Wings & Dreams

Ch.3 - Apparitions

It's been days since that strange event happened to Grandma. And I've been trying to reach her for days, but Grandma never picks up my phone. Unlike usual Grandma who has a lot of free time never took the time to answer calls from me.

I was lying on my own bed. I looked up and found Jon staring at me. My head is on his shoulders. Jon smiled and kissed my hair bangs, his arms wrapped around my waist getting tightened.

"Clara, don't think too much about it" he said, inhaling my scent. "We'll call your grandmother again. It might just be a normal windstorm. Your village, too, is often buffeted by the wind because it is located in a tropical area."

I closed my eyes and leaned back on his shoulder. "Yes, when I was a child, my roof would always sway every week. I have to help my Grandma clean up the mess of the rest of the storm." The memory of the ferocious wind that once struck my village made me shudder. "But, Grandma was already used to dealing with such stormy winds. He should have survived." I let out a sad breath. "And you should still be working."

"Hmmm? I want you to go," Jon twisted a little bit of my face, then bit my lip. I reflexively hit him. Jon just laughed at me.

The door to my room suddenly opened from the outside. Stef peeked a little and, when he saw us alone on the bed, he hurriedly approached me. "Clara, I think you should see something." He handed me his phone that was still on. Confused, I took it and saw what he wanted to say.

I pegged when I saw the news headline on the phone screen.

'The Devastated Norlata Village Is Unstable, Causes: A Great Cyclone.'

My body started shaking. It turns out that hurricanes are the cause. I moved my thumb, swiped the phone screen up to see more of the news. There is a photo clearly displayed. My Grandma's village now looks stifling. Scattered building debris, collapsed roofs, and fallen trees.

Tears began to cloud my vision. This is clearly my village. The village where I was born, as well as my childhood home. I recognize this place. I recognised.

"Claras..." My two friends are watching me now. I regained my senses and hurriedly blinked my eyes so that the tears could be wiped away. However, my actions instead made tears come loose and wet my cheeks.

"I.I have to go to the toilet for a while" I muttered as I got out of bed. Without looking back, I stepped out of the room.

After locking the toilet door, I pressed the sink with both my hands. My tears are starting to come out of my two eyes. I couldn't help it anymore, so I fell to the floor and cried. I pulled my knees and buried my head in them. The sounds of wind and the cries of people came back to my mind. I remember my last call with Grandma. Yeah, maybe that day was the last day I could hear Grandma's voice. And on that day, I let Grandma down. I failed the interview. Now, Grandma could not leave the world quietly. I haven't been able to make money for my own life.

"Saddening" a whisper came from behind. I stopped sobbing, and immediately raised my head and turned to the source of the voice. There's no one.

You're crazy, I said to myself. Maybe it was the voice of Grandma who was disappointed in you, I said in my heart.

A laugh came out of my mouth. Maybe I'm crazy. Or maybe it was a voice from my own mind.

I felt the weight of Stef's phone in my right hand. After completely drying my tears, I then read clearly the contents of the news.

'(09/08/08) Norlata village has been found in a state of severe destruction by the police at dawn, more precisely at 03.25 local time. The cause is not known, but local police suspect that a typhoon hit the village a few days ago, after the discovery of evidence that some of the bodies of the missing victims were left untraceable. Until now the number of victims disappeared has reached hundreds, more precisely 225 people.'

After that, there are the names of the list of victims found dead. My throat choked, and I occasionally let out a hiccup. I don't want to find Grandma's name. Part of me was hoping that Grandma's name would be listed here, that her body had been found and that she could rest in peace. But part of me didn't want to find it. If Grandma disappeared, there's still a chance that she might survive out there.

"Clar!" The toilet door was suddenly knocked. "Clara, are you okay?!" Jon and Stef shouted from the outside. I hurriedly turned off Stef's phone, then reflected. My eyes are red and swollen. I don't want my two friends to see me in this state.

"Yes!" My yelling. I cleared my throat, trying to clear my voice before I yelled again, "I'm using the toilet! It might be a while since my stomach hurts!" I lie.

The door is no longer locked. Jon spoke again, "Okay, Clara. We'll be waiting for you outside. Let's talk about this all right, okay? I love you always, Clara."

I smiled and replied. "I love you, too." After which, the sound of their footsteps faded away.

I sit on the toilet seat. After preparing myself, I finally reopened Stef's phone.

I was about to swipe through the screen to read the list of names of the victims that had been found before I looked back at the photo.

My heart is beating fast. I blinked my eyes repeatedly, but what I saw was still the same and did not disappear. I moved both my thumbs to enlarge the photo.

Right behind the collapsed building, I saw it. The silhouette of the tall man that appeared on his back. I saw a pair of wings stuck there.