NO DARK CLOUD WITHOUT A SILVER LINING

With the swift rasp from the door which spontaneously swept off the silence hovering the room, Rubin glanced back at the door, balancing his gaze with no interest at all, and intuitively spun back to what he was doing on his PC. But the knock persisted, which finally came with his sister's loud call.

" Come on, Rubin... It's me, Annabel~ Open the door, please... " She echoed but he just remained unbothered, sticking glued to his seat. As if on an impulse, she gingerly added. " Hey, let's talk... I know this is about her~ I mean your ghost friend."

With the mention of Laura, he paused on his work and stared over his shoulder for a brief second with a thoughtful gaze before screeching back the chair as he jerked off it with an exhausted and frustrated sigh.

Peering through the little hole of the door, he scanned at his sister who stood impatiently, waiting to be admitted so to clarify his doubts of his mother tagging along.

Rubin pulled the door open just as Annabel positioned herself to bang on it again. Her hands clenched in a fist were suspended in the air as it swung open. Great was her surprise when after what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and a smile instinctively dazzled on her face on seeing her brother.

" Oh, great... you finally came out." She mumbled. Without waiting to be invited, she walked past him into the room of which he gently pressed the door closed. " I thought you were never going to open up for me too." Ann expressed as she edged on the bed.

Ignoring her earlier statement, he queried as he settled back in his earlier spot.

" What do you want?... as you've already seen, she's not here."

He made his voice flat, devoid of all emotions yet his emotions were still frayed. Pretending to be busy with an assignment on his PC, Rubin instinctively turned his attention back to what he was doing earlier of which Ann noticed the effort he was putting in to keep his struggle from her. She looked at him for a while, as if undecided about what to say just then, the dress on the bed caught her attention. She scanned at it, but from the size of it, she automatically knew it wasn't for her~then it hit her, he'd bought it for his ghost friend but what happened then? She thought as she reached for it, reflecting on what the issue might be.

" Is this for her?" Ann finally asked which brought his gaze to her. Surveying the questioning look in her eyes, it appeared she wanted an answer so he tilted his head in response to her question. With a slightly lifted eyebrow, she nodded skeptically at the former's answer.

" So....what happened then?~ Did she disappear before you could?"

He sighed audibly and leaned back against his chair. " I wouldn't say so, Ann.."

" Then what?~ there should be a reason behind your sudden change and I know it's because of her." She pressed.

After a prolonged thoughtful silence, he sauntered. " Laura isn't dead, Ann...She was in a coma."

Her eyes spontaneously widened with shock written all over her face. " Oh....my.... goodness, this can't be." She exclaimed and as if on an impulse, added. " So you mean to say, she'd returned to her body?"

He nodded but then, the expression on his face just told otherwise. He was supposed to look cheerful but this was the opposite~ it was one of a pained and heartbroken person. Ann examined with displeasure.

" Weren't you supposed to be happy~ she's no more a ghost...Rubin! " She exclaimed, rising to her full length. " Don't you get it...this is good news and I'm happy for you."

" Not when she doesn't remember me, Ann." He said with a disappointed gaze of which Annabel stared at him in disbelief. She involuntary faint back into the bed where she'd sat earlier, her eyes dancing while she scanned at him.

" Our moments were just a flickering light which faded along with her ghost. I'm just a nobody before her, now ~ even though I'd wanted to hug her when I met her..... but then, I'd become a stranger ."

His words tore her heart~ every word just told how pained his heart felt and Anna understood it well enough. " Are you just going to let go like that?.... without a fight?" The words effortlessly popped out which made him glance at her. " There's always a silver lining in every dark cloud one encounters and I believe this is your dark cloud. Why not find the silver lining, huh?"

Rubin thoughtfully leaned back against his chair as he pounded over his sister's words.

" Ann...? Anna!" Audrey's voice invaded through the corridors as she called out from the call. Raising to her full length, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze with a faint smile and dashed out.

" Coming...mum, I'm here..." He heard his sister's voice fade down the corridors and his thoughts kept humming back the words she'd said earlier to him which had finally got him contemplating.

" Is he ready to let go of her now?~ a try wouldn't be that harmful~ Why not start all over again?" With this, he sprung to his feet, grabbed a black jacket from the wardrobe, picked along the dress he'd had bought and a few things she used when staying with him, and sped out.

Audrey and Annabel were already setting up for dinner when swift taps from the stairs drew their attention. Noticing Rubin for the first time in about three to four days, Audrey smiled. " Oh, you finally came out~ I believe you might be famished.... over here, dinner is done." She said as she approached him.

" Later, mum... going out now. See you later." He stated, scaling past her in a hast that puzzled her. Audrey who knew what he'd be out for, smiled with a satisfactory gaze as she watched his back fade out of the house. Audrey glanced back at her, stuttering.

" What's with him lately...?~ this wired attitude of his is becoming something else. I'm worried"

" No need to, mum... He's gonna be fine, huh~ trust me." With quite an uncertain gaze, Audrey nodded and Ann chuckled. " Here, let's finish this up." She added and they returned to what they were doing.

HOSPITAL

Lena settled along with Ben who sat a few inches from her as they took a spot in the seat she'd opted earlier. With a few pleasantries, Ben went ahead to obtain the reason for her sudden call although his subconsciousness had hinted at a few possible reasons which he doubted since there had not been any encounter even though he'd noticed her a couple of times, taking care of Alixies. With an expectant gaze, he kept wondering while he waited for her to bring bare what she'd called the meeting for.

She smiled. " Well... I'm Alixies' mother and wanted to thank you for caring for my daughter in my absence." She expressed.

The revelation involuntary rendered him speechless as he pounded over her words. Going through his thoughts, he remembered clearly he'd always left earlier before her return but now, everything seem out of context.

" Never knew she had a cute friend like you... what's your name?" She cut through his thought.

" Um.Ben... Ben Hansel~" He faltered with a faint smile and Lena chuckled.

" Hey... no need to be shy~ I'm Mrs. Lena Scot but you can call me Aunty. Feel free to visit home afterward as well. I mean after her discharge."

With a pained smile, he stared down at his feet and back up at Lena's face. " I'd love to but... maybe some years to come. And sorry, I may not be able to visit her either....not anymore." He explained which turned Lena's gaze blank.

" Why..? ~ Is there any problem." She queried worriedly.

" I'll be embarking on a long trip and not so sure when I'll be returning..." He paused and continued on an impulse. " Please, do take care of her for me. I beg to take my leave now." With that, he spontaneously jerked to his full length.

Giving an uncertain nod, she watched his back hobble down the corridors. His demeanour was strangely saddened and Lena kept pondering over his words. Just then, she heard a nurse call from Alixies' ward.

" She's awake...! She's awake !"