It’s Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle

"Why do you like writing so much, Mom?"

For as long as Kyra could remember, her mother would always sit on the desk that her father had single handedly made for her. The sound of her pencil scribbling on her green notebook echoed to the hallway and the little Kyra would sit behind the door listening to it. Before long, the sound of her typing vigorously would follow.

Then, the next time Kyra opened her eyes, the night would have fallen, and her mother would be brushing her hair while gently scolding Kyra, "Why do you sit outside? It's cold. Next time, you can just come in."

But Kyra never did, because the fire in her mom's eyes when she went head-to-head with her imagination was too beautiful to be ruined by Kyra's small desire to play with her. The young Kyra was always awestruck by her mom's passion.

How could someone love something so much?

Her mom would even dare confess that she loved writing more than her dad. But dad was never upset about that. He said he loved her for that very passion, for the fire that never dimmed, and for her bravery to turn her dream into reality.

Kyra thought it was an exaggeration from her dad's part. But now she understood why it took courage to realise one's dream, because her mom's writing defined her as a person. Her story inscribed a piece of her life, and the words weren't just words, they described her heart.

So, when someone read her work, it wasn't just fiction. They were reading into mom's life, piece by piece, until they knew her and their review was what they thought of mom. 

Sometimes it hurt, but sometimes it would feel like she had gained a friend.

"So, Kyra, writing isn't just an escape. It can be a way for you to convey your heart when talking isn't possible."

"But don't tell the whole truth."

"The truth should only remain with you, because an author is also a human and we need to guard our hearts."

Kyra stared at the pen in her hand. It was an antique given by her mom on her tenth birthday. The last gift she received before she lost her parents, and it was also the first reason why she started writing.

It was the only way that she could see her mom and stay connected with her.

So, when did it all change?

Her mom began to turn from the shadow behind her book to a memory in the back of her mind. Then, instead of half-truth, she poured everything out.

She unknowingly became a character named Marlene who loved to dream because it was the only way she could meet her beloved Charles and touch him without activating her curse.

At first, it was just a nightly dream but overtime, Marlene's feelings grew powerful, and it consumed her as if it was a part of the curse itself. Eventually, her love drove her to commit suicide because falling into a coma was the only way for her to dream endlessly.

Her book entitled "See You in Dream" portrayed the love of Marlene towards her caretaker, Charles and her excruciating curse of breaking apart and regenerating again whenever she touched the person she loved.

Yet, despite knowing the agony that would torment her, Marlene decided to stop dreaming one day and took Charles' hand.

But what Kyra never expected was that the end of her book was continued in reality. She faced the consequences of her decision to stop dreaming.

The pain that followed the love that she so very much desired broke her apart, and Charles watched her screaming without doing anything.

Kyra's eyes remained empty, looking at her phone that had been vibrating for the past hour. James' name was written on the screen. A cup of black coffee was brewing beside it. As Kyra took a sip, the bitterness assaulted her.

The rain was pouring outside of the 24-hour coffee shop.

****

"The number you're calling isn't available. Please try again later."

It was 2 am in the morning and James had been calling Kyra a dozen times but the answer was still the same.

After he had taken a cold shower after their argument, James thought about it and considered talking to Kyra again. However, when he reached her room, the girl was nowhere to be found.

Since then, James had been trying to reach her to no avail. He even called her editor, Valeria, but Valeria had no idea as well. In the end, James had to call his friends and anyone who knew Kyra but none of them had heard from Kyra 'till now.

"Damn it!" James threw his own phone to the seat beside him.

He had been driving for almost half an hour around the city, but he still hadn't found her, and it was now pouring badly outside. It narrowed down his vision, so he had no choice but to slow down as he looked for Kyra. Thankfully, the road was desolate at this time.

Suddenly, James' phone rang again, and he quickly picked it up, thinking it was Kyra. But Oliver's voice came through instead.

Still, he hoped for one thing, "Did you find her?" 

"Yes."

Oliver stood across the coffee shop with his umbrella as he watched Kyra sitting quietly inside. Even when his vision was obstructed by the rain, Oliver could still see the girl's condition wasn't good.

"Where is she? I'll go there now."

Oliver sighed. "No."

"What?" James immediately hit the brake. "Oliv…"

"Give her a break. I don't know what you said to her but I'm pretty sure you're the last person she wants to see."

Oliver breathed a long sigh. James was his best friend, but Oliver cherished Kyra as well, and right now, the one who needed someone more was Kyra. After all, she was just a young woman.

"James, you fucked up. So, instead of busying yourself with Kyra, you should clean up the mess you made. I mean plagiarism, really?"

James' grip on his phone tightened. "So, you believe I did it?"

"At this point? Yes, I do. As your childhood friend, I know how far you can go. They don't call you heartless for nothing."

His best friend's answer completely crushed James. Although his intention was to erase that book from Kyra's hand, there was no way he would hurt her that way. Nevertheless, the incident still achieved what he wanted. That was why he remained quiet without knowing what awaited him was her tears.

But, to take away the sadness might mean giving her hope. After all, despite what awaited her, Kyra still reached out to him. She was ready to take the pain just like Marlene.

When James read that, he was frightened for her because at the end of the day, the one who would hurt the most would be the woman.

It was always the woman, and not the man.

Imagining how people would point their fingers at her, James ended up choosing to hurt her.

"Oliver…" James felt a lump stuck in his throat. "Please take care of her."

James had no choice but to turn back.

'...and Charles watched as Marlene screamed without doing anything.'

'The first thing that shattered was the hand that held him. As Charles felt the fragment of Marlene slip between his fingers, he didn't know that he would forever lose her.'

'Marlene would heal and become whole again, but what was once broken would never be the same. As it turned out, the pain was too much for Marlene and the curse ruined her…' 

Kyra wrote chapter one at the top of the page. She was about to continue but stopped when she saw somebody take the seat in front of her. Their eyes met and as expected, she saw the concern in his eyes.

Kyra smiled. "I'm okay."

Yet, her voice slightly trembled. Perhaps it was because of the rain.

"Would you like to come to my place?" Oliver asked.