Something Missing

Ravi felt uncomfortable and restless, so he immediately ran down the stairs to get out to his yard in a hurry. After he found the figure of the foreign man who was holding a sword covered in blood.

Ravi's legs went limp as his eyes caught sights he never wanted to see. On the green grass lay, Daniel with a gaping stomach wound that Ravi was so sure of by the slash of the stranger's sword. His plain white shirt was splattered with horrible bloodstains, staining the grass like spilled red paint.

Tears that Ravi didn't realize had flowed freely when he reached Daniel. He knelt holding Daniel's cold palm. Daniel, who was still half-conscious, blinked weakly at Ravi, his hand gently gripping Ravi's back.

"Raymond? Raymond calls someone. Call, Raymond. Anyone. Help Daniel," Ravi shouted hysterically, he looked around wildly looking for someone who could help him but there was no one. Their parents were not home which made Ravi panic with his heart pumping fast.

There was no answer from Raymond, making Ravi turn to Raymond who was standing stiffly behind him. "What's wrong Raymond? Call someone, please Daniel!"

"But Ravi," said Raymond doubtfully with tears streaming down his face as he looked between Daniel and Ravi in turn. Ravi wanted to scream tearing his despair at the state when he saw Daniel's blood flowing from his stomach.

"What else? Please," Ravi whispered desperately holding Daniel's hand tightly channeling the hope of survival that he was trying to share with Daniel. Where were the people when Ravi needed them the most?

"Ravi?" Daniel whispered almost inaudibly. Daniel's breath seemed to be stuttering as if his throat was choking his breathing cavities. Ravi is getting helpless, he is scared. Really. The worst possibilities were running through his mind now, making Ravi nauseous.

Ravi looked at Daniel who blinked weakly. Daniel's grip tightened in Ravi's palm until Ravi could feel how his world seemed to be shattering through his grip. He kept echoing the prayers in his heart. "Daniel, I'm here. You'll be fine."

"Don't cry," Daniel said with difficulty, Ravi's tears streaming down when he saw the faint smile on his brother's lips. Ravi's head felt like it had been hit so hard that his ears were ringing, as terrifying images danced through his mind. Why was Raymond silent?

Ravi muttered weakly. "Daniel, I'll ask you to help-,"

Ravi's words were cut off when Daniel's hand gently pulled his. Then everything went dark.

No, wait. Daniel?

***

Ravi woke up from his sleep and immediately glanced at the clock perched on the nightstand. He spread his arms tired from falling asleep in the wrong position while reading a book. Ravi had probably fallen asleep accidentally for two hours making his throat dry.

Ravi got out of the room and found Raymond huddled right in front of his door. He quickly stood up when he noticed Ravi's presence.

Ravi studied Raymond's face which was filled with tears on Raymond's reddened cheeks. Ravi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you crying?"

Raymond's body stiffened in front of him when he heard Ravi start to speak made Ravi frown in surprise at his reaction. Raymond didn't answer he just looked down at the floor which seemed more interesting to him.

"Why are you crying?" Ravi asked again softly, trying to get Raymond to speak. He asked in his mind if it was Daniel who made Raymond like this? Did Daniel say anything bad to Raymond?

However, Raymond shook his head slowly and away from Ravi's sight and Ravi knew that something wrong had happened to Raymond.

"Ravi?" Ravi immediately turned his head to find his mother calling from the stairs, Ravi immediately approached him.

"What's wrong mom?" asked Ravi.

"Take Raymond for tea downstairs, Mom just finished baking a chocolate chip cookie," his mother answered lightly.

The corners of Ravi's lips were pulled upwards forming a smile. He saw that Raymond was still loyal to looking at the floor and would not talk about his reason for crying, he pulled Raymond's arm which was still standing stiffly at the door to take him down the stairs following his mother.

***

On the dining table already served tea and cookies, making Ravi immediately drag a chair for him to sit down. Ravi's head turned here and there looking for the existence of Daniel who usually sits in front of the television or wanders around disturbing Ravi at this hour. "Mom, where's Daniel?"

His mother, Diana, coughed softly until Ravi immediately handed him a glass of water which his mother gulped down to the toilet. He just realized Diana's eyes were swollen and red. "Mom why? After crying?"

"No, Mom just woke up. Let's just eat right away," Diana said softly with a smile. Ravi noticed how his mother's eyes occasionally fell on Daniel's doorstep and looked back at the food with a closed expression. The fact that Diana never took a nap made Ravi wonder why his mother was lying.

Ravi didn't take the conversation any further, he let it pass. But Ravi kept watching Diana slowly, he was worrying more and more about his mother in case something happened to him. Raymond also looked strange he kept his head down stirring the original tea until the clinking sound seemed louder in their silence now.

This was the first time Ravi felt uncomfortable at the dining table in a long silence that seemed wrong. Wonder what everyone is hiding from him.

"Mother, Ravi to the room," said Ravi at last and was surprised by his harsh voice.

Ravi headed straight back to his room, not caring whether Raymond would follow him or not. He walked to the window noting the houses in front of him that looked the same. For the past few months, Ravi's activities have only been filled at home, waiting for a call from a job application that he tried to enter just to fill Ravi's boring free time.

Ravi woke up from his daydream when he heard a very soft knock on the door from outside his room. "Come in."

Raymond came standing right behind Ravi until Ravi turned to face him and leaned against the window. "What is it?"

Raymond lifted his head, Ravi almost wanted to take a deep breath when his different colored irises met Ravi's eyes. It was so clear it was hard for Ravi to take his eyes off his. He didn't like how his fast heart worked when he felt Raymond's body heat in front of him. "I, want to see Ravi."

Ravi's brow furrowed in confusion which was too difficult to interpret Raymond's words. After the dinner table, Ravi felt bad about the way his mother diverted his question when he asked where Daniel was. "What for?"

"So that I'm okay," Raymond whispered.

"What do you mean?"

Raymond shook his head slowly, his messy hair swaying with it. Seeing this, Ravi almost wanted to dip his fingers into Raymond's black strands and smooth them out. Then hit himself in the heart with this far from normal self-desire of Raymond.

"I thought you wouldn't hide anything from me," Ravi said carefully.

Ravi was still holding himself back from staring at Raymond, he wanted to make him speak. However, if Raymond didn't want to say it then Ravi was fine.

"Ravi?"

"Hmm?" he muttered, raising his eyebrows gently.

"Ravi doesn't hate me, does he?"

Ravi watched Raymond watching him intently and his brows sinking into his bangs, waiting for Ravi to answer. Ravi shook his head and asked back, "Why do you ask like that?"

"So I can apologize to Ravi."

The gleam in Raymond's eyes dimmed as his eyeballs darkened and his vision became unfocused. Ravi rushed forward to hug Raymond's shoulders as his body swayed forward. "Raymond?"

Ravi didn't get an answer, only regular slow breaths caressed his ears, creating heat on Ravi's cheeks. There was no mistaking it, Raymond was asleep. But before falling asleep Ravi could still hear Raymond whispering restlessly. "I didn't do it."

Thank you for reading