I exited the apartment building, distraught. It was a sunny day, with the rays illuminating the whole world. Yet, I did not feel warm.Perhaps after the accident, my life would never be sunny and warm anymore.I did have a bad feeling back then, and I hated my hunch. When I wanted it to work, it never did. When I didn't want it to work, it always worked.I dragged myself back to campus and back to my apartment. As soon as I was in my room, I flopped on the mattress, allowing the darkness to consume me.I slept for a very long time. Were it not for Queenie's call, I would still be in my slumber until tomorrow morning or even later than that while dreaming of something eerie.If only I could sleep forever. That way, I wouldn't have to face the dilemma."Luna, were you crying?" Queenie asked apprehensively when she saw me.She was my good friend, alright. Despite the distance, she could tell something was about me right away."I was." I sniffled. A listener would do me good when I
"Flynn's grandpa is celebrating his 73rd birthday this weekend. They're throwing him a huge birthday banquet.""Are you attending it, then?"Queenie laughed. Her crisp chuckle traveled from the other end of the line. It was a joyous laugh, but it sounded sad to me."He's going with a female companion, but it's not me. Do you know? He has never invited me to any formal occasion. Never. It's like I bring him shame or something. He won't let anyone see us together."Her laughter slowly vanished, replaced by a croaky voice."The contract will be over soon. What's your plan next?"After Queenie graduated, she was headhunted by a state-owned company. They offered an attractive employment package and promised her a promotion. However, Flynn persuaded her to quit her job and join his company, citing his unwillingness to be separated from her as an excuse.Perhaps Queenie was a lovesick girl, or perhaps she was smitten with Flynn, she moved to where Flynn lived without paying any heed to
"It's okay. My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore. No need to worry about me, Colin. I'll let you know if there's anything." I didn't want Colin to feel guilty, so I replied to his message.Colin replied to me instantly as if he had been staring at his phone and waiting for my response. "Take good care of yourself. Once I handle everything here, I'll find a way to make it up to you. I miss you and love you. Many kisses.""Okay, Colin. I'll wait for you."After I sent the text message, I placed my phone against my chest and closed my eyes.Colin didn't text me that afternoon. I didn't send him anything to bother him either.At night, Mom had a video call with me and asked if Felix was doing okay. I told her what happened during the day and asked, "Mom, if I had to pick either Colin or Felix one day, who should I pick?"Mom tried to console me with her affectionate gaze. "Oh, my baby girl. We want you to live a happy life. A life that owes nothing to anyone. As a mom, I want you to foll
I worked hard every day. I scoured the internet for medical journals and consulted specialists on various platforms.Yet life was often very cruel. Not all hard work would pay off.A surprising turn of events could lead to disastrous results.That day, I was queuing up at the cafeteria to get my lunch. I then heard people saying that someone was trying to jump off the building in the neighborhood across the campus. A lot of students in the queue went to check out the scene.My heart began pounding erratically. Fear seized me.I grabbed a student rushing there and asked what happened. He told me that he didn't have the details either. He only asked me to check the school's forum.I opened my phone frantically. There were a lot of comments on the forum thread. There was a photo on the pinned comment, the content of which almost made me faint.I had no time to think. Despite my fear, I ran as fast as I could. Howling wind traveled to my ears.I had never run as fast as I was runni
The crisis negotiator sent in was a female police officer. She had a pair of dimples that made her look extra cute. She comforted Felix with her soothing voice while approaching him silently like a leopard. Her small frame was taut with tension, waiting for the right opportunity.As the female officer coddled to Felix, he slowly became quieter. He stopped yelling, but he still refused to step down from the ledge.Blindness rendered his auditory senses to be extra sensitive. When the officer was less than five steps away from him, his neck jerked suddenly. He stared at where the officer was at. He threatened angrily, "Come any closer and I'll jump."The negotiator was forced to remain on the spot. She shrugged sorrily, telling us that the first attempt was a failure.Staying alive was our first instinct. I couldn't believe that Felix would go this far.Colin rubbed his face. The powerlessness to change the situation and the fear of losing his younger brother pushed him to the brink
To deliver Colin from suffering, to save the tough man in my heart from his moral dilemma, I made a shocking decision.The decision was sudden and hurtful, but it wasn't selfish.He told me that he could handle the situation. It wasn't that I did not trust him or think that I had a better solution.I merely felt bad for him. I didn't want him to go through so much pain and woe for me. I did not want my existence to be his burden.The defeated look on his face filled my mind. It broke my heart. I told myself that I'd bring light and joy to his life, even if it meant I had to suffer in hell for eternity.Was I mad? No, I wasn't. I just didn't want him to be sad.When I recalled this incident many years later, I realized how thoughtless I was.Colin imprisoned me in his arms, refusing to let me leave. He was searching for my lips, trying to seal it before I said the words he'd hate to hear.But for some reason, an incredible strength burst out from me. I shoved Colin away, and he
I fumbled my words because I was trying to suppress the overwhelming heartache.At that moment, I realized that Colin was my soul. Without Colin, I'd become a zombie. My love for him had taken root beyond my imagination before I knew it.Colin held me tightly. His broad hands almost squeezed the life out of me. With reddened eyes, he uttered, "I don't resent you, babe. I know you did everything for me. Forgive me. I wasn't strong enough. I failed to give you a sense of security."I'm sorry, Lulu. But things weren't that bad. You should've trusted me when I said that I could handle it. What you did shattered my heart."He kissed me, and I returned his kiss passionately. The wounds in our mouths reopened, and warm blood rolled down the corners of our lips. The bystanders gasped in horror, but we paid them no mind.At that precise moment, we only had each other. We lived in our own world.He hugged me, creating a corner that blocked out the universe. I snuggled into him as if he wer
The nurse said that Felix would be asleep for a long time. To stabilize his mood, she gave him sedatives.Lights were switched off at nine at the wards. Colin and I sat silently in the darkness.I looked outside while Colin stared at me with cold eyes. I knew he resented me, but I let him be. There weren't many things I could do for him. But by sacrificing myself, it showed that our love wasn't in vain.I didn't dare to look at him or meet his eyes. I was afraid that once I turned around, my resolution would vanish.My heart ached. It probably would hurt for the entirety of my life. But perhaps that was the only way to know that I still breathed.When it was almost dawn break, I couldn't hang in there anymore and fell asleep.The noises from the corridor woke me up. I realized that Colin's jacket was on top of me, but he was nowhere to be found.Did he leave? A world without him felt so lonely.I heard shuffling from the bed, and Felix opened his eyes. There was no light in his