Chapter 8

"Joey.. Joey... Please come fast please! I'm in trouble. I've got to get to you, right now. Help me, please. I can't help the situation here as I don't understand what's going on in my house!" 

"Hold on Cilia, what's the matter? What's happening?"

"I don't even know! I can't seem to explain anything right now..!. Everything seems to be turning upside down right before my very eyes... Please come over and help me out... Please just come! Please...!!!"

"Alright, alright, Cilia! Hold on.. hold on please, take a deep breath... Get some fresh air, and I'll be there in a jiffy! Okay girl?

 I just could not seem to respond after his last words to me, as words failed me completely. My mind could only imagine what he meant by "coming home in a few minutes". I walked up the stairs, feeling as if I had already lost one life to heart attack or stroke. I could hardly even think straight now. I just stood there looking at the door and thinking of what to do, because the whole scene was just so confusing to me at that time. I had to keep repeating myself for at least one hour, feeling like I was going through psychological trauma. Oh yeah..! I thought I was, but I wasn't because I was living in a time that I couldn't get rid of my memory that this scene was actually happening. Yes, it was as I was still emotionally attached to my past, though I wasn't unaware that the scene was going on. I left the kitchen and ran to my bedroom. I stood there like a statue, knowing it wasn't me that was imagining it. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the scene again.

Suddenly there was a short series of knocks on my door. As I sat in shock on my bed, I realized that the person was calling out my name.

"Cilia... Cilia..." 

I paused as I watched and listened carefully. The knock still didn't stop, it went on and on until I was able to decode it as a masculine voice.

"Huh, who could that be...?" I flinched as I quickly opened my eyes, stood still and couldn't move. The voice called out again, 

"Cilia... Cilia... Come on girl, it's me… Joey!"

"Oh, it's Joey..." I flinched again.

Just right as I heard that name, "Joey", I started running towards the door. I opened it and just stood by the door, looking back at him. He quickly gripped me tightly, and pulled me into his arms. He just smiled and kissed me. I could only think of one thing then, "this can't just be a dream".

"I've been calling your line, you weren't taking your calls. Thought something bad had happened to you." He said, cupping my cheeks, his gaze fixed on me.

I couldn't utter a word. There was this extreme level of fear in his face when I saw him, and I immediately bursted into tears. As soon as I saw his puzzled expression, I smothered the urge to cry more.

"Calm down... Please calm down.. I'm here now, okay..?" 

I felt so warm in his arms, and then, I tried to calm my breathing as I said, " look Joey, I'm really, really sorry. I should've called you back earlier." He pulled me to himself and tried to help me feel relaxed and he said, "don't you worry, I understand.. just relax first, okay... Relax!" and I did as he said. He walked me to my room and he was asking what happened to me and I just couldn't say anything. He was so close to me, it was like he could feel my trembling heart beating in my chest, it hurt a little, but the tears were not letting me talk.

After we got to my bed, I realized that everything just felt really surreal. I felt like I was in a bad dream, like I had already dreamed it, but when Joey put his arm around me and we made love, everything faded away. 

"Could this be the best time to tell him?" I thought to myself. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I reached out for my pillow and clutched it tight.

"J-Joey" I muttered, tapping him gently on his back. 

He turned to gaze at me and then asked in a sleepy voice, "Hey baby, are you okay"

I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut. I thought about what I would say, and I hoped that would give me some solace, as I pulled my pillow tightly against my chest. He rubbed My back and asked me to come over to him, then he cuddled me. I couldn't just waste any further time before breaking the news to him.

"I'm pregnant." I whispered to him in a hoarse whisper as beads of sweat trickled down my forehead.

I was emotionally exhausted and needed some rest so I just curled up on the bed, and wrapped myself up in his hands.

*****

It was just a few hours into my siesta, I woke up to ease myself, opening my eyes as though they were glued shut. My eyes quickly scanned the room and it seemed that no one was there. I ignored it, walked straight to my bathroom and took a very cold bath. Returning back to my bed, my eyes fully opened now, he was nowhere to be found. "Again...?" Truely, it is always a bad sign when a guy sleeps in his girlfriend's bed, leaving her to sleep alone. I could not help but giggle a little bit. 

Wanting to fall back on my bed, just like in a click of a toast, there was a piece of paper on my bedside table, beside my lamp. I quickly snatched it up and turned around to face the wall, not being able to take my eyes off it. I could feel myself melting in my warm underwear, spreading out across my entire body as I frantically read what was written on that piece of paper. I wiped my eyes in shock and my hands started shaking as I slowly read it aloud over and over again.

"I can't believe this is happening to me right now!" I jerked, quickly putting it down and then picked it back up and read it again. "How could this be happening to me for real? No, I don't believe this, let me check if I read a totally different thing!" I flipped through the sheet, back and front, yet found nothing different. 

I had to spell out the words on the sheet as I couldn't understand in real terms what was said, as it read, "One of my missions is complete, now the other has to begin!" "What could Joey be talking about here; mission..?" I picked up my phone, put a call across to him but his number wasn't assigned to any customer. "What! this isn't happening!" I called back over and over again, yet, the same response. "NOOOOO!!!!" I screamed out so loudly in pains, and began to pace around as my heart was panting heavily. Just as my eyes came in contact with another piece on the floor, I paused. "This must have fallen from the bed when I got up". I quickly picked it up and read through, and it said, "Please, take good care of my baby." 

"I don't get it! But I didn't tell him directly. So how did he find out about my pregnancy?"

It was just so shocking to me and I have to be honest here. And just right as I was mumbling, a sigh was released into my ears, it sounded so much like a relief. I quickly turned to the direction, I gasped as I saw Joey sitting on my bed by the edge. Out of shock, I screamed, loosing my feet's firmness to the ground, as I quickly scanned around for support.

"Don't be scared Cilia." he said in a comforting but terrifying tone. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"What's going on... I-I mean, what happened?" I asked, trying to gain back my balance. "Why are you looking this way?" Just then I noticed, everything was dark and the room was filled with a ghostly sensation. I shuddered.

"Fear not Cilia! You're safe with me." He voiced. I could see his eyes wide open, shining like a diamond in the dark room. "I'm so sorry you had to endure such hell because of me. I'm actually what you're thinking I am." He paused, trying to come closer to me as he stood up from his sitting position. 

"Oh no, please don't come closer, you're scaring me!" I yelled. He stopped moving, and in a few seconds, he moved forward, his hands trying to reach out to me. After hearing the loud sound of my scream, he moved farther back from me.

"I'm not here to kill you, just calm down and I'll tell you all you need to know."