C14 LOST HOPE

Solidad screamed out with bitter pain as she struggled to free herself from the hands which held her back with grossed determination.

Nelson...! Betty...! Nicole.....! , her terror stricken voice echoed.

No– Let me go" She shouted amidst tears, from the ward she laid as she kept struggling on the bed– Her voice struck through the hospital like thunder.

The nurses and doctors tried to hold her down but to no avail, she finally slipped through their hands–back on the bed.

"No please don't do this to me– Don't leave me here, Nelson; please."

She cried, trying to run out but was spontaneously injected and finally felt dizzy. Solidad shouted and her eyes gave up which sent her sleeping innocently like a baby. She heard faint voices as her vision blurred out.

MR. SIMON'S MANSION

"All done, sir" A man announced from the entrance of the hall. With a sinister smile, he mumbled with delight.

"Good job, hope you did a clean work. I don't want any traces." Simon asked.

"Yes sir...! No traces" The man replied.

"Perfect– now let's see how he'll return from the grave for the land." On an impulse, he exclaimed. "Call the contractors to start work on that land tomorrow."

He ordered Felix who instantly made an exit– a satisfactorily smile spread through his face as he leaned back in the sofa and took a sip from the glass of whisky in his hand.

NEXT DAY

HOSPITAL

Aimscious slowly opened her eyes– her gaze instinctively lurked around but then, noticed she was alone.

"Where am I and how did I get here ?" She faintly mumbled. " The last I remember – i was at the school's restroom and then..." She paused, pulling herself to sit up but then, a sharp pain from her back of her neck made a groan.

"Ouch, its hurt" With that, she noticed the door suddenly flipped open.

"Hey , Aimscious, you are awake" Mart called with a smile on his face to which she slowly adjusted herself with a weak smile. "Mart– yeah, come in." She replied.

He spontaneously sauntered closer to her. He immediately took her hand and placed a gentle kiss when he neared her. "How are you feeling today?" He asked.

"Much better now " She answered, her eyes stared over his shoulders with a questioning gaze. " But where are the rest?– I mean, mum, Dad, Betty and Nicole. Where are they?–Didn't you come together? " She finally asked to which Mart instinctively bat his eyes and swallowed drily. With a pale face, she stretch her neck in search of them but there was so sign of them anywhere at all.

"Huh?" She mumbled, returning her gaze on him. He panicked and a sudden silence filled the room, the smile on his face faded and he dropped her hand unconsciously. She sceptically stared at his sudden change.

"What's wrong with you? – Why so quite all of a sudden? ; Why are you not answering my questions?" She pressed on. " Where are they?"

She asked a bit tensed with a worried face. He spontaneously faked a smile on seeing the look in her eyes.

"Um" He stuttered. "They're fine– Just that there was an emergency at home so they could not come. They asked me to come check on you."

He replied in one breath which sent an odd chill down her spin with his sudden change of attitude and the excuse he gave.

"What could be so urgent that even Nicole could not come with him ?" She thought, wearing a brooding gaze. She was about to say something when a doctor walked in.

" Good morning, Miss Aimscious – How are you feeling today" The doctor asked to which she swiftly replied with a forced smile. "A lot better" .

The doctor afterwards, made some checks and smiled.

"Everything is fine now–She'll be discharged soon" He announced to which Mart and Aims smiled.

"Thanks" They both mumbled and he bobbed his head. "Have to leave now– Excuse me." He stated.

" OK doctor, thank you" Mart replied.

The doctor left after finalizing everything.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know when we get home." Mart told her as he packed up her things and trod out. She stood rooted in the ward, confused.

"Why is he acting so strange today? – Wat's the meaning of what he just said?" She mumbled to herself. Lost in thoughts, She quietly followed him out of the hospital.

MART'S HOUSE

After an hour drive, the cab finally pulled over in front of Mart's house. He got down, put the things at the gate and helped Aimscious out of the cab.

He opened the door and called out to his mother.

"Mum , Mum, we're home" He announced and his mother came, rushing out of the kitchen to welcome them.

"Hi, dear– come in Aims." She warmly exuded as she helped them in. "How are you feeling today?" She asked to which Aims softly replied with a sceptical gaze, not so sure why Mart brought her to his house rather than hers. "I'm fine mum" She replied.

"Come here, sit down."

She helped her to the guest room and made her rest on the bed. "Mart, help me get something for her to eat." She called to which he rushed off to the kitchen and returned with a glass of milk and some snacks." He quietly sat by and watched her eat.

"I'll be in the kitchen, if you need anything, just let me know." Mart's mother excused herself. After Aimscious was done eating, she then turned to Mart and asked.

"Why did you bring me to your house? – Why didn't you take me home, to my house?"

Mart looked at her with teary eyes and said in a faint tone . "There's something you need to know". This intensified her curiosity and nervousness.

"What is it Mart–please tell me" She urged with in worried tone.

" A lot happened last night, Aims." He begun to which she stared on. "Last night....." Tears drop from his eyes as he continued explaining.

" There was fire at your house yesterday ".

"What!– How?" She exclaimed and as on an impulse, asked. "So where's my family ?" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears which threatened to fall anytime soon.

"I don't know what caused the fire but ....." He finally shuttered in tears. "I'm sorry we lost , Betty , Nicole and your dad."

She spontaneously felt a sharp pain in her heart and with the sudden outburst, she couldn't help than to join the funeral. "What....!, No, no– This can't be. This might be one of those nightmares, i'll soon wake up from" Feeling the urge that it was real she screamed. "Someone please pinch me– Please, tell me all is just a dream!" She shuttered in uncontrollable tears , tossing and turning on the floor.

Mart couldn't stand the sight of her pain, he instinctively wrapped his hands around her, moaning. Mrs. Gifty , Mart's mother heard the screams and rushed to the room. She became sorrowful at the scene and hugged them, consoling.

"Where is my mum?" Aimscious asked with a weak voice.

"At the hospital–she collapsed at the scene." Mart replied.

"Please take me there ,I want to see her." She pleaded with a faint ,weak voice to which Gifty objected up front.

"No, you're not so strong now– you just returned from the hospital yourself and need to rest now, please." She tried to calm her but she was in no mood to be calmed nor consoled.

"No , I want to see my mother now.! " She shouted in tears– She felt broken and weak within.

Mrs. Gifty cuddled her in her bosom, comforting. She instinctively turned to Mart and stated.

"Let's take her to see her mother." He bobbed his head in response and within a few minutes, they both set off together with Aims, back to the hospital.

HOSPITAL

Aimscious rushed through the corridors of the hospital in search of her mother. She finally found the ward she was. Without hesitation, she flung open the door slowly, and finally noticed the pale, miserable looking woman on the bed with her gaze blankly fixed on the ceiling– She was awake but calm now.

"Mother...." She stuttered. With slow, steady steps, she hobbled over to her bed– her eyes glistened with tears as she finally paused beside the bed. Solidad didn't notice when her daughter got in. Aims instinctively took her hand and placed it in her gently placed it in her hand. "Mum" She softly called as the tears trekked down her cheeks.

With tears soaked face, Solidad brought down her gaze, following the familiar voice.

"Aimscious?– When did you get here? Are you OK?" She spontaneously asked to which they both bursted in tears after seeing each other. Solidad hugged her daughter. "Everything is gone Aims– Nicole , Betty and Dad ,they're all gone." She moaned. " We've lost everything. How am I going to take care of you? All hope is lost." She kept stuttering which brought them into more tears– the pain seem to tore their very souls apart.