Simple Words and A Hug

As Alex's eyes twitched open, he found himself in his classroom, in his usual seat near the window, the warm orange glow of the sun seeping through. He sat up, his mind foggy with confusion, wondering if he had been caught in an exceptionally long dream. He looked around the side of the classroom, his heart sinking as he realised the classroom was empty.

"Oh, classes are over, huh? Ha. They could have at least woken me up…not that anyone would anyway…" He felt a slap on the back as he stood up and grabbed his bag. Alex straightened instinctively and looked behind, finding James behind him.

"Hey, sleepyhead! Classes ended hours ago, man! How on earth did you manage to sleep through all that?" James beamed a mischievous smile at Alex, his teasing tone evident.

"Ah... hey, James," Alex said with an awkward smile. "Haha, I probably spent last night playing games, lol."

Alex always felt a sense of wonder around James, the class clown. Despite his popularity, James was a unique individual who chose to spend his time with Alex, a fact that never failed to surprise Alex.

"I'm impressed you can play games all night and still make it to class in the morning," Sarah remarked, still holding her pen. She had been studying while sitting behind Alex and James.

"Hahaha. I thought you would be home by now, Sarah." Alex said, looking surprised. He glanced at her, still sitting with her books spread out.

Sarah, the class president and top student, was another unexpected friend of Alex's. Despite Alex's low grades, Sarah often talked to him between classes and even offered to help him and James with subjects they struggled with.

"Well, school is an environment in which we study. Home is for relaxing. One must know when and where to do things after all." Sarah said with a wink and a smile.

"Hahaha! You got that right!" James chuckled.

Hearing the heartwarming, everyday conversation, Alex felt strangely moved and laughed out loud.

"Hmm? What's so funny?" a bewildered Sarah asked.

"Ah, no, it's nothing. Maybe it was a dream or something, but seeing you two talking just made me…hahaha…sorry, this might sound weird to you, but it strangely made me happy." Alex said with an awkward smile, but it was a much more genuine smile, something he felt he hadn't done for a long while for some reason.

Suddenly, Sarah and James's looks turned into glares, their smiles turned into frowns, and the classroom turned dark.

"Then, why did you do this to us?!" Sarah and James roared in sync as their eyes turned black. A single thunder strike struck outside the windows, and the whole scene around Alex changed.

"What the?!" Completely stunned and freaked out, Alex recoiled, fell backwards, and landed on a white, sterile floor that was all too familiar. He found himself once again in a lab room, one of many rooms where Alex was constantly tortured daily.

"What the hell?!" Alex shrieked in fright, completely unable to comprehend the situation. Looking up, he sees Sarah and James dressed in patient robes, blood stains all over their bodies and faces, glaring at him with a familiar intensity.

"WHY ALEX? WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US?!" both Sarah and James screeched.

"What…what are you guys talking about?! I didn't do anything to you guys!" Alex shrieked back, his hands and legs trembling.

"YOU DID THIS TO US ALEX! YOU DID THIS! ALEX!!!" Sarah and James, screeching with distorted voices, their complexions completely blackened, their eyes started bleeding out a black goo, lunged towards Alex, strangling him.

"NO!!! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, PLEASE!!! NO!!!" Alex shrieked out in fear.

He struggled against Sarah and James for a while before finally breaking away from them and scrambling on all fours to crawl away as fast as he could.

As he did so, he could hear thunders crackling around him, completely disorienting him. In his disorientation and blurred vision, each thunder struck visions into his eyes, scenes of Sarah and James getting tortured, each scene more horrifying than the last. As each scene flashed by, Alex felt the pain in his head grow increasingly painful.

Then, after crawling for a while, Alex loses all his strength and falls onto the ground, groaning in pain from the headache and gasping for air.

"Alex."

Hearing his name echoing in his head, he fearfully turned around and saw a very familiar scene. James, as horrifying as he looked before, stood above Alex, pointing the same pistol at his forehead.

As a single red tear dripped out from his eye, James whispered a monotone, "Goodbye, Alex." and fired the pistol.

"No…NOOOOOO!!!"

…

Alex's eyes flew open, shrouded in a sheen of cold sweat while tears pooled in their corners. Gasping for air, his chest heaved with the lingering tendrils of fear that clung to his mind.

After several ragged breaths, reality slowly settled in, and Alex realised he had just had a nightmare. He exhaled a heavy sigh of relief, relieved that the experience earlier had been nothing but a dream.

"Umm…you okay?" A soft, soothing voice floated into Alex's ears, washing away the remnants of fright.

Still grappling with the disorientation, Alex turned towards the source of the voice and found himself gazing into the gentle eyes of the same enchanting girl he had encountered before losing consciousness, her delicate fingers cradling a book.

With the haze of disorientation clouding his thoughts, Alex unwittingly let slip, "Oh, the kind cute fairy."

"Eh?!" Startled by the unexpected compliment and the whimsical comparison, Lydia's cheeks flushed crimson, her heart aflutter with a mix of surprise and bashful delight.

Witnessing Lydia's cheeks deepen with a rosy hue, Alex was struck by the realisation of his unwitting words. An audible gasp escaped his lips before he found himself blushing furiously.

Consumed by the embarrassment, he began to apologise profusely, burying his flushed face in his arms.

"Oh, no, it's alright," Lydia chuckled awkwardly, still basking in the unexpected praise.

"Sorry... I mean, I didn't mean to... um... I just..." Alex stumbled over his words, attempting to explain his slip of the tongue.

With a fluttering heart, Lydia offered a warm smile and a gracious bow. "Thank you for your kind words. You're very charming and adorable, too."

Still engulfed in embarrassment yet touched by Lydia's compliment, Alex could only manage a soft "Ah, thank you" before lowering his arms and offering an awkward smile.

Lydia giggled softly and extended her hand towards Alex, introducing herself, "My name's Lydia. What's yours?"

With a bashful smile, Alex accepted Lydia's extended hand, his embarrassment gradually easing as he met her gaze. "Alex," he managed to utter softly, relieved to have broken the awkward tension.

"Nice to meet you, Alex," Lydia replied warmly, her eyes sparkling with genuine kindness. As their hands met, Alex felt a rush of warmth flood through him, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Are you feeling better? You seemed quite upset when you woke up just now," Lydia's gentle voice said. Her hand rested softly on Alex's forehead. With a reassuring smile, she added, "If you're still feeling unwell, you can let me know, okay?"

Alex's heart swelled with gratitude at Lydia's kindness, her concern washing over him like a soothing balm. The weight of his recent nightmare still clung to him, but her presence offered a glimmer of comfort in the darkness. Tears welled up in his eyes, a mixture of relief and overwhelming emotion threatening to spill over.

Struggling to find his voice amidst the din of emotions, Alex managed a shaky nod, his throat tight with unspoken gratitude. Lydia's warm words enveloped him like a gentle embrace, her sincerity melting away the last vestiges of his distress.

Lydia, seeing his forming tears, extended her arms and hugged Alex, offering silent support as she held him close. As tears streamed down his cheeks, Alex found himself leaning into her comforting hug, grateful for the unexpected solace she offered.

As she held Alex in her embrace, she whispered and reassured Alex softly, "Everything's fine now. You're safe here. Nothing to worry about."

Lydia's simple words, coupled with her calming presence, became a lifeline to Alex's battered and weary heart. In her gentle embrace, he found solace. As her warmth enveloped him, a sense of salvation washed over him, cleansing away the anguish and despair that had weighed him down.