He ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs. He knew his aunt and uncle were already gone, off to their respective jobs. He rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of cold water. Inside his head, he was screaming that everything wasn’t real—that it was all just his imagination.
Meissy, his cousin, followed him into the kitchen, watching his strange behavior. “What happened to you?” Meissy asked, clearly worried. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He set the glass of water on the table and looked at Meissy. Should he tell her what he saw? Since yesterday, he had been plagued by disturbing visions, but what if she didn’t believe him? What if she thought he was just sick or imagining things? His biggest fear was people doubting him. Yet, he knew he had to tell her everything—that something was wrong and he needed an explanation. Keeping it to himself only made things worse. But what could he do? He wasn’t sure about the things going around and confusing him. He felt lost and directionless.
“I feel like I’m losing my mind. I feel disconnected from reality.” Finally, he could admit the doubts he had—though that was just the surface of everything haunting him. He sat down and covered his face with his hands. “I promise, I wasn’t like this before. This is new to me, and I’m really confused.”
Meissy sat down next to him. She knew that things hadn’t been easy for Gael, especially since his parents had left him at a young age. At his young age, he had already come to terms with the reality of his parents' death. “Tell me exactly what’s wrong with you?” she asked gently, trying to calm her cousin.
“I’m seeing things. That’s all. Tell me it’s not real... nothing is real. But don’t tell me I’m hallucinating and delusional. I’m okay, really okay.” His voice trembled as he spoke. Deep down, he knew he was okay. But recently, it felt like he no longer knew himself.
Meissy moved closer to Gael and gently massaged his back. “You know? I believe you. Whatever you’re seeing, let’s figure it out together. I won’t leave you. Even though you’re older than me, I’m still listening. Just be honest with me.”
He shook his head as the memories of what he had seen came back. “Thank you, Meissy. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but it started yesterday. I saw... I saw a man. Dressed in black. Every time I see him, he just stares at me.”
“A man?” Meissy’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Did you see the face of the man you mentioned?”
“No, and on my way here, since I took the old road—there was a boy named Josh or Joshua. Yeah, he suddenly appeared to me. Then, he suddenly disappeared. And the thing I saw in the mirror earlier, a slit face. I just can’t describe it.”
Meissy stood up and started pacing the kitchen, her mind racing. “We need to understand what’s happening, Gael. Maybe there’s something more to this. Did anything else strange happen since then? I mean when you were still in Manila?”
Gael thought for a moment. “I’ve been feeling like someone’s watching me. And yes, when I was in Manila, that’s when everything started. You called me at that time, right?” He tried to recall what happened. “And you mentioned you saw Matteo? Is that true?” He stared at Meissy. Her lips weren’t moving. He felt that Meissy was trying to avoid talking about Matteo.
She shook her head. “I was just joking. I knew you missed Matteo.”
He looked back at the table, half disappointed. “Okay, but strange things happened after that. I saw one of my friends on the ground floor of our condo. I thought he came down and followed me, but when I went back to my room, I found my friend there. In the bathroom. I don’t know who I talked to on the ground floor.”
“Gael…” Meissy hesitated, unsure if she should bring up the topic that had been on her mind. “Well, do you know the real reason why your mom and dad died?”
He faced her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion and suspicion. “Are you messing with me? What are you trying to say?” He hated talking about his parents. He hated talking about facts.
“It’s not true that your dad died of a cardiac arrest, Gael. The same goes for your mom. The reason they gave you was a lie!” she said, challenging his beliefs.
“What do you know about my parents’ death?” Gael asked angrily, his voice rising with anger.
“They were depressed. The cause of their death was suicide,” Meissy revealed, her voice trembling.
“Fuck you, Meissy! So, you think I’m crazy like them? If that’s true? And yes, I know my mom and dad committed suicide. So, what now? Fuck you, I thought you were going to help me! And now you think I have a psychotic disorder?” He stood up and slammed his hands on the table. He had long known that his parents had killed themselves. He wanted to bury that memory. He hated discussing it.
“You finally said it. Gael, you need a doctor. A psychiatrist,” Meissy insisted, her concern evident.
“What? Leave me alone, please. You’re just making up lies,” Gael shouted, backing away from her.
The room fell silent, the tension thick in the air. Meissy took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Gael, listen to me. I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want you to get the help you need. These visions, these feelings, they aren’t normal. I’m scared for you.”
“Please leave me alone.” He said calmly. “I want to be alone.”
Gael watched as Meissy turned away and walked off. Frustrated, he punched the table before retreating to his room. He shut himself inside, staring at the ceiling. He cut himself off from the outside world. He needed to collect his thoughts, but it seemed impossible. Trying to reach Matteo, he was frustrated to find his calls unanswered. Suddenly, a knock echoed at his door. Gael shifted his position and stared at the door.