Note:
There will be no Entry #14 for now. Kei won't be able to write anything to her diary because her mom has it. (Referring to the previous chapter)

Don't be confused! Thanks for being here and ILY! 🤗

Dream #14

/awake/

"I don't know what to do with you, or to even think... I don't know what to react, Kei," she said as she shook her head.

I also don't know what to react. But a surge of embarrassment absorbed through me. Does she think I'm crazy? If I was in her shoe, I will find it hard to believe that all of the madness I've written in my diary are true. I also don't believe all the things that had happened.

I don't know what to believe anymore.

But the hard truth comes in... Everything is true, but they are lies. Kaiden is true, but he doesn't exist. Kaiden was with me, but no one will believe me because he was a lie. I made him up in my head...

Why? Maybe because I am crazy.

"Snap out of it, Kei!" I didn't notice that my mom was already shaking me a bit.

Her hands are holding my shoulders as she shook me. Making me go back to my senses.

I looked at her face and I immediately saw that she was crying. Her eyes are glistening because tears kept falling.

"Kaiden... He's a figure of your imagination. He doesn't exist!"

It was my turn to shook my head to disagree with my mom. Kaiden exist! We talked, we bond, I always meet him every night! How can she explain those if he's just a figure of my imagination?

"No... No... Mom! He's real! I meet him every night. In fact, you already met him! He visited our house and you welcomed him—"

"He doesn't exist, Kei. Calm down."

"No, mom! What are you saying? You literally read my diary, and you see? He's real. He's with me!"

She went near me and I took a couple steps back. I raised my hands as a sign to make her stop from going any further near me.

My breathing went faster as I gently take a few steps backwards, making a very slow and subtle escape from my mom.

"Okay... Shh... Calm down, Kei. Okay, Kaiden is just a dream. He doesn't exist, you hear me?'

"Mom! I told you, you just met him—"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence when a handkerchief was put into my face, covering my mouth and nose. I fought back and I didn't care much about who I was hitting with my punch, slap and kick.

I suddenly felt weak. I calmed down and my body relaxed. My head is still arguing with my mom but I can't say it aloud.

Until I finally closed my eyes and it was all darkness.

I immediately got up and looked around the room. Panic rushed through me when I instantly noticed that I am somewhere unfamiliar.

My eyes burned a bit because of the light so I closed my eyes a bit.

My eyes are still close but I heard people talking not far from my distance. I kept my eyes close and tried to listen to the conversation.

"I already have an assumption but I cannot tell you that yet, not until I finally get to talk to her and confirm it. Let's just hope that she'll cooperate with us," an unfamiliar voice said.

When the doorknob moved and made a sound, I pretended that I was asleep. I went back to my position and listened to the room.

"I'll take it from here, Karina. I'll just wait for her to wake up. You can sleep in the sofa. You look tired," the same woman voice from earlier said.

"Thank you, Layra. Really... Wake me up if we're ready to go, please," I heard my mom replied.

"Sure thing. Go and get some sleep now."

I heard the door closed again, but I feel that there's already a person inside the room so I still pretended to be asleep.

"I've been in this profession even before you were born, Kei. So it's already a basic thing for me to determine whether someone is asleep or pretending to be asleep," the person inside the room said.

I opened my eyes and groaned. The light is off but it didn't made the room go dark.

Now it feels much more cozier in the room without the bright light that can ruin someone's eyes. Who invented that ridiculous thing for small rooms, any way?

I looked at the person. She was already sitting at a comfy chair just next to the long sofa I was making myself comfortable with. She was wearing formal clothes, as if she's attending a business meeting.

She was already looking at me.

"I'm Layla Rae Aldente. You can call me Layra. A licensed therapist and psychiatrist, or a psychotherapist. I'm here to help you," she introduced herself.

I just looked at her, confused of what was happening, where am I, and how did I get here.

"What's your name?" She asked me.

I didn't reply to her. I just kept looking at her with a confused stare, until the stare ended up as a serious glare.

"If you talk, I will tell you how you get here."

"Why are you asking for my name when in fact, I know you already know it," I huffed and pushed myself back to the armless long sofa.

"Just for formalities. Come on, I already introduced myself."

"My name is Kei."

"So, Kei. Nice to meet you."

"I can't say the same..."

"I understand," she nodded. "Your mom and I are friends since college. She told me you needed help."

"Help? I am doing fine."

"Can you tell me what's been bugging and giving you stress lately?" she asked me and I became quiet again.

I didn't mutter a single word again after her question. I don't want to reveal everything to her. She'll also think I'm crazy about all my dreams about Kaiden! My mom did... And she's my mom, what more to a stranger who only knows my name?

"I won't judge. I won't say anything not until you finish talking. I swear. I made an oath," she convinced me.

But it wasn't convincing enough.

"I don't know a lot about you, but I care for you. I want to help you. And I can't help you if I don't know what you're going through."

I remained quiet, until she finally gave up and told me that I will come back tomorrow. I rolled my eyes, but I didn't let her see it.

Ha! As if I will willingly go back! I didn't even willingly went to her place. I don't even remember how I got there from the first place!

"See you tomorrow, Kei. Please have a goodnight sleep."