Happy Halloween people and enjoy!
I couldn't look at that man whose name I still don't know in the face today. If I did, I would feel my face turn really hot and I wanna bury my head in the sand. Sand…reminds me of Moonlight Beach, which I'm never going to see again as long as I'm here. Seth, what we did we do to Moonlight Town? This never would have happened if you-if I-
Stop thinking about that Mia, and worry about the situation at hand. It's rude going through the day without saying anything and I can't just stare at the ground. We're right by the house, so say something-! Anything!
"Euh, I'm sorry about…yesterday, m-" I struggle to utter with shaky hands. I'm too scared to look up to see his expression-everything about this guy is scary. How come Ms. Topaz didn't come with us the yesterday or today? It would have helped a lot. I hear the guy's footsteps stop as I start to recognize the path decorated with autumn leaves leading up to the house, thank goodness. I pace down the path, finally lifting my head now that I'm further away from him.
"Keep him under check," the crimson-eyed boy warns in a threating tone. There was so much bitterness in that voice, it makes me want to run far away from here. Nonetheless, I keep my composure and get to the door and strangely enough, Seth is on the balcony, watching him behind me.
"Hey Seth!" I skip a little and wave. "What're you doing?"
"What am I doing? What were you doing?" asks Seth in a accusatory tone. I cross my arms and open my mouth in sheer surprise.
"Seth, I was helping him get another Chaos Emerald," I briefly explain without the frivolous details of my shame and embarrassment. "Like I did yesterday."
To my horror, his fists close tightly and his face forms in to a look of disgust. "What were you doing with him?"
"I'm…"
I stop my sentence short when Seth leaps from the balcony and lands two inches away from me. My heart pounds as I jump back, startled from his flashy descent.
"I-I explained this to you yesterday Seth. He needs Chaos Emeralds and I'm the only one who can find them. If I don't do this, I'm afraid he's going to hurt me, so I have to do this."
"Next time he comes, I'll handle him."
"Seth, please don't do that. Please don't."
"You think I'm not strong enough, just like yesterday," he pouts immaturely. I sigh exasperatedly and shake my head despondently. He went on and on about this nonsense about him being weak yesterday and that's why "I'm treating him like a dependent child".
"Seth, you're the strongest guy that I know," I say as I hurriedly follow him inside. "Why do you keep on saying you're weak?"
"I prefer if you didn't go out with him every day."
My cheeks flush-not with embarrassment but with frustration. "I don't have a choice."
"I told you, I could take care of him. You saw how I stopped that palm tree from crushing us before," he insists, turning to me with flaring nostrils.
"Seth, I don't doubt that you're strong-"
"How else am I supposed to prove it to you?"
"I really don't know." I turn my head away with blurry eyes. I haven't cried since I was a child and I can't break that record now. "You're my best friend, and I worry about you."
"Then why are you against me? Ever since we came here, you've been against everything I did."
"That's not true," I storm out of the living room, stepping outside. I exhale, trying not to let sangfroid escape me. I'm not like this-I'm much more calm and composed and arguing with Seth is only going make matters worse.
Without expecting it, I feel rough hands on my wrists. Seth spins my body around to face him, with an earnest expression.
"You don't need to worry about me," he assures, but I'm still doubtful. "Trust me, I can take him and make sure you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"And trust me when I say this-that guy is not safe. Do you know how scared I was for you yesterday?" my voice becomes shaky. "Don't try anything."
"Mia," an unfamiliar voice from the familiar person hisses, "trust me."
I catch a glimpse of something purple on where Seth's hands are. The violet aura from yesterday is seeping from his hands and crawling onto my wrists. Fear opened my mouth but let no sound escape from it. Abruptly, twinges of pain scratched the surface of my skin, like a cat clawing my arms.
"Seth, stop it," I shakily beg, attempting to slip out of his grasp. He doesn't budge-he just glares at his aura-filled hands as if he is actually enjoying my pain. "Seth!"
Suddenly after my feeble tugging, my wrists slip out and I bump into the window. His glare dissipates seeing me rub my wrists profusely and shifts to a look of horrible realization. I avoid his eyes-his guilty expression would make me feel bad for being mad at him. Both of us are petrified in our stances; the cool breeze would blow and only our hairs would move. I wonder what he's thinking about-me? That scary guy? Being at Moonlight Town?
I used to be able to know what Seth was going to do, to say, and how he would reply to things. Even though it's only been a year, he's trusted me with all of his secrets and I've done the same. We spent practically every day together, going to the beach, and just being together all the time. I know him and he knows me.
I don't know if I can still that now. Ever since that day he told me about going to other worlds, I've never felt so disconnected from him. As if the Seth I knew was long gone and replaced with a look-alike. Why do I have a terrible feeling of things to come?
"Mia. I don't-I'm sorry," stammers Seth with a concerned tone but stern gaze. "I-this isn't…"
Sharply, he turns around and makes a cold dash away from me. I'm still stunned from what happened that I can't even open my mouth to call out to him. Actually, some part of me feels relieved-
What am I saying? Seth is leaving and you're letting him go!
With a delayed start, I start to follow him down the side of the road. Hey, he got much faster than before-it's hard to keep up with him without losing him, but then again, I'm going kinda slow on purpose.
The chase begins to take its toll on Seth's fatigue. We both shoved through the city crowds, annoyed the elders and it felt as if were back at home, running alongside on the sea when the moon spilled its light upon the entire island. It made me feel nostalgic for a second.
Then we cut through a park and now he's coming to a stop. While chasing him, I thought to myself, what would I say to him when I catch him? And I still haven't figured out what I could say. Seth takes in a couple of breaths, glances behind him to see me, and starts walking up the semi-steep hill. Reluctantly, I follow suit, trying to spit something out to stop him.
Finally, he reaches the top, and faces the setting sun. I catch up with him, put my hand on his shoulder leniently, finally knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry about everything that happened to us the past couple of days. It's been hard for me to deal with this, and I haven't considered your feelings while this was happening. We can do whatever you want to do and I'll see it your way, ok?"
He slowly faces me with an impassive gaze. I flash him a half-smile and shrug. "Well?"
"You've always considered my feelings for everything. You've got no reason to apologize," he says apathetically with his head to the ground. "…but I do. Mia, I've been keeping a secret from you."
My pupils dilate wildly as my grip loosens.
"Which is why I don't deserve," he gently removes my hand from his shoulder, "your friendship."
"Wha-?"
"I'm leaving."
"Why? Wha-what're you saying?" I hold my hands to my head.
"Always you've supported me in whatever we did. You think I've never noticed, but I do appreciate everything you do for me. But I can't bring you down anymore-this, this secret is too much for me, so I'm sorry. Don't follow me."
He begins to walk off the opposite direction. No, no, no-this can't happening.
"Seth, stop please! Whatever I did to you, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"You'll be consumed by me, so don't bother. I said not to follow me-" he insists without turning.
"Seth, let's just go back to the house and try to…" I'm unable to finish the sentence. After all of this, then what? What else can I do-no! I can't give up like this, I need him with me.
He coldly grabs my reaching hand and throws it at me roughly. I take my hand back with tear-stricken eyes and a crushed heart.
"The next time we see each other, I'll be out to kill you," threatens Seth with the most severe look I've ever seen. "Get it?"
"Seth?"
"We're enemies Mia. I'll be back soon to obliterate you and you better be ready."
In fearful silence, I watch him fade away into the sunset. My shrieks and bitter cries are in vain, as the cracks in my heart deepen. Why is this happening? It's all my fault!
"Seth, please answer me! Come back, come back," my cries grow weaker. "Seth, please come back…"
'
I pound on the sofa cushions as endless tears stream down my cheeks. My chest feels like it's ripping apart with every tear that falls and every wail from my throat. Seth-my best friend, the one person in the world who understood me is gone. And he's coming back to…kill…
I can't even finish saying it without bursting into my tears. My chest has never hurt like this before; why did I have to push him away, the only person in this world-no, out of the millions of worlds out there-who I can say is my best friend? I will never forgive myself for this.