Malediction

The Native

“Andrea!” I croaked with my dry throat. I coughed and gasped for air. My head spun and a persistent ache went round my skull and I noticed bandage on my neck. It felt tight. I was still on the floor but it was a different floor. It wasn’t wooden anymore, but tiled. Now bleach and the metallic scent of blood permeated the air. I laid flat to the blood pool I created of Chris' body, as he was still sprawled on the floor face down a half meter away from me. An IV stand was on his head now. The IV line was connected to my arm, I was in a hospital gown. I actually got confined in a hospital. But how long was I here, and how did I end up on the ground beside a dead person? My headache continued to torture me.

So that was a dream, I thought to myself, trying to understand everything that transpired.

But Chris still lay dead on the floor, as was I. Now that I am awake, was there a possibility that my anger transcended consciousness and killed Chris in my sleep? That would actually be a good theory, but not today. I removed the IV needle from the back of my hand and tried to stand up with the same hand, despite it bleeding from the pressure of my weight. The other arm was supported with an arm sling, where the large cut was. I wobbled a bit, but my legs hadn't given up on me as I thought. I saw a bag of my things on the chair next to me. I turned to the doorway leading to the dark hospital hallway just to see a figure in a dark jacket and jeans blocking the doorway. The build was a woman shorter than I. Most of her face was covered in shadows thanks to the hoodie. I can only see a single brown eye looking at me, worried and anxious. 

"Who are you?" I asked, keeping a safe distance. I was worried for me and weirdly, for her because I can still smell the blood across the room. Can't she see its a murder scene here? Why isn't she bothered one bit? 

"It doesn't matter who I am. I'm just a nobody." The unknown woman's voice was deep, reminiscent of an accent. "You took something from us in the island. It will bring chaos and havoc to your life if you don't return it." She drew a step closer and held my hand from my unsupported arm, I panicked and clenched my hand in the sling. "Sa amin lamang magiging payapa ang aming Mangagaway. Give the sacred piece back." A Mangagaway's peace in them in disruption just because of an unknown item? Was this a lost psychiatric patient?

" I-I don't remember taking something sacred…" I said in confusion, now in pity that she may be suffering mentally and thought I was someone she knew. To her question, I was honest. All I remember was trying to save my life from the madman dead in the room. Then it came to me. She knew the island.

Footsteps were audible on the hospital floor. It was coming towards us. She took her hands back to her jacket's pockets and took a step back. She turned to the sound, and by confirming it was coming to us, fled the scene. I had too many questions for her to leave that fast. I tried to catch up to her outside the room, to the left hallway that led to an exit, but she was too quick and pangs of pain scoured through my muscles. I dropped to the hard cold floor. I rolled to my side, trying to stand up again, but failed miserably. I realized my feet and calves had bandages too. It bled. My attempt to run was probably too much for my healing lower limbs. 

“James! How on earth are you there?” Tim saw me first. He panicked seeing my bloody feet, not my stained clothes which mystified me.” I should’ve taken that beer, man.” I said, while writhing in pain. He chuckled, with no regard that his friend’s clothes were stained with blood. “ I know, man. I know.” He carefully helped me stand by the shoulder. Andrea was already running to us with a wheelchair. If concern had a face, it would've been hers. Did she see what happened to the room? Or was it my clothes?

Tim wheeled me back to my room. A meter before wheeling me in, I stopped him. “There’s a dead man in my room, Tim.” I looked up at Tim dead serious. “What? No. Pfft.” He disregarded the whole statement and continued moving. “ I'M SERIOUS. CHRIS DIED IN THERE!” Despite my weak attempts to be defiant, he just ignored me. “Yeah, right. The man closest to dying this past few days was you, James. Not some random dude in your room.” Random? He was with us. What does he mean? 

He showed me the room, the same one I woke up to on the floor, just moments before lying next to a dead man. Seeing it again puzzled me. 

It was clean, disturbingly spotless, and Chris was missing.

_________

Tim and Andrea switched visits this week since I had no family. My vitals were normal and no side effects were found from the poison on my neck before, as far as modern medicine goes. Strangely, it left a dark spot on where it hit, like tattoo ink left to dry at random. To my luck, most of my wounds were not too deep, and were now closed except for some cuts on the legs and that long wound on my arm made by Chris who just disappeared. I wasn't in an arm sling anymore but I looked like an underdressed mummy, lacking more bandages to cover the body in whole. I wore a shirt and jacket over it, coupled with some loose jeans.

I kept everything to myself for a couple of days. Being silent was my only option for the meantime to understand the series of events that concluded to what it was now. It was rather confusing. Was it an innocent mistake by the fisherman that we were on the wrong island? Who was that girl that visited me in the room before? Why doesn't Tim and Andrea know about Chris and his madness recently? It's like he didn't exist to them. Was his death made by my mind playing tricks on me? I had so many questions. 

Someone was knocking on my door. I just changed to my regular clothes from the hospital gown that left my entire back naked which annoyed me so much. It was my day of discharge, at last. I'll be useful again. I opened the door.

"Hey, are you ready to go home?" It was Andrea, Tim took care of reporting the events to our editors and went back earlier. " I-I told you I would be fine on my own. There should be tickets for the boat ride back home and everything." To be honest, I didn't know where to start on getting those tickets because Andrea took care of everything.

We were still in the region where the freaky island was, just in a more civilized part of it with a municipal hospital. A clinic did prophylaxis to me before we went our way here. A doctor told me I was fortunate to find a Doctor in the Barrio on the first clinic we stopped by. They were medical doctors volunteering in very rural and far flung areas. They were few and I was at the right time and place. 

"Right, and do you remember what your full name is?" Andrea gave me the side eye as she walked inside the room. " James…" I literally struggled. I can't remember my name. How can I not know this?

What was my name? I panicked inside.

"The doctor said that the head injury may cause you to confuse things but she said it'll be back again with a little help." She said, reassuring me once again and came closer.

Another question came up. "Do you remember that we are actually in a relationship, not you crushing on me so obviously on the side?" She giggles. I was flabbergasted. "I know in work we need to be professional but, not that much you know?" Andrea hugged me, burying her face on my shoulder. I froze. The surprise in my face was visible but for the sake of my dignity, she wasn't able to see it. We were together? 

"You can definitely be chummy with me from time to time." She looked up to me, her nose close to my chin, all loving. Her pretty eyes sparkled. "If you came all the way just to make sure I'm safe and in one piece every time," She hushed her voice to a whisper, "you can absolutely ravage me too right after." I felt my ears burn as blood rushed to it, my mouth didn't utter one word in surprise. She breathed through my ear, her breath was hot. "I can remind you if you forgot how it felt like. I'll be careful." She looked at me, provocatively. Her expression changed when she saw my face. Andrea was trying to suppress her giggles after seeing what a mess I was, still wrapping her arms around me. The burning sensation led to my face, undeniably making me look like a fool. 

With no hesitation, she pulled me closer to her face. Our lips touched and intertwined. Her breath smelled like warm coffee and her lips tasted like strawberries that dulled my senses as it lingered. My mind roamed to the dreamland of a bed where she was under me. "You're too cute not to take advantage of." She kissed me one more time before she let go. "I hope you remember something, James Buenaventura." She said as she cupped my face with her hand. 

Yes, that was my name, and she was my girlfriend. Wonderful.

But how do I remember that she was not my girlfriend before the island fiasco? It wasn't the head slams Chris did, that's for sure.