“Time of death, 7:19 PM.” The doctor declared. The EKG eased into to a straight line. The shoulders of the nurses in the room slumped down. 

My eyes widened in shock. I didn’t know what to say. I was at loss of words. All I could do was stand still and watch my only friend’s lifeless body on the hospital bed. My emotions shut down. I didn’t even feel shit. 

This is my fault. He got tangled up in my mess then ended up paying with his life.  

The doctor looked at me and gave me a saddened look. His face was writhed with disappointment and defeat. “I’m sorry, sir. We did everything we could. He just loss too much blood.” He apologized. 

I ignored him then just looked at Andre. I couldn’t believe the news the doctor told me.  

Was he really dead?  

Suddenly, the door flung open. There, stood Mrs. Bryne, Andre’s mother. She looked disoriented, looking around the room. Her eyes then landed on her dead son. 

Her face was suddenly drenched with horror. She let out a screaming cry as she ran towards her son. “No! Andre! This can’t be!” She cried while hugging her lifeless son. She wailed in deep melancholy, tears falling relentlessly.  

I just stood there, not knowing what to do. All I could do was look at them. Mrs. Bryne’s eyes then moved towards mine. Her face was painted with anger. She heaved out heavy breaths then pointed a finger at me. 

“Y-you! This is all your fault!” She screamed at me. She was right. It’s all my fault. I was the one who caused this. I’m the reason why her son is gone.  

The sole reason why my friend is gone. 

“Get out!” She screamed then threw her purse at me. I didn’t dodge it and let it hit me. “Leave!” She cried out. 

Without so much as a word, I turned my feet around then walked out of the room then out of the hospital. I was just staring blankly as I walked on the pavements. I bumped by passersby, but I didn’t give a shit.  

I reached my apartment then took out a bottle of beer from the fridge. I gulped it all down in one go then took another bottle. I did the same until I ran out. 

“Fuck!” I cursed under my breath and rummaged the fridge to try and find more but I failed to see a single one.  

I kicked the fridge out of rage then pushed it down the floor. I don’t know what happened, but I just lost it. I started breaking everything I find in my way, not sparing even a speckle of dust. 

My mind started feeling woozy. My vision blurred and my balance began to get out of control. Suddenly, I slipped off a broken plate then fell on my back. The greasy ceiling greeted me. Gradually, my sight darkened until everything went black. 

… 

I slowly opened my eyes then found myself in the middle of the dark woods. Tall oak trees surrounded me. The moonlight seeped through the thick leaves, giving me little light. 

“Where the hell am I?” I muttered while looking cautiously around. This place wasn’t familiar at all. It was quiet, with only the sound of the wind blowing and the leaves rustling. 

A shadow suddenly appeared in front of me, indicating that someone was behind me. I glanced back immediately then saw a young girl. She wore a white dress that stood out from the darkness of everything around us. She was bare footed. 

Her long wavy ash blonde hair flew in the wind. Her azure blue eyes entranced me as it looked dead-straight into my dark green ones. Her deep-set downturned eyes were accentuated by her long and thick lashes. Her lips were small and plump with the best shade of pink I’ve ever seen. 

It was her, the girl I had a fucked-up dream about. 

I looked at her in confusion, not knowing what to say. She just gave me a smile, but I didn’t let my guard down. I took a step towards her then glared at her. She was petite and slender and looked miniscule compared to my tall figure. 

“Who the fuck are you?” I demanded an answer. She looked slightly stunned, appalled by sudden aggression. Her beautiful eyes fluttered in confusion.  

She was beautiful, alright. I was definitely attracted to her, but I didn’t let it distract me. I must stay cautious. 

She took a step backwards. “You don’t know me, but I know you too well, Oliver.” She spoke. Her voice was sweet and relaxing, sounding like music to my ears. 

“How the fuck do you know me?” I growled this time. I took fast strides towards her. Her back ended up leaning against a tree. I placed both of my hands on the side of her head, entrapping her between my arms. I gave her a hostile glare. 

She looked up at me with subtle sadness and disappointment. She didn’t look scared, but she didn’t look happy either. 

“I know you’re confused right now but you just have to trust me. You’ll know everything when the time comes.” She gave me a smile and it annoyed me for some reason. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I clenched my jaw. Quickly, she escaped my grasp then fled away in the darkness. She was swift and she got away before I even had the chance to react. 

Fuck. 

I woke up feeling an ache in my neck. The sunlight blared from the windows then hit my fuzzy eyes. I was dizzy as hell, struggling to stand up.  

I looked around my apartment. It looked like it had gone through a stampede. Scattered pieces of broken glass were spread throughout the floor. The plastic dining table I had was broken into two and the fridge was lying flat on the floor. It looked horrible. 

I felt a throbbing pain in my head the moment I stood up. I think I had too many to drink last night. Despite of my throbbing headache, I picked up the pieces of my enragement last night then threw them in the bin. 

I tried lifting up the refrigerator back to its position. Luckily, it wasn’t destroyed yet.  

A knock on the door interrupted me. Usually, this early in the morning, it would be Andre busting down my doors to bug me about whatever new problem he’s having. It had been a situation I was accustomed to. 

But it wasn’t Andre this time. I’m afraid he will never knock on my door again. I always found him annoying but now that he’s not here, I can’t help but feel a lot emptier, like something’s missing from my daily routine. 

I shook my thoughts off then walked straight to my door. The serious face of a cop greeted me.  

“Are you Mr. Miller?” He inquired. 

“What do you need?” I asked impatiently. I wasn’t in the mood to interact with anyone today, much less a cop who looked like a thumb. “I’m afraid you have to come down with me to the police station. We are to interrogate you regarding Andre Bryne’s murder.”  

I furrowed my brows. “Am I a suspect?” 

“Not necessarily. Just come with me and we’ll let you know.” He answered. 

“A minute.” I said then slammed the door on his face. I went straight to my room to get changed into a black hoodie and tattered jeans. As I opened my apartment door, the cop’s odious face greeted me once again. 

“Done, princess?” He sarcastically asked. He looked pissed but I didn’t give a shit or two.  

I didn’t answer him and just walked past him. The police station was just two blocks away from my apartment, so I didn’t need his assistance. Hell, even if I didn’t know where it was, I still wouldn’t ask him. 

… 

An officer was eyeing a bunch of files while strutting around the room. She looked dead-serious, without a single blink in her eyes. The clicking sound of her heels echoed inside the interrogation room. I just sat there nonchalantly, with my feet on the table.  

“How many men did you say attacked you?” She inquired. Her eyes landed on my feet. She glared at them, clearly annoyed at my crude manners, or lack thereof. 

“Three in total. I know one of them. His name’s Roger Holand and he’s the one who murdered my friend.” I answered and just got it over with. I didn’t want to waste my time being bombarded with questions. 

She squinted her eyes. “Three men attacked you, and you happened to be unscathed? Meanwhile, your friend received a fatal stab wound. Something about your story’s not checking out.” She said vindictively. This fucking dumbass. 

The fact that they suspect me is just fucked-up. I just lost a friend, and they didn’t hesitate to introduce me as a suspect. 

I rolled my eyes at her then stood up from my seat. “If you don’t believe me, then don’t. I’ve said what I know.” I slid my fists in my pockets then took quick strides to the door. 

“Where do you think you’re going, Mr. Miller. We’re not done here yet.” She raised her voice. 

“Don’t I have the right to have a lawyer with me or some shit before I get interrogated?” I asked sarcastically. “W-well.” She stammered. “Then I guess we’re done here.” I shrugged then walked out of the room. She looked pissed as she eyed me. I slammed the door on her face on my way out. 

I didn’t even have the time to process my friend’s death yet and here they were bombarding me with interrogations. It pissed the hell out of me, and I just wanted to go home and puff a pack of cigarettes. 

After walking out of those damned police station, I went straight to a grocery store to buy cigarettes and cheap spirits. I wanted to get drunk again tonight. I just lost a friend. It shouldn’t hurt to get wasted even for one night. 

As soon as I got home, I gulped the alcohol down without any chasers. I wanted to skip all the bullshit and just let the alcohol do its job. 

I then realized that I have no one left in my life. My mother and father died in a tragic accident, leaving me to fend off alone in the world. I grew up in an orphanage where all the other kids bullied me every chance they get. I was passed around from foster-to-foster homes because they immediately got fed up off me. 

I ended up being adopted by an abusive household and now I shut them off my life. I got in a gang, which felt good for a while, but it eventually ended up for the worst. I shut them off too.  

Luckily, I met Andre.  

He was such a pain in the ass. He was whiny and was too much of a loser. Nevertheless, he was still my friend. He was the only one I actually felt I had a close relationship with. 

But now he’s gone. 

Many shots later and I can feel the alcohol kicking in. I felt dizzy and my balance was getting shitty. 

The alcohol was starting to taste like water, so I took vigorous shots of it. I only stopped when I ran out of drinks. “Fuck.” I whispered to myself. I wanted to run to the nearest convenience store to buy more but I couldn’t even stand properly. 

My vision was starting to get fuzzy. My eyelids became heavier. I leaned my head on the table, using my arms as pillows, then closed my tired eyes.  

… 

I slowly opened my eyes then found myself in the same spot I was in my previous dream. The sun was just beginning to set and bright orange light spills seamed through the oak leaves. The subtle breeze blew, causing the leaves to rustle. It was serene, different from the murky woods I once was in.  

I can hear the sound of a waterfall from a short distance. My forehead creased. I followed the sound of it. I pushed a few branches that were in my way. I made sure I didn’t trip from the blunt oak roots. 

The sound of fresh water splashing against rocks resonated in the woods. The sound grew louder as I neared the waterfall. After passing by a large tree, the pristine waters were immediately caught by my eyes. 

I watched the falls in fascination then averted my gaze around. The sun was slipping behind the mountain ranges, giving the clear skies an orange tint. I walked closer to the steep cliff to get a good look of the majestic view. 

For that brief moment, I felt peace, far from all the bullshit I’m currently in. I was confused as to why I was in that place, but I set my thoughts aside for a little while. It’s a rare occasion that I find myself in peaceful situations. I must be in one of those fucked-up dreams. 

“You’re here.” A voice suddenly echoed from behind. Startled, I faced the person. There stood the girl in my dreams. The girl who kept haunting me. 

Her plush blonde hair flew in the air. She wore a white dress that graciously danced as it went with the wind. She was beautiful beyond words. 

“You are again.” I muttered. I clenched my fists the took steps closer to her. “You keep appearing in my dreams. Who or what exactly are you?” I interrogated her, my voice resonating in the open air. She just stared at me without a single blink. 

I grabbed her right wrist then took a step closer her. I towered over her as I narrowed my glare towards her blue eyes. “Fucking answer me.” I commanded. I was starting to lose my patience. She didn’t answer me and just placed her left palm on my cheek. 

“I will tell you everything when the time comes.”  She gave me a sweet smile that made her even more beautiful than she already was. Annoyed, I flicked her hand away from me then let go of her wrist. “Just answer the damn question.” 

She just stood there while smiling at me warmly. Slowly, she disappeared, fading away from sight.