Across the World

Chapter 11: A Letter

“Luna,” she heard a soft voice. As if her mother was calling her. Luna slowly opened her eyes. The first person she saw was her guardian. Her eyes were still narrowing. Until she realized what had happened to her. She quickly sat down on her bed and she wondered how she had returned to their home. She felt a pain in her body and she saw the wounds on her skin. She immediately remembered how she had gotten the wounds on her body.

“I’m glad to see you’re awake. All night you've been unconscious. What happened?” her guardian asked her with concern, but Luna was still thinking about how she got home. She had reached a far unknown place, she even rolled into the ravine, so she thought that it was impossible for anyone to see her.

“Be thankful to your friend who saw you and brought you here,” her guardian added.

“F-friend?”

“Yes! Your friend is named Lucas, right? He also helped me to treat your wounds,” her guardian explained to her. Luna wondered how Lucas saw her and brought her home? When she told Lucas not to follow her, Luna took a deep breath and she laid her body again on her bed. She thought that was the second time that Lucas saved her life.

“Can you explain to me what just happened to you yesterday?” her guardian asked her again.

“I fell down the stairs of our school,” she lied. She knew her guardian. She was like a mother to her. If she tells you what really happened, her guardian will get angry. Also, her guardian will report to her parents. She will not be allowed to leave the house if there is no class in school.

“Please be careful, your parents might kill me if something bad happens to you.” There she was, her guardian began to preach.

“I understand!” Luna just nodded.

“Here,” her guardian gave her a piece of paper.

“What is this?” Luna asked her. She sat down again on her bed.

“Your friend Lucas told me to lend this to you,” her guardian stood up. Then, she left her alone in her bedroom. Luna stared at a piece of paper she was holding. She thought, maybe a letter from Lucas. She didn’t know if she would open it because of what she had done to Lucas. She was suddenly ashamed of her behavior. She was afraid to open it, perhaps the content of the letter was a farewell. Luna shook her head. She erased her negative thoughts.

She immediately opened it with her full courage.

Luna,

I know you don’t like what I did, to follow you when you leave me alone. However, I just can’t ignore you, especially when I see you going in the wrong direction. I’m sorry if I did not catch you right away could be towards you, but I’m too high watching you from the sky.

I’m sorry if you think your life has become miserable because of me. Do not worry, I will listen to you. I will give you what you want because I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to see you cry. I promise you that I will not come near you, but I’ll continue to watch and save you, because you’re my princess.

Lucas

“A princess? Is he out of his mind?” Luna whispered to herself. Even though she felt bad, she tried to get up. It was a new morning again. She had not noticed the time that had passed since she lost consciousness. She had to go to school. She rubbed her two eyes. She forced her body to move because that was the day when the winners of the painting contest were announced.

As she took care of herself, she couldn’t help but think of Lucas. As well as Julio. She didn’t imagine that Julio was able to scare her. There has been a big change in his behavior. Luna had known for a long time that Julio liked her. But no matter how much Luna rejected him, Julio was still kind to her. Luna stopped in front of the mirror. She stared at herself. She wondered how she would deal with Lucas and Julio. She really couldn’t help but to see them. They entered the same university.

As she does, she no longer chooses clothes to wear. What she saw hanging inside the cabinet was what she would pick up and wear. She didn’t take a bath. She let the medicine put on her wounds be effective. She just tied her hair up. She had no appetite when she came out of her room while she carried her bag. She just walked straight, until she got out of their house. Her eyes suddenly closed because she was dazzled by the sunlight. She rubbed her eyes, thinking if she was still going to attend school. But she had to because she had a purpose.

She opened her eyes. They blink. She just looked straight ahead and walked away. While she strolled the street, she thought of a plan of how she would face Lucas and Julio, if ever she would meet them during her journey through the university. She thought of how to become calm when she met up with Lucas.That she didn’t have to be scared if she encountered Julio.

“What if I don’t pay attention to them?” she whispered.

“What if I pretended that I hadn’t seen them?” she added. As she thought, she didn’t notice Julio on the other side of the road, who watched her body movement. When he noticed that Luna didn’t seem to be in her senses because she was thinking, he rushed at her. He positioned himself behind Luna. And when he made sure no one was around, and Luna was unaware of him, he covered her mouth. He hugged her tightly. He dragged her down into a small street.

Luna wasn’t able to fight back. He was strong. She also didn’t know who was dragging her along the way. But she thought that Lucas wouldn't be able to hurt her. It only means one thing: Julio was the one with her. She was just thinking about how to deal with him, when Julio suddenly appeared, which she didn’t expect. Now, what will she do? If she just let Julio, maybe something bad would happen to her. She pulled Julio’s hand away with all her might covering her mouth. Then, she bit it. Julio pushed her away. When Luna saw him, she was not mistaken in her suspicion.

“Don’t come near me!” she shouted. Luna panicked. But Julio wasn’t looking at her. He just looked around, side by side. Left and right. He looked anxious. He seemed to be hiding. If she observed him closely, as if Julio had no sleep. He looked like he had taken a lot of drugs. At those times, black smoke or dark shadow was not attached to his body. Julio wanted to escape from him. But he couldn’t. Luna tried to understand his situation. For her, something wrong is happening to him. Then, Julio approached her quickly. He held Luna’s hand.

“First of all, I’m really sorry, Luna! I didn’t mean this way. Please forgive me!” he pleaded. Luna didn’t understand what Julio was trying to say or explain. But she was willing to listen to him.

“I need your help. Someone—” Julio wasn’t able to carry on with what he was saying, when he felt something different in his body. He hurried away in front of her. Luna was confused. When she stepped on her right foot to come near to him, Julio restrained her.

“No! Stay where you are,” Julio commanded.

“What’s happening to you?” she asked her with concern.

“No! Please don’t!” Until Julio bowed his head. He pulled out his hair. He knew that a dark shadow was entering his body again. He fought it. But he had no power to control this strange creature. But Luna didn’t listen to him. She still did what she wanted. That she would proceed to have a conversation with him. When she got closer to him, Julio suddenly strangled her.

“You!” he shouted while his eyes burned in fire. Luna was terrified while she breathed with difficulty.

“Give him to me. I won’t bother you when you leave him. But if you stay at his side, I will kill you!” She heard a different voice. Not Julio’s tone. She held Julio’s hand, because Julio slowly lifted her in the air. Obviously, in her situation, she was in great danger. Will Lucas come to save her? She closed her eyes when she remembered what she did to Lucas. She assumed that Lucas wouldn’t come, and accepted her own death. But as she surrendered herself to Julio, she also recalled the letter from Lucas. Something that gave her a little hope. She was about to faint, until she heard the voice of Lucas.

“Let her go!”