Something Covered

Nala breathes as slowly as possible late tonight, she leans against the wall to hear any movement in the next room. But there remains silence only the sound of the spring wind crackling out there, creating leaves dancing along with the breeze. What's wrong with Daniel? He's been locked up since two days ago, Nala believes. Although her mother said Daniel was out of town and didn't know when to go home. If it was true daniel was away, her brother would have said goodbye to her. Nala occasionally hears a movement at the end of Daniel's room, a falling object, something broken might just be a glass. But as soon as that sound comes up, it will sink back behind the silence like never before.

Dad, mom even Raymond kind of covered this up from Nala. They sometimes pretend not to hear Nala ask when she brings up a conversation about Daniel's presence while they are chatting.

"What exactly is it?" asked Nala to herself. He's getting his legs to his chest.

Nala was jolted to hear a muffled murmur from outside her window. He rose to her feet ignoring the discoloration that appeared on her head when she moved too fast. Nala peeks first to see the origin of the sound. But her views are limited, the voice coming far to the left of Nala's unattainable vision.

Nala opens a little window, until what she sees there makes her breath choked. How not, there a silver-haired man, hovering with white wings flapping behind his back. He wore a strange dress attached to his body, at first glance it looked like sturdy armor attached to it. The man looks countryman with Raymond. Nala doesn't know why the man was around Daniel's balcony.

"Still alive apparently. It could be that I didn't give you poison." He laughs sarcastically, then his lips smirk when Daniel comes out with a chuckle.

True allegations Nala, Daniel was in his room, not in good condition. However Nala's heart feels pinched by the lies she receives, no one tells her about this. About poison, about who this guy is, and his relationship with Daniel.

"There's no place to talk to you here. So go," hissed Daniel sharply and rudely. Even the words and tones daniel throws make Nala shiver behind him. She's never heard Daniel talk like this before, even with Raymond.

"Relax, I want to enjoy your every suffering. So, I'm going to re-create your days and that son of a bitch is like a hell." Hatred flowed smoothly from the sentence issued by the silver-haired man, he again looked at Daniel with his eyes flashing dangerously, his face hardened inside his square jaw. "I don't want to end it so soon."

Daniel sings, he this time steps steady, his fingers clenched tightly on the side of his body. "Dare you to touch my family, I will make the events of fifty years ago happen again."

The man chuckles sarcastically. "I can't wait."

Nala is jolted from her place of peering when the stranger's eyes stare at Nala and the man grins then flies away.

 He saw me.

Nala sped back leaning against the wall feeling the great rumble of her beating heart. She never let fear overwhelm her but about the gaze, the gaze was full of hatred and calculations that spoke out of the man. Nala shudders when she still feels and hears the voice of the stranger inside her head.

Who is he? What's Daniel hiding? What does Daniel know while Nala doesn't know? What happened fifty years ago?

Similar questioning sentences keep buzzing in Nala's mind making her uncomfortable. In her inner upheaval, Nala's tears unknowingly melt wet her cheeks which feel cold by the spring breeze. She closes her legs to the chest making herself as comfortable as possible.

The slow knock from the door shattered Nala's daydream, she wiped away traces of tears on her cheeks. A glance at the brief mirror attached to the wall and exhale slowly. She walked to the side of the door not wanting to lie to anyone that he wasn't sleeping.

Nala opens the door only to see Raymond standing in front of her hugging his own body. Nala frowns at Raymond with a pale facial expression and loses his hue. Eventually, Nala opens the sound in the middle of the night's silence and the dim light from Raymond's glowing eyes almost shifts her focus. "What's wrong?"

Raymond hasn't answered it yet he keeps researching Nala with his views, Nala is honestly very uncomfortable in watching like this but he doesn't give up even to distract her gaze.

"Why doesn't Nala sleep?" Raymond finally opened his voice in whispers.

Nala blinks she turns her gaze to the back of Raymond's head and replies, "I'm not sleepy yet. What's the matter, Raymond?"

"Nala doesn't be afraid, there's Ray here," he said abruptly. Nala is astonished at what Raymond just said. She can feel her cheeks warming, her heart rate increasing as Raymond steps closer slowly to Nala's space.

"How can you think I'm scared?" she said, staring directly at Raymond's different eyes.

"Ray knows what Nala thinks, and what Nala feels."

"No, you don't know," Nala said. She doesn't say that she doesn't trust Raymond, but Nala feels her privacy is compromised. She never wanted to share anything but happiness with others.

"Ray knows. The man can never hurt Nala."

Nala's eyes widen, she is surprised by Raymond's words. Her stomach felt twisted when the voice of the silver-haired foreign man re-entered her head. She somehow felt anger in his mind, about how her parents lied, and Raymond didn't even say anything to her. "He didn't hurt me. But he hurt Daniel, I know that. I believe that you do know what I think, but you never know what I feel yesterday and now. If you knew, you wouldn't just shut up like this." Nala shook her head, feeling the tears she was trying to bend. 'You don't know anything. Dad, Mom, Daniel even you Raymond, I don't know what you're hiding from me. I don't know what else to say. Go back to your room, I want to sleep."

Nala doesn't want to see how Raymond reacts, or she'll surely regret her every word. When Nala retreats to close the door, her wrist is suddenly held by Raymond. Nala looks between her hand and Raymond's face. Where did Raymond's courage come from?

Nala pulled it off. "Don't touch it. I'm disappointed."

"Nala's sorry because Ray can't tell you the truth."

Nala doesn't know what she's doing. She honestly didn't want to get mad at Raymond. That's his right because even though Raymond says he belongs to Nala but Nala Raymond, it belongs to Ramond himself. But why is Nala like this?

"There is no apology, for people to make mistakes on purpose. Get out of my face." Having said that, Nala's eyes widened staring at Raymond whose shoulders were drooping. Nala closes her mouth and shakes helplessly. What did she say?

Nala shook back, she didn't want to say that. The sentence came out of her lips suddenly. Unknowingly her tears drop, she sees a sad expression arise from Raymond but Nala's hand first closes the door hard.

What's wrong with her?