Chapter 2

The first ray of light breached through the windows and touched on the thin sheet of blanket which hid my body from the cold freeze of the morning blow.

I was lying motionless against my soft bed, staring blankly at the hard ceiling with my eyes wide open for a few good minutes before I turned my head around. Instead of the usual blank white wall whenever I woke up from my dream, this time it was filled with reddish bricks wall. Everything inside my room disappeared, and was replaced by some wooden furniture.

I rub my eyes and turn to look at my surroundings a few times until they become irritated, which confirms that I am indeed, wide awake. A day has passed since I mysteriously arrived at this place.

Confused by the whole situation, I pull myself together and rise up from my bed. The bright rising sun blinked at me as I narrowed my eyes while covering them with my hand, trying to get a clear picture of the outside world.

As I expected, instead of the usual busy street, I was greeted by the calm ocean. A rather welcoming one. But this ultimately widened my confusion as I tried to get an overall picture of where I might possibly be. Alone on an island surrounded by an empty ocean?

All this thinking leaves me scratching my head and exhausting my energy, which I eventually give up and fall down onto the comfy bed. "Where the hell am I."

Even though I want to just fall asleep right now and forget everything that ever happened, I just can't, especially not within an unfamiliar place. I tried my best to rethink the event before I was brought here.

"What happened? I remembered I crashed into a truck when I saw a girl in danger..." I knocked my face into the bed before continuing, "Seriously, what am I thinking, crashing into a truck just like that."

I continue recalling my memory, "After the crash, everything seemed tight and fuzzy... Am I die? If I die then, where am I... Afterlife?" I pinch my face a few times before continue, "It's hurt. Doesn't it feel like Afterlife at all... What does it feel like anyway?"

Wandering mindlessly within my thought, "I wondered what happened to that girl and that truck driver. How would they feel because of my mistake?" When I suddenly remember the sharp pain of my forehead.

"Oh yeah! What happened to my forehead? Was it because of the accident? But that makes no sense." I quickly rise myself and glance at the door frame where I met my mom last time. "Did she... save me..." After a few through, I fell back down again, "Nevermind, sound like some nonsense a kid would make. She can't be my mom in the first place."

Unless...

My curiosity got the better of me, giving myself a lift as I jumped out of bed and slowly walked toward the entrance of my current room. A small flash of glinting light shines through my eyes, revealing a crystal-clear image of a man.

I step closer at the man itself, study carefully and in great detail by twisting my head from left to right. "It looks... the same?" Blonde hair with a slim round face wrap with bandages around the forehead. Indeed, the physical appearance of my previous and current self resembles no difference.

"No wait..." I tried touching my body all over, "This body was incredibly well-built compared to my old self." Impressed by the change, I played around for a while, feeling like I cheated somehow before slapping my face with both hands and said, "Come on, concentrate."

Upon reaching beside the door frame, I slowly peek out looking left to right trying to make out my next move. A few tapping sounds can be heard from the far left, which will be my next spot.

I placed my feet as light as possible while trying to feel the balance clinging onto the hard wooden floor. All steps felt like taking forever to land but I eventually reached the sound.

Standing at one side as I slightly peek through a corner, seeing a woman cutting up and putting it inside the pot in a steamily hot environment. As she faces around slightly toward my direction, revealing a familiar face stored longingly within my memory.

Slim round face and long blond hair with a tie near the end. I take a few more glances before reaching the conclusion, "She looks the same too! What's going on here?"

An unexpected touch upon my shoulder taken me aback, "You shouldn't be moving too much." Tension rises within my body as I swiftly turn my head and bump into a soft-feeling palm. It was his hand grip by my head at the edge of the corner.

"What's wrong?" she called, appearing from the corner and seeing me lying on the floor. "Arbie? Are everything alright?"

I didn't expect it to go down like this but her eyes level with mine, leaving me a sense of discomfort as I glanced at one corner and simply replied, "I-I'm fine."

"Come on, let's get you somewhere to rest," said the man as he carries my arm around his shoulder and drag me looking for a sit.

"I can walk just fine."

"Not without my help. You nearly burst out your head. What would happen if your mom saw a headless son suddenly lay beside your dad," he added while helping me drop down on the chair.

"That isn't going to happen..."

"Anyway, you should rest here. Don't tire yourself out."

Sitting alone while both of them constantly busying themselves, with my eyes locked on, not on my seemingly-familiar mom, but rather the man. "Who is he? I never met anyone who resembled him in my previous world."

Dark brown hair with a well-built body. His face and arm, including any visible parts, were covered in old scars. I tried to tap deeper into memory but with no success.

"... Dad..." the word coming from the man himself suddenly clicked to me. I tried my hardest to recall it but then it leaves me with realization, "Wait, what's the last time I saw my dad?"

While wandering aimlessly within myself, a soft voice calling out from a distance which gradually getting higher.

"Arbie... Hey... Arbie! Hey!"

"What? Huh..." Startle by the high voice, I looked up and saw both of them sitting beside me at the table, and was surprised the table suddenly filled with food.

"Does your head still hurt?" said my mom.

"Or are you thinking about how I save you back then," said the man.

"I- no..."

"You should eat first. It has been a while since you woke up," replied my mom, ignoring the man.

She's right. Due to all the nervousness of being trapped in this unfamiliar world, I didn't take note of how low my energy was. With the food present in front of me, I scoop out a spoon and give it a good taste. I can't say how long I haven't been eating, but today's meal tasted awfully good. Both of them simply smile.

While enjoying myself, I caught sight of the man eating with his left hand. But the unusual sight which I didn't notice before was his severed right-hand. Half of his upper forearm was completely gone, with only the flat surface attached at the cut.

That sight was so unusual I gave it a few glances before he noticed and said, "Something wrong with me?"

"Oh, your arm..."

"Ah this? I think I told you before," he softly touched the clear cut with his left hand and added, "Well... some stuff happened and now this."

I was left silent for a while before he broke it, "What's wrong? Do you hit your head or something?"

"That's not funny! I was so worried when two of his mates dragged him out of the forest with his head covered in blood. Arbie said he was going with 5 groups consisting of more than 50 people, after a few days only 3 came back! I'm trying to squeeze out information from the higher up, but they won't let me! Can you believe it?"

"Now, now..." he tried to calm her, then glanced back at me. "Oh yeah, what happened during your journey to the Stoworth Mount? Do you encounter anything? What happened to others?"

Both of them turn to me, suddenly sounding tense while only the image of the car crash occurs to me. I scratched my head trying to find the fitting words based on what I heard from them, but I simply replied with, "I'm not clear. But it's probably nothing serious so don't worry about it. I'm sure others are just ahead of us."

"Hmm... memory problem? I sure hope you don't end up forgetting about us," laugh the man which anger my mom as she complaining about the overall seriousness.

A slight blow through the flying curtain sends a chill on my thin skin. Honestly, watching both of them arguing while laughing at the same time gives me a strange feeling. But it sure put a smile without my consent.

"This doesn't look so bad."