WOEBEGONE

LINCOLN'S POINT OF VIEW

I hate hospitals. I hate hearing the painful cries of people, I hate seeing parents whimpering over their child's death. I hate seeing wounds and blood. I hate the scent of antiseptic. I loathed it.

It's triggering may panic attacks, the atmosphere inside the hospital always reminds me of my brother- my brother who died from an accident.

I shook my head as my hands started shaking again. I bit my lips to calm myself down.

My gaze swiveled over the operating room. Despite my Nosocomephobia, the fear of hospitals, I choose to come over here to look after Josiah. It's already been two weeks since he's admitted, but he's not showing any vital signs yet.

A TV was playing quietly in one corner, a distraction that might help to keep my mind sane.

I stand up from my seat and face the doctor. "H-how is my friend, Doc?" I asked in a trembling voice.

"Your friend is already stable, but just like before, he hasn't wake up yet. But don't worry, if the improvement on his vital signs will continue, then it's safe to say that he'll wake up in a few days from now."

I smiled lightly at her. "Thank you, Doc."

He just pat my shoulder and walk away. I slump wearily on my seat again, kneading my throbbing head. Josiah's parents visited him a while ago, but they left right away because according to them, they have more important things to do. I wanted to burst out in anger when they told me that. Their child is lying on the hospital bed for almost two weeks now, yet they're still acting like some sort of an uncaring and apathetic parents.

I even doubt that they're genuinely concern with Josiah, they probably look at him as a fucking responsibility. That thought makes me agitated.

Someone nudged my shoulder. I open my eyes and look at the person. "Hey, Aeron," I whispered.

He smiled and handed me a cup of coffee. I accepted it and take a sip.

"You have no decent sleep ever since Josiah was brought here," he said in a worried tone.

Aeron's right. I can feel my eyes getting heavy right at that moment, dark circles is already visible under my eyes as well. I always go here after class ever since Josiah was hospitalized. I can't sleep in peace knowing that my friend is in grave danger.

Sometimes, some of my classmates would accompany me to look after him. Just like now, Aeron is with me.

I heave a heavy sigh. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine," I answered, though my worn out voice says otherwise.

"Josiah is really important to you," he said out of the blue.

I turned my attention to him and beamed. "Yeah, that bastard has always been my best friend since we were kids. If I'm in his situation right now, he will probably do the same thing."

"I admire your friendship," he said.

I punch his arms jokingly. "Don't tell me you're about to get emotional and tell me your life's narrative?"

He rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he said that made me chuckle.

We watch the people passing by in front of us in silence. My gaze turned to him when he stands up.

"You're going already?" I asked.

He nods his head. "Yeah, it's already seven in the evening. I don't want to hear an ear-splitting hissy fit from my mother if I come home late than what I told her," he said with a dead-pan look.

I put the cup of coffee down. "Do you want me to accompany you outside?"

"What are you, my girlfriend?" he asked scornfully.

I chuckled at his remarks. "Whatever. Just take care, bro."

He nodded his head and watch his retreating figure. Not so long after, my phone vibrated. I fish it out from my pocket, my mother is asking me to come home. Though I still want to stay, I feel like it's urgent. I just asked some nurse to look after Josiah.

The night breeze greeted me when I step out of the hospital. I breathed deep, the night is too cold that I can almost see my foggy breath.

I ride a taxi that stops in front of me. I reclined on the head rest and close my eyes.

"Riva Monte Street," I told the driver.

After a few moments, the car stops. Assuming that we already reached my place, I turned my gaze to the driver. He's wearing a black cap and a mask. I look the road in front of us. My forehead creased when I noticed the unfamiliar drive lane , darkness and canopy of trees are surrounding us, making my skin crawl in fear.

My heart starts to beat erratically. He slowly turned to me, and despite the mask covering his mouth, I can see the grin underneath that clothe.

"Uh, I think we're in the wrong street," I said while trying to open the door.

Suddenly, he pointed a gun right through my forehead. My blood abruptly run cold.

"Goodb-"

Before he could finish his words, I jump out of the car. Wasting no time, I hastened away. I haven't eaten anything yet since afternoon, and I can now feel my knees quivering.

Gun shots broke the silence of the night. I look behind and saw the person chasing me. I gritted my teeth and gather all my strength to run faster.

"Argh! Damn it!"

My knees fell on the rough pavement as blood oozes out my right leg. I look behind, he's slowly closing the distance between the two of us.

Despite my limping legs, I stand up. I'm covering my head from time to time with every shots of his gun.

With my shaking hands, I get my phone and search for my classmates' name. I have no time to get bewildered when Lauren's name appeared on my screen. I immediately type a message.

I dropped my phone when a bullet pierced through my left leg. Tears brimmed my eyes as I tried to lift myself up.

"N-No, no, please no," I uttered breathlessly when the person slowly walks closer to me. His heavy foot steps are hammering my ears, intensifying the fear I'm feeling.

He removed his cup and looks down at me. I swallowed a lump, though he's still a wearing a mask, I can still recognize the person who owns those dark orbs gleaming with spite.

"Are you scared, Lincoln?" he asked in a low and gravely voice.

"W-Why are you doing t-this?" I asked while my right hand is busy typing a message.

He crouched down, the side of his lips rose. "I know you know the reason why we are doing this, you're not that stupid."

I was about to retort back when he inched the tip of the gun on my lips, beckoning me to stay silent. "Stop talking, will you? Your voice infuriates me more. Just let me eliminate you in peace."

I look at him with begging eyes. But the person in front of had turned completely into a ruthless monster.

"See you in hell."

Accepting my fate, I close my eyes and let those sharp bullets bring my death.

•••••

LAUREN'S POINT OF VIEW

Darkness is the only thing that I could see as soon as I opened my eyes. I tried to open my lips and speak, but no words came out.

I don't have any idea where I am.

Suddenly, a faint light overwhelmed my vision. I raised my arms and shielded my eyes from the irrepressible brightness. Slowly, I open my eyes, and a familiar scene flashes in front of me.

"Your temperature is still high," the calming voice of my father said as she caresses my hair.

The younger version of me groaned and wrap her tiny arms around his waist. My heart fluttered when his lips broke into a smile.

"Drink your medicine already," he said and beckoned me to stand up from my bed.

I shook my head and cover my body with a mattress. My father sighed wearily and laid the glass of water in the side table.

He flinched beside my younger self when I suddenly convulse in pain. He took off the mattress covering my body, and the worry on his face escalates. He touches my neck, and from the looks of it, I'm not in a good condition anymore.

"I'll bring you to the hospital now, Lauren," he said and carried my tiny body on his arms. Tears brimmed my eyes as I watch him holds me with so much care- as if I'm a fragile glass that he doesn't want to break.

If this is a dream, please don't wake me up yet. I miss him, I miss my father. I miss the comfort and solace that he always makes me feel.

Like a movie tape, the scene changes. We're currently in the midst of the road. A lump obstructed my throat when the situation finally dawned me. I raise my hands and tried to reach my father's shoulders, but my hands just penetrated on him.

"N-No, please stop the car, Dad. P-Please," I whispered in between my tears.

Suddenly, a loud horn hammered my ears, and at the same time, a blinding light overwhelm my sight. My father's eyes widened when he saw a huge truck that was about to collide against us.

Instead of worrying about himself, he looks at me.

"N-No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. He hugs my body and protects me from all the debris and metals that might harm me.

Just like a terrifying memory, I watch how my father died again.

Running nurses and doctors, the smell of antiseptics permeated my nose. The perturbed atmosphere of the hospital greeted me. Panic was obvious from the faces of the several hospital staff as they push stretchers to the emergrncy room. My hands clasped against my mouth when I noticed the familiar faces of my father and me.

There are few scratches on my cheeks, but what terrified me is the profuse bleeding of my father's body.

"W-Where are my husband and daughter?"

I averted my gaze and turned to the woman who appeared out of the blue- it's my mother. The nurses hinder her when she tried to barged inside the hospital room.

She sits with tears cascading down her cheeks. I bit my lips and sit beside her. Few moments of nerve wracking silence surrounded us.

We both stand up when the doctor came out of the room. And though I already knew what was about to happened, my heart broke into tiny pieces on what the doctor said.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lewis. We did everything to revive your husband, but his body could not longer take all the fatal injuries and bleeding."

The doctor looks on his watch. "Time of death: 10.35"

•••••

I wake up from my head, panting and gasping for air. My entire body is dripping in sweat. I touch my cheeks that was soaked with tears.

It's just a dream...

A bitter smile escaped my lips. Several years had already passed, and yet those memories are still hunting me.

I put my face in between my legs and ponder with my thoughts.

If only I didn't get sick that day, is my father still alive? Is my mother right? Was it really my fault why my father died?

I shook my head. "Stop blaming yourself," I whispered.

I saw my cellphone on the bedside table. Since I don't think I could sleep anymore, I decided to swipe on my social media accounts. But my forehead creased when Lincoln's name appeared on the screen.

Our last conversation was when I sent him a file two days from now.

I open his message.

"Someone wants to kill me."

My heart beats erratically when I read his first message. Fuck, don't tell me...

With my trembling hands, I open his second message.

"@349!8#5-3(8))34."

My phone slip off of my hands.

Is this guy messing with me? What's with those numbers and signs? I tried to rummage in every cranny of my brain if I encountered these type of codes and sequence before, but this is the first time that I came across with these.

Damn it. Another mystery that will leave me confuse and make my brain haywire.