The Bevy

    My body feels so heavy. Every step I make seems like I am carrying a leaden load on my back. I almost tripped. As I gazed my eyes around, hundreds and thousands of glowing eyes are looking back at me. The walls of what seems to be a wide tunnel are shimmering with blue and green crystals.     As I walk farther, I can hear a unified exclamation that says "Long live the king!" repeatedly and loudly, echoing throughout the tunnel. I looked up and saw an extensive golden stair with a banister made of what seemed to be burned human hands. I felt petrified.      I wanted to go back and run away but I cannot move. An invisible force seems to push me forward. I resisted but to no avail. While I was struggling to fight the force that is pushing me, I did not notice that I am already at the foot of the stairs.     Suddenly, I felt a weird sensation on my right foot. It wanted to step right up as if it has a mind on its own. I freaked out. I wanted to scream. I did. But there was no sound. I lost my voice! So I went back on resisting whatever my foot was trying to do but this time I noticed that every time I resist, the weight on my back gets heavier. I cannot take it anymore.     I gave in. As soon as my foot hit the first step of the golden stairs, the loud echoing yell immediately stopped. The place went dead silent. The invisible force was gone. The heavy load on my back was not there anymore. Then I woke up.      I let out a sigh of relief as I sat on my bed. I stared blankly into my closet which is directly opposite to where I was. I heard a knock on my door even if it was open. It is my sweet Aunt Salve.      "Are you having the same nightmare again?" she asked as she kissed my forehead and sat beside me on my bed.     "How do you know that? Were you watching me sleep all night long?" I replied with a soft tiresome tone before smiling at her. Surely she knows I am feeling quite under the weather.      "Remember the first time you told me about it? You had the same disposition when waking up from that nightmare. It is the fourth time already." she said      "Really? I thought this was just my second." I said. She held unto my arms as we both stood up and went to the dining table outside my room.     She looked at me with a worried face. "Should I call your therapist and get you an appointment? she asked.     "No need for it, Aunt Sal. It is just a dream. Besides I have been quite well ever since the accident. I don't need a therapist or any sessions that would remind me of..." I paused for no reason or maybe there is and it is something I never wanted to talk about. "Never mind, Aunt Sal. I am okay. I promise."     She exhaled heavily before giving me a smile. "Come, eat your breakfast and be ready for school. You shouldn't be a disappointment to your teachers. They don't want their future class valedictorian to be late!" she said with a soft laugh.     As always, I stopped by our mailbox every first Monday of the month to check my grandfather’s letters before going to school with my bicycle. Grandpa Champ is an old school kind of a guy who never uses emails or even a cellphone. But I am always excited to get letters from him this way. They feel classic and special.     As I opened the mailbox, something is odd. There was no letter! Grandpa never misses sending letters. I felt sad and scared. I ran back to the house and asked Aunt Sal about the letter.     “Have you gotten my letter for this month?” I asked her while searching through our drawers filled with mails and files.     With a concerned voice she replied, “No I haven’t. You know how much I respect your privacy especially when it comes to Grandpa Champ’s letters. Have you looked into the mailbox properly?”     “Yes. It was not there. This is the first time he missed sending me letters.” I anxiously replied.     I know it should not be a big deal. It is just a letter. No! It is not just a letter. It is Grandpa Champ’s letter. It is the only thing I have from him. A turmoil is beginning to occur in my mind. Maybe I am just overreacting to things. Maybe it is just because of the stress being a graduating student. Or maybe I am scared thinking my grandad is probably dead. I wanted to cry.     Seeing how distressed I am, Aunt Sal came to me and assured me that it will be okay. “Calm down, dear. I am sure your letter will arrive today. It is still early. We just have to wait. I will call you once your letter will arrive. Okay?”     “You are right. Maybe I am just really stressed out. Thank you, Aunt Sal.” I hugged her and kissed her goodbye.     It is already 8:30 am when I arrived at school. I am still a bit anxious about not receiving Grandpa Champ’s letter for this month. As I walking down the aisle, I noticed a strange guy looking at me. He was leaning on one of lockers and is wearing a black hooded jacket. I tried to ignore him but there is this weird familiar feeling that draws me towards him.     I looked at him in the eye and suddenly I felt frozen. The people around me seemed to move really slow. I wanted to say something but I cannot make a sound. I felt a heavy weight on my back. His eyes start to change color from dull brown to glowing blue. Everything seem so familiar. My dream last night! Yes, this is how it felt. I tried to resist but the weight on my back pushes me down. I think I am about to fall to the ground.     Suddenly, there was a tap on my shoulder. Everything went back to normal. No slow movement around and so was the young man in the black hooded jacket. He was gone.     “Yow babe! Are you okay? What are you staring at?” Amara said as she pulls me towards her, having my left shoulder touch her right shoulder.     I let out a sigh of relief while convincing myself that what just happened has nothing to do with my dream last night. It is just a dream. “Nothing. I am okay. We should go to the graduation practice now.” I assured her.     She looked at me with her right eyebrow raised. “Liar. You are a liar. I know something is not right. I can see it in your face. Look, you can tell me everything. We have been friends since 5th grade so there is no way you would be lying to me now. Tell me or I will tell Kai how much you like him.” she blurted.     Astounded by her blackmail, I just laughed out loudly. “Really? I hate you now. I hate you forever!” I said as I put my arm around her waist. She put her arm around my shoulder as we walked down the aisle. I do not want to freak her out about the weird experience I had with the mysterious guy in black hoody so I just told her how upset I am about not receiving Grandpa Champ’s letter today.     It is now 3:30 pm and I still got no calls from Aunt Salve. But even then, I am excited to go home hoping that Grandpa’s letter will come before this day ends.     “Can we fast forward to graduation day? I am so excited leaving high school already.” Amara said while munching on a pack of chips.     “Oh yeah. Me too! I look forward to being an adult. In a year or two, we will be in our 20’s!” I said while laughing softly.     “So do you still plan on taking anthropology in college?” she asked.     “Yep! I really want to dig deeper on the ideas and beliefs of people in different culture about powerful winged creatures as what my grandpa keep telling me through his letters. I wanted to know why these people believed in this mythical creatures.” I replied.     “Anthropology is a good choice.” said someone who is unexpected to join me and Amara. Guess who it is. It’s Kai.     Who is Kai? He was and still is my ultimate crush. He has everything I wanted in a guy. He is smart, athletic, tall, tan and really handsome. His black hair fits his perfectly shaped face. He is my Noah Centineo. Amara knew about it and about how much I fantasize being his girlfriend. He came to our school during the 8th grade. We never really talk to each other that much. His flock of girls are always on guard. But I guess time is changing now. Fingers crossed.     Amara looked at me with wide eyes and a smirk. “Hey man! It’s a miracle you came and hang with us! What’s up? she said while turning her head to Kai.     I immediately stood up and elbowed Amara discreetly to stop her from talking more as I find this quite embarrassing. “Ahem, I, I think our classmate needs our help Amara, right now!” I blurted as I gave Kai an awkward smile. He smiled back and I instantly died inside. Happily, died.     “Right now? Really? Classmate who? And why?” she asked with a wondering face. “This is your chance to finally talk to him and tell him what you really feel.” she insisted with a very low voice so that Kai won’t hear. But I think he did hear what she whispered. I died inside again but not happily this time. I was so ashamed.     At that moment, I got so nervous I was not able to think anything other than what Kai is probably thinking, leaving the three of us in a very awkward silent situation. Fortunately, being my savior since we were kids, Amara decided once again to save me from further embarrassment.     “Oh right! I remember that classmate. She asked me to help her with an assignment. Only me, Yvonne. Not you, me. So I got to go now. Kai, please don’t let my best friend rot to death in boredom. Bye-e!” she said while leaving the two of us hurriedly.     While laughing softly, Kai replied, “I got her. Don’t worry!”     “So why do you think Anthropology is a good choice?” I asked him while trying to play cool.     He moved closer and said, “Well, I can present an argument about that but it is not why I came to talk with you in the first place. I wanted to ask you to be my date for our graduation party. I am hop…”     And that’s it. I can’t hear the other words he is saying. I am stunned. All I can hear is my heartbeat and his echoing words “my date” repeatedly. Oh good heavens! Please take my soul anytime. I am ready to die. I just want to stare at him for the rest of the day. His lips are so soft to look at. His eyes are so…I am definitely lost. But I have to answer him before someone else would.     “Yes! Yes, I do! I mean I will. Yes, I will be your date.” I excitedly answered while trying to act calm.     “Oh okay. I am not finish talking yet but okay. That’s great! Thank you! So see you around then?” he said as he moved closer to hug me. That was so unexpected. I can feel that I am blushing as my face and neck started to feel warmer. If this is a dream, please nobody wake me up. I hugged him back hoping that it would last a bit longer but it was just a brief one.     “Ahmm, yep. See you around then!” I shyly replied.     We parted ways as I went to find Amara while he went with his friends who were waiting for him several tables away from ours. Before I exited the canteen, I looked at him one last time and saw him having fist bumps with his pals. I was so flattered that I am smiling on my way down the hall. Not for long, Amara and I are together again.     “So how was your talk?” she said while giving out a grin.     “He asked me to be his date for the graduation party. And I said yes!” I exclaimed while shaking her shoulders violently.     Her eyes went really big in astonishment and her jaw dropped. “OMFG!!! He did what??” she blurted before letting out a squeal. We hugged each other and giggled. We are both ecstatic.       “I thought this day would never come but it did! I a… oh, someone’s calling. Maybe it’s Aunt Sal calling to say that my letter has arrived already!” I was interrupted by a phone call but thinking it might be from my dear aunt, I excitedly answered.     “Best day of your life, babe? Your prince charming asked you to be his date. Your letter from Grandpa Champ finally arrived.” she gladly whispered with a teasing tone.     It is not the best day of my life it turns out. The call was not from my Aunt Sal. It was from the community hospital. Something terrible happened to her. She is in a coma at the moment. My body suddenly felt numb and weak. Tears fell from my eyes. My heart sank.     Amara looked at me with concern and asked, “Yvonne, what happened? Is everything okay?”.     “It’s Aunt Sal. She is in the hospital right now. I got to go.” I replied with a cracked voice.     “Oh my! I am coming with you. Let’s use my car. I’ll drive.” she retorted as we run out of the school building to her car in the parking area.     As we were riding in the car, tears keep falling down from my eyes. I am sobbing. Strangely, I went very silent. I am wishing that this is just another nightmare. Sooner or later, I will wake up and Aunt Sal will kiss my forehead and I will kiss her back. But it is not just a dream. It is real.