A Writer's Odyssey

Chapter 4: The End

Marinette stood by the door, her gaze briefly shifting towards me.

I couldn't quite understand why, but something about the way she looked at me made me uncomfortable.

It wasn't the usual look of someone visiting a sick classmate. There was something else in her eyes, something I couldn't put my finger on.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," she greeted Mum politely.

"Good afternoon, dear. Are you one of Dalton's classmates?"

"Yes, ma'am. My name is Marinette."

"Oh, I see! Please, come in."

Marinette stepped inside.

I remained seated, watching her as she approached. I was still feeling the effects of that horrible nightmare, and the last thing I wanted was to entertain a visitor.

Still, I couldn't help wondering why she had come.

"Dalton," she called.

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

I stared at her for a moment.

"Uh… yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

She didn't answer immediately.

Instead, her eyes lingered on me for a few seconds longer than necessary.

"You don't look fine."

Seriously? Is it that obvious?

"I'm just a little tired. That's all."

Marinette stared at me for a few moments, observing me closely.

I couldn't tell what she was looking for, but her gaze was beginning to make me feel a little uneasy.

Then, something strange happened.

A sudden sensation, almost like an electric shock, ran through my entire body.

I flinched slightly.

What the…?

For a moment, I couldn't even explain what I had just felt. It was so sudden and unexpected that I found myself wondering whether I had imagined it.

I glanced at Marinette.

She was still looking at me.

Then, as though nothing had happened, she finally spoke.

"Okay. I was just here to greet you and congratulate you on yesterday's achievement. I happened to be going out for a walk, so I decided to stop by."

Yesterday's achievement?

Oh, right. The ceremony.

I had almost forgotten about it after everything that had happened.

"Well, thank you," I replied.

Marinette gave a small smile before turning towards my mother.

"Thank you for having me, ma'am."

"You're welcome, dear. Take care of yourself."

"I will. Goodbye!"

She bade us goodbye warmly before making her way out.

And just like that, she was gone.

I watched her leave, still trying to make sense of that strange sensation I'd experienced moments earlier.

What exactly was that?

Could it have been a result of my nightmare?

I couldn't get an answer.

After Marinette left, Mum turned towards me and gently pushed me up from where I sat.

"Come on, Dalton. Go and feed the livestock while I prepare some hot tea for you."

I let out a tired sigh.

"Okay, Mum."

Honestly, I was exhausted. Between the nightmare, the strange vision of that tree, and the headache that had practically made a home inside my skull, I felt as though I had been through an entire week in a single night.

Nevertheless, I got up and made my way towards the livestock compound.

Mum seemed to have let go of the matter for the time being. She didn't ask me any further questions about the nightmare, and I was grateful for that.

When I arrived at the yard, I approached the huge paddock and opened its gate.

There they were.

My family's livestock, going about their usual business.

Among them was my favourite cattle.

The moment it noticed me, it came walking towards me, its familiar face bringing a little smile to mine.

I reached out and gently patted its forehead.

"I know you're not bad," I murmured.

The words escaped my mouth before I could think much about them.

Well, what could I say? After the nightmare I had experienced, seeing the cattle behaving normally was a relief in itself.

I couldn't help remembering how even this gentle creature had turned against the others in my dream.

For a moment, I stared into its eyes.

Then I shook my head.

Come on, Dalton. It's just a dream.

I got to work.

First, I distributed their feed, making sure the cattle had enough to eat. Then I attended to the other animals, feeding them as well. After that, I filled their troughs with fresh water, ensuring they had enough to drink.

I also took my time observing them, checking that they were all active and behaving normally.

Perhaps I was being a little too cautious.

But could anyone really blame me?

After what I had seen in that nightmare, I wasn't about to take anything for granted.

I watched them for a while longer, paying attention to their movements and occasionally checking on my favourite cattle.

Everything seemed fine.

The animals were eating, drinking, and moving around as they normally would.

Nothing unusual was happening.

Gradually, the tension in my shoulders began to ease.

I let out a long sigh.

"Honestly, Dalton, what's wrong with you?" I muttered to myself. "You're getting worked up over a dream."

I shook my head, almost embarrassed by my own behaviour.

It wasn't as though nightmares were anything new. People had them all the time, and I wasn't special enough to be an exception.

Besides, what were the chances that something I had seen in a dream would actually happen?

Exactly. Almost none.

With that thought, I finally loosened up a little.

I continued attending to the animals, no longer watching every movement with the same level of suspicion.

Perhaps I had simply been overthinking everything.

Perhaps I just needed some rest, a cup of Mum's hot tea, and a little time to get over the whole experience.

Yeah.

That had to be it.

That eventually became my daily routine for the rest of the holiday.

Feed the animals, clean the house, tidy up the paddock, and repeat the same process the following day.

It wasn't exactly the most exciting way to spend my vacation, but I didn't mind. Besides, there was something strangely comforting about having a routine I could rely on.

Days passed, and before I knew it, the holiday was drawing to a close.

Then came the week before admission.

I remember chatting with my girlfriend during that period. At first, everything seemed fine, but I gradually began noticing something unusual about her.

She wasn't as enthusiastic as she used to be.

My girlfriend had always been cheerful. She was usually the first to text me, and our conversations rarely felt one-sided. Even on days when we had little to talk about, she somehow found a way to keep our chats going.

But something had changed.

Within that one week, the warmth I had grown accustomed to began to fade. Her messages became different, and the enthusiasm she once showed whenever we talked seemed to be disappearing.

I noticed it, of course.

How could I not?

Still, I didn't think too much of it. I believed we loved each other deeply, and I had no reason to suspect that anything was wrong with our relationship.

Perhaps she was busy.

Perhaps something was bothering her.

There were plenty of explanations, and I chose to believe the ones that didn't leave room for doubt.

That sand Monday.

I was going through a blog when I stumbled upon a post that immediately caught my attention.

It was about my girlfriend.

And the moment I saw the picture attached to it, my entire mood changed.

She was holding hands with another guy.

I stared at the screen.

For a moment, I couldn't quite process what I was seeing. I even wondered whether there had been some sort of misunderstanding.

But no.

The girl in that picture was unmistakably my girlfriend.

And the guy beside her?

He had white hair and an appearance that suggested he came from a wealthy background. Even through the picture, he carried himself with the sort of confidence that made him seem accustomed to getting whatever he wanted.

I felt something twist inside me.

What was this?

Why was she holding hands with another guy?

And who the hell was he?

My mind immediately began racing through all sorts of possibilities. I tried to convince myself that there had to be a reasonable explanation.

Maybe he was a relative.

Maybe he was just a friend.

Maybe the picture didn't tell the whole story.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

My sense of security, the certainty I had always felt about our relationship, began to crumble.

I needed answers.

Immediately.

Without wasting another second, I used my cell phone and tried to contact her.

But just as I was about to do so—

My phone went off.

I stared at the now-black screen in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

I pressed the power button repeatedly, hoping it would come back on, but nothing happened.

The battery was completely drained.

And just like that, I was left alone with my thoughts.

I couldn't call her. I couldn't message her. I couldn't even ask her what the picture meant.

The worst part was that I had to wait until the following day before I could charge my phone.

An entire day.

Perhaps that wouldn't have seemed like much to someone else, but to me, it felt unbearable.

I was hurt, confused, and frustrated all at once.

The image kept replaying in my mind, and every time I remembered it, I felt that same uncomfortable sensation in my chest.

I wanted to believe in her.

I wanted to trust that there was an explanation.

Was our relationship really what I thought it was?