Fixing A Soul

33. All The Things That Could Go Wrong

  
With a heavy head, I slowly raised myself from the pillow. I can feel the dried tears on my cheeks still. I know I have woken up to an empty bed again. I dislike the feeling, it makes me feel lonely.

As I allow myself to slumped back on my pillow, I sighed and rolled around, trying to shake myself awake. My head moved over to look at George's watch on the bedside table. 2:24 AM.

I've fallen asleep for too long. All of the day's event flashed in my head. It went from a peaceful morning read to an unexpected visit from Aldron which forced me into a talk with him, the talk that left me in such distress, confusion and anxiety. Just the thought of it makes my head pound all over again.

Where should I began to explain everything to George? For all I know, even I  haven't managed to process all the information properly let alone trying to tell the horrendous truth as decently as possible.

At the thought of George, I looked around the room for him. Not a trace of him anywhere. Somewhere in the back of my mind I began to worry that he might've left me forever. I shook off the unrealistic thought.

I got up and walked toward the bathroom, mentally expecting for the doorknob to be locked but to my suprise, it clicked and opened with ease. Not a shadow of George anywhere.

My thoughts seemed to ring the bell. I suddenly thought of the abandoned pile of letters from Aldron that I've stored in the bottom drawer of my bedside table and anxiously made my way to the bedside table, horrified to see if everything has been read.

In panic, my shaky hands pulled the drawer wide open to reveal the untouched pile of letters inside. I let out an audible sigh of relief. I should get rid of these before they do more damage to the situation.

I shut the drawer with a bit of force and walked out of the bedroom, not sure of my next move. The house felt awfully quiet. The usual ambiance of laughter and music playing that I have  gotten used to is so quiet that I can even hear my own footsteps walking down the hallway.

The kitchen was empty, so was the living room. I had an impression that George is upset with me but yet again, how much does he know? I try to shug off the thoughts before they chained themselves into something ridiculous again.

I tried my luck on the last respectful location of the house, his small make shift studio room. I pressed my ear to the door, in hopes of hearing the strumming of the guitar or his faint humming but not a single sound wave was audible to my ear. I decided to knock and call his name.

"Come in." George called back.

I was relieved to hear his voice coming from the other end. As soon as I open the door, my face was hit with a wind of cigarette smoke forcing me to cough instantly.

"Hell, George. Where are all of this smoke coming from?" I questioned, my voice was hoarsed from not speaking since I've woken up.

"From here."

He tossed over a packet of cigarette with only three sticks left inside. He had been chained smoking. I wouldn't be suprised if he reveal another 2 empty boxes but the sight of it disgust me.

"What are you doing, Geo? It's going to make you sick!"

I went to open the only window in the room to clear out the fogged smoke, coughing my way through the process. It terrifies me to see George in this condition. Even though there isn't any claim that cigarettes are bad for the health yet, I'm more than confident that it could be deadly based on the poison inside of it.

"What are you doing is a question that's suppose to be directed to you, Julie. You see, I've been sat here all night trying to reasoned what that git might've told you to leave you in such a fragile state. I've always had my suspicions on him all this while."