DAYMARE 17: The Witness is in Distress

Rie…gel…

Wait, I think I've heard that name, it's familiar.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, which startled Vea.

“Hey, what’s happening to you?" she asked.

"Ah-ah, nothing, nothing."

I went upstairs to my room in an instant. I turned on my desktop and opened a document containing Hestral’s diary.

I know I read it here.

After a few minutes of searching… I found it!

Before my life ended… There was a mysterious boy. The enigmatic ambience that shrouds him remained unknown. Riegel.

That’s it. That’s all that’s said about that dude named Riegel.

I should’ve chased that dude and asked him about his identity that connects with Hestral.

I wonder about some ways of finding him.

***

A week has passed, and I still haven’t gotten to meet that Riegel.

I asked Sir Remy where his son is, but all he says is that he left their place for two weeks. I don’t know what, but I feel like Sir Remy is hiding something from me.

I am currently doing an assignment. Thanks to my noisy and whiny youngest sister, I will not be able to finish my work on time if she keeps bothering me.

“Enough of it, Janey. We can play later after I finish this.” I scolded her lightly.

She is here in my room again playing Just Dance in my Xbox.

Who would have thought that I’m doing my homework instead of playing games all day? Vea and Mama reprimanded me because I ditched classes weeks ago, so I’m making it up to them.

"No, Winwin," she uttered, still disobeying me while dancing.

I’ve had enough!

If I yell at this child, she will run to Mama, and then I will be scolded by Mama. Feels good to be the youngest child, no?

I just turned my attention to the ballpen I was holding while trying to solve the math equation.

This is easy.

A few minutes passed when I heard Janey groan.

"What is it?” I asked her as I continue to solve math problems.

"W-Win…"

I ignored her. Really, I must pay attention to this problem so I could finally play games.

"Winwin, look," she pulled the end of my t-shirt.

I ignored her again.

"Look there…" she insisted.

"What?"

I look back at my sister sitting on the floor. She looked stunned at what was in front of her and shivered.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

She didn’t answer. She raised her right hand and pointed in front of her. I turned to see what she was staring and pointing at.

"Oh, sh*t"

I couldn't resist myself cursing because of what I saw.

Our TV screen where Janey is playing Xbox, the Just Dance game which has colorful dancing shadows, has become… black and red. The human-shaped shadows have red blood on the side of the screen. Instead of the figures dancing, one figure holds a knife and stabs their companions. I see the hiss of blood. What happened next was even more shocking. The shadowy figure with the knife had eye. It turned and glared at me…

"Bwahaha!" Its laughter deafened and numbed my whole system.

"Whaaa!" Janey screamed.

I covered her eyes and unplugged the TV quickly.

I hugged her tightly, who was crying.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay.”

“T-There’s a monster!” she bawled.

She saw that stuff too, it wasn’t just me who can see, feel, and hear this stuff.

"What's going on there?" I heard Vea. “You teased her again?”

I didn't tell her what happened, but I asked my sister Vea to stay with Janey.

I closed the door so I could have privacy. I checked my TV and Xbox, nothing wrong. Because of what happened, I threw away the Just Dance game out of my Xbox.

What is this again? Is this one of the paranormal stuff that happen to me? To us, even with Janey? But why is all of this happening?

I thought so. This place is haunted!

Not sure if the whole place or this house itself is shrouded in gruesome wonder. Maybe Hestral’s death haunts this house!

I held my forehead because I couldn’t believe sh*t still happen to me, but what I couldn’t imagine was my gradual belief in ghosts.

I fixed my stuff.

It's up to me if I don't finish this math assignment due tomorrow.

I would have kept in my bag my black ballpen that I used to write solving math problems when a red ink spilled on my hand.

“Oh, good timing, buddy,” I murmured and complained.

I caught a glimpse of what’s in my notebook. The notebook wasn’t smudged with a black ink pen, but in red that mimics the splattered blood. The red bloody ink flows into my notebook down to my desk.

How the heck did this happen when I didn’t even own a red ballpen!

***

I tried to forget everything that happened yesterday, but I haven't slept yet because I was scared, I might face another ghost. This makes me a coward.

“Lewin,” I heard a voice, it was Jethro.

He approached me as I walked down the hallway.

"Oh?" I asked.

It's been a week since we started our mission. His order for me is to be patient with Lorean and Vance first.

"You know your duties, right?"

I nodded.

“I won't remind you about it anymore. Just do what I tell you.”

“Okay,” I affirmed.

“But let me remind you, it’s your choice if you will trust them again. But count me out.”

I walked inside the classroom first after what he said.

Yes, he seems to be the boss, and I am the employee. That’s our position. There was nothing I could do but listen and do what I was being told because I couldn’t even decide for myself. I’m placing my trust in him gradually as long as this investigation is successful.

"Good morning," Lorean greeted me.

"Good morning," I greeted her, too.

I sat down.

"Wassup" said Vance.

I smiled at him.

It’s unbelievable that the three of us are back to normal. We forgot about our friendship affairs and went back to our past relationship. There is probably nothing wrong with that. Besides, I also missed them, especially now that I rarely communicate with Rico lately.

What I can’t forget from what Jethro told me. Seems to me he won’t ever trust Lorean and Vance. He is distrustful of them so he gave me the task of spying on the two, but it’s up to me if I can bear the consequences of trusting them again.

“Okay, class, good morning,” said Ma’am Zena.

Everyone stood up to start the class

"I saw the cool boy again earlier!"

“Really? Who are we talking about? Is it Jethro?”

“No, no, the other one. It’s Riegel.”

“Oh…”

"He studied here last year!"

Suddenly, my eyes widened at the name I heard. I look back at where my girl classmates were gossiping.

"You two, tell me where you saw the Riegel dude."

"Huh?" a confused question from the two who seemed unbelievable that I talked to them.

After class, I went to the place where my girl classmates saw a dude named Riegel.

I just got off the tricycle, and here I got off in front of a small house with a tiny store and eatery.

They told me this is where they saw Riegel working. I’m still not sure if they’re right, but I’d be even more uninformed if I didn’t try. I'll just ask someone here if Riegel is here.

I crossed the street after I got off the tricycle. I saw people eating in the eatery.

"Uhm, excuse me," I called to a man in his mid-40s who was eating

"Yes?"

"Is Riegel here?" I questioned.

I noticed that there was no vendor in sight in the store and eatery, so I asked its customers.

"Ah, that guy?"

"Yes"

"Remy!" Suddenly the man called. He raised his hand as if he was calling someone to come closer.

"Another extra rice? Coming right up." answer of another man.

"No, someone’s looking for your son. There he is." The customer pointed at me.

The man who has been called Remy was holding a pot. He gazed at me.

“Lewin? What are you doing here?” Sir Remy asked me.

“Hello, Sir. I'm just looking for someone. Hold up, why are you here?”

I’ve known Sir Remy as one of the residents of this province who helps us with some plumbing and fixtures at our house. But I have no idea why he is here.

“Ah, my brother left this eatery to me for the meantime. During my spare time, I cook and assist here.” He put the pot he was carrying on the table. The food they sell is neatly displayed for the customers to choose from 7 food options.

“How about you? Who are you looking for? How did you end up here? Your house is quite far from here.”

"Sir, is Riegel here?"

“Riegel, my son? Ah, yes. He's here. Why?”

Riegel is his son indeed. Vea was right about it. I know he has a son from another province. Not sure if he was referring to Riegel or if he has another son.