CHAPTER 6- STRANGERS

—Mark lay on his bed, his mind still hazy from his recent awakening, a sudden jolt of pain shot through him as someone grabbed his shoulder.—

"Mark! You're finally awake!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes glistening with tears of relief.

"We've missed you so much!"

"Ouch!" Mark winced, feeling the pain in his Back.

"Sorry, sorry!" Sarah quickly apologized, her expression turning apologetic.

"We're just so happy to see you're alright!"

Matthew couldn't help but interject with a lighthearted quip.

"You missed out on how delicious the food was at Sarah's father's birthday celebration"

"And"

"Yeah, we thought you were going to sleep forever, Sleeping Beauty!"

Lyrisa nudged Matthew with an elbow, shooting him a look to stop his teasing.

"Ignore him, Mark," she said with a smile.

"We're just really glad you're back with us," Lyrisa added

Mark couldn't help but chuckle at their banter, feeling grateful for their support. "Thanks, guys. It's good to see you all. again"

Sarah leaned in, her eyes shining with excitement. "So, what's it like being in a coma? Did you meet any angels or see any bright lights?"

Matthew snorted. "I think you're mixing up a coma with near-death experiences in your novel, Sarah."

Matthew laughed his usual boisterous self. "Man, we were so bored without you. We had to study for once!"

Lyrisa rolled her eyes. "Speak for yourself, Matthew. Some of us have a brain."

Everyone laughed, happy to see Mark awake and on the road to recovery.

Uncle Brown, Ynna, and Ywen walked into Mark's room carrying trays of food.

"Hey, Guys how did you get here"

Uncle Brown asked, setting the food down on the table.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that my older sister works here as a neurologist and she gave me an update on Mark's condition," Sarah explained

Ynna began teasing Sarah. "Did you tell Mark that you like him? You said you were going to confess when he woke up," she grinned mischievously.

Matthew chimed in. "Yeah, Sarah, don't be shy. You gotta let him know before some other girl swoops in."

Lyrisa rolled her eyes at Matthew's antics and smiled. "You guys are terrible," she laughed.

Sarah blushed furiously but managed to stammer out a response. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! I never said that!"

"Huh? What's going on?" Mark asked,

Everyone turned to face him, and Sarah's blush deepened. "N-nothing! We were just talking about how glad we are that you're awake," she said hastily.

Uncle Brown chuckled. "Sure, sure. We're just happy to see you're doing better, kid."

As they were talking, Matthew couldn't resist the sight of the apples on the table. He reached over and took one, quickly devouring it. Lyrisa saw what he did and couldn't help but laugh.

"Matthew, what are you doing?" she asked, pointing to the apple still in his mouth.

Suddenly, Lyrisa hit the back of Matthew's head. "That's for Mark! Why did you eat his food?!"

The two of them began to bicker and argue like children, while everyone else laughed at their antics. Uncle Brown chuckled and the twins joined in the fun, teasing Matthew and Lyrisa.

"Looks like he couldn't resist the temptation of the forbidden fruit," Uncle Brown joked.

"And you two will become a couple someday," Uncle Brown added with a wink. Causing the room to erupt with laughter.

"If we become a couple, I'll have to keep this guy in line." She pointed to Matthew, who pretended to cower in fear.

"Hey, hey, calm down you two," Sarah said, trying to calm them down. "We're all just happy that Mark is awake and doing better."

"Yeah, Matthew, leave some food for the rest of us," Mark added with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Lyrisa huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine, but don't let it happen again, Matthew."

"My belly wanted it, so I decided to give it some satisfaction," Matthew explained with a grin.

Uncle Brown burst out laughing again.

"So Guy let's eat together! "

—After the enjoyable breakfast, Uncle Brown received a call from his clients in New Gratias and had to head back to Mark's home to retrieve something for his nephew. Meanwhile, Lyrisa and Matthew saw the opportunity to buy a gift for Mark and invited the twins to come with them.

"Hey, Ynna and Ywen, want to come with us to buy a gift for Mark?" Lyrisa asked, smiling at the twins.

Excited, Ynna and Ywen eagerly replied in unison, "Yes, please!"

Matthew grinned. "Great, let's head out and see what we can find."

The twins bid farewell, "Kuya, we'll go outside with Lyrisa and Matthew to buy some gifts," before leaving.

Sarah, on the other hand, decided to stay behind and spend some quiet time with Mark.

Sarah sits by Mark's bedside with a serious expression on her face. She leans forward and asks him, "What's happened, Mark? You were found unconscious in the lake and your mother is still missing now."

Mark's eyes fill with tears as he begins to speak. "I don't know what happened. I'm still wondering about it," he says, his voice trembling with emotion.

Mark started to recount a dream he had in the Midlight Tower with his mother. He described how a stranger in a black coat interrupted their peaceful moment.

Mark continues to describe the dream to Sarah. "I don't know what's the reason behind it," he says. "But after that, everything went dark. I woke up in a room full of medical devices, and my mother was gone."

Sarah leans in closer to Mark, her eyes filled with concern. "Do you remember the time when your mother waited for you outside the gate?" she asks.

Mark furrows his brows, trying to recall the memory. "I...I don't remember," he responds his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mark," Sarah said with a concerned expression, "while I was talking to my dad, I noticed two suspicious-looking people dressed in black coats and glasses. They were watching you and your mom from a black car parked nearby."

"At that time, I didn't think much of it, but now I can't help but wonder if they had something to do with what happened to you and your mom," she continued."

Mark's eyes widened with surprise. "I didn't notice that but I think the person I saw in my dream while we were in the Midlight Tower has a connection you saw outside the gate," he suspected, clenching his fist and getting angry.

"But why did they do that?" Mark continued, his tears beginning to fall.

"My mother is innocent," Mark said, his voice trembling with emotion. "And all I know is that we didn't do anything wrong to them."

"I'm still hoping that Tita Ellyna is still alive, Mark," Sarah said with a gentle tone.

(Tita means aunt)

"All we can do now is wait for updates from the police," she continued.

"But how long do we have to wait for her? What if she's struggling now and calling for help?" Mark asked his worry for his mother evident in his voice.

"I know it's hard, Mark, but we have to be patient," Sarah said reassuringly. "There's nothing we can do now except trust the authorities to do their job and find her.

Sarah's words seemed to bring some comfort to Mark, but he still looked worried and restless. Sensing his distress, Sarah placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and leaned in to hug him.

As she held him, she felt his body tense up with emotion, and she knew that he needed her more than ever. Without hesitation, she held him tighter, feeling his body melt into hers. She stroked his back gently, murmuring soft words of encouragement in his ear.

Mark buried his face in Sarah's shoulder, feeling the warmth of her embrace and the strength of her support. He breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of her hair and the softness of her touch. As she held him, he felt his worries and fears slowly fade away.

Eventually, she too drifted off to sleep, with Mark still nestled in her arms. They slept together.