Tinkle

Chapter Six

I'm feeling weak and exhausted as if my energy was drained, but I set that aside with the confusion about Evan.

Thirty seconds left and I need to figure out what would possibly happen that could bring them danger.

Evan just watched me as he placed his hands on his pockets. His face was just blank, like a driving instructor evaluating you while you take your driving test for your driving license.

I ignored him and checked the ceiling of the comfort room, the lights and electricity, but nothing came out to be dangerous.

I ran outside. Twenty seconds left. The clock ticks still.

I looked outside and saw an electric post near the comfort room. There were few shops opened, but they primary sell various stuffs. Mostly food. The lake was surrounded by benches people could sit on, and in the center part by the edge of the lake was clump of buildings.

It was a normal post, but I noticed how it was standing slightly slanted. I don’t even know where the electric post came from. It was the only post there.

Wait. No way. Could it be…?

I ran back inside.

How can I move them outside? I don't know how.

I guess I don't have a choice. I sighed and shut my eyes close.

"Dad.", I hesitated, but his name came out to be with much desperation.

Five seconds left, and Dad immediately appeared in front of me millisecond after I called him. He stood there and smiled. A satisfied one.

I don't know what he will do, but it's the first time I trusted him.

Probably would be the last.

As the clock ticks, the more I got dizzy.

I held on the marble sink, as I watch Dad did something my blurry eyes couldn’t register. It was quick and impossible for me to know what he was doing. But I trusted him. That time I thought I had to.

That's the last thing I remember before my eyes went black.

---

"Is this even normal?! She's 97°C!", I chuckled at how cute Ruben was when he was freaking out, while he was looking at the digital thermometer. "It's near the boiling point!", he pointed out. “This digital thermometer must be damaged.”

By the look on the other guys' eyes, they look genuinely worried and confused.

"But she felt so cold.", Ben asked when he placed the back of his hand on my forehead before walking back to the couch.

David shook his head in disbelief, "Why did you not call for my help?". He sounded more disappointed than worried.

"I don't want to bring you danger. Besides, I didn't know what to do. That time, I thought time pause would be better.", I simply said as he just sighed and nodded.

"I should call Jack.", he stood up from his chair but I grabbed his arm.

"Don't. I already owe him a lot from before.", I said, pleading him.

David insisted, "But he will be disappointed or dismayed if he knew you didn't seek for his help. Just like how I felt when you didn’t call for my help", he said. Oh, he’s still not over with that? I sighed and shook my head.

"I'll get well soon anyways. Sooner or later, I’ll be just fine.", I said and smiled at him.

"What are you guys talking about?", Steve asked from the couch away from the bed where I was laid to.

David ignored him and said, "Yeah, right. Is 60 days what you call soon?", he said out of frustration.

Why’s he acting this way, anyway?

He didn't care this much when I was in the same situation almost a year ago.

Steve was confused as he tilted his head slightly.

"What's the commotion going on?", Albert asked, as the other guys started to gather around my bed, except one. Evan.

Evan, who was laying on the other couch for his siesta.

He wasn't the Evan I met back at the convenience store. He wasn’t the same as he was, like, he changed. Or maybe I should've known him better.

To me, he's still a mystery. Maybe because, I don’t know almost anything about him—except for his name and his quite quiet personality.

David faced his friends.

"Seoji is sick because of you all.", he said and crossed his arms. I gasped at his sudden revelation about the supposed secret.

"David!", I yelled his name.

"What? They have the right to know! You're sick because of them and it'll last for 60 days! And not just that, your 1 minute of memory will be permanently deleted!", he yelled back.

If no one knows we're friends, we’d look like a couple having a quarrel, much worse, a sibling bickering.

Right. Now that he mentioned that, I don't really know why did I save them, or what did I see that I have to save them. Few fragments of my memories were deleted, and lost from my mind, and mostly some of that fragments connect to little scenarios I completely lost, too. One of the side effects of using time pause.

"What do you mean?", Kurt asked.

I forgot that I didn't tell him about this and I wasn’t actually planning to tell it to anyone else. I sighed when everyone was throwing a lot of questions at me.

"I'll be back.", David said and disappeared suddenly which made everyone shocked.

I shut my eyes and bit my lip.

"What's happening, Seoji?", Jorge finally spoke from being quiet since earlier.

"Okay, but first, don't think I am a lunatic person or anything. This might be some kind of fictional story but I assure you that this was true.", I said as they obediently nodded.

"The truth is, this bell,", I lifted the bell that hanged on my neck inside my shirt, "when this tinkles, it indicates that I met someone in danger. If not prevented, that person could possibly die. I don't know when, but it'll appear on my dream who, when and how will the person will be in danger. But, I don’t remember dreaming any sign that could tell what would happen to you all and when.", I started. They seem to not understand what I was saying, but they nodded when they absorbed it.

"Another thing is, I don't know how did I know you'll be in danger. That's what I can't remember.", I said and tilted my head.

"Is that bell", Albert paused and pointed at my pendant, "related to why are you sick?", he said as he carefully took the bell on his hand and examined it.

"No. But this is.", I took out my pocket watch.

"It's not ticking, though.", Ben said.

"It'll tick only if I press the crown of it.", I said. I handed it to him and said, "Try pressing the crown of the pocket watch.", I instructed.

Ben did what he was instructed, as the others waited for something, but nothing happened.

"I am the only one who can make that work.", I smiled.

"My blood was there, so I am the only one who can control it. But I was just given a minute to stop time one every month. I personally advice myself not to use it that often. This is my fourth time of using it. It was a special gift.", I said and smiled when I remember a particular person who made the pocket watch for me.

"Anyways, it was my dad who saved you all.", I shrugged.

"Oh, you mean the one who wore a suit on the festival?", Albert asked when he remembered. It’s actually easy to remember since he’s the only one wearing a suit in a traditional festival.

I nodded.

"I was out of time, so I needed his help.", I said and looked away.

It was embarrassing. Hey, I have pride, too.

"He's a grim reaper by the way.", I mentioned.

Everyone gasped.

"Again, don't think that I am a lunatic.", I warned them, “Or else you’d want to see him once again to prove it.” I grinned when they shook their heads. No living human wanted to see a grim reaper. Except for my mother. "I am half-grim reaper half-human.", I shrugged as I mention the fact. "Anyways, don't be shocked, David is son of Mr. Cupid.", I revealed. David’s not the only one who could blow someone’s secret.

Ruben gasped exaggeratedly.

"I said, don't be shocked. Well, you could, actually. Just don’t think I am a crazy woman.", I said.

Now that I revealed what used to be my secret, and David's, I'm not expecting them to stay beside me as friends. David is son of Cupid, it’s not a big deal to befriend with him, but who would want a friend who's a daughter of a grim reaper?

I sighed and looked away, for the first time I wished I was just a normal girl.

"That's cool.", Ben grinned.

I looked at him in surprise. The others started to smile at me, too. There were shock in their eyes but not like what I was expecting.

My eyes went to the person now sitting on the couch.

He's just looking at me. My eyes trailed on his wrist. Something twinkled there through the light inside the room.

Why didn't I notice that bell bracelet? I didn’t know he had one. A silver one.

My thoughts were cut when I heard a loud thud on the cabinet on my room and a whimper.

to be continued...