Theresa’s eyes opened when her phone vibrated, expecting to see Tomoya’s name on the caller ID and she was not mistaken.

She stared at the call for a moment, thinking to whether answer it or not.

Apparently, San Gregorio Magno Parish is an hour travel from her house and an hour-half from Tomoya’s. If she tells him she went away, he might wonder why and she’s not risking any suspicion now that the two are aware she’s still blinded from her oh-so-called visions.

She sighed when the call went off and was about to sit back the pew when another one followed. It wasn’t registered and somehow brought tingles to her body.

Alright, understandable. Misfortune and nothing more had to put Theresa almost twisted on her knees when she answered it and heard Takumi talk on the other line.

“Where are you?”

Jesus!! I just prayed for good luck and now this? She almost chokes in her own thoughts.

“A-Ah… just had to pick something.”

“Okay. Be at Tomoya’s in thirty minutes.”

“Wait, wha—hello?” Theresa looked at her phone and placed it back her ear to listen.

“Hello? Hel—wow!” She had only placed a hand on her mouth in disbelief when she realized Takumi did really cut the call off without a warning.

“That heartless jerk.”

Theresa sighed and sat down the pew completely, forcing her hands to loosen up on her bare thighs.

“How am I supposed to fit an hour in thirty minutes?” Her eyes pinned back on the statues. “Help me over here, man.”

~~~

“Twenty-four hours and still nothing? Is he really gonna die?”

“Shut up. Don’t say that.”

Junel pressed his lips together when Kim elbowed his waist. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed. “But can you, please, tell Jess to rest? She’s killing herself, let alone, the baby. If that happens, I might already snap. Besides, pregnant women are not supposed to enter the ICU. Why are they letting her in?”

“You’re so dramatic, geez,” Kim rolled her eyes and took her mask off. The two of them just stepped out of the Intensive Care Unit room where Scott laid, still unconscious.

He’s attached to medical apparatus with multiple cables and tubes which has their own alarms.

“You also need to rest, you know. Your eyebags sure weighs heavier than me and darker than my conscience hahaha. You can go home. I’ll stay with Jess until Kaiser takes over.”

“Nah! You should go home first,” Junel moved closer to Kim to take her gown and hair net. “Besides, our baby’s looking for you. You’ve been here almost same as Scott and…” he turned to the trash bin to dispose their used Personal Protective Equipment. Kim dashed over to throw her gloves as well.

“And what?”

“Did you know that Christian is also here? He’s been admitted this morning.”

“Hmm?” Kim smirked. “Really? For what reason?”

“I don’t know the exact details,” he faced her. “I’ll visit him later. I believe Kathleen is with him.”

“Good for him.”

“Good for him?” Junel’s brows met. Kim’s caramel eyes contracted and Junel, bewildered, found himself reading his girlfriend’s eyes. “Just an observation, you seem to have changed since… well… since Samantha disappeared.”

“C-Changed?”

At some point, Junel took her stammers as an attestation and shook his head to hide his thoughts. “I think I’m just a bit tired. You may go now.”

“Alright. Later, babe.”

Junel watched Kim walk away. “I love you,” he fought with his lips to get those words out because somehow, even without any evidence, he felt her drifting away or worse. “I’ll make all of these make sense,” he mumbled.

“The hospital reported laceration wounds, as they should. What else will they say aside from that?”

Junel peeped over the two junctions to find where the familiar voice is coming from. He leaned close to the wall when he saw two cops talking to Kathleen in front of the room where he suspects Christian is in.

“But the mark was there, ma’am.”

“Uh!” Junel watched Kathleen folding her arms, acting feisty in front of the two bulk men.

“With all due respect, officers. Are you saying I performed what? Witchery? Are you hearing yourselves right now?! You know Samantha Andersen’s case; have you gotten anything from that? Have you solved the case? Have you found evidences of what they call demons, huh? Have you?”

The cops exchanged looks. Eventually, one of them spoke. “I’m sorry, ma’am. You have all the rights to remain silent. You just really need to get a lawyer. If your boyfriend doesn’t wake up to prove your innocence, you’ll still remain as the prime suspect.”

The cops nodded and left. They went towards Junel’s direction, so he had to step back to hide. As soon as they’re gone, he peeked again to see Kathleen running her fingers through her hair in visible frustration.

“That’s the worst acting I’ve ever seen.”

Junel’s attention shifted to the man approaching Kathleen in a snide demeanor.

It’s Tomoya. He clearly remembers that face. Tomoya grinned and placed a hand on Kathleen’s shoulder.

“Stop worrying and tell us what happened. Like, in details.”

“Us?” Kathleen groaned. “With who?”

“Ahh… nii-san will catch up with us later.”

“And Theresa?”

Tomoya shrugged. “That, I’m not sure.”

“I’ll talk when Takumi’s here. I still don’t trust your judgements.”

A grimace plastered on Tomoya’s face, stepped back, and raised a thumb up. “I don’t trust yours either. Let’s call it a quits.”

“Let’s get in. Your voice might wake all the patients up including the ones in the morgue.”

“If I woke Scott up, will you be kind to me already?”

“Perhaps.”

Junel sighed and entirely reclined his back on the wall. They had already entered the room; he could still hear Tomoya’s voice, but could no longer make up any word.

Mark? Witchery? Demon? Junel sucked his bottom lip and took his phone out. Just before he could dial Kim’s number, a mental smack brought him back to his suspicion. She’s hiding something. They’re hiding something.

Teeth gritting, he turned his phone’s screen off and put it back in his pocket. “Nothing’s adding up,” he scrubbed a hand on his face.

But I’m sure, everything’s connected to Samantha. Who is that woman, really? Why is she being suspected as the demon’s servant or what in the actual hell they call her? Why do I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t have any idea what’s going on? Does Jess know? Can I ask her? Will she be honest with me?

Confusion. That’s the only thing Junel is positive at the moment and the fact that he feels like he couldn’t trust anyone… not even Kim.

“What’s wrong with her?” Takumi finally spoke after contemplating for approximately five minutes—Tomoya’s the one who did the counting—while watching the night lights outside the window of the room, Christian is currently being admitted in.

“Do we need Theresa that bad before we could hear Kathleen’s story?” Tomoya moaned in boredom. “Is her viewpoint really that necessary?”

“We’d both be in hell if it’s mine.”

Tomoya quickly raised both hands in rout when Takumi glared at him. “Relax! That was just an innocent and harmless question.”

“She’s still not answering,” Kathleen paced back and forth. With each tap, her phone’s liquid crystal display screen creates ripple, disturbing the position of the crystals in the pixels which would chiefly damage the device. She didn’t care less and was forced to give up on the twentieth missed call.

“So, what? She decided to escape? Did she get scared after what happened to Scott… after knowing what happened to me and my boyfriend?”

Kathleen stopped, rubbed her forehead, and looked at Christian who’s peacefully lying on the bed. He doesn’t look like he’s in pain… plainly… just asleep.

“You were the last one with her,” her attention suddenly switched to Tomoya who only batted his eyes, innocently. The sound of the game he’s playing silenced her and Takumi for a moment.

“Uh—no? She left an hour after nii-san did. Obviously, she’s been with a lot of people after me.”

“If you’re not just one and a half bullshit,” Kathleen’s fist clenched. “Can’t you see what’s going on around here? Can you be serious for at least once in your life?!”

Takumi shrugged. Kathleen just spoke what his mind hisses; he leaned his head on the window’s sill and looked back at the city night lights, waiting for Tomoya to speak.

“Well… I said something that might have hurt her feelings. I’m not sure tho, but I think that’s the reason why she left,” Tomoya explained in a way that would undoubtedly trigger Kathleen’s phone to fly against his face.

“Oh, God! Spare my soul,” she heaved a deep breath to calm herself down. Arguing with Tomoya won’t bring them any good; he’ll just tease her even more. “And what would that be?”

Tomoya decided to turn his phone off. Story-telling thrills him better than the game he’s playing. He sat straight and rested both hands lightly on his lap. “It’s something to do with nii-san’s feelings. I could tell you, but he might not let me.”

“Why me?” The two asked in chorus.

“Hmm? None of you sensed something odd about Theresa? The way she looks? Something fairly fishy?”

“Her entire existence is bizarre; I don’t know where to start. Just spare me the thinking for Pete’s sake or whoever’s sake we’re talking about,” Kathleen tossed her phone on the couch. “Nakashima Tomoya, please.”

“One sec…” Tomoya swiped a finger against the screen of his phone and dialed Theresa’s number. He’s waiting for the call to go through before deciding to pop some bubble, but it didn’t.

He shrugged, turned his phone off and faced Kathleen again.

“Uhm… Theresa actually li—”

“Hey! Sorry I’m late.