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Chapter 18 - Nightmare
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2024-10-29 19:42:56I clasped my hands together and took a deep breath. I was sweating and my heart was beating fast as I looked around. The large crowd in the ballroom was making me dizzy. The different styles and colors of the gowns of women were blinding me, and the music, laughter, and even the quiet voices of some people talking were deafening me. I turned to look for Albert, but I could not find him. I touched my forehead and started massaging it. I was starting to hyperventilate.
A few moments later, the handsome Marco approached me. His friendly smile somehow consoles me. He asked me if I was okay, and I shook my head.
"Looking for Albert?" He turned his head closer to me so I can hear him better.
"Do you know where we went to?" I asked feeling relief Marco was there.
He nodded, and when he stood, I followed him.
He held my hand and led me inside the villa. He told me he knew where Albert was, and he would take me there. It wasn't my first time to enter
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Never Again Chapter 19 - The Maze
I looked at the mirror, and instead of seeing my own reflection, I was seeing something else. A terrifying past that no one saw but me. I felt like my foot was grounded on the wooden floor of the mirror house.I closed my eyes because as I see infinite reflections of myself terrified me. I would probably not get out of this place.When I felt someone held my hand, I opened my eyes. Instead of seeing myself, I saw a thousand of Albert's reflections smiling at me."It's okay, Sel," he said as he interlaced our fingers.I shook my head. It wasn't okay. I wasn't feeling okay. I was diagnosed by my psychiatrist with eisoptrophobia due to the traumatic event I experienced. Even if I had long years of therapy, I never got over this fear.He took his handkerchief out of his pocket and rolled it."Do you trust me, Selene?"I looked up to meet his eyes and asked him. "Should I?"He chuckled. "Yes. Otherwise, both of us we'll be stu
Never Again Chapter 20 - Sienna's Dream
My eyes snapped open as I woke up from a bad dream. I was still shaking, and I could feel my heart pounding as I wiped the cold sweat on my forehead. I didn't want to go back to sleep. In my dream, I kept seeing myself inside the mirror maze room again, and I could see Marco's reflections everywhere. Then, to my horror, he escaped in one of the mirrors and ran after me. When he caught me, he tore my clothes and started hurting me.I sniffled, trying not to cry. It has not happened yet! It has not happened yet! Not yet!I searched for my blanket to cover my face, but when I pulled it, it was like it was stuck with something. But then, I became aware someone's lying beside me. Slowly, I turned my gaze to the person next to me.I was really startled. "Good lord, Albert!" I covered my mouth. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" My eyes were wide open in shock.I didn't recall leaving the window open before going to bed.He was lying on his
Never Again Chapter 21 – New Partner
I glanced at the time on the wall clock, then to Mr. Maurice, who was doing the lecture on Marketing today. I was fidgeting, and unconsciously, I would bite my nail, then look at the time again. He was holding the hardbound book I remembered he used to smack my head to wake me in the class a week ago.Maybe if I try to sleep again in his class, I will wake up in my time. When our professor faced the board to write something, I placed both arms on the table and then tried to rest my head on my arms. I took a deep breath as I close my eyes.Diana kicked my chair. I straightened up and turned to her."What?" I hissed glaring at her."Do you want him to smack you in the head again?" She questions in a low voice.I gave her a sullen look before I turned my attention to our professor."What do you mean?" I heard Albert asking her, but she did not answer.Jane nudged me on my arm and passed a note to me.I opened the paper
Never Again Chapter 22 – Good Things, Bad Things
Dani was thankful when he found out that our PE instructor canceled our class because something important came up. It wasn't lunchtime yet, but a lot of teens and young people were lining up to order beverages, and most of them were girls."Was it always like this?" I asked as I put on my apron."Yes. Every time they knew the owner is here, or the cousins and the brothers are here," he said rolling his eyes. He told me to turn around, and I did.I chuckled as I turned my back on him.He fixed the waist tie at my back and surely, he made a good ribbon-style on it, just like what I saw in other baristas' apron.When I turned around, Dani was snapping his fingers as he looked for something. He was getting impatient as he searched the floor, table, and countertops. I was about to ask him what he was looking for when Albert came out of the office and in his hand was the matching cap of my apron."Of course, you have the cap," he said, rolling his
Never Again Chapter 23 – IMYM
I moaned as I smell the familiar scent in my nostrils. I could smell Albert and coffee.'Coffee?''Albert?'I opened my eyes quickly and looked around. It was only then I realized I was leaning on someone's shoulder. I straightened up and turned to see who it was.Albert groaned as he massages his arm. "I thought something bad happened to you here," he said as he stood up, and then switch on the light."Huh?" I was suddenly confused.He smirked. "I asked you to get coffee beans, but you did not come back. When Edwin came for you, he found you sleeping here on the stairs," He shook his head in disbelief. "Coffee was supposed to wake you up, not make you fall asleep,"I opened my mouth, but no voice came out. How long have I been out? Our eyes met, and then we both burst into laughter.He sat down again beside me, and then tap his shoulder. I leaned my head over his shoulder."How long have I been sleeping?" I asked him.
Never Again Chapter 24 – I'm Back
The kiss was brief but intense.When Albert left my lips, he pulled me closer, and he buried his face on my neck. The small paper was still in my hand, and I wanted to confront him about it. I would go insane if I didn't. But all the words I wanted to say, all the questions I wanted to ask were gone the instant I heard his sob.I wrapped my arms around him and let him weep."My brother's gone," he cried, and I could feel the tears now rolling from his eyes to the skin of my neck.My tears welled my eyes, too, because I could feel his misery and yet, I have no ways to ease the pain he's feeling right now.I didn't know how long we're like this, just crying and holding each other close. When I think he stopped crying, I moved away a little and hold him on both shoulders.His eyes were red from crying, and his face was overwhelming with sadness. The sudden death of his brother was devastating for him and for his family.Charles's d
Never Again Chapter 25 - Another Bad Dream
"Go back to sleep, Sel," Jane said, "Let's talk later at breakfast," She closed the door.I felt like my eyes couldn't stop blinking. I adjusted my sight to my surrounding. This room was Jacob's, their youngest child. I used to babysit for their children whenever they, Ed and Jane, had to attend special events. Tonight, I had to stay with him because he has been crying looking for Jane. He only stopped crying when I stayed with him in his bedroom, and he fell asleep after reading his favorite bedtime story, Alice in Wonderland.I walked towards the bed and stared at Jacob's. I couldn't help but smile as I remember Ed whenever he teased me. I always wanted to say he looked like Jacob.Suddenly, my heart ached as I recall those happy moments, I had with them. I sighed thinking fate is playing me. Later in my life, I would probably end up in the asylum.I went back to the couch and held my smartphone. I smirked thinking I wouldn't be able to live without it
Never Again Chapter 26 – "Curiouser and curiouser!"
I gathered the newspapers, some magazines the customers read to place them in the rack again. All I could see was Charles' beautiful face on the front page. I released a sigh as I fold them neatly.Dani was right. The cafe was jam-packed only when Albert or his family was there. We had customers today, but not as much when he's here. The only customer I see that doesn't leave his seat unless he needed the toilet maybe, was James. He had read all the newspapers already and I had the urge to refill his already empty cup. But we had our deal today, and part of that was to leave him alone as he does his duty.Even if James would leave my sight, I still had Dani. There's no escaping him. I felt like I was on surveillance or something."You can do your homework, you know," Edwin stood beside me, helping me stack the newspapers, even when I was almost done.I looked around. There were other two staff free so I guess I could."Don't worry, wife. I do it al
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Never Again Chapter 80 - Epilogue
Nine months laterI kept pacing the room and taking deep breathes. Albert and I may have gone back time, but this was the first time for us to experience this. I took another breath, inhaling slowly and then breathing out slowly to release the tension I was feeling.“Albert!” I screamed from the hospital room. The contractions increased, and I tried to move a lot, preparing myself for this new experience. As soon as I felt the pain and the contractions last night, he decided to bring me to the hospital. We both don’t want to panic at home when our babies decide to come out. My water bag broke already, but the contraction has often come now.Yes, Albert and I were having twins. We were ecstatic when we found out we had two instead of one. He came running to the room, his face pale that I could not stop myself from laughing.I bit my bottom lip and smiled at him.He dashed to me, massaged my back. “Are you feeling oka
Never Again Chapter 79 - The Promise
I looked up at the ceiling, trying to calm my heart. It has been hammering my chest since I came to Dr. Melissa’s office. She has been my shrink for many years, but I never get to graduate from this couch. I laid my back on the familiar leather sofa and waited for her.The sound of her shoes told me she was on her way to her chair. She sat on the egg chair, facing me. She smiled at me gently and quietly opened her notebook. Perhaps, my notebook. I have seen how it was changed after several sessions with her. With my life opened to her, she could write a series about me.“How are you today, Selene?” She asked, taking her pen from her shirt pocket.My eyes flickered on her, but I returned my eyes to the ceiling. It could be because it was her job, but I liked Dr. Melissa. She was always patiently waiting for my answers, and if I chose not to talk, she would assure me that all I needed was to call her and listen to m
Never Again Chapter 78 - Dreaming
“I leave the future now to you, my love,” Albert pulled me closer to him, wrapped his arms around me, making me feel his warmth, his love, and then he kissed me at the top of my head, making me remember what he said on my birthday as he sealed his gift with a kiss."I'll protect you no matter what, my love. It's a promise." Indeed, he protected me, but then he slowly faded, and then Albert disappeared before my eyes. I couldn’t breathe, and for a second, my heart stopped beating.No. He couldn’t be gone!The horror of being reminded when Marco faded away before us was the day he died.Terror and shock were like waves that overwhelmed me. I could not move. It took me a while before I scrambled on my feet, and then I ran to the elevator.As the elevator opened on the second floor, I ran to the operating room, but I was too late. Lady Margarette and my mom broke down in tears when they saw me. I could
Never Again Chapter 77 - A Sad Goodbye
“I wanted to see you with my own eyes, the young and beautiful Selene, the curse of our family!" Those were the only voice that I could hear at the moment. It was playing on my mind repeatedly as I sat on the floor, hugging my knees, near the operating room.In whatever timeline, if I did not entertain my feelings to Albert... if only I did not allow him to love me again... if I did not travel in time, he would be okay. I may not understand it entirely, but I was a curse.When Dani and Edwin ran to the office, they did not see anyone except Albert and me on the floor. The backdoor was open, so the police officers had a hunch that the suspect had run away. I was the only witness, but they could not ask me at the moment.I could hardly notice my surrounding. I kept thinking how happy we were last night and how we climbed together in cloud nine when I found out we were pregnant. I was hardly blinking as I looked back at what had just happened. I was
Never Again Chapter 76 – Expecting
My vision got blurry, tears just kept flowing, and my feelings were so overwhelming that I could not speak. Albert met my eyes and then told.“Mom,” He said, alerting his mother and, I guess, everyone in the room. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I think Selene won’t be wearing your wedding gown in June,”I chuckled. After Marco’s death, we decided to move the wedding to June instead of this month out of respect. I turned to my parents and his mom and smiled.“It won’t fit.”I turned my face to the love of my life. As our eyes met, he pressed his forehead to mine, and we both cried. In their eyes, we were just a young couple, getting pregnant at the age of nineteen, but for us, we waited for thirty-seven years to be together, to have this chance of sharing this wonderful experience.“I’m gonna be a mom,” I whispered excitedly, saying those words that I could not contain
Never Again Chapter 75 – The Test Result
Everybody seemed to be anxious about the result of the test. Dad kept pacing the room while Albert’s dad had been tapping the arm of his seat like he was playing the piano. Our mothers were chatting, exchanging their pregnancy experiences. Sienna and Jane were chatting about their excitement about the possible results. We had to wait in Dr. Mayer’s office because staying in the OB Gyne’s doctor won’t fit all the expectant guests. Albert and I stood by the large window overlooking the hospital’s garden. “It would be fun to watch their faces if I’m not pregnant,” I said, rolling my eyes. Albert smiled, pulling me closer to him and kissing my forehead. “But this would be a great story to tell to our child if you are indeed pregnant,” I leaned my head on his chest. The truth was I was scared because even if I had James, it was something I never had a memory of. This would be my first experience. “I’m scared,” I muttered. “Would you rather be not p
Never Again Chapter 74 – Bloodlines
“Congratulations, you’re pregnant!” The doctor smiled at me, showing the result of my test. The lines and the signs definitely did not lie about it.I could not believe what I was hearing. Am I really pregnant? I gazed at Albert, tears brimming into his eyes as he came to me to wrap his arms around me. When the door opened, my eyes widened to see the tunnel. It was like sucking my body to get into it, but Albert held onto me tightly.We were shocked when a man, wearing a black mask and overall, pointed a gun at me. No, not particularly at me, but to my belly. My forehead furrowed because I just knew I was pregnant, but my belly was so big that anytime I would likely give birth. Before I could understand what was happening, I heard a gunshot and found myself bleeding.I gasped, sucking as much air to my lungs as I got up from the bed. My heart was pounding fast, and I could hear my heartbeat from the silent night. I was sw
Never Again Chapter 73 – Apple Pie News
“Are you like together again?” Sienna asked, gawking at us. She shook her head. “Something’s not right,” She squinted her eyes on us, glancing at our hands, fingers interlacing. “Did something happen a few seconds ago? Wow, you changed really fast, Sel,” She glanced at the ceiling, trying to remember the clothes I was wearing.When I heaved a sigh, she gasped, opening her mouth in surprise. “Did you just...”“Just what?” I asked, looking at my sister, hoping she would stop talking about how surprised she was at seeing us.“Got together,” she chuckled, pointing his lips to the engagement ring I had on my finger. “Fix your problem, Selene,” She said, standing up to continue setting the table. “Either you face your problem now or later.”Sienna was right. The reason things got complicated is that I tend not to face my problem. I tried to ev
Never Again Chapter 72 – Twisting The Future
Everyone in the living room went quiet. No one made a single sound, not even a movement. It was like they stopped breathing for a while, just like in the movies when we hear the most critical line of an important character, whether from the protagonist or the antagonist. In the middle of our silence, we could listen to the sound of crickets.Their faces were hard to read as well. Jane was twisting her lips, fidgeting with her hands. Ed was staring blankly at us, his hand on his chin. Dad has lines on his forehead, squinting his eyes as he analyzed what I said. Mom wrinkled her eyebrows as she pinched the skin in her throat.I glanced at Albert, and he shrugged.Suddenly, Mom broke down in tears. Sienna and I looked at each other, raising our brows as we stared at her.“I hope you’re not on drugs, Sweetheart.” She sniffed, holding my father’s hand. He squeezed Mom’s hand.I almost rolled my eyes at her, but I think it w
