heriss's house. The house was big and nice. It was a typical two-storied house.