Muralea

‘Emilio… Emilio’ (Huh?) ‘Emilio’ (Who’s calling me?) ‘Emilio…’ A bright light shone before me. There was a silhouette but I couldn’t make out the face because of all the light. Then a voice called out to me. ‘Emilio… ‘Who are you?’ I asked the person which judging by the voice was a man. ‘Emilio… you’re our only hope, Muralea is in your hands now…(Mura-what?) ‘What do you mean in my hands? Who are you?’ ‘You’re the only one who can stop them’ the voice continued ignoring my previous questions. ‘What? Stop who?’ The light started fading, I reached out to grabbed him, ‘Wait!’ but nothing , he disappear into thin air. I woke up from my dream with my hand outstretched towards the ceiling. ‘What was that?’ I sat up and just stared at my hand. ‘Emil! If you don’t wake up soon you’re going to be late!’ my mom called from somewhere within the house. ‘I’m up!’ I yelled back. I got off my bed and went to take a shower, got dressed and went to the kitchen to find my breakfast. ‘Morning Mom’ I greeted my mom, Carla. She’s a painter. ‘Morning Emil, how’d you sleep?’ ‘It was alright except for that weird dream I had, I swear my dreams are getting weirder and weirder’ ‘Really? What was it about this time?’ she asked while plating our breakfast. ‘Well there was this very bright light in front of me, and a man was speaking to me he knew my name, he started saying something about how I’m the only one and a Mural-something I don’t know, do I need to see a doctor or a psychiatrist about these weird dreams? I mean last week it was just chaos and destruction now this? I feel like I’m going crazy or something’ I took a bite out of a waffle. ‘Of course not, since a mural involved, are you sure my art’s not creeping you out?’ ‘No, I haven’t even been in your art room for a while now’ ‘Well maybe it’s just one of those dreams you know?’ she said reassuring me. ‘Could be, anyways I better get going, bye mom’, I grabbed my bag and went to work. I work as a shopping assistant at threads. After I got off my last shift before the New Year, I went to pick up my mom’s New Year gift that I ordered a few days ago.  On my way out of the building, I felt a chill. I looked to my left and a man in strange attire was staring at me. I decided to ignore him and continue to the station. When I got on the train I took a seat and waited till I reached my destination. Half way in the ride I felt that chill again, I looked to my left but saw no one suspicious. I looked to my right and that same man in the weird clothing was staring at me, what is he a stalker or a killer? Or is it just a coincidence? When the train stopped I looked back and didn’t see him again. ‘Calm down dude you’re just assuming things’ I quietly told myself and exited the train. My house wasn’t far from the station so I decided to walk. As I was walking I felt that chill again, ‘Oh God please not again’ I looked in front of me but didn’t see anyone suspicious I was  fighting with my inner self to not look behind me, my inner self lost and I looked back and I saw the same man staring at me. WHAT THE HELL? What does he want from me? ‘Just calm down, calm down’ some people walking next to me looked at me like I was crazy, wait people! I could try to lose him then make a run for it. I increased my speed and started walking past them. I looked back and saw him trying to locate me then I duck into an alley and took off running. Immediately I got home I locked the front door and looked outside the window for any signs for him but there was none, I’m glad I was able to lose him. ‘Would you like to tell me what this is about?’ I jumped slightly at my mom’s voice. ‘Mom! Don’t do that’ I said panting. ‘Don’t do what, talk?’ she asked confused. ‘No, don’t sneak up on me’ I had my hand on my chest. ‘Ok? What’s up with you? Why are you so out of breath? You look like you just ran a marathon’ she said jokingly. ‘Or running for my life apparently’ she stopped smiling and had a serious face ‘There was this weirdo stalking me all the way from…’ I took a pause ‘from work’ ‘What? Why?’ ‘Yeah like I know what goes on in a stalker’s head’ I said sarcastically. ‘No jokes this is serious’ worry was etched on her face ‘did he follow you here?’ ‘No I was able to lose him in the streets’ ‘You’re not going to that New Year party’ she walked to the landline and pulled it out waiting for me to call my friend to cancel. I took the phone from her hand and place it back on the wall ‘what are you doing I’m trying to help you what if he comes after you later?’ ‘I’ll handle it’ ‘Emilio, you’re all I have you know that’ she placed her hands on my cheek ‘If something happened to you I will die’ ‘Come on don’t say that- it’s the truth, you’re what I treasure most in this world, that’s why I’ll do whatever I can to protect you’ she said in all seriousness. ‘I know and thank you for that but trust me I’ll be fine, I’m not a little boy anymore I know how to take care of myself’ in her expression she was fighting whether to trust me or probably lock me up. ‘Fine, but don’t expect me to pay ransom for you if you get kidn*pped’ she walked away to the kitchen. ‘Ha, ha. Wait! What happened to the treasuring? Was it all a lie?’ I ran after her. ** I put on any shirt and jeans with white sneakers. As soon as I was done Tzuyu my Asian friend came to pick me up. Tzuyu is my best friend from childhood we’ve been together since we were toddlers. On the way to the party we chatted and joked around until we got there. ‘All right’ Tzuyu exclaimed when she got out of her car. ‘We’re gonna get wasted’ ‘Definitely not’ I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from locating the nearest booze ‘you’re driving me home, I can’t afford to let you get drunk’ ‘How a bit tipsy’ she pouted until someone caught her eye behind me. ‘Cameron! Cameron wait up’ she ran after the dude. ‘And I’ll never see her again’ I made my way to the bar ‘hey’ I greeted the pretty bartender. ‘Hello’ she greeted back. ‘What will you have?’ ‘Um, can I get anything non-alcoholic?’ ‘Really?’ I nodded and she chuckled a little. ‘What?’ I asked ‘Nothing, It’s just you’re the only person that’s asked me for something non-alcoholic’ ‘Well then I’m one of a kind’ ‘That you are’ she gave a little smile ‘And besides I find the taste of alcoholic drinks weird’ ‘Alright well here’s your drink and don’t worry it’s on the house’ she kept it on the counter. I took the drink and wandered around the place looking for Tzuyu but she was nowhere to be found, she wasn’t even answering her phone. Some time passed and the music died down a little and the MC took a mic and was saying some words that I really didn’t pay attention to, I was still trying to see if I could spot Tzuyu anywhere ‘We’re now starting the countdown’ the MC spoke. ’10…9…’ well it looks like I going home by myself again, I wonder why I let her drag me to places like this, I could have just stayed home. ‘3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR’ there were shouts and whooping. I felt two hands wrap around me. ‘Happy New Year Lio’ said a slightly drunk Tzuyu. ‘Where have you been I’ve been looking all over for you?’ ‘Sorry I saw some old friends then lost you in the crowd’ I turned my head defiantly at her. ‘Come on’ I didn’t budge so she started laying small, quick kisses on my cheek. ‘Okay I forgive you keep your kisses to yourself, Now can we please get out of here, I’m sleepy’ I rubbed my eye with my hand. ‘Come on sleepy’ she pulled me out of the building towards my car and drove me home. ‘Btw, what's your resolution this year?’ ‘Oh well I’ll like to do something out of my comfort zone, maybe go on an adventure or something’ ‘Oh, you should go mountain climbing or bungee jumping’ ‘Yeah I rather stay far away from stuff that could kill me’ I heard her whisper wimp but I chose to ignored it. ‘And you? Still looking for a soul mate?’ 'Maybe?’ ‘Really? Tzuyu’ ‘Come on I’m close I can feel it’ ‘Okay weirdo’ ‘Here’s your stop’ Tzuyu said. ‘Really after abandoning me earlier you couldn’t drop me at my front door?’ I looked at her surprisingly. ‘That’s what you get for calling me a weirdo and plus you know my house is in the opposite direction, this is as far as I can go’ ‘Whatever, night weirdo’ ‘Good night wimp’ she smiled and waved back and so did I. ‘I was humming as I walked down to my house enjoying the night breeze when I heard another footstep other than mine. I looked back and there he was my stalker. I looked and there was no one else around. So I followed my instinct and made a run for it. I looked back as I was running but saw no one, immediately I turned to face forward I ran into something or should I say someone. ‘I finally got you’ my stalker said.