Chapter 7: Dragonfly

3 years ago — Blumine Beach

  The moon is shining so bright and the night look so beautiful. The ocean's surface glimmering like a thousand of diamonds are floating on it. The sound of the soft wave that kissing the beach are very comfortable to a soul.

    Kayden is standing on the beach side staring far into the horizon. His heart ache and his face showed that he is in a deep depression. He look like a lost soul under the brimmed of the moonlight.

   When he was lost in his thoughts, he heard a soft voice is calling for him from the far horizon. Unable to control his body, he walks towards the voice like an invisible hands have pulling him into the water, into the centre of the sea.

   He come to his sane mind when he felt that his body is sinking. He struggled to float and gasp for the air while he himself could not swim.

  After struggling for a moment, he feel like he did should stop fighting and accept his fate. His heart feel heavy, burden with tears. A voice telling him that dying it is the only way to stop his suffering. He could feel that something had been pulling him underwater from earlier. A thing feel like a human hands are grabbing his legs sucking his life energy. It is make his desire to die more than his desire to live and make a person's body turn heavy, sinking faster than a submarine.

    Kayden had stop struggled and let himself drown. At that moment his eyes are catching a twinkling star at the starry night sky. 'I wish my life as beautiful as the starry sky.' He said to himself and closed his eyes, give himself to the sea, to the creatures underwater that wants him death.

    When he had already gave up his life to his fate. On his verge of dying, a hand catch his body firmly, pulled him ashore. That person give Kayden a CPR and nonstop telling him to keep on living. Its voice seem too far and its hands feel so warm.

   He tried to open his eyes, suddenly he see a dragonfly flying in front of him and want to touch it but it disappeared. Then, Kayden feel a burning sensation rushed from his stomach to his throat. He coughed up the sea water that he had swallowed before.

   'Are... you okay?' The person's voice seem to fading away once it is appearing. Only its warm hands feel surreal holding his body.

  Kayden tried to take a look at the owner of the voice. But his vision is blurry and he is still coughing some of the sea water. The person that quickly give him some help to ease his struggle.

  'Take it easy.' A warm palm patting on his back.

   When Kayden is finally calm and able to breathes properly. 'How do you feel? Can you see me?' A soft concern voice talks to him.

   He nodded.

  'How many fingers do I show you now?' That person show a peace sign in front of Kayden. A wary expression clearly written on that face. He just realized that his saviour is a young woman. When he is about to answer, his head feel light and everything went blank.

  'Hey!!!'

  The trance of smell of the fresh sea wave mixing with the aroma of a coffee are filling on his sense. Kayden open his eyes. He blinked many time when he see a bunch of dragonflies flying above him.

  'Dragonflies?' He said. The dragonflies dispersed into the air. He rubbed his eyes.

  'Ohh.. you're up? Good morning.' A woman's voice hit his eardrums as a young woman come closer, touching his forehead with the back of her hand.

   'Seem you're not catching any fever anymore.' She then walk away to the sliding door that is facing the sea. She tucked away the curtains for the fresh air. The room turned a little brighter.

  'I'm sorry, the room is a little bit dimmer. I don't like the place that is too bright.' She apologised.

  Kayden try to sit up on the bed. 'Who are you?' He asked.

   'Someone who rescue you last night.' She answered while watering the succulent plants on the windowsill.

  'What is your name?' He asked again.

  'Vermillion. Yours?'

  'I'm Kayden.'

  'Miss Vermillion, can I ask you something?'

  'Hnn...' Her eyes fixed on the plants.

  'Are your name really Vermillion? The mystic bird?' He asked due to curiosity. He never heard anyone with that kind of name before.

  'Secret.' She put her finger on her lips and smiled.

  Kayden try to stand up but his head feel spinning. He tumbled into the bed again.

   'Hey!! Are you alright?' Vermillion rush to his aid.

  'I feel dizzy. Maybe due to my migraine.' She help him sit on the bed.

  'Don't move too much. I will make you a breakfast. What do you like? Toast with milk, coffee or tea?' Vermillion ask like a butler to her master. She sit on the edge of the bed.

  'I'm not a picky.' Kayden give his answer.

'Hmm...okay.' She moves to the kitchen. In a while she come again with the breakfast.

'Here is your toast with milk.' She serve him the breakfast.

'And here is a medicine for migraine.' She add on and put a medicine on the tray. He look at her without blinking.

  'Thank you.' He said while stuffed toast into his mouth. His stomach growled.

  'I'm sorry that I change your clothes without your permission last night.' She apologised.

'Thank you for saving me...' He look down.

    'Hey!! Are you okay?' She shakes his shoulder softly when she saw his down expression. Her face is frowning in wary. That expression makes Kayden chuckle a little bit.

   'Huh? Did my face funny?' That young woman touch her face spontaneously.

  'No. I'm okay.' Finally Kayden answer her.

  'That's a relief.' She fall on her back into the bed. Kayden shocked at her easygoing attitude.

  They stayed silent for a moment when the young woman suddenly sit up. Her baggy t-shirt's collar rolled to her left shoulder, showed her white skin and collarbone. Kayden is amazed at how fair that woman skin are. Her skin looks glowing when a reflection of sunlight from the window glass hit her.

   'Don't do that again! Do try to die here. I will be mad at you if you die here!' She slap his arm bring him back from his daydreaming.

    'Ouch...' Kayden rubbed his arm and almost spilled his milk into the toast's plate.

    'I'm sorry...' She grinned.

    'It's okay. Hmm... Why would you mad if I die? We don't know each other.' He look at her.

    She glared at him. 'Listen here! I always walk on this beach to see Noctiluca scintillans. If you die here, I will see your ghost not the beautiful Noctiluca Scintillans. I don't want to see an idiot ghost wandering here.' She crossed her hands on her chest.

   'Ghost? Nocti... what?' Kayden could not brain what the thing she is talking about. He munching his foods slowly.

    'Noctiluca Scintillans...' She said.

   Kayden raise his eyebrows as a sign he still not understand her words.

   Vermillion sighed. 'K, you're really a dumb. You want to die here yet you don't know what is Noctiluca Scintillans.'

   'Yeah!! I'm sorry I'm a dumb!' Kayden lost his temper at a word "dumb".

   'But why called me K?' He asked.

   She chuckled. He glared at her. They didn't even know each other but she act like they're close.

   'It's hard to explain to someone that dumb like you. But when they are arrived, I will show you. And your name is Kayden, pet name K.' She laughing at him. Amusingly.

   'Well K, you should go back after you feel all okay. Your family or friends might worry if you disappear.' Vermillion handed Kayden a glass of warm water for him to chug down the medicine.

   He stay silent. She feel weird about that. 'What happen?' She asked.

   'I don't want to go back.' He answered reluctantly.

  'Why?'

  'I just don't want to be there. And I'm fine here.' He rolled on the blanket after swallowing his medicine.

  'You're such a helpless kid as before.' She said and carry away the breakfast's tray.

  'What do you mean before?' He half shouted because she is already at the kitchen.

  'Which before?' She played dumb.

  'You!!' He gritted his teeth. This woman is something! In a few moments he fall asleep.

[*f/n: This chapter is called DRAGONFLY because in almost every part of the world, the dragonfly symbolizes the change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization of a person — oneself become mature in mental, emotion and more understanding of the meaning of life.]