Dandelion

Chapter 2

                                                                             "The circle of Life"

"..-ein... Zein...Do you hear me?" A soft voice caressed my ears inside the darkness that had consumed me. A state in which I was unable to feel my own existence till my vision started to tremble and get distorted, mixing with gray shades that soon gave me the feeling that the morning rays would give, hitting against my face while I lay in bed.

However, as my sight cleared up more, I could tell that the ceiling that was laying above my head was not familiar, nor was the face of the man that was looming above my head with a worrisome expression. An expression that changed to shock as I screamed out of fright and run away from whatever place was I laying on.

I run for the door in despair but before I could reach the handle I felt gravity pulling me harshly and I met the floor that was warmer than one would expect. My vision waved for a bit, as the voice of that unknown man ringed distant in my ears while he asked me if I was okay.

"Zein, come on, you need some rest. "I distinguished what he said to me before he placed his hands around me and helped me stand on my own feet.  

Before I knew it I was back where I had stood up from but this time in a seated position, that stranger by my side. His hands didn't move from my skin and even though my senses were not at their best, I started feeling slightly uncomfortable. Unfortunately to that negative feeling added on more as I came to the sudden realization of what he has been referring to me by all this time.

Zein...Who is Zein?

The last thing I remember is the eyes of that masked guy staring coldly at me while standing on the balcony, not caring if I was dying underneath it or not. Dying...Blood...I jumped up once again with a breathing so rapid that it filled even my own ears.

I died. I definitely died, but if I died, what's this place?

I looked around in a hurry as if I was trying to figure something out, something that would give me an answer to this situation that seemed to have raised my heartbeat more than the moment that I faced the actual stranger in that room, however, no matter how much I looked, nothing made any sense. Nothing came close to the image of the afterlife I had.

Is this supposed to be a waiting room before they decide where to take my soul or something?

"Zein, you are worrying me. What's wrong?" The man stood up and tried to approach me again, his eyes looking delicately. His brown hair and soft facial features made him look quite friendly, along with the suit he was hearing. Light gray and of a smooth fabric. However he didn't resemble much of an angel, or so was not his vibe. Was he some dead person too? Just like me? He seemed too calm and accustomed to his surrounding to be that.

"You hit your head that hard? Does it hurt a lot?" He uttered and took hold of my hand hesitantly which apparently was keeping the side of my head while I had not even realized it.

His hand felt warm over my skin and for a moment I felt safer as I looked at his eyes, an apology escaping from his lips as on his face it was clearly portrayed a hint of regret and guilt over my fall. But what did he had to do with my fall from that balcony? His eyes seemed nothing alike to the ones I remembered. That cold piercing gaze still engaged fear in the depths of my heart.

A heart? I suddenly took notice of my heartbeat. It was still vivid, steady...

"What's wrong? Your chest hurting too?"He asked before placing his hand over mine that unconsciously had gone over my heart but as soon as he touched there, I backed away instantly, my arms wrapping around my chest protectively.

"Where the heck do you think you are touching!?" I scolded, only to find myself surprised over my own voice. Did this sound really come out of me? What? How? I don't sound like this.

"Your throat too? Ah, this is not good. I will just ask them to cancel this program. You aren't in any state to appear before the cameras."

Cameras? What cameras? Why the heck would I appear before any cameras? Even in Highschool when they held performances and I would end up caught in the mess of participating, I would pass most of my time hiding behind the props. The heck was he talking about?

I saw him walking towards the door and I reflexively tried to stop him but I was too late as he passed the door and closed it again, leaving me frozen there, face to face with a mirror that was placed on the door and was reflected back a face I knew.

There she stood, one of the actresses that I would enjoy watching at the comfort of my couch on the screen of my Tv or laptop. An actress who was so famous that her name could be possibly heard getting mentioned at least ten times a day while you were to just be walking around the streets of the city. A beauty who you could see everywhere, from ads on Tv to banners on the streets and whole busses that carried her face. Choi ZeIn.

The question was why was such an image not a poster stuck on that wooden door but a reflection that was moving just as I moved my head to the side and was looking with eyes as wide as I felt my eyes to be?

"What is this nonsense? How can this be me? This is not my body!!"I spoke to myself as I started touching my face while taking a closer look at the mirror, only to realize that strangely and terrifyingly enough, it felt too freaking real.

I slapped myself reflexively, wanting to test the possibility of this being some kind of dream but it hurt like hell so I guess the only thing that brought me was more pain and confusion. How was this possible? Why was this possible? I had died, I had been stabbed and thrown over a balcony. I recalled it perfectly, that and every other thing I have experience from the day I was born, yet here I am. Does this even make any sense?

"Zein..."The door opened abruptly causing me to jump back startled but it was just the same guy as before. A guy whose name I don't know and if I were to ask it would probably be strange. He looked so familiar with me after all. Or better to say, he seemed familiar with Zein. How the heck do I tell that I am not Zein!? ..."Let's go. I will get you home for today."

He unbuttoned his jacket and took it off soon placing it over my shoulders, only at that moment making me aware of what I was dressed in. A strapless blue velvety dress that was long yet had a big cut on the side. The shade of the color fit the one of the couch I was staying at earlier and the shoes resembled the night sky of that night.

That night...was it yesterday? It felt just some seconds ago for me but could that have been true? Why am I here like this? And if I am in this actress's body, then where is she? Could she...no no, there's no way she is dead...right?

We walked out of the room and once outside, I was met with a bunch of people that started bombarding me with questions. They all seemed concerned about my health but the guy next to me didn't stop to respond to anyone. Honestly, not that I was in any state to respond anyway.

He led me on some unfamiliar hallways and we ended up entering a lift that took us to the basement floor of the building that apparently was a parking lot. The steps I took on the cement were few as to my surprise a car arrived at my feet and despite the fact that I stepped back, I found myself pushed inside the black van. The door closed behind me before I could even turn my head towards it and the whole process made me anxious over my life.

Was I being kidn*pped or something? How the heck did I followed a stranger just like that? What if Zein didn't know him either? Oh my, did I just helped someone kidnap one of the most famous stars of this country?!

"Zein, my love." A voice reached my ears, getting my thoughts out of the panicking state they had entered but as I looked at the side at the -what I thought to have been an empty seat beside me- I was met with one more reason to panic.

In the darkness of the vehicle, some inches away from me, there stood a man dressed in black. A man whose eyes shone as they looked at me and whose hands reached towards me, making my breath get cut like the sharp dagger that those similar-looking hands used to carry in my memory.

However this time, those eyes seemed full of care, unlike the ones that were engraved in my head, and his hands felt gentle as they pulled me in his embrace and held me tight and I stayed there, unable to move out of fear that once again seemed to have handcuffed my being.

"Babe, are you okay?" I heard his whisper near my ear right before my vision decided to start dancing on the rhythms of a stormy sea again and before I could say anything else, I was back to a blur and darkness that felt familiar.