Morning had come. Heka opened her eyes slowly. The dim light barely touches the edges of the room. His gaze fell upon at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It read 05.00 in the morning. Though the world outside was still clocked in darkness, he knew it was a good time to wake up.
He was able to sleep longer. Perhaps it was just a few more hours, four hours to be exact. Enough to rest, enough to prepare for what lay ahead: going home.
Despite the physical test, his mind remained restless. A heavy burden weighed on his thoughts. An invisible chain was pulling at his consciousness. Sometimes, he felt as if he was under control by unseen forces. When presence lingered in the corners of his mind.
He was torn. A flicker thought, should he follow the stirring of his heart or let the moment slip away, and forget like a fleeting shadow?
The events of yesterday played over his mind. It was strangely natural and yet unsettling. Was there something more to unravel, or was it better to leave it be?
Considering today was the last day he was in the hospital, the decision pressed heavily upon him. Will he approach that person or walk away without a single word? His curiosity about his real identity gnawed at him. However he also terrified the unsettled answers.
After a long moment of contemplation, he decided not to approach. From now on, that person was important – not today, and probably never.
"Maybe I should do it as if nothing happened. After all, nothing to blame for forgetting the moment in life that lasted only a few minutes. It's unlikely to see him again anyway." He thought quietly.
With that resolve, Heka closed his eyes, preparing to face the day which was carrying the silent mystery within him. Yet he chose peace over pursuit.
Then he took his jacket and phone. He stepped out of the room. He felt he was much better outside than in the room. After all, it was boring. Yet no one accompanied him.
The place he wanted to go, was the hospital garden downstairs. While, he was treated on the 3rd floor.
As he passed by the room where the man was being treated, he passed for a moment and glanced inside. It was empty. The man was nowhere to be seen. He wondered silently where he had gone in the early morning.
Without lingering, he continued walking straight towards the elevator.
When he reached the ground floor, he made his way to the nearby bench and settled down. As he was ready to wait for his mother's arrival.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. Then he put on his earphones and pressed play. Letting the music fill his ears to calm his restless thoughts.
The vibes at that time were calm and refreshing. The morning dews carried a slight chill, crisp and invigorating. Luckily, he was wearing a jacket, which shielded him from the cold and kept his body warm.
Suddenly, something dropped right in front of him with a hard thud. He was startled. Then he looked down to see what had just fallen. To his relief, it was just a book.
He reached out and picked it up. He looked up and found out who dropped it. The vibes of the balcony also seemed quiet. He saw no one was standing on the balcony. The book seemed to fall from the sky.
Then Heka realized as if it felt like déja vu. He had experienced a similar moment just yesterday. His gaze shifted down to the book in his grips.
"Catasways of the Flying Dutchman, Bryan Jacques. It seems the title of this book is very familiar."
Curiosity, he opened and read a passage. His voice was loud yet softly to himself. "The Flying Dutchman, hmm… who knows how it all began, only two living beings. I take up my pen and tell you the tale."
When he flipped through the pages, he heard running footsteps as if walking towards him. A rapid pounding on the ground grew louder, accompanied by the sharp intake of breath.
"Sorry, it's my book." A voice said, seemed breathless.
Heka looked up. There was a boy who was standing in front of him. Slightly out of breath, but relieved to have found his book.
For a moment he was aware if the strange moment of yesterday didn't repeat. The book did not fall from the sky. But he really did not expect the person who dropped the book to be the same person who lingered around his thoughts.
He was startled, but deep down. He knew that he had to accept his consequences for not approaching him earlier.
He felt as if the fate was weaving a thread he was not able to escape. When he tried to avoid fate, then fate inevitably found its way back to him.
"Here you are." Heka said quietly while giving the book to him. Nevertheless, he found some odds. The boy's eyes held no recognition – no flickered memory or familiarity. As he didn't remember Heka at all. As they were stranger than just met for the first time.
A chill rand down Heka's spine. The encounter, the book, the strange déjà vu, it seemed more mysterious than before.
Apparently, he felt sorry that he had decided to forget the moment of yesterday. This time the boy whom he met, who pushed him, was standing right in front of him.
"Thank you." Ansel said softly. He turned to leave just like that.
Before he was able to walk away, Heka quickly stopped him by grabbing his wrist. The boy looked back at Heka with wide eyes. He clearly startled by his sudden gesture.
"Don't you remember me? We met yesterday at the mall," Heka asked. His voice tinged with hope and confusion.
Ansel shook his head firmly. He denied calmly. "No way, I've been in the hospital for a whole week." He replied. His tone was resolute.