Morrow

Chapter 4

ELLE’S POV

The distance where I am away from the doorway was far enough, yet to me, it doesn’t look like that way. Tension has taken us over by which I do not know from what or where it’s coming from. But just from her looks, I think we’ve met before. She looked so familiar, I really just can’t remember when or where we’ve met.

Just when Reed finally came into the scene, only then the deep eye connection between me and this lady who just greeted me awhile ago, was cut off.

“R-Reed!” I immediately went beside Reed, clung my arms around his and hid behind him.

He just gave me a confused look as he exchanged glances to me and to the lady. I saw how Reed looked at her in question and she just shrugged her shoulders off as an answer. Reed suddenly let out a sigh and turned to me, stared at me, as if he’s asking me what’s wrong with me.

“What?” I asked when he didn’t even whispered a word to me, to cut in the earsplitting quietude that’s about to consume the atmosphere. It took another minutes of staring because he attempted to open his mouth.

“What’s wrong?” he said with his eyes resembling concern.

“H-Huh?” I uttered nervously with my eyes looking everywhere, couldn’t keep my eyes on him.

“What’s wrong? You looked so anxious.” I just kept myself quiet after that. I really don’t know how, but I can’t think of a word to say right now. Something feels heavy, and it’s bothering me.

“Eos.” He called her, and there I lifted my gaze to see his reaction, which I wished I never saw.

“Reed.” She greeted in a warm tone and slowly took some steps closer to shake a hand with us. I did not respond when she offered me one. It is not my type to shook hands with people I’m not sure of the identity yet. But if what I feel about her is true, then maybe I just need to remember everything.

The gaze in their eyes were much more different now and it is so awkward in my point of view. It’s as if I could see their eyes shine in amazement. That kind of glow as if two people had met each other years ago and made a promise, then finally, it was fulfilled. It feels like they were having their own moments with just their eyes and thousands of pieces of it were cherished in just a split of second.

“S-so, uhm, you knew each other?” I asked with my head down, trying to be careful not to interrupt the moment they were enjoying. But instead of an answer, what I heard was a chuckle from them.

“No, we three knew each other since childhood, Elle.” Eos heaved sweetly, while holding my cheeks with both of her hands as she lifts them up carefully and looked at me in the eye.

Then, there’s this resemblance, a face that suddenly depicted out of nowhere. It seems vague, yet so familiar. I was trying to figure out where and when was that with the surroundings and the looks of her.

Eos? Just who are you to me?

—Knock! Knock! Knock!—

My moment of reminiscing suddenly came to a halt with just a knock on a door. Our attention turned around to see who is that on the door.

“Mr. and Ms. Morrow, are you ready, yet? Oh!” Gaile came into the scene and was startled for a moment. She glanced first to Eos which made her eyebrows meet for a moment, then to me, and to Reed, who just came out of the bathroom, taking an eyeful down to his body.

As her eyes were filled with shock, discomfort got in me and without enough thinking, I hastily grabbed the door knob and shut it right in front of her.

Shut it! She’s really still into it?

I heard a giggle behind me after that and looked back, I saw Eos trying to prevent herself to let out a laugh while Reed sketched a little curve on his lips and shaking his head slowly looking at me. Their expressions made me put a smile on my own lips and laughed a little bit with how I acted.

“Uhm, Mr. and Ms. Morrow, there will be an hour left to prepare yourself for dinner. After that, call on us so we could bring you to your places.” Sea announced outside our room from the hallway.

“And Mr. Morrow? Tell me when you’re ready~ You know that I’m always ready.”

“Hey, stop it, Gaile.”

I just heard a very loud, irritating, and smutty laugh after that as the maids took their footsteps away from our room until I heard it no more. Of course, it came from Gaile and no one else. I just let out a sigh and faced my roommate and childhood friend, according to them.

“Now, now. You should also get yourself ready, Elle. Clock is ticking and minutes shouldn’t be wasted. Also, we can easily find ourselves comfortable if there will be less people if we go there as early as we could and Eos will help you with what you’ll be wearing tonight, so, don’t worry. Things are completely covered for us.” I didn’t realize that I was staring at him that long now but instead of being an airhead, my mind’s wide awake.

“Okay.” I said calmly as I put on a smile. I turned my gaze to Eos and gave her the same expression.

Maybe someday, I’d be able to remember everything about the memories we had since childhood. But for now, I’ll try to know you once more until the time will come that all of my memories will recover. I said in my mind pertaining to Eos and went to get the things I need to bathe myself before going inside the bathroom.

REED’S POV

Right after Elle went inside the bathroom, I spend some time to have some small talk.

“Uhm, E?” I started the conversation. I used to call her E when we were still kids and play around the village with Elle. I still clearly see and remember every detail of the good old days and the people who used to live around here.

Yet, other than Eos and Elle. There is this one person that I never thought would be still a mystery to me, even until now. She’s one of the Celestials, with Elle and Eos.

What’s the Celestials, you say? You’ll know very soon enough.

There where still some who stayed here for good but time really do pass, same with them. Now that I’m home, there were only few left that I could remember. It’s natural for Elle to never get familiar that easily with the place because, I, too was surprised with how the place looked more decent than it was before.

“Hmm A, what is it?” she replied as her voice soothe deeply inside of me. Nothing has changed, the way her voice sounded before, it’s still the same.

It took some time before I was able to utter what’s going on and on in my mind right now. I really gave it some time to think it through if I should open this up, especially that Elle’s just there. I don’t know what I should do if she gets to hear this.

“It’s about Elle… and the past. You already know what I’m talking about.” I can’t even open it up directly the same way we said it before.

Suddenly, her eyes turned blue and blinked them as many times. I think this isn’t the right time to talk about it, but if we let things pass this way, it will just get more and more dangerous for Elle. I know her, we know her very well, and that should be something she deserves to realize as early as possible.

She has the capability to do it. That’s why I brought her here. This is my mission.

“I know, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot of times now since the time I saw you outside. I didn’t know that medicine could be that strong, that even me, who she promised an unforgettable memories, forgotten. It’s hurting me, A… I want her back.” E’s emotions cut deep inside of me. But it hurts me more that other than being in an emotional state, I’m not used to seeing her in tears even a drop of it. But now, as her face turned red, tears were falling down making way through her cheeks, wiping each one of it.

Without hesitation, I carefully grabbed both of her hands and held them to mine. I was in complete deep thought as I stare right on her little hands she owns. It was long ago since I was able to hold her hand so tightly like I always do, and now it feels like hitting a jackpot.

“Don’t worry,” I mumbled as I gently caressed her hands and continued,” I’ll definitely find a way for that.” And raised my head as I looked straight into her eyes, sketching a curve on my lips. “We will definitely find a way.”

I didn’t make the conversation long any further and went straight to my room to dress up. I immediately opened my closet to look for the tuxedo I’ll be wearing this evening, pulling off each clothes that covers it one after another until I found it.

From a shade of deep yellow fading into a dark red at middle part and lastly, into a red color shaded with sea blue color, diagonally patterned from upper left down to the lower right of the tuxedo. It is paired up with slacks in deep crimson and a tic tack toe shoes in black color.

I rushed into wearing them so I could not delay any moment. I immediately pulled out my gel and perfume from my load placed beside the corner of the room and resumed in grooming myself up from fixing my hair into spraying an enough amount of perfume.

“This looks good.” I avouched while nodding my head off, taking glances to myself in front of a full length mirror displayed in my room.

After that moment, letting Eos take good care of Elle, I immediately went outside of the room to find the two maids. I should be going now to the hall and wait for them there. I don’t want us to trouble the Senior and get worried too much about it just because of our presence that he’s expecting yet we’re nowhere to be found.

Unconsciously, I forced myself to neglect the things that I don’t want to remember but instead of fulfilling triumph over it, the walls I worked so hard to build collapsed into pieces, and there goes the past memories which caused me to get emotional.

For the nth time, I dialed the telephone number that I remembered dad was using last time before the incident and I was really hoping for someone to answer from the other line or even hear a tiniest bit of ring from it. But right after the beep after another, no one was answering, and haven’t even heard it ring.

But I do feel it deep down in my gut that if now’s not the time, then next time will do. I will definitely not lose hope in finding dad, he’s just there while watching still, because he’s always been that way.

“Mr. Morrow?” Only then the series of thoughts on my mind was cut off when Gaile called me. Taking some deep breaths, slowly I turned around to see her and put on a friendly smile.

“Hmmm, my dear! So good-looking!” she whispered in excitement. Sea was also there, who’s now giving her some kind of glare and slightly elbowed Gaile as if she’s saying to stop what Gaile was doing.

“What?” she scoffed at Sea.

“Tch. Just stop what you’re doing Gaile.” Said Sea in serious reply and sneered right at her.

I just laughed out the things that bothering me in the moment and never kept myself be left out with what’s in front me. I happily watched both of them, Gaile and Sea, argue with each other. No wonder why the Senior chose them to be partners in keeping us company. Definitely, they could be that flawless partner in crime.

—DOOR CLICKS—

After some little talking between these ladies, our attention suddenly got stolen when the door from our room opened.

“Wow! Is that you Ms. Morrow?” Gaile exclaimed in awe.

“Good evening, Ms. Morrow. You looked gorgeous tonight.” Sea remarked next and they bowed to Elle.

Elle just gave them a smile and nodded back to them, turning her gaze next to mine. We both smiled to each other as our eyes had met, moving more closer to each other.

“So, what do you think, Reed?” she asked earnestly as she swiftly took a turn. She really is the way they said she is tonight.

The way she looked in her off shoulder long gown colored in deep red fading into pure white, with her upper chest flaunted that you could definitely see the curve, yet, in a very decent way. She’s so fascinating!

“Hmm? I guess, I’ll take their compliments as if all of it is true, then? Let’s go!” she said gladly and made way past me with Eos. The two maids immediately followed with them, leaving me behind.

I followed them there after as the maids guided us to our table. But what I didn’t expect is that Eos didn’t went back to her family’s banquet, instead she accompanied us for dinner and while we’re waiting, we had some of our little time be spending with full of laughter and chitchats.

There were other guests who also came to us in our little buffet and joined in our conversation, it was a lovely couple of minutes until the dinner is served.

As we were all enjoying the different dishes prepared in our buffet, the night was accompanied with a quiet, easy listening followed up by jazz and adult contemporary. They played the songs using some of the Western instruments like flute, violin, acoustic and some more. Definitely a music to my ear. Someday, I’d like to have one of those instruments.

“Now that most of you finally had your fill! I think it’s time for the intro of these teens that for once were young, yet grown indeed.” The emcee announced through a microphone in a gleeful and energetic manner. “The masters of the house appointed them to guard the household, yet we were in deep sorrow as to hear the disappearance of one of the prodigies.” He uttered with absolute sadness in his voice.

“But now, we finally wait no more! Please, help me welcome! The Celestials of the Palace!” and the hall were filled with a round of applause from the guests.

“The Moon!” and a figure of a woman in her blue fading into black dress waved her hand to the crowd putting on a serious gaze. It’s her, the only mystery in my whole life.

“Dawn!” and Eos made a move from her chair to wave back to the crowd.

“And finally, the most awaited, the lost prodigy,” the master of the ceremony paused for a while as to add thrill to the audience. But right before, he was able to announce the awaited Celestial, suddenly the lights went out followed with screams and shock.

—BANG! BANG!—

Everything was in chaos after that gunshots, and much worse is that I cannot clearly see what’s happening around! There were some that I heard calling names, making sure that their relatives are beside them. Even Eos’ voice was calling out to me and to her family, I can hear her voice clearly.

“Elle!” I shouted expecting her to response to me, but I’ve got nothing. I immediately diverted my gaze to where she was sitting awhile ago, only to find out that she’s already not there.

Elle.