It was at midnight. Zayn woke up again after having a really bad dream.
It was of a couple who was found dead by the side of the coffee shop. The street looked familiar, and so did the blurred faces of the couple. It was a man in a plain cream trench coat and a woman who was in shorts as well as a trench coat over her shoulders. It seemed to be somewhere near to the winter seasons.
The poor man shakes his head to get rid of the imagery. He was too stunned to move a muscle more. Gathering some energy, he walks barefoot towards the kitchen downstairs to get some water. He was also perspiring without reason.
Suddenly, a headache spikes up as he groans in pain. He sits down on the floor, the cold bottle of water in his hand.
“Ah. Fuck.” He moans in pain. The lights to the kitchen switches on as he sees his mother coming around.
“Son? Hey, you alright sweetie?” She approaches him.
“I had a bad dream, mother.” He complains to her like a little child.
“Why don’t you sleep beside mama, hmm? Come on. Do we need to see a doctor?” She asks with concern as he smiles gently. “No, mom. I’m fine. It’s just a headache for waking up in the middle of the night.” He says.
Without questioning further, the mother helps him wake up to his feet. They slowly walk to the master bedroom.
“These walls hold no special memories. For the past thirty five years, I’ve lived here with your father but… we never made a memory here.” The mother confesses out of the blue.
“I argue. You two gave me life.” He gently reminds her that they’ve accomplished something while staying together.
“Ma…” he sweetly calls. “Did father ever love you?” He asks directly. The woman didn’t know what to reason with. She knew her father had an affair with his own adopted brother. Yet, to prove the world he married her. In either of their lives, they never truly loved each other.
What they loved commonly was Zayn and Zayn alone. As parents to the kid, they raised him through nannies and guards but at the end of the day, he exists because they made love.
It might be just a vague decision, but blood bond goes beyond and further.
“He never did.” She answers at last. Cuddled at her chest, she scoffs and smiles, making her son look at her.
“But i know you’ve loved someone.” Says the old woman.
“How would you know?” He asks.
“Because a grown man wouldn’t cry in their student’s arms like that, Zayn. Not to mind I heard your phone call the day your father died.” She says, the man widening his eyes.
[“C-Cassie? I think I’m going mad…”]
The brief memory strikes him.
“So you know…”
“Yes, I do.” She says brightly.
“So tell me. Is she really underage? She looks so meek.” Asks the woman. “Mom. Im sorry and yes she is way underage. She’s barely 18.” Says Zayn.
“Tsk tsk tsk. That’s very bad on your part. Couldn’t you wait until she at least turned 18?”
“No, mom. I couldn’t.” He chuckles, making even her pat his back and hug him tighter.
“My stupid boy. So, what about the company?” She asks.
“I’m going to take it over, mother. I can’t let those baboons ruin grandfather’s legacy with the company. Besides, I need to figure out a few things myself.” Says the man.
“What should you be figuring out?”
“Just… something from the past.” He says simply.
The next day arrives. It was past Christmas but the sad family wasn’t able to gather themselves up to go to the church either. They were lost in their own worlds. Neither came out of their rooms, more so getting food delivered to their rooms which remained untouched.
On the other hand, Cassandra too was experiencing the same symptoms as him. She was dreaming the same exact scene, from a third person’s projectile. It’s as though she was the one who committed the crime.
She was shaken, to say the least. The poor girl was perspiring like her boyfriend and woke up in the middle of the night. She was having a bad headache as she slept. The next morning however, she had to go to school.
“Hey, sister!” Ravine cheers. The whole school was gloomy with the death news of a famous business tycoon and the professor’s father.
There was a little seminar conducted, paying respect to Nick Johnson’s hardwork and bragging about the Johnson legacy.
“Hey, did you know?” A person begins.
“The Johnson Family was cursed as hell. Each of the people died from one or the other incidents. And now the last Johnson remaining from the originals is gone too. I wonder if Professor Zayn is keeping up well.” Upon the gossip, the girls gasp. Cassandra and Ravine heard them too.
The recess bell rings, Cassandra had a heavy feeling on her chest.
“Ravine…” she asks her friend, “Cover up my absence, okay? I have something to do…” Saying, she runs out of the gates.
Cassandra sees herself back at the Johnson estate. The estate rumored to be built by the legend himself. Framton Johnson.
“Cassandra!?” Zayn almost spat his coffee out when he saw the girl’s silhouette outside his window. Somehow, she got inside without trouble nor the security finding out.
To save her the leg pulling, Zayn runs down and goes out of his kitchen. The girl gives him a huge smile, much larger than the setting sun itself.
“How’d you come here!?” The concerned man asks. He sees her perspiring, he sweetly dabs her sweat away with his sweater paws.
“I ran… here…” she pants, adjusting her spectacles.
“You stupid girl.” He hugs her again.
“Zayn?” The two freeze when they hear a woman’s voice. Cassandra was way guilty for not counting her chances.
“Mother… she’s Cassandra. My girlfriend.” Zahn introduces outrightly.
“Wha- what are you doing!?” She slaps his back, but the rich family laughs at her awkwardness.
“Why don’t you come sit inside, sweetheart.” Cassandra was beyond shocked at the old woman’s reaction. She shifts her gaze between her and Zayn.
“Come on.” Zayn tries to drag her inside but the girl was offering resistance. As happy as a man can be, he chuckles and keeps dragging her inside.
“Just come in, will ya?” He asks. She finally stops protesting.
“Okay…” And in there, they spend some quality time together without their mother having to know about their age-gapped relationship.