Something Missing

Nala's feelings became uneasy and agitated, so she immediately ran down the stairs to get out into her yard in a hurry.

Nala's legs become limp when her eyes capture a sight she never wanted to see. On the green grass lay Daniel with a gaping abdominal wound that Nala was so convinced by the slash of the sword from the foreign man. Its plain white t-shirt is smeared with terrible bloodstains, littering the grass like a spill of red paint.

Tears that Nala did not realize had flowed rapidly when she reached Daniel. He knelt clutching Daniel's cold palm. Daniel who is still semi-conscious blinks weakly staring at Nala, his hand back grasping Nala gently.

"Raymond? Raymond calls someone. Raymond. Anyone. Help Daniel," cried Nala hysterically.

There's no answer from Raymond, making Nala turn quickly to Raymond standing stiffly behind her. "Why Raymond? Call someone, please!"

"But Nala," Raymond said hesitantly with tears coming out staring between Daniel and Nala alternately.

"What else? Please," Nala said desperately.

"Nala?" whispers Daniel almost inaudible. Daniel's breath seemed to choke as if his throat had suffocated covering his respiratory cavity. Nala is getting helpless.

Nala stares at daniel who flashes weakly. Daniel's hand is getting tighter in Nala's palm, so Nala can feel how her world seems to be destroyed through her grasp.

Nala's hand is pulled gently by Daniel.

Then it all went dark.

Not. Daniel?

***

Nala wakes up from her sleep and immediately glances at the clock perched on top of the nightstand. She stretched out his tired hands from falling asleep in the wrong position while reading a book. Nala may have been asleep accidentally for two hours making Nala's throat dry.

Nala gets out of the room and finds Raymond curled up right in front of her door. He quickly stands up when he realizes Nala's presence.

Nala squinted to notice there were traces of tears on Raymond's blushing cheeks. "Why cry?"

Raymond is jolted when he hears Nala talking, making him wonder. Raymond didn't answer it he just ducked staring at the floor which seemed more interesting to him.

"Why to cry?" asked Nala gently, trying to get Raymond to speak. She asked in her mind if Daniel made Raymond like this.

But Raymond shakes slowly and stays out of Nala's sight.

"Nala?" Nala immediately turned to find her mother calling from the stairs, Nala immediately approached her.

"What's the matter, Mother?"

"Take Raymond for tea downstairs, Mom just finished baking chocolate cookies."

Nala's curved mouth forms a smile. She pulls Raymond's arm which is still standing stiffly in front of the door taking him down the stairs following Mother.

At the dinner table was served tea and pastries, making Nala immediately drag the chair for her to sit on.

"Mother, where is Daniel?"

Mother coughed slowly until Nala directly facing her and just realized Mother's eyes were swollen and flushed. "Mother why? Out of tears?"

"No, I just woke up. Let's just eat, straight away," said Mother softly with a smile. If Nala doesn't notice further Mother's tone doesn't sound okay.

Nala didn't take the conversation any longer, she let it go. But Nala kept an eye on Mother slowly. Raymond also seemed strange he was constantly ducking stirring the original tea until the sound of his clinking seemed loud in their current silent atmosphere.

Only this time Nala felt uncomfortable at the dinner table with a long silence. Wondering what everyone's covering up from her.

"Mother, Nala to the room," she said surprised by her voice that sounded rough.

Nala goes straight to her room again, no matter if Raymond will catch up with her or not.

He walked up to the window watching the houses in front of her that looked the same. These months Nala's activities are only in the content at home, she does not want to continue studying or working.

Nala wakes up from her daydream when she hears the sound of door knocks very slowly from outside her room. "Just go in."

Raymond comes standing right behind Nala until Nala turns towards him and leans against the window. "What's wrong?"

Raymond lifts his face, Nala almost wants to take her breath deeply as different irises of color intersect with Nala's eyes. It was so clear, that Nala found it hard to turn her eyes. Nala doesn't like how her fast heart works when she feels Raymond's body heat in front of her. "Ray, want to see Nala."

Nala's eyebrows intertwined with confusion are too difficult to interpret, honestly after coming from the dinner table Nala's feelings are not good with how Mother deflected her question when asking where Daniel was. "For what?"

"For Ray to be okay," Raymond said.

"What do you mean?"

Raymond shook his head slowly, his random hair swaying. Seeing that Nala almost wanted to immerse her fingers in Raymond's black strands and tidy them up.

"I don't think you're going to cover anything from me," Nala says quietly.

Nala still holds herself to stare at Raymond, she wants to get him to talk. But, if Raymond doesn't want to then Nala is fine.

"Nala?"

"Hm?"

"Nala doesn't hate Ray?"

Nala quickly shook. "Why are you asking like that?"

"So Ray can apologize to Nala."

The luster in Raymond's eyes dims and his gaze becomes out of focus. Nala swiftly stepped forward hugging Raymond's shoulder as his body rolled forward. "Raymond?"

There's no answer Nala gets, just a regular slow breath stroking her ears, creating a sense of heat on Nala's cheeks. Make no mistake, Raymond fell asleep.

Thank You For Reading...