E/LENA

CHAPTER FIVE

Elena woke up from the smell that is coming from her kitchen that made her stomach growl, feeling dizzy all of a sudden, she slowly got up.

Following the smell coming from her kitchen she found Ms. Estrella busy cooking. Elena halted to her kitchen doorstep and watch Ms. Estrella.

The thoughts about her nightmare last night appeared on her mind, and from there she heard Ms. Estrella’s voice calming her that’s the first time happened in her nightmares.

But, even what happened on her nightmare was a bit strange she was thankful that Ms. Estrella’s voice calmed her from it making her nightmare disappear last night.

“You’re here…” Elena heard Ms. Estrella stated suddenly making Elena’s thoughts came back to her sense.

“I was about to call you, come! The food is nearly cook.” Ms. Estrella said urging Elena to go to the dining that Elena delightfully obliged.

“By the way, good morning!” Ms. Estrella said giving her a delightful smile.

“How was your sleep?” Ms. Estrella asked again while her eyes were shifting to Elena and to the food she is cooking.

“Its not good, I had a nightmare again, it was extremely scary, but I heard your voice that was the first time ever happened, and the nightmare stopped.” Elena answered giving her usual smile to Ms. Estrella.

“Do you often got nightmares?” Ms. Estrella asked again, that Elena answered in nod.

“But don’t worry its just nightmares, I am used to it.” Elena suddenly stated when Ms. Estrella was about to said something.

“Your fried rice smells good, I’m hungry.” Elena said again, switching the subject for she didn’t want to talk about her nightmares for now.

“Yep! Its almost done.” Ms. Estrella replied smiling, but at the back of her head she wants to asked Elena about what happened last night when she got back from the university.

But hearing Elena switching the subject, made Ms. Estrella realize that maybe this isn’t time to talk about it, even though its disturbing her on how Elena acted hysterically last night, and the fact that she also attempt to take her life last night making it more worst.

The atmosphere became silent after that and the only thing can hear inside the kitchen is the  combined hissing sound of the fried rice and the spatula to the frying pan, until it cooked and Ms. Estrella place the plate on the dining table.

“Hmm…!I missed this!” Elena said as soon as Ms. Estrella place the plate of fried rice infront of her and filled her nostrils the delicious scent of the butter that Ms. Estrella used to fried the rice.

“Thank you for the food!” Elena said to Ms. Estrella in glee and started to dig in.

Ms. Estrella remained to watch Elena busying herself with the food, watching how Elena enjoying her food right now, she can’t find the Elena last light who was seems exhausted, scared, and anxious because right now she can only see the Elena she had known.

“Ma’am? Why aren’t you eating?” Ms. Estrella heard Elena asked, She didn’t notice Elena halted and now staring at her with brows knotted.

“Just go on, don’t mind me,” Ms. Estrella said “I am not hungry yet.”

Ms. Estrella said smiling urging Elena to continue eating but, Elena didn’t oblique and stared at Ms. Estrella eyes but afterwards she bowed her head.

“I’m sorry.” Elena said while her head was bowed.

“I’m sorry that you had found me being like that last night.” Elena said again with a voice filled with guilt.

Ms. Estrella knows that Elena was talking about attempting suicide, and withdrew a deep heavy breath and lift Elena’s face and stared directly unto her eyes.

“I won’t say that It was okay but...” Ms. Estrella said holding Elena’s hand “don’t do it again, you know you can tell me everything right?”

Ms. Estrella said directly staring on Elena’s eyes.

“If someone or anything is giving you a hard time you can tell me, don’t hide it on your own,” Ms. Estrella said “I am thankful that I came just in time or else I would not be able to forgive myself or even face Dan and Alfred.”

Elena’s guilt grew more as she show the pain on Ms. Estrella’s eyes that cause by her rush decision, and hurt the person who treated her like a daughter and now all she can do is to apologize non-stop.

“You scared me to death last night. Why did you do that Elena?” Ms. Estrella’s asked after the pain is still visible on her eyes.

Elena didn’t answered immediately for she, herself can’t understand what is happening to her.

“I-I…” Elena uttered for she don’t know how to explained everything, she didn’t know how to start.

“I-I can’t explain, strange things keep on happening, I was haunted by memories and nightmares that it feel surreal, it keeps on haunting me even I’m awake, and all I can there was dead people bathe in their own blood, I can even here them p-pleading.” Elena confessed stopping herself from trembling.

Ms. Estrella noticed it and hold Elena’s hand tightly, comforting Elena, Ms. Estrella suddenly thought that there might be something happened to Elena in her child that is now appearing.

After a while Elena’s trembling body stopped by the help of Ms. Estrella who was consoling her.

“Elena, do you want to get counsel?” Ms. Estrella asked after a while of silence.

“I have a doctor friend that can might help you from what your experiencing right now.” Ms. Estrella inform as Elena remain silent from what she asked.

“C-Can he be really able to help me?” Elena finally asked.

“Yes he can, that doctor friend of mine is one of the best in his field.” Ms. Estrella said reassuring Elena.

Elena thought about what Ms. Estrella proposed for a while, for there is something on her that made her embarrass to let others know what she’s going through, and at the same time she want to seek for help to find answer on why is she haunted by the memories she didn’t know and nightmares who have unknown cause.

After contemplating with herself, Elena came up with the decision, that Ms. Estrella patiently waited.

“I’ll go Ma’am,” Elena said “I want to get counsel.”

Ms. Estrella was happy as Elena told her decision, and she knows Elena made a right choice.

“Okay, I’ll accompany you tomorrow,” Ms. Estrella said “for now just rest okay?”

Elena nod as a response to Ms. Estrella who was now giving a reassuring smile like it was saying that everything will be fine, that made Elena smile.

She was thankful to have Ms. Estrella by her side.

“Thank you Ma’am and again I’m sorry…” Elena said sincerely to Ms. Estrella.

--

“Are you ready?” Ms. Estrella asked Elena as they arrive at the building where the doctor’s clinic she knew is located. Elena just nod as a response.

Elena was feeling nervous as they started to walk towards the clinic, but gaze turned to Ms. Estrella when she felt her squishing her hand, giving her comforting smile while her eyes is telling her that “everything will be fine.”

They halted when they reach the door of Ms. Estrella’s friend doctor, and knock three-times before Ms. Estrella turn the knob and open the door.

“Good Morning Eleanor, and to you too young lady.” A man who’s in his mid 50’s wearing a lab coat greeted them as they entered the clinic that made Elena almost jump because of nervousness she can still feel.

“Good Morning too Dr. Harris.” Ms. Estrella greeted the man as well while accepting Dr. Monte’s hand for a handshake.

“By the way this is Elena Mirabello, Elena this is Dr. Harris Monte, the one I told you, and he will be your doctor darling, and I already told him a bit about you.” Ms. Estrella smiled as she introduced them to each other.

Elena just respond with a light bow and timid smile. But, the doctor reach his hand towards Elena, that Elena hesitantly accepted with her a trembling hands. The doctor smiled at  Elena upon seeing Elena’s body movement.

“Relax…” The  doctor said giving Elena a smile that somewhat made her at ease for the doctor’s smile was strangely reassuring.

“Elena is it okay if I’m gonna leave you for a bit? I just got a message from the university.” Ms. Estrella said suddenly after her phone beeped signaling that there’s a new message that Ms. Estrella immediately checked and read.

“Its okay, Ma’am, you can go.” Elena responded understandingly with nod and smile.

“I’m really sorry darling, I’ll pick you up later. Okay?” Ms. Estrella said, Elena nod again.

Releasing a deep breath, Ms. Estrella turn to Dr. Monte asking to take care of Elena while she’s away for she was being summoned for an urgent meeting in the university.

After a short conversation with Dr. Monte, Ms.  Estrella turned to Elena again.

“I’ll be going, Dr. Monte will take care of you for a while,” Ms. Estrella said “relax okay? You can trust him.”

Elena nod again, as she heard Ms. Estrella reassuringly said pertaining to Dr. Monte who was currently standing behind Ms. Estrella.

“Thank you Ma’am, take care on your way.”  Elena said making Ms. Estrella smile and nod.

Ms. Estrella turned to Dr. Monte and bid him a goodbye, Dr. Monte just nod like he was assuring her that made Ms. Estrella at ease as she took the steps towards the door clinic.

As soon as the door shut, Dr. Monte turned to Elena and motioned her to the sofa on the side part of the clinic, with Elena’s nervousness came back she took the step slowly.

“Eleanor, is really worried about you.” Elena heard Dr. Monte said as they seated on the sofa across to each other.

“Relax, okay?” Dr. Monte said “I’m here to help you.”

Dr. Monte said as he noticed Elena beginning to get anxious, as he saw Elena tremble and her breath became rigid.

“I-I’m sorry Doctor, I-I am usually like this whenever I meet a new p-person.” Elena apologize stutter.

“Its okay…try to relax yourself, okay?” Dr. Monte said “breath in, breath out.”

Dr. Monte demonstrate urging Elena to do it, to help Elena to calm herself.

“Are now okay?” Dr. Monte asked as they ended the breathing exercise with Elena.

“Y-Yeah, thank you.” Elena respond.

“Good,” Dr. Monte said “so, can we start?”

Elena nod and tried to relax herself. Thankfully the breathing exercise before works, making her nervousness subside for a bit, unlike before that her mind went blank as her whole body trembled.

“Eleanor already told me about you in advance, so I wouldn’t need asked you other questions,” Dr. Monte stated “but can I ask you, when did your unknown memories and nightmares started?”

Elena gulp the lump in her throat she speak to answer Dr. Monte’s question.

“I-It started two years ago when my foster parents died, but it became more often one month ago until now.” Elena confessed.

“What are you keep seeing in your memories and dream?” Dr. Monte asked again.

Dr. Monte saw Elena became hesitant and uneasy from his following question, but he needs to know what is she dreaming and seeing for he can feel that there is something on Elena that he can’t explain yet. Hopefully his hunch isn’t right.

“D-Dead b-bodies bathe with b-blood, pleading and s-screaming…” Elena begin, for the lump on throat grew bigger, her heart was racing, her palm became cold, and she beginning to feel cold sweat on her forehead as she recall her memories and nightmares.

“T-T-They w-were burning…and their b-blo--"

Dr. Monte stilled as Elena halted from talking, and her head bowed hanging.

“Elena? Elena!” Dr. Monte called.