The Warmth that Tumbles out in Winter

CHAPTER 7: The Labyrinth of Miseries (PART I): Who's Always There

A/N: This chapter is divided into two parts.

"Thank you."

She wrote few sentences before going to the river side. She sat and placed her lantern onto the water. Aurora watched her lantern with the others going far away from them.

'I wish I can escape from the past that keeps dragging me. I wish I can finally find the genuine ecstatic in my life.'

Those were her written words. She smiled and stood up. When she turned around, she was bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry."

She heard how deep the voice was so she concluded that she bumped with a man. Aurora noticed that the man is too tall so she looked up.

A pair of mesmerising honey brown eyes met hers.

Both of them focused their eyes on each other. Aurora gave him a look, unflinching. There she noticed his familiar features. From his eyes, come an intensity, an honesty, and gentleness. As if those eyes want to be a window to show his kind soul. His nose, lips, even the hairstyle of the man seems familiar with her. Her eyes widened when a realization hit her. "Leyden..." she muttered

He gulped. "Aurora, it's been a long time. How are you doing?"

Under the dark sky that lighten by the lanterns, the two of them focused their eyes to each other until their memories are slowly coming back.

March 03, 2008

Aurora was running as fast as she can from school after she received the call of her auntie that her mother is in the hospital. She was catching her breath and tears flowing down to her cheeks. When she reached the hospital, she directly went to the hospital counter and asked the nurse.

"Excuse me, may I know what room number is Olivia Everly?"

The nurse checked her records first. "Rom 18 i 8. etasje"

"Thank you."

Aurora immediately ran to the elevator and went inside, pushing the button of 8th floor. She sat in the corner with her knees up near her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

She was trembling. Too much emotions were gathered at her chest. The fear thoughts looped around in her mind until there was no room for anything else.

Whenever she receives a call from her auntie, she knows that something happened to her mother. This is not the first time that this kind of thing happened. It occurs constantly.

When the elevator opened, she stood up while wiping her tears and grabbed a small mirror from her pocket to check if her face looks obvious from crying. She doesn't want her mother to worry about it.

Passing the hospital rooms, she was looking for room 18. When she finally saw it, she opened the door slowly. There she saw her mother laying down the bed, sleeping peacefully. She noticed the bandage wrapped around her head.

"What happened to her?" She asked her auntie in a whispering voice but her eyes were focused to her mother.

"She.. she fell from stairs. That's it and uh- I brought her to the hospital with the help of that gentleman," her auntie answered.

"Who?"

Aurora's eyes landed a gaze where her auntie was pointing out using her fingers.