Not Working Anymore

".....Stop misinterpreting." Serene voiced out her words.

Livia squinted her eyes at her, "Are we? But I feel like you are 'misinterpreting'... Not us.."

She couldn't help but giggle as she saw Serene's already reddened face turning redder.

'Could it turn any redder furthermore?' Livia thought to herself.

"Don't tease me!"

Serene shrieked as she saw the mischievous glint in Livia's eyes.

She gasped and put her hand directly on her hand, acting as if she caught a heart attack just by Serene's reply.

She faked a whimpered with pain.

________

Aza felt thankful and indebted to Serene. She had paused before she could go lost in her fictional world and lately, even her imaginations consisted of Kaden and the parking lot guy along with her unusual old dreams.

However, last night in her dream she saw a guy with blazing red eyes. She felt her soul sucked out. She froze when those eyes landed on her and she noticed him scanning her from head to toes.

Nervousness clouded her. Anxiety took over her senses. She could feel the sweat beads covering her forehead.

She tried to open her mouth and ask him for his name yet she observed her lips to be glued.

No matter how much she forced herself to part them. They stayed the same.

Since her attention got diverted to her lips, she didn't notice when that red-eyed guy had turned around and left her.

She sighed in defeat and thought to seek help from the guy ahead of her, only to find herself to be alone in the pitch-black environment.

"Hwpl..emee…"

Her muffled cries echoed back to her.

She didn't feel scared to be alone in the dark nonetheless fear gripped her when she knew that guy had taken his leave. She thought he left her. Her heartbeat stopped. Time seemed to pause for her.

She felt like one part of her had been cruelly crushed. The pain was so immense.

She couldn't breathe. Her consciousness was leaving her.

Then she smells a burning odour.

Sensing a hot sensation on her lower region of the body, she got confused.

She looked down at her legs and the sight frightened her. For the second time in a row, she stiffened. She saw those flames engulfing her legs slowly and the torturous heat spreading over her body.

The temperature kept rising and she started to feel extremely heated.

The fire surrounded her. It formed a circle. Her legs simmering in blazing flames. While a circle of fire enclosed her.

In her unstable state, she let the fire reach her waistline. She stood like a statue. Her dull eyes appeared to lose the last ray of hope.

Yet the next moment she closed her eyes. Warmth surrounded her.

She found herself wrapped up in a guy's embrace and he held onto her body tightly.

Tears running out of his beautiful greyish eyes.

She couldn't hear what he said but from his look and how his eyes emerged to be shattered. He stared at her dead self with love, affection, care lastly...agony.

Aza was unable to see the faces of the men both times. Just as she watched him turn his face towards her direction.

She was woken up from her dream. Her nuisance alarm rang, severing her dream and she failed to see his face. Although she didn't discern she found an uncanny similarity between the gaze of that parking lot guy and the two men in her dreams.

Aza couldn't stop herself from letting out a deep sigh as she recalled the fragments of her previous night's pursuit.

Her slight movement of lips gave Ines a response that Aza was fine and not sick.

________________

Serene's nose flared with anger. She understood her friend's idea yet it disturbed her when they talked about Sylius.

Despite that, she was not disgusted, it just made her feel new emotions that scared her.

Livia peered at her tranced friend, "Dia, can you see the glitter shining in her eyes? I feel so happy that someone could finally induce these in her."

She acted like wiping a tear yet there were none.

This didn't escape Ines's eyes, she had her undivided attention on Livia still her gaze would eventually land on Serene. After she eyed her and ascertained Serene being mentally not present.

As the oldest, Ines felt responsible for the other four girls. Eventually, they called her mama hen. She took care of them like they were her kids. It irked her at first however with time she got used to it.

The wall clock shows the time to be midnight.

Ines glances at her friends, busy with their talks and teasing, "We should sleep now as we have to wake up early tomorrow."

She says. Her phrases reminded the girls that they have to meet Aza's parents at their ancestral house which was on the other side of the city and it would take them almost 3 hours if they didn't catch any traffic.

They helped each other to put the dirty dishes back in the kitchen. They arranged them in the dishwasher and set the timer.

"Aaaaaaaaaah….", Livia yawned.

Serene looks at her, she could also feel sleep shrouding her.

"Let's sleep. I am quite tired after such a hectic week we spent in university."

Diana walked past Serene and Livia to the stairs. Just as she put her one leg on the first step of the stairs, she halted and turned around.

"Are we going to eat breakfast here or will we pack things for the road?" Diana pouted when no one replied to her and kept looking at her as if she was an alien from an unidentified planet.

"I'm so done." Livia dramatically raises her arms and they fall low again.

Serene rolled her eyes at Diana.

"Why don't you stay here and eat?"

Aza being Aza disregarded Diana and went over to her room.

Ines had her eyes fixed on her.

'Is her treatment not working anymore?'

'Her insomnia will return if we don't get her checked soon. Those dreadful nightmares are a curse for her.'

Worry could be seen on her face. Evidently.

'I need to talk with her but with so much happening around us. I can't get any time.' Ines let out a deep sigh.