After Koru snuck back to his room, he laid back onto his bed as he was before. Hoping he wouldn’t get caught, he covered himself with his bed sheets. He couldn’t stop thinking about the plan that Sunoco had spoken to him.
“So listen here. In order to save Ana, she has to stay hidden.”
“But won’t he notice something’s up if I show up myself?”
“You won’t be alone. I’m taking her place.”
“Sunoco…err, mom…umm…”
“Sunoco’s fine. I have a new identity.”
“I can’t let you die either! I just can’t do it!”
“Don’t worry. I already experienced death before. Oh, don’t tell Ana about the plan.”
“Why not?”
“There would be complications. There’s no other way. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. Promise me you won’t say anything.”
“Sure. You can count on me.”
The words kept repeating in a loop in his mind as a broken record player.
There’s no other way. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.
Koru stared at the ceiling for a long time. ”Sunoco…” He said to himself. “Is there really no other way to solve this?” The whole time, he felt uneasy. As he was about to drift away to sleep, the door opened.
“Koru, is this a bad time?” Ana looked down to his face as Koru’s head hit the floor.
Ana sat on the foot of the bed. She had a faraway look in her eyes. “What would you say if we went somewhere amazing tomorrow?” Koru gave her a puzzling stare. He knew something was up. She only acted this way to avoid trouble. *No,* He thought. *There’s no possible way that she knows about this situation…isn’t it?*
“...Ana? What are you talking about? Are you okay?” She snapped to her old self and quickly nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m alright. I just wanted to spend some time with my brother, that’s all,” she said as she turned her head away.
“I know my older sister better than anyone. You better tell me what’s going on, or I’m not talking to you anymore.”
“You’re bluffing, aren’t you Koru?” Ana reached her arm out to him, but he turned away. Her tears started to flow againShe turned to face him and shook her head, and leaned over to give him a warm embrace. He became quiet after she let him go. *That warm hug…Sunoco gave me one just like it. I knew she got it from someone…*
He was trying to find the right words without making her cry anymore. Koru made an exhausting sigh before speaking again. "Look, I know you worry about me; I mean, you’re a big worrywart. But you shouldn't be. I eventually have to take care of myself, you know."
She couldn’t handle the emotions within her and a moment later, there was a small sting across Koru’s cheek. Her hand burned with pain. His eyes grew wide with shock. Not once in her life, not even in their childhood, did she ever hit him anywhere, let alone slap him. Ana had enough of his strange behavior, and she was going to let him have it. "That’s enough out of you Koru Riga!” she barked. “Don’t you dare play stupid with me anymore, got it? I know what's going on!"
Ana tried to regain her lost composure. She cleared her throat before starting again. "I-I know what's going on. It's just that, how can you be sure you can be safe? How can you guarantee that they won't kill you after they kill me?"
YOU ARE READING
Collision
FantasyKoru Riga, an average 16-year-old boy, finds himself in a bizarre situation. He runs into a girl with mystic power, a woman claiming to be his sworn protector and his former gang willing to do anything to get his older sister. And to top it all off...
