Few days have passed since Alistair took shelter on our home here in the forest. He quickly adapted. Father and I were not surprised anymore. It's like Alistair has now a special connection with the nature surrounding us.
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One morning when I woke up, with father is still asleep, he was not beside me anymore. I jolted to find him. He was in the front porch, feeding some birds with cooked grain rice.
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When he heard my footsteps, he immediately turned his head.
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"Sorry, did we wake you?"
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I slowly shook my head. "Even if I do, the reason will not come from you or the birds."
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He smiled and tapped the birds' head. I sat infront of him, careful not to scare the birds away. Luckily they stayed eating, like I was just an air passing by. I could see Alistair's look from the corner of his eye, removing it as I sat down.
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"Has it been a week?" He asked.
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"I, Uhh, I think so. I lost track of days."
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Alistair's gazed turned to ground. I saw him blinked and took a sigh.
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"Hey," I called him.
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He just stared at me for a whole few seconds before snapping back. "I..."
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I forced the corners of my mouth to curved.
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"I hate to count, Reeves."
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The birds lifted their heads, looking at the bereaved man infront of them, before flying away to the trees.
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That morning, Alistair only spoken a few words to father and I as we eat. When Alistair went to the fountain to wash up, father thought it was strange so he turned to me.
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"Is he alright? Maybe he's sick?"
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I shook my head. "He said he don't like to count,"
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"Count? What is he counting...." Father immediately stopped and realized what I said. "Oh."
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I shrugged. "I would want him to stay a little longer,"
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Father caressed my back as I sat down the couch. "You know we can't do that, Alistair isn't for this place."
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I nod my head. "Father, do you think we'll see each other again? or that he'll come back here? Uhh, do you think he'll forget about us?"
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"Even I was not certain, Reeves." Father took a sigh. "But I don't think Alistair will forget about us," He assures me. "I can see both of you took a great fondness of each other."
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I scratch my eyes. People who have been in our house to shelter is different from Alistair. I would want them to go as I count the days of their stay, but I don't want Alistair to leave here for a while.
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"We are built with longing in our hearts, maybe if you thought of him everyday, what you both shared will push you to meet him again, don't you think?"
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"Like magic?"
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"So much better than that." Father has this smile like he was so sure it will happen. I don't know why, but I get those feelings.
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An hour passed after father left to the marketplace, Alistair hasn't come back from the fountain. I became agitated and brought my coat with me to look for him.
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When I arrived there, I saw him sitting on top of a rock, fully clothed, blankly staring at the scene infront of him. He turned his head as he heard my footsteps.
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"Reeves..."
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"Why are you here for so long? Father already left, you got me worried."
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He just smiled at me and invited me over to sit beside him.
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"I was sad, I couldn't go to the house yet."
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"Why?"
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"I can't bear the thought of leaving. I need to leave soon, I still don't know when. But I know I had to. But I don't want to."
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My gazed turned to the river. I didn't speak. I could just asked, 'could you stay here a little longer?' but that would be wrong. Alistair has a life outside ours, he's meant to know the world because that's what fate has given him. He didn't fit in here.
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"You know you weren't meant to be here," I spouted, something cracked on my voice. "Either way, we're just a part of something you go through."
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"I know...I hate it."
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"Hmm. Me too. I'll become lonely again in the house like I was before. Though not so much now since you've brought me books. Still...it'll be hard."
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Ali and I took a deep sigh. When I laid my back on the rock, he copied me and close his eyes.
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"Reeves,"
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"Yeah?"
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"Can Mister and you don't leave the forest until I came back?"
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I turned my gaze on him. "You heard father and I's conversation last night?"
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He nodded. "I heard he was planning to reside somewhere with you."
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"Hmm...yeah, father was like that. His mind tends to change."
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A pause.
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"Reeves?"
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"Hmm?"
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"Will I see you again?"
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"If heaven forbids, yes,"
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"I will defy the heaven for you."
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I let out a small laugh. "It'll be hard to defy the heaven."
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"Reeves,"
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"Hmm?"
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"If I fail to see you again, I'll make a bet on a God."
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I scoffed. "Who's God?"
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"Any God."
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"You're fearless. I'm proud of you."
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Silence enveloped us once again. I waited for him to talk, only to find him peacefully asleep few minutes later. Seeing him like that, I closed my eyes too.
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We played by the fall until dawn before we came back to the house. An hour later, father and I realized he was sick.
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"It hurts,"
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"Where?!"
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"In my chest. It hurts."
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I looked at father in panicked as he tried to caress his back. Father rushed to run in the marketplace to buy some medicine, but then I realized it has the possibility that it won't work.
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One, Alistair was from a wizard tower. Two, usually when one was sick, their head hurts, not their chest. Third, after everything he's been through here, he's been all healthy. If his sickness would occur, why now?
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I stood there holding Alistair's hands all night waiting for father to come back.
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"You can't die here, you know?"
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"Y-Yes. Your hands are terribly shaking, Reeves."
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"Just lay down. Don't try to stand. I'll pinch you."
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"I'm so sorry for all the troubles."
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I shook my head. "Please just get better. You still have a home to come back with."
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He nod his head. "I do."
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When father arrived, he immediately made Alistair swallow the two medicine. An hour later, Alistair fell asleep. Father and I had to watch him for two hours to monitor whether his chest would hurt again.
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Father held my hand. "You're shaking, Reeves."
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"We won't be blamed, right?"
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"What? Who's going to blame us for what?"
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I gazed at Alistair's sleeping figure. "He got sick. He's from the magic tower somewhere we've never been on. One of these days, he'll be back and tell his journey, what if they suspect we're the reasons he got sick? What if---"
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"Shh. This is a natural occurrence, Reeves. Don't overthink it, alright?"
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"..."
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"Right, come here." Father patted my back and hug me. "Just sleep."
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"I'm sorry,"
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"We'll be fine. No one's going to blame who."
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Father said I was asleep soundly.
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Nothing changed when I wake up. Alistair was still laying sick on the floor. I cooked him some porridge in the morning. He said his chest still hurts.
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"I had to leave,"
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"You still can't, don't be silly."
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He shook his head. "Only the magic tower has the answer."
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"...But you can't right now."
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Alistair looked at me without saying anything before looking away almost ten seconds after.
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I slept beside Alistair all day, taking care of him. Father had to sell the vegetables to the marketplace. It was dawn when I woke up. The moment I opened my eyes a little, Alistair was sitting leaning on the wooden wall behind him and staring at me.
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"You're alright?" I asked.
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Instead of answering, he only gave me a soft assuring smile. "Sleep some more."
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"Alistair,"
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"Hmm?"
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Even though my eyes are closing again, I tried my best to open it. "Don't leave yet," I stretched my arms to reached for his. I felt him held it. Closing my eyes, I've only saw a blurry figure of him whispering something and everything blacked out.
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That very next day, I never saw his trace around again.
ns216.73.216.33da2
and then Add to home screen.