Secret Wounds

Disclaimer: I don’t own Beyblades (Damn company not willing to share their goods!)

Final Chapter

13. A Lullaby For You…

Monday, the day after the accident. I didn’t bother going to school, and around ten o’clock I got a call from Kiara demanding where Revenge and I were. I was still sitting beside her bed. I had not slept all night, but fatigue was catching up to me fast. As soon as Kiara and the rest found out, they immediately wanted to know if she was okay. I told them and they were about to rush over when I heard a teacher in the background shouting something then the line went dead. They obviously couldn’t come straight away, and by the time they did arrive, Kiara, Ruby, Brooklyn, Bryan and Tala all burst through the doors like their very lives depending on seeing Revenge. The nurses were protesting, but I explained to them they were family.

Family.

A few hours later, when everything had calmed down, Bryan and Tala left to get clothes for Revenge and her aunty back at the house. Though the police might’ve been there, they should’ve been allowed to retrieve some clothes. Ruby was somewhere in the hospital getting us coffees and other snacks as I hadn’t eaten since breakfast on Sunday. Only Kiara, Brooklyn and I remained in the room. I hadn’t moved from my spot beside Revenge. My whole body had numbed and I felt nothing in my legs which hadn’t moved since late last night. Brooklyn sat in the chair between Revenge and her aunt while Kiara sat on his lap. She’d buried her head in his shoulder and was softly crying. She obviously didn’t care if she hated him; she needed the comfort and support from him more than ever. Her best friend was at death’s door.

“Why didn’t anyone tell the police before it got out of hand? Didn’t you know she was suffering like this?” I found myself asking either one of them. Revenge’s chest still breathed with great difficultly, it would be no surprise if it just stopped, but it would also stopped the lives of all the people that loved her dearly. It would freeze apart of all our hearts, and it would never awakened again if she were to perish from this world.

“No one knew what she went through. Revenge learnt from a very young age to find her pain and scars. She had perfect excuses for every scar that was visible. She got so good at lying to us that we stopped suspected things and just thought she was clumsy.” Kiara’s voice broke and tears streamed down her face again. She couldn’t stop crying, she felt so guilty.

Guilt was laid upon all of our shoulders. We could’ve done something… right?

Later that afternoon, my father came and begged me to come home. I hadn’t slept or eaten and I looked ready to pass out. Kiara offered to stay the night, letting me go home to rest. At first I argued, I resisted and I stubbornly wouldn’t move. But reason came to me and I gave up and went home. When I got home, my dad ordered me to take a shower and come down when dinner was ready. I obeyed like a child. I was too exhausted and shocked to disagree, so I took a long shower and slowly changed into cleaner clothes. Looking around my room, I noticed my dad had cleared the table of my books from the previous night and tidied my room slightly. A sudden image of Revenge covered in blood knocked me off my feet, and the last thing I remember was passing out on the bed.

I didn’t wake up for a whole day. My body was too heavy and needed rest. But I still had nightmares. In my dreams, mum was saying goodbye to me. I was a ten year old boy, crying and reaching out. But she wouldn’t come back. Then I saw Hope. She held a baby in her pale arms. I was no my age, and she too said goodbye. She smiled her beautiful smile, and turned around. I reached for her too, shouting like a mad man. The ground beneath me was painted crimson. Her blood. Or was it Revenge’s? As I thought of her, she appeared like a six year old girl. She smiled up at me and hugged my knees, her head only reaching my hips. When she pulled back, she smiled with a hint of wonder and reached out her hand. I looked at it and it was coated in blood.

Why did you not help me?

“I did. I came for you.”

She laughed childishly and suddenly grew older.

Why should I believe you? You couldn’t even save your mum and girlfriend.

“But I won’t let you die. Not again.” I reached out for her but she coward away, fear glazing her eyes.

Daddy came back. Daddy says I’m not allowed to live. He says I’ve been a bad girl.

She fell to the floor and was suddenly hoisted up on a bed. I sat beside her and took her hand. Her hand started bleeding.

Why am I still here? Wasn’t it enough when daddy hit me?

I looked up to see another Revenge looking down at her body in the bed. I looked at her and she stared into my eyes.

“You can’t go. I still need you.”

But I’m tired.

“I’m tired too.”

Why don’t we leave this place? We can go walk on the clouds if we want. We don’t have to stay in a world full of corruption.

This time, the Revenge staring at me started to bleed from her eyes. It didn’t frighten me because I knew it was just a dream. But her words seemed so true that I was wondering if I could go.

“Can I see my mum and Hope again?”

Of course you can. Once we leave this place, we can do anything we want.

“But what about our friends? Won’t they miss us?”

Oh Kai. You poor, naïve boy.

This time, I was frightened. She had tongues of flames surrounding her, and her hand had suddenly gripped tightly onto mine.

Who cares of the others? All that matters is that we live happily forever. Don’t you want to rest?

“No, not yet. So you can’t die either. You’re stronger than this. I know you want to be happy.”

This time I had angered the evil Revenge. Her flames had engulfed herself in the bed and me too. My whole surroundings were fires. I was in hell.

What happiness is there if all that ever happens brings me pain! I’ve always been alone, never telling anyone because they won’t believe me! What point is their in living if all I get is pain and loneliness!

I couldn’t breathe anymore and I struggled to see in the brightness. I knew that if I didn’t get out soon I was surely die.

Come with me, Kai. Don’t leave me alone!

“No! You are not Revenge! The Revenge I know will not give up. Don’t give up and I promise you I will stay with you!”

The flames died and I could breathe again. I lay panting on the ground wishing for some water. A light hand rested on my head and calmed me down. I looked up and saw Hope smiling. I smiled back and rested my head in her lap. She stroked my hair softly and hummed her lullaby.

“Is it finally over? Can I be with you forever now?” I asked her helplessly. Looking up into her eyes, she smiled brightly and started to cry. I couldn’t move, but with her delicate hands, she turned me onto my back like I was a feather. Yes, I was finally in heaven.

“Wake up, Kai.”

I looked at her confused. “No, I’m finally with you again.”

“Wake up, Kai. Please wake up. She needs you.”

“Am I not dead?”

“I will wait for you a little longer. So please wake up.”

Her touch became faint and I closed my eyes again. The sound of voices reached me and I realised I was no longer in her presence. I didn’t feel as sad as I thought I would’ve to have left her again. Just seeing her again made me feel lighter inside. She said she’d wait a little longer, so I still had time to live.

I opened my eyes again and strangely came face to face with my dad. He looked shocked for a second then calmed down.

“You scared me. I wasn’t expecting you to actually wake up by me talking about Hope.” He said and reached for the damp cloth on my forehead which I hadn’t noticed till then.

“You were talking about Hope?” I asked surprised. I was still in my room but it looked like it was mid afternoon. How long had I slept?

“Yeah, actually, you were the one muttering about her so I just starting talking out loud to myself remembering her.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Two days already. I was getting worried and was about to call an ambulance if you hadn’t woken up in an hour.”

I sat up slowly and rubbed my temples softly. “Has Kiara or Brooklyn called yet?”

From my father’s expression, I could tell they had. “Have they called? I was about to go to the hospital and wring that girl’s neck if she hadn’t stopped calling. I told her you passed out and she wouldn’t stop calling and asked every time if I’d woken up yet. Only an hour ago did she start calling every two seconds!”

I chuckled softly. And as if Kiara heard us, the phone rang. “That’s it! You answer the phone. I’ve answered enough calls to last me a lifetime.” My father stormed out the door after handing me the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello Mr H. Is Kai awake yet.” Kiara’s worried voice rang throw the phone rather loudly.

“How many times did you call, Kiara? Dad’s really cranky.”

“Oh my gosh! Kai! You’re finally up! What happened? You have to come now! Revenge! She’s…”

My eyes widened the size of saucepans. I rushed out of bed and immediately ran to the car. My dad had little time to follow, but he managed to get in the car before I sped out of the drive way. He asked me what the sudden rush was, but I couldn’t even begin to speak right. I was too overwhelmed.

When we arrived at the hospital, I didn’t even turn the car off before I raced through the automatic doors. I could hear my dad screaming for me, but I kept running.

As I came to the door, Kiara first greeted me by telling me to shut up.

“Geez, don’t outdo yourself and pass out again. There’s no need to rush, she’s just resting.” She scolded me, but I couldn’t even begin to hear her. I looked over at Revenge’s resting body in the middle of the room. Her aunt was beside her in a wheel chair. As she spotted me, she smiled brightly and waved me over. Her arm was in a sling and her small head was bandaged, but she couldn’t have looked more relieved to see her niece in a safe condition. Kiara moved out of the way, going to stand next to Brooklyn. Revenge had woken up more than an hour ago I’d been told, so Bryan, Tala and Ruby had come and gone already. It was already getting dark outside, and I heard my father come into the room panting. I think I heard Kiara scold him too and he in turn scold her about the phone calls.

All that seemed distant to me. My eyes were focused firmly her Revenge’s breathing and the slightest smile on her lips. I sat down beside her, taking her hand in mine. It was warm again, and her pulse couldn’t have been more vivid. I smiled openly at just the sight of her.

“I’m so glad she met someone like you.” A voice with a heavy Italian accent spoke in front of me.

I looked up to her aunt who was smiling so brightly at me.

“I must thank you for saving our lives the other night.”

“No, I didn’t do anything. Revenge was the one to call me. It was out of luck she called me in time.”

“But it was you’re kindness that saved her life. She’s very lucky to have someone so caring.”

Again, I disagreed with her. “No,” I said smiling, “I’m the lucky one to have her.”

---

When I fell asleep, I dreamt again, but this time it wasn’t a nightmare. I was walking along the beach and I was humming the lullaby. It was a short dream, but I could still hear the lullaby when I woke up. I opened my eyes, thinking I was now delusional when I kept hearing the tune. It was early morning, the sun still hadn’t risen. When my eyes locked with grey eyes, I smiled brightly.

“Good morning.” Revenge whispered to me. I sat up in the chair and reached over to hug her. She took the embrace and tightened it. I breathed in her scent. Jasmines, roses and a bit of antiseptic. “I’m so sorry I worried you, Kai.”

“Don’t apologise. I’m just glad you’re back.”

She pulled away from me and smiled brightly. “You know, I probably wouldn’t have woken up again if it wasn’t for this lady.”

“What?” I asked confused.

“When I was asleep, every time I was sure I was going to die, a very pretty lady appeared to me and took my hand. She comforted me and told me to hold on.” Revenge fiddled with her fingers and blushed, staring down at the blanket. “I don’t think I’ve ever met such a beautiful lady. She almost looked like an angel. She kept telling me too many people need me alive and that I’d grow up happy.”

“So an angel saved you?” I asked her suspicious. She laughed slightly and I smiled. I liked her laughter.

“And you know what the strangest thing was? She kept humming this strange tune to me. Every time I heard it, it calmed me down and,” she looked at me shyly, “it made me think of you.”

I smiled brightly at her. “It must’ve been your guardian angel.” I rested my head on the bed and she lay her hand over my hair. I sighed in bliss.

“I hope so. I can still remember how her tune went.”

When Revenge began to hum, I froze in mid breath. The lullaby.

I hadn’t told Revenge what that tune was. Even when she tried to compose it on the piano and give it a different name and lyrics, I never told her I knew the song. It was Hope’s song. Her and her mother made it up when she was a young girl and later on she taught it to me. And when Revenge was dying, Hope came to her in her dreams and sang it to her and saved her life.

It seemed like the song could not be forgotten, even now when Revenge has created new lyrics to the tune. Yet strangely, her lyrics aren’t so different to Hope’s ones. It seemed like the lullaby had become a part of everyone’s life as Revenge spread it with the message that an angel sang it to her.

I wondered if Hope was watching us from up in heaven, proud of herself for letting her lullaby known to many all over. Even now that I have grown older and gotten married to Revenge and had two children with a third on the way, I sometimes sit and wonder if I could’ve changed my life. But when I start to hum the lullaby, I know that I made the right choices, even if sometimes they led me to deaths and pain. In the end, I was able to live the life I thought I would never have.

There may be times of doubt, when the world feels like its dropped its weight onto your shoulders, but there are people out there, who will help you take away the burden, or just be there to hold it with you. The doubt in life will one day disappear, leaving only the good times to smile upon.

And that concludes my story. It was strange, dark at times, by I enjoyed my life.

All I can do now is keep facing the sun, and walked confidently towards the horizon, where the rest of my life awaits me.

The sun will rise and I will fade. You’ll loose me in the shining horizon.
I will not show again for a long time, so please be patient and wait for me.
Will you be calm? Will you find me? Will you be there to help me in my fall?
Are you strong, to carry me? And my burdens I am forced to bear?

The sun will set and the path shining in the moonlight will lead you my way.
The horizon has erased itself, letting you walk onto my crystal path.
Walk on my trail, and meet me here. Would you smile? Would you see that you are real?

The moon brightens under our smiles, and our fate has been sealed on this day.
You held me high above the sky and made me let go of my burdens.
Now I can promise eternal love, strength in your heart and wisdom in mind.
Even if I shall perish tonight, you will stay strong and keep walking the path of life…

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COMPLETE! I hope that was an okay ending!

And I’M SO SORRY TO HAVE KEPT YOU ALL WAITING SO LONG! I swear it’s not my fault. The floors in my house had to be polished and everything in the house had to be taken out. This happened right after I updated last chapter and I forgot to tell you guys! Anyway, my computer was taken away (boo hoo) and for a whole week they had to do the floors. When I finally got home I misplaced my computer and it took me that long to find it! I was shitting myself!

But anyway! I seriously hope that was an okay ending! I did it right now in the space of three hours as soon as I was able to set up my computer again! I kinda like it… but I wanna know what you guys thought!

Anyway, it was fun writing this and it was even more fun reading all your reviews. (I feel like I’m saying goodbye forever… I hope not)! Anyway! Thank you to everyone for supporting me the whole way through! It took so long but it’s finally complete! Whooooooooooooo I love you all!

Till next time! I hope you’ve all enjoyed Secret Wounds!