CHAPTER 3

I slowly open my eyes and I find myself exactly where I was. I couldn't find Damon anywhere so I called out for him.

But all I got as a response was absolute silence

"Ophelia, are you alright? Are you ready to order?"

"No, I am looking for a -" My words were caught in my throat.

The waiter at my table was none other than Xavier Diego himself. He stood there, right in front me; alive and breathing.

I just saw him getting buried 6 feet below the ground yesterday and yet he stood there in front of me. I heard a voice inside me saying everything that Damon had said was true. He sent me back 20 days in time.

I had actually traveled back in time.

"Ophelia, we are going to be closing the restaurant in a few minutes. Would you like to order something?" ,he smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

As I stood there, looking into the dull eyes of the boy I was sent to save, I realized it wasn't going to be a piece of cake making him change his mind.

"Yeah umm I will take a glass of water. Nothing else."

"One glass of water; coming right up!"

He smiled but the only thing I could focus on was the pain that burned in his eyes.

It wasn't a blazing fire. It was this hollow light that came from a dimly lit candle in a dark room.

Little but noticeable.

But somehow we never noticed it.

My stomach grumbled as soon as I returned home; I just realized that I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. I grabbed myself a bag of popcorn and headed upstairs.

I took my journal and poured my heart out. My hand started moving on its own and I kept writing until I felt that I finally had a grip over my life.

I like to write. Not because it helps me pass my time but because it's the only way I feel like I'm in control.

After i was done with my assignments, I stared at the wall. I thought about how I was going to get a person to change their mind when they had already decided to end their life.

People say that eyes are the window to one's soul. But when i looked into Xavier's eyes all I saw was a blank dullness.

He was sad. No doubt about that.

Maybe even depressed.

He needed help and I was supposed to help him come out of the pit life had thrown him into.

I didn't even know it was dinner time until my dad came to call me downstairs. I didn't feel like eating so I told him I'd pass.

"Are you alright, Lia?"

Am I? I asked myself. I felt like I was put into this dark sea and was told to swim when I didn't even know how to; I didn't choose to be Xavier's savior. Then why do I feel like it's my duty to do this and if I fail then I would never be able to forgive myself.

''Yeah dad, I'm fine. It's just that I've been a little overwhelmed with my school work. Nothing much. You don't need to worry about me.''

"Alright then, Lia; Remember that you can always talk to me about anything."

I closed my eyes as I heard the door close; I didn't know how I was going to change a determined person's mindset from taking their life but I knew that I had to.

Not for my sake but for Xavier and his family.

I just had to.