LOGINShare
Chapter Two
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Dream Again
I open my eyes and she is no longer here. The morning reminds me that everything is just a dream. Only just a dream. I rush to the bathroom with an urgent need to pee. I stand up, the bed sheet falls down to my legs and then drops on the floor. I make quick short steps on the floor, which makes it sound like heavy claps. When I reach the bathroom door it provides me instant relief.
I was one step away from the toilet when suddenly I caught a glimpse of a woman who stands inside the mirror. I don’t know how it happens, but strange as it is, she stands inside the mirror. Fuck, ghost. She wears white sleeveless top paired with a light blue pajama. Her black hair flows perfectly on her skinny shoulders. I watch how her almond shaped dark brown eyes grow bigger with surprise. She looks frightened to see me and so am I. Why is she inside the mirror? I could feel my head grows bigger and heavier, like it will blow up into pieces anytime soon.
She turn her back like she will go away, and so I did run away. I hurry back to the bed scared that I forget the need to pee. My heart beats with panic that could almost be heard, similar to the sound of a loud drum; one and two, louder and faster.
Did I just see a ghost? I try to imagine what she looks like. Her almond shaped eyes, sharp nose and high cheekbone. Is she? I am certain she is the same woman I saw in my dreams last night. Who is she? What is her name? And why does this dream seem so real? I passed out. And what happens next, again I never know.
I was in the middle of a sleep when out of the blue I heard something very alarming. It sounds like an animal. I can almost imagine a bird whistling on top of its lungs. The whistle sounds prolong, it seems like the bird will be short of breath at any time. I can picture a bird choking to death, and it is disturbing. A dying bird, I thought. When I open my eyes the first thing I see is a tea kettle. White smoke comes out from its mouth. The smoke floats like a thin cloud that dissolves in the air. Did I just wake up from a dream? I watched the smoke disappear, and I questioned myself, Did I just wake up from a dream inside another dream?
In front of me is a round wooden dining table covered with black glossy paint. I notice how the other chair is stuck out from the table. There is a small black cup of coffee prepared on top of the table. The smoke which came from the cup smelled of roasted coffee. The smell is so alluring that it makes me hold the cup which is still warm. I watch how the tiny bubbles float on the surface of the coffee. I Slowly sip from the cup of coffee, too much creamer, I thought.
I tasted something. Maybe this time I am not dreaming. Or just maybe I am not sleeping. And just when I put down the cup, right there in front of me, I see her again. How many seconds did my heart skip a beat? And in a blink of an eye she disappeared. Where did she go? She will appear out of nowhere and then quickly disappear. Who is she? I think she is a ghost. I never thought a ghost could be this beautiful. I think I was wrong to believe for a longer time that ghost doesn’t have a face. Well this ghost who is hunting me, she is damn pretty. But what does she want from me? I don’t have anything, not even a memory. I don’t even know my own reality.
I think too much of a ghost. I made a decision that I should be out of this house. This house is driving me insane. I made it to the living room. The first thing I search is the door. Luckily this time I see the door. I draw closer and the door swings open before me. At that very moment when the door slides open, she enters the house. Fuck! She caught me right there. Just what? There she is again in front of me. Oh shit! The first thing that comes into my mind is to run. All I know is I have to run. And out of fear I ran out of the house.
I ran as fast as I could, one step after another followed by a heavy breath. As I run I notice a big tree in the front yard and there is a swing attached to it. Finally I am out of the house. I do not know where to go. I just know I have to keep moving.
I run through a dark narrow and never ending path. The surroundings are so quiet that I can almost hear the sound of my own heart beat. I breathe heavily and am very anxious. I am going nowhere. Drops of sweat fall down to my face. I keep on running.
The moment there is nothing suddenly comes to life a yellow light. I stopped. I could feel the chill traveling to my shoulder down to my spine. I am caught in this bright yellow light.
And I see what seems like an image from a fragment of my memory. There is a girl who wears a tiny yellow dress. And though I only could see her back where her black hair flows smoothly. Slowly she fades together with the yellow light. And when there is no image left of her, I find myself back in the same bedroom.
Am I dreaming again?
Her hands are wrapped around my arm, and they feel clean and warm. Her head is lean on my shoulder. And with my nose positioned above her head, I could smell the shampoo that she used. Her hair smells like roses. Just wait, I can smell her hair. Am I not dreaming?
Who are you?
There is a little space between my face and hers. And when our eyes meet I know I don’t want this dream to end. Her dark brown and almond shaped eyes are looking straight at mine. As I continue to stare at her eyes, it’s weird how I see flowers. I see little yellow flowers in her eyes. Those bright yellow flowers gradually changed into an image of a sun shine. As I continued to stare at her eyes it made me feel like it is 7AM and I can imagine myself walking at the beach under the sun.
You’re here.
Yes,
You must be real.
I am,
Am I dreaming?
I am dreaming.
Did I hear her right? What does she mean? I don’t understand, it does not make sense. I am dreaming. She is dreaming.
Related chapters
I Was Here Chapter Three
We Both DreamI stand beside a medium sized white bookshelf near the open window of the living room. I look at a small silver picture frame in the bookshelf. It is a photo of Mallory riding her new pink bicycle. She wears white sleeveless top, purple leggings and pink slippers. And her black hair is neatly pulled on a ponytail with some baby bangs falling on her forehead. As she genuinely smiles for the camera, she shows two of her missing teeth at the upper front of her mouth. She was 4 years old when the photo was taken. And it is the first time she learns how to ride a bicycle. I smiled and pick a book from the bookshelf. I hold a book and a cup of tea with both hands. I sit on the big brown couch which is pretty old. Obviously the leather of the couch is not in a good condition. You will see that the coffee brown leather of the couch is nearly torn out. And there are some white cracks coming out from the surfac
I Was Here Chapter Four
I turn off the television and make my way to the bedroom. The walls and ceilings of the bedroom are all painted white. And the floor is covered with light brown wood. I lay on the bed covered in light blue sheets. I lay with five pillows in total plus Mallory’s big brown stuffed animal, and which she calls Bear-Bear.I pull out my mobile phone and play a song on Spotify,All I have To Do is Dream, because lately I have been dreaming. My dreams are not bad though, but somewhat weird.‘Dream, dream, dream’ ‘When I want you in my arms.’I look at the open window in one corner of the room.And I remember I had this dream about a man who sits beside me. In my dream he gives me small yellow flowers together with a letter. I was reading his letter when the dream came to an end. And when I woke up I could not remember what I read from his letter. Strange dream, perhaps.I watc
I Was Here Chapter Five
What’s Your Name?I stuck Mallory into the bed and switched off the light. ‘What about the moon mama?’ she said and pointed to her yellow crescent moon lamp on top of the study table near the bed. ‘Sure baby,’ I turn on the moon nursery light. ‘Stop calling me baby,’ she said. ‘I am not a baby anymore, Mama.’The pale yellow light which comes from the moon lamp makes me see Mallory’s face in the dark room.She has small eyes with bigger and darker eyeballs, similar to a doll. Her face is round and a little chubby. And she has a flat nose and thin pink pair of lips.‘Close your eyes pretty Mallory, I’ll tell you a story.’ I said and lightly pinch her small nose.‘Once upon a time there were two children named Hansel and Gretel. Their stepmother abandoned them in the forest. But Hansel is a smart kid, he dr
I Was Here Chapter Six
The Yellow lightI watch them both sleep. The little girl wrapped her one arm and leg on her mother’s body. It looks satisfying seeing them both hugging each other. It is like they are full of love, very simple and pure, a priceless moment for a mother and her child.I observed how the little girl sleeps with her tiny mouth open. She has chubby cheeks and a rounded face. Her uncombed hair messily spread on the pillow. Where is your father?And then I look at her mother. As she sleeps on the side I can see half of her face. I admired thesymmetryof her face. She has a sharp nose, defined jaw line and a small chin. I am curious why a beautiful woman like her stays by herself.‘What’s your story?’ I watched her peacefully sleep and wondered if she is dreaming, and if so, is she dreaming of me? Because I am right here beside her.I caught a glimpse
I Was Here Chapter Seven
I Am Eric Marcus‘What is your name?’The dream ends.Whenever my dream about him ends, I feel a little sting of pain in my chest.I can only wonder why?I can tolerate the pain and it’s no big deal.However there is an emptiness thatI can’t describe and itlingers within me.And no matter how much I try to ignore it, I can never win. This kind of loneliness follows me and makes me reach out my hand to something that is not there.The alarm on my mobile phone went on.I quickly search for my mobile phone under my pillow. The persistent high pitch sound of the alarm truly annoys me in the morning. I found my mobile phone under my pillow, and quickly dismissed the alarm. It says 6:30 AM. I don’t want to wake up, not just yet. I have this huge desire to lie down still on this soft bed. But sadly I have to leave the bed
I Was Here Chapter Eight
8:00 Am, my laptop is ready and beside it is placed a tablet I use to watch randomvideos from YouTube and Netflix. I am composing an email for a client and then a message appeared on my chat box, I opened it and replied;Catherine: Hey girl, it’s crazy we just had an earthquake.Irina: Oh be careful, especially since you live near Tagaytay.Catherine: Taal volcano please calm down.Irina: Let’s check google, oh it says here alert level number one.Catherine: Hopefully it won't eruptand no ash will fallagain please.Irina: Yes please no ash falls, it’s very hard to clean the roof.Catherine: You’re right, cleaning the roof is one of the hardest parts of ash fall.Irina: But seriously, keep safe, you and your family.Catherine: Stay safe too, to you and Mallory.I drink from a cup of coffee placed near my laptop. The coffee has already turned cold. And when all I
I Was Here Chapter Nine
I Know NowMy name is Irina.The dream ends.I open my eyes and find myself standing alone in an empty room. The ceilings and the walls are neatly painted white. And the floor is composed of polished light brown wood. There is a dark brown framed window at one corner where the light is coming from. I observed how the yellow orange light made its way through the open window. I stand there in one corner of the room captivated by the yellow light. The light was so bright that it nearly blinded my eyes.I close my eyes and a scene plays on my mind. I see myself thrown on the ground with my bicycle. A bright yellow light from the car hits me, right there. I see a red car in front of me.I open my eyes and stare at the sunlight passing through the window of the bedroom. Did I just remember it right? I was hit by a car that day. And the last thing that I saw not so far is a
I Was Here Chapter Ten
Time Travel‘Irina!’He sits beside me and gives me a small red heart shapedcan. I open it and find a gold necklace inside. And then he hands me little yellow flowers together with a letter. I opened the letter and that is when I heard someone call my name so loud; Irina!Tonight I am awake in a dream again. I fall asleep and fly again. I freely float in one corner of the ceiling. I watch how I sleep with Mallory beside me. And there is this man who sits on my bed. This time I see his faceclearly. And yes I know that face, and I also have the name, Eric Marcus.Eric, did you just call my name?Whenever I dream of him, everything seems real. I watch him move closer to me while I sleep on the bed. He whispers something into my ear. I heard him say; ‘Please don't look for me.’I woke up and almost missed the alarm clock. It is just a bad drea
Latest chapter
I Was Here Chapter Fifty
‘Fuck,’ The ceilings and the walls are neatly painted white. And the floor is composed of polished light brown wood. And there is a dark brown framed window at one corner where the light comes from. A bright yellow and pale red orange light tells me the sun is setting and soon it will be dark.I look around me, I don’t recognize this place. Maybe I should start to explore the house. I can hear my footsteps on the wooden floor. It sounds like a heavy knock on a door. Where is everybody? Why is no one home? A big brown couch welcomes me in the living room. The old couch is nearly worn out, where the white cracks are visible on the surface of the leather. I wonder how old the couch is. I sit on this only couch in the living room and observe my surroundings.A medium sized white bookshelf stands on the left side corner beside the window. A few books and small toys are placed in the bookshelf. Name it; fiction novels come in all sizes and children story books, and collectible toys from
I Was Here Chapter Forty Nine
Continuation of Chapter 48:***We walked hand in hand on the school campus with red strings around both our wrist. She was wearing a navy-blue skirt and a white polo with blue tie. Her straight long black hair falls perfectly on her back.We both know that neither of us would like to travel time again.***I sat beside her on the blue bench outside our senior classroom. She wears a light green crop top blouse, light blue mini skirt and white rubber shoes. Her hair was cut short with bangs covering her forehead. And she was carrying a rose-pink backpack. Irina after so many years still looks very high school, she looks like a teenager, never growing old. I was watching her still and imagined her wearing the old white polo with a blue tie and navy-blue skirt. In my mind her black straight hair grew longer down to her waist.‘Irina, if we ever travel time again, and see me here sitting on this bench,’ I said. ‘Please come to me and tell me everything.’‘What if we traveled time but we
I Was Here Chapter Forty Eight
The Red StringI was still holding on to the wheel with the red string still around my wrist, when I noticed another Irina came closer to the car and look at me from the outside.Impossible as it may appear, this is the first of many times I was able to travel back and forth through different timelines and alternate realities. And I know Irina is also doing the same, time traveling.She opened the other door and sat beside me in the car. We both were looking at the crowd forming a circle at the pedestrian line, where my other self was a victim of a car accident.And then I heard voices from the crowd; ‘Today is the deadline of the project,’ said a girl in school uniform from a distance. ‘5:00 PM sharp, guidance office,’ added another girl beside her. They are both wearing white polo and navy-blue skirts.And out of the blue, three boys came running and laughing in front of us, they were also wearing high school uniforms.I noticed in front of us were high school students crowding the
I Was Here Chapter Forty Seven
Continuation of Chapter 46:***I opened the door to the patient’s bedroom. I saw the doctor covered her body and face with white sheet. The last thing I saw is her beautiful face before the white sheet fell into her. Irina is covered in white sheet from head to toe. The nurses assisted me outside the room and didn’t let me come near her.‘Irina!’ I screamed and fought my way inside the patient’s room. I threw out the white cloth from her face and embraced her. Her body feels tight and heavy. My hand touched her cold skin, and from that moment I knew life was taken out from her.‘No!’ I cried loudly. ‘Irina!’I was holding to her wrist as the nurses took her body away. I was left in the room alone with her red string bracelet on my hand.***Eric: ‘Whenever you post a picture on Facebook, I am always looking out on you wearing the red string.’Irina: ‘I will always have it on me,’ she said. ‘One day if we get separated, and you see me still wearing the red string, it means I love you
I Was Here Chapter Forty Six
The Red String‘Grandma, how did I die?’‘The valve of your artery thickens,’ she said. ‘It prevents your heart from pumping blood.’‘We both have heart disease, I see,’ I said. ‘Mama said you were writing something in your diary.’‘I was writing a story,’‘Can I read it someday in the past?’‘You write your own,’ she said. ‘Somewhere in the future Mallory will read your story.’There was a long silence between us, as we sit at the kitchen table looking at the small, opened window.‘If I can talk to God,’ I said. ‘Like He and I really talking,’ I added. ‘I would ask him why I wasn’t meant to be happy.’I watched her feet lifted from the ground. Her white kimono aesthetically flows as the wind blows strong behind her. Her long black hair spreads faultless as the wind carried on. She took out the red satin belt around her waist, and it magically turned into a red string. And there was a very bright light which almost blinded me, when the light disappeared so as grandmother.I found myse
I Was Here Chapter Forty Five
Continuation Chapter 45:***‘No, no, no,’ I cried. ‘Grandma, please tell me I’m not dying.’‘Somewhere in the time realm you die peacefully in your sleep,’‘No, no, no,’ I cried. ‘Grandma, please Mallory needs me,’‘Figure out for yourself, Irina,’‘How did I die?’‘Have you listened to your mother?’‘Heart disease,’ she answered. ‘Your grandmother has coronary heart disease,’ she added. ‘Doctor said, the walls of her heart thickened until it blocked the flow of the blood to her heart which caused her heart to stop beating,’ she explained. ‘And so, she died.’5:20 PM, I woke up. I went to my table outside the bedroom. I opened the window and went downstairs to the kitchen. From the green thermos I pour the hot water containing lemon and ginger on a mug. And then I took out a plate of some melon slices from the fridge. I went back to my table and opened my laptop and continued with my novel again.Eric: ‘How are you?’Irina: ‘I’m okay,’Eric: ‘Get well soon.’Irina: ‘Copy that,’Eric
I Was Here Chapter Forty Four
High SchoolI sat beside her on the blue bench outside our senior classroom. She wears a light green crop top blouse, light blue mini skirt and pair of white rubber shoes. Her hair was cut short with full bangs covering her entire forehead. And she was carrying a rose-pink backpack. Irina after so many years still looks very high school, she looks like a teenager, never growing old. I was watching her still and imagined her wearing the old white polo with a blue tie and navy-blue skirt. In my mind her black straight hair grew longer down to her waist. And she does not have bangs on her forehead. I was looking at her defined jawline, sharp nose and lovely eyes.‘Irina, if we ever travel time, and again, you see me here sitting on this same bench,’ I said. ‘Please come to me and tell me everything,’ I added. ‘I promise I will believe you.’‘What if we traveled time but we won’t remember anything?’‘How do we know that we time traveled if we don’t recall anything?’‘It will take time f
I Was Here Chapter Forty Three
First KissEric: I know a music store near our high school.Irina: Really? Okay we’ll go.Eric: 4:00 PM,Irina: Copy that 4:00 PM‘Which one do you like?’ he asked.I was looking at the number of guitars displayed at the music store. There are couples of electric guitars, bass guitar, ukulele and acoustic guitar that come in different sizes.‘Which one do you play?’ I asked.‘Acoustic guitar and bass guitar,’ he said. ‘I have like one of those,’ he added and pointed to the lengthy dark blue electric bass guitar.‘Why the bass guitar longer,’ I asked. ‘And why does it only have five strings instead of six?’‘One day I will show you how I play the bass guitar,’ he said. ‘For now, I suggest you learn the acoustic guitar first,’‘Alright then, the acoustic guitar,’ I smiled. ‘I like the plain light brown color guitar, there,’‘Okay, wait here,’ he said. ‘I’ll ask them if they have a smaller guitar that will suit you.’Moment later Eric came back with a light-colored smaller size guitar.‘
I Was Here Chapter Forty Two
Unknown to MeDecember 2021, there was a strong itchy sensation in my throat. I feel like grabbing my throat with my hand from the inside of my mouth. Only after a few hours have I caught a cold and cough. And this is not a good sign. I may have contracted coronavirus disease.I knew I needed to be isolated for a few days. I already had my two jabs of Pfizer vaccine, that is why maybe the symptoms I am showing are not severe, I don’t have difficulty in breathing.I decided to phone Mallory’s grandmother, and asked her to take care of her while I needed to quarantine myself. For a week we agreed that Mallory, for her own safety, should stay with her father’s parents while I am recuperating.Tuesday morning, I went to the nearest private hospital for a swab test. The nurse in the PPE suit handed me a form with the information I needed to fill out, like the following: Please check if you have the following symptoms: cold, cough, flu, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath. Have you been exp
