4 Call of Home (Part 1/3)
Anna wiped her tears. She felt horrible as how things has been happening so fast. Her dad had a successful operation yet died because of a heart failure. It seems odd that his dad was just laughing the other day and now proclaimed dead.
The atmosphere seemed to changed too. She felt something was happening that she can't explain. She cried blaming herself on how things turned out. Stanley passing out from covering her schedules on their work and her grieving for losing her dad. She stopped walking as soon as she got out to their university. She breathe what she was feeling. It felt heavy for her even though she kept telling herself that it's gonna be fine, she can't control her emotions. Tears began to flow out in her eyes again.
She felt that it was her fault because of her decision to still study in the university. She made a decision oddly fast, she didn't even got skeptical when she made it. All she could think is that all things were pointing at her, telling it was her fault. She was in an empty alley and shouted her frustrations.
"Ahhh!!" She bent out her anger. She then proceed to cry it all out.
She remembered the conversation she had with her dad.
"Anna, come home." Anna heard his father's weak voice.
It has been months after the operation was a success. Her dad was constantly healing at the process and together with her brother, they was thankful that her dad's fate turn around. The doctor said to them that her dad will be fine and could be back to their home.
"Home." She hold her dad's hand almost crying that he heard his voice again.
Everything happened so fast. She was about to say she would be there for them but something happened that she refuse her dad's idea.
She felt a somewhat shock in the room and abruptly replied to her dad.
"Dad, I'm not going home yet I have a semester left before the summer break." She said.
She felt something was odd but haven't given it much thought.
"Home, please." Her dad's voice was weak but his desire to be with her daughter was powerful.
They haven't seen each other for about two years. The last time that they have met is when it's her brother's birthday. They weren't able to meet when it's her dad's birthday because it was a school day everytime. He wanted to be with his daughter as he felt that everything came so fast, the time itself was fast.
"As much as I wanted to.. It's only one semester and after I'll be home.." She kissed her dad's hand and tears fell in from her eyes.
His dad wiped them as he doesn't want to see her cry just for him again. He controlled his emotions to not pour as he was still recovering. He felt his time was running out but he hold on to hope that they will be together. Together with his family that passed through the struggles they have in their life.
"Okay. I'll hold on and wait for you to come home." He said hoping that he could be with Anna and his brother again.
Yet she lost her dad, the only one who raised her, the one who became a dad and a mom to her, and the only person she trust. Her dad was the reason why she wanted to study, wanting to pay him back for his sacrifices for her. She felt heavy down on her knees. She kneeled down with tears can't stop falling from her face. Her books slipped through her hands as she felt weak from sobbing.
She wiped it again but it still kept flowing. She collected her books and tried to stand up. As soon as she stood, she closed her eyes remembered the song her dad used to sang to whenever she felt sad.
She took a deep breath and exhaled the heavy pain she's been dealing with.
"Be strong." She said to herself. She knew that if her dad was there, that's what his gonna told her.
She walked straight in the alley she used to walk to reach her apartment while telling herself that she needs to be strong to take care of his brother. Her dad knew she was a fighter, a fighter with a genuine heart.
She has gone meters away but she felt someone has been following her. She began to lessen her pace to hear if someone was following her. She heard heavy footsteps, heavy like metal. She turned back yet haven't seen anyone. She stayed there for a good minute and scanned the alley. She has been feeling someone was following her even when she was at the school.
"Is there somebody out there?" She said.
She don't want to think that she's insane and imagining things because all of the things happened have been getting on her head.
She breathe out and tried to clam herself, for her not to imagine things anymore. She turn around and continue to walk through the alley after checking that no one has been following her.
***
Stanley was thinking deeply while sitting on the bed after what Russel told him.
He was frustrated at himself miscalculating things and now everyone's fate will be on his hands. He can't think straight on what to do as all of the things have turned into a full degree. The secretary nurse came in to the room.
"Are you alright?" The school nurse asked Stanley.
"Yeah, I felt better now. My head doesn't hurt anymore and--" Stanley was cut off by the nurse.
"I mean is your heart alright? It seems that you two had a misunderstanding." She said while arranging the medicines.
He thought of Anna. He never knew the reason why she cried. He remembered how she blaming herself about something. He asked himself why she let her walked out through the door again.
"I felt you're not telling her something and I felt the same with her not telling you what's going on." She added.
"Time flies so fast now and maybe someday your time will run out. Tell her everything." She said to him.
"I can't.. because someone might threat me and she will be involved." Stanley reasoned out.
"She already was involved. I don't know who's gonna give you a threat but if I were that person I'll get her involve." She said to him, making him realize that the council might change his fate by knocking off people close to him.
"Why?" Stanley starting to get a bad feeling from the conversation.
"Because she can be your weakest spot. I know that you love her." She said to him while pointing the mannequin's heart.
"Don't feel threathened by me I just.. I just always speak what my mind think. I'm sorry." She added
It hit Stanley that the council might use Anna against him and he will not let them lay their hands on her. His eyes widened realizing what the nurse said to him.
"Uhh.. I'm sorry." The nurse kept apologizing for making Stanley uncomfortable and shocked.
"Uh.. No, thank you.. I need to go now.." Stanley insisted and rushed out.
He need to be there for Anna especially now that she's been carrying a lot. He need to be with her to protect her from them and before his time runs out.
He looked at his wrist and there he saw how seconds diminished one after another. He shrug it all of not giving it a deep thought. His plan now to be with Anna and change his fate to not create the time capsule. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and tried to call Anna but it just kept ringing and left unanswered. He began to feel that she's in danger. He fasten pace until he got out the school. He felt different as he was used to have his 40 year old body rather than his 24 year old body as it has been years since he ran that fast.
"Pick up the phone Anna." He said.
He tried again and again to no avail. He decided to go to her aparment. He was running until he noticed that his watch was blinking. He stopped and scanned his surrounding making sure that no one sees him using the watch. Russel immediately told him information about the plan of the council.
"Russel, what is it?" Stanley asked.
"Mr. Wood the council is up to something about their another plan." Russel said to him.
"The unstable capsule worked and Miss Johannson appointed an imperial guard to set up a bomb in Anna's apartment." Russel said.
"They're trying to test you--" Russel added and then cut off as Stanley clicked the watch.
"Fu*k!" He groaned in anger.
He ran as he knew Anna's life was in danger.
"They're really toying me up." Stanley said. His eyes said it all. He will never let them hurt Anna.
He called Anna a few times until she picked up her phone.
"Anna! Are you alright?!" He frantically asked.
He's on the alley and meters away only from her apartment.
"Yeah, did you leave a present here?" Anna asked him.
"A box?! Don't touch the box!" Stanley said.
"But it's so--" Anna sounded like she was enchanted.
"No Anna! Don't!!--" The call was cut off and Stanley heard an explosion.
"Anna!!" He shouted.
He run faster as he saw a building on fire. His knees felt heavy and weak yet he was hoping that it wasn't like what he was thinking.
