Update came early? Looks like it!😂♥️ 

Expect a double update tomorrow!!!

(Song for this chapter is Runaway by Aurora🌛)

~ACHA~

The dining room looked very 'extra' tonight.

Apparently, I didn't know there was a special occasion. It had to be a special occasion, because I could see a lot of flowers and gifts on the dining room table, all decorated beautifully like we were having the queen over for dinner.

And apparently so, the entire house was filled with the aroma of Jollof rice too, one that was yet to still be set on the table.

And the person responsible for all of this was Dad.

Yes, you read correctly.

My father was cooking and setting up the table, so beautifully.

Funny story is that I don't remember Dad ever actually cooking since I was a kid. Then one day, he suddenly enters the Kitchen and whips up something that good. I only wondered what have him such inspiration.

However, it didn't take long for me to understand why it was happening, though.

When I went to the living room to pick up my phone, I managed to get a glimpse of one, out of the dozens of cards that were supposed to be on the dining room table, laying carelessly on the living room floor.

My first move was to attempt to return it to Dad, but on accidentally getting a glimpse of the heading of this card, I stopped, and realised....

It was an apology card.

I instantly understood what my Dad was trying to do.

I looked at the pretty card in my hand; orange in colour, and designed with flowers and the words 'I'M SORRY' in bold, and I actually somewhat felt bad for my Dad. His entire motive became clearer to me.

I looked to the man as he still seemed busy making the perfect apology dinner and for a split second, he didn't scare me. I wasn't seeing my father. At least, not the one that scared me. I was just seeing a sad, aging man..... 

I looked to the sofa that had been his bed since yesterday night. Saw how he had already spread a mattress on it, and arranged some pillows on it. 

I actually felt horrible for him.

Until he caught me staring at me.

I stepped back, taken a bit off-guard. All empathy I was feeling was immediately replaced with panic.

Dad stopped what he was doing. Completely stopped everything, and just looked at me.

"Sorry." I wasn't even sure what I was apologising for.

He said absolutely nothing. Watched me, still. Moved his gaze from my face to the card in my hands, and back to my face once more. Stared at me so impassively, keeping that blank stare on me, and making my heart race faster and faster.

And then, for a split second, I saw something flash in his eyes. A softness. Something as soft as empathy... Or guilt?

Nah, I must be running mad.

The man looked away from me. Didn't answer me or say anything more to me. Looked away like it didn't matter, and just continued what he was doing.

I didn't give him the card back. I took it along with me, and made my way to the Masters Bedroom to give it to the person who I was certain the apology was for.

"What is that?" Mum frowned at me as soon as she opened the door and saw me standing there, holding Dad's apology card in my hands.

I figured she was just waking up from sleep because she was wearing her white pink robe, and white flip flops, and her bonnet was proudly sitting on her head.

See someone they're busting ass to make dinner for.

"I don't know if you're aware, but Dad's really making a whole dinner for you." I told her.

"I want to sleep." She rolled her eyes, uninterested. "Is this why you woke me up?"

"Well, no," I told her. "I actually wanted to let you know I was leaving the house."

"Where to?" She inquired.

"Wonder Coast," I told her.

"Oh, then go, go, go." She easily dismissed me, clearly looking like she wanted to go back to bed. "And please as you're going, tell your dad to endeavour not to wake me up from sleep when he's done. Two of you should leave me be."

I fought the urge to laugh. Even when she was sleepy, she was a clown.

"Actually, I'm a bit worried about leaving without Dad's permission. I don't want to flip out when he notices my absence," I told Mum.

"Oh, please." She dismissed, "Look, baby, don't worry about your father, he's more interested in getting my forgiveness than worrying about what the hell you're up to. And for your sake, I'm willing to withhold it for as long as you are going to be away, just so he doesn't have the chance to be all up in your case."

That was both cruel and brilliant at the same time.

"Can I go back to sleep now?" She asked me, whining.

"Sure, sure," I told her. "Goodnight, mah."

She sighed, tiptoed to kiss me on the forehead. "Love you, baby."

*****

It was almost 8pm.

I sat there in some not-so-fancy eatery, one I hadn't even noticed ever before till now. One that was a bit too shabby, too decrepit to exist in a place like Lekki. However, since I had been to a place like that Tsoede Art Building at Dynasty Afrique Street, I guess my shock was a lot downplayed that it would have normally been.

This eatery was by far better than that building, I'd give it to them. Smaller; definitely. It was as small as the little warehouse that housed the cleaner, Philomena, in school, and had about a small countable number of wooden, small tables and chairs spread across it's small space.

I'd give it to them, again. The place smelt nice. It was considerably neat as well, except for the fading blue paint and partly broken condition of the walls, but the tiles on the floors were well swept and probably mopped too.

What had I been doing in a place like this for so long? One may ask. In all honesty, I was waiting for the smallest sign of Dabeluchi...  At least, a text back.

Nothing.

I went over all my messages one by one, like magically, a text back would appear.

"There's an Dance Fare at the Wonder Coat tonight. Wanna come with?"

"I think it's be really fun. I'm in this old, shabby restaurant called Wilsons', waiting, just in case you.... yunno.."

"Umm.... Okay, maybe I'm a little desperate, but I'd love to be at Wonder Coat with you, we could have so much fun tho..."

"And I heard that Stormy is coming... You know? Stormy? The really famous singer? She'll be in Wonder Coast tonight tho.."

Why did I sound like I was advertising hanging out with myself? Believe me I had no idea.

In fact, I had no idea what I was doing right now, or why I was doing it, I just-

"Hello, sir?"

Curious as to who addressed me so formerly, I looked up from the screen of my phone and onto the warming, nice smile of a fairly old, skinny man, holding up a few, unwashed dishes in his hands. Plates I figured he was packing up from the tables.

"Um...." I sat up, rubbed the back of my turtleneck, awkwardly. "Good evening...?"

"Are you waiting for anyone, sir?" He asked me politely, adjusted the dirty beret on his head.

He was soft spoken, it was almost warming.

Yet, I wasn't sure what made me uncomfortable. Was it the never seizing smile on his wrinkled, dark face, or was it the fact that he, a man who I knew was even well, and by far older than my own father, and probably my father's father, was addressing me as 'sir'.

"Something like that. Yeah," I answered him.

"Oh, that's a pity, now I feel very bad because we're about to close," He said, and I couldn't get over how worried for me he looked.

He seemed to be the old man who owned this eatery. That was easy to figure.

"I'm sorry about that, don't be angry, okay?" He was saying to me, "You can just wait out in the hut for the person. Will you? Can you?"

He was being so nice. Too nice. And it was scary.

And he just wouldn't stop smiling.

"I'll be outside," I nodded immediately, as I stood up, adjusted the fur on my coat hoodie, and made to take my leave.

The smiley, old man waved me a calm, nice, soft goodbye and I smiled briefly, saluted awkwardly, and started to leave his eatery.

I was about to stretch my hand towards the door and he called out to me.

"One minute, please?" He called out.

I stopped. Confused. 

What did he want?

I turned around to face him, and he was eagerly still smiling, so much joy in his tired, worn out eyes that were almost discolouring from old age.

For a moment, my heart melted. I wasn't even sure why.

"I just want you to know that there is a God and he answers prayers," He said to me.

There was so much hope, joy, and relief in his voice. Like a clash of heightened positive emotions that were all coming out in one sentence, expelling out at it's peak. His voice had even cracked a little, as though he was on the verge of tears of joy.

"Today is the best day of my life," He told me, whispered it, it was like he was really restraining those tears of joy.

I couldn't hold back the little smile that grazed my lips, on hearing that.

"My only daughter finally came home to see me," The old man told me, tears welling up in his eyes as he shrugged a sad, yet happy shrug.

 There was something about how he said it that made me almost break down in tears for this old man.... Even if I barely knew him.

"I'm happy for you," I told him, smiled.

He nodded, laughed a soft soothing laugh, and sighed.

"Wait, lemme give you something," He said to me.

Like that, this man disappeared through the doorway behind the small counter, and remained there for almost five minutes.

I stood there, waiting just as he had asked me to..... I couldn't leave.

He was out after a while, holding something in a small, black nylon bag as he walked over to me, slow and steady.

"Have this," He smiled, gave me whatever it was he was holding in that black nylon.

One touch on it and I knew what it was. It was food in a take away plate.

Free food.

Free food?

"I can't..." I shook my head, refused. "I can't have this," 

He couldn't be giving me free food. I had more than enough money, and he was only managing such a small unimpressive eatery like this. That would be unfair.

"I insist," He said to me, he looked like he really wanted to offer me this.

"I'm sorry," I shook my head, "I.. I just can't.. Sorry," I held the top of his wrinkled, shaky old hand that held onto the food in a nylon. "Give it to your daughter, okay?"

It took a while, but he eventually heeded.

"And look, boy," He had told me, held my hand. "You're young, okay? You have all the time in your youth. So, if you love someone, show them. You'll never know when it's too late."

I wasn't sure where that came from.... But I nodded, listened.

The old man couldn't even stop waving me a sweet good bye, right until I had stepped out of the eatery, and I couldn't get over how happy he seemed, and the fact that he was going to offer me free food, even after I was about certain that whatever he had earned to day from the eatery was not even a half of a quarter of my monthly allowance. 

All the way, I was only thinking one thing to myself; There are some really good people in the world.

I stepped outside into the harsh cold and winced. 

It's so cold tonight.

I pulled my coat hoodie over my head, stuffed my hands into the pockets as I strode down the small path that led to the main road, outside the eatery.

Jasmine Sullivan's 'Pick up your feelings' was playing softly from somewhere I wasn't sure, and I felt attacked by the song..... Considering I was shamelessly waiting for someone who would probably not even answer me.

Stopping for a moment - I wasn't sure what compelled me to - I turned back to take a look at the eatery building; a small, incomplete building. The lights seemed to be going off, one by one, and I figured he was closing up.

I smiled... I wasn't sure why. Maybe I was happy for the old man?

Just as I was about to turn away, I saw a something - like a note- plastered by the window of the right side of the building, and a little squint cleared it up and I was able to see what it was. 

It was a note that contained his account details, right there, plastered by the window.

I wondered why he let it out so openly, but well, I couldn't stop my self from sending him some money. A good five digits would go a long way to help this man.

My next ordeal was to wait for Dabeluchi.

And soon after sitting down under the hut by the eatery for about another horrible fifteen dull minutes, I was convinced she wasn't going to show up.

What was I even thinking?

I sucked my teeth, disappointed, stood up and made my way to leave this place.

She wasn't going to come anyway. Why did I think she would?

And if she wasn't coming, there was no point in going to Wonder Coast anyway.

"What was I even thinking." I muttered, bummed.

All it took was one step and my body froze up.

Completely.

I just froze and couldn't unfreeze.

My heart may have skipped a few thousand beats, I don't know, but it felt like it was racing well beyond my own control, and I couldn't do anything to control it.

There she was; she had just stepped down from a yellow taxi, and she was now seemed to be a bit hesitant to take on a step to the path that would have led her into the eatery.

I laughed a little – amidst my racing heart – at how much scepticism oozed off her, as she paused a distance from the eatery, looked around her, clearly uncomfortable by her surroundings, as though she was about to get kidnapped.

What amused me the most was how she showed up, really.

Lol. Dabeluchi didn't even dress for the occasion.

Her casualness shocked me really. I mean; Loose, white spaghetti strap top.  Baggy, tortilla brown three-quarter trousers. Socks? Wow, socks. Long, black and grey striped socks that went right up, disappearing under the trousers that stopped somewhere around her shin. And wow, she topped it all up by wearing some regular, black palm slippers.

(Something like this, yeah?? Btw; Willow Smith tho😢🔥)

I laughed a little, fascinated, shook my head. As if the way she showed up wasn't all enough clearance to me that she was incredibly unbothered about going all out tonight for me, she had to just show up here, wearing a multi coloured beanie on her head, and holding a pack of popcorn, selfishly to herself.

My God. I couldn't help, but smile and watch in awe and disbelief.

What is this girl?

I stepped out of the hut and made my way towards her.

"Dabeluchi." I called, stepped into her view.

She heard me. Immediately. Stopped. Froze. Turned my direction, and looked at me with eyes as wide as a damn sausage. 

At least, she wasn't trying to get away from me.

"Hey," I smiled to ease her up, as I further came into full view.

That must have been too much, because my action seemed to startle her just a little.

I was about a five feet distance from her when she suddenly retracted, and moved back once. 

I stopped moving immediately, and she made to move back another step, worried and paranoid, but after that one step, she seemed to force herself to stop. She seemed to force herself not to move back again. She forced herself to stay on her ground, all the while, her eyes were suspicious and heavy on me.

"It's just me," I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender as I assured her. To make her more at ease, I pulled down my hoodie to look less like an armed robber.

She didn't say anything. But she just stood there, looking at me, watching me, sceptically still, and after about a few seconds of aimless, blank staring, I decided to make my way towards her.

She didn't run away from me.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd show up," I sounded a lot more relieved and excited than I honestly intended to.

Dabeluchi seemed something in between shy and nervous, because she could hardly make eye contact with me, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw a little smile appear at the corners of her lips.

It was a little smile. Too little to be honest. But it was something. It was a whole lot to me, really.

"You look good, by the way," I told her in all my honesty.

Jokes aside, she did look great. And even without trying at all. And I mean, she needed to know she did look good.

Lol, she didn't even say thank you.

"Um...." I rubbed the back of my turtleneck, as the awkwardness was threatening to eat me up raw.

I was stuttering. Me; Marcus Bruno Acha. I was stuttering while talking to a girl. 

"This is the part where we... walk, right?" I further went on to sound more stupid.

Dabeluchi breathed a laugh, shrugged, and without giving me an answer, she just turned around and started walking. 

I knew it was my cue to follow her.

We were careful to stay on our lane at the pedestrian walk. Luckily, the cars that passed down the roads to and fro, were at moderate speed. Usually, cars driving by on the streets of Lagos were too aggressive, and if that was what we had to face tonight, then boy, this would have been a lot less peaceful walk.

Maybe the universe was doing this on purpose.

Maybe that's why it was a peaceful walk.

Peaceful.... Yet, intense...

Ironic, really. It really was ironic how I seemed so on the edge with this girl. I'd never felt so nervous, or careful, or particular about any girl in my life. It felt like I didn't know what to say, or to do, or how to act, and this had never happened before.

I had gone of tons of dates with tons of girls. I 'd always know how to act, what to say, what to do, I always knew everything and anything that had to be done to get make any girl feel like she was on the moon.

But it was different with Dabeluchi.

It was almost seeming as though I was not even having a single effect on her. Sometimes, it felt like that, and sometimes, it didn't. She confused me. She made me think. She made me wonder if I was doing something wrong, and a little reaction from her, be it a tiny smile was enough to assure me that I wasn't being bullshit after all. It was like I was testing the waters with her, seeing if one thing or the other I do was going to at least impress her.

It had never been like this with the other girls. Honestly, it was a lot easier with the other girls I had been with.

Granted, Dabeluchi wasn't like the other girls. She couldn't be bothered to go out of her way to wear clothes and have on make-up that she didn't want, because of me. She didn't laugh at anything I said if she didn't find it funny, as the other girls would have. She didn't blush and jump at a compliment from me.....

Dabeluchi was a challenge.

I looked at her, as she walked by my side on the pedestrian walk, basking in the comfort of the silence between us, and I thought to myself....

She was cold.

No, wait. Literally, Dabeluchi was cold, she was literally shivering. Even if she tried to be as subtle as possible about it, I could see the goosebumps, forming there, on her skin, and she, slowly trying to run against them to produce heat.

"You're cold." I pointed it out.

"Just a little." She muttered.

Finally, she said something to me.

"Well, you can have my coat..." I suggested, sincerely.

I barely even had the chance to take off the thick thing off my body, and Dabeluchi, alarmed for some reason, stopped, whipped her head over to me so fast that I was taken absolutely off-guard.

"Why would you do that?" She asked me, shocked.

I stopped too, answered. "You're cold."

She looked at me. "So?"

"It's just the nice thing to do," I said.

"So, what will you wear if you give it to me?" She asked me.

"Umm," I actually laughed at the question. "I don't care?"

She looked away from me, eyes straight ahead as she started to move again, saying nothing more.

"So?" I said.

 "I don't want your coat." She told me, bluntly.

"Ouch," I quipped, laughed a little as I walked along with her pace. "If that's what you want."

There was an awkward silence for a while.

"It feels weird though," I heard Dabeluchi say.

I looked at her, confused and curious.

"You wanting to give me your jacket." She elaborated.

"I still feel like an asshole for being properly covered and shielded from cold while you are here, shivering," I told her.

"You are an asshole, Marcus Acha." She only said.

My heart dropped painfully.

I went pale in a second, and panic was so close to setting in, when I noticed something.....

Right there. That little smile. It was just there - a teasing smile at the corner of her lips that easily communicated to me that she was just playing with me.

"You got me there," I sighed of relief.

It felt so relieving to see her smile. That had to mean I was doing something right. Had to mean she was having a good time, right?

She just glanced at me, shrugged a little, in something that seemed akin to prideful satisfaction, and for a moment as I just watched her, I thought to myself; This girl is beautiful.

She was beautiful in the most natural way I could possibly imagine. Raw; I'd forever describe it that way. There was no better way to describe it. Her eyes had got to be my favourite part, so far; Eyes that looked dead most of the time had a way of turning softer, more fragile, vulnerable, sad.... And it was beautiful, even if in a sad way. Like, I would cry if I stared too long. 

I smiled at her. We were only walking, but it felt like more than just walking. It felt like all my senses were reacting like a chemical to her presence. Each step she took made my heart leap, each step we took together, filled my stomach with a tickling, lingering sweetness that wouldn't go away.

What is this girl?

And what the hell was she doing to me?

"Where exactly are we walking to?" She asked me, her voice was softer, more hesitant.

"We're supposed to be walking to Dalaja Street," I answered her.

"Why?" She asked me.

"Because that's where we'd be stopping to take a ride to Wonder Coast," I said, "There's usually a Coater Double Decker Bus that carries everyone to the venue, it's one of the most thrilling parts of the Fare. I would have just asked our driver to take us there, but it sort of ruins the whole experience."

"What time does the bus come?" She asked.

"9 pm," I answered.

"What's the time right now?" She asked again.

I took my hand out of my coat pockets to check my wrist watch.

"8:26 pm," I told her.

"Oh, wow. We have too much time left, I should have just waited till it was some fewer minutes to 9," She said.

"Oh my God," I actually laughed. Like, really laughed. "Look, look, I get it, okay? You wouldn't have been here seeing my face if not for the stupid face if not for the fare, I get it, Dabi."

She actually laughed too... Just a little. And that tickled something within me, and fuelled my whole body with a little bit of joy.

"You still want my coat though?" I asked her.

"Keep your coat on, Marcus Acha." Dabeluchi deadpanned.

I chuckled. Well, it was worth a try.

Dabeluchi suddenly stopped walking, confusing and startling me at the same time.

"Are you oka-"

"What is that." She cut me off.

"What is what?" I asked.

She had her eyes fixed on something, shocked and seemingly dumbfounded,  and instead of waiting for her response, I looked towards the direction that her awestruck gaze seemed to be fixed on.

Then, I saw it too.... And understood.

I had crossed this street one too many times, but each time I had come across this particular part of it, it always did find a way to pull my absolute attention.

"What is that?" She asked again, her eyes growing in more shock at it's beauty.

"Heaven." I simply answered.

Dabeluchi turned to me. Glared. "I'm being serious."

"Woah," I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender, snickered, "I'm not fucking with you, the place is called Heaven."

She looked at me for a while, harder. Before turning back to look at it.

It was like a broad pathway, with protectors made of stone, artificial leaves stringing down, acting as a tree roofing, illuminating colours; pink, purple, and blue, turn by turn, sort of like how the lights of a Christmas tree does it. These artificial tree roofing was not only enhanced with the fanciest prettiest lights, but they also were decorated with pretty, candle lamps.

(I picture it just like this😌♥️)

"What you're looking at is just a tip of the iceberg," I told her, as a matter of fact. "This is just the entrance to the main building. Wait till you see what the inside looks like."

Dabeluchi looked hypnotized.

"Let's go inside." She said.

I blinked. "Sorry, what did you say?"

She didn't repeat herself. She started walking towards the path like an evil spirit was calling her to it.

I sighed.

What I forgot to tell Dabeluchi was that that place cost A LOT to be in. Too much. Ridiculously much. And I ain't no Dangote's son.

And this wasn't even part of the plan.

"Oh well," I watched behind the eager, determined girl as she had just gotten to the path, looked around her like she was in heaven, and in soft hesitance, grazed her fingers softly against the protector.... Felt it. It was like she wanted to touch something to assure herself that the place she was standing in, was actually real.

.....As though there was a possibility that it could all just be an imagination that was all in her head.

Coming here wasn't even part of our plan.

But, oh well....

I sure like me a little spontaneous, anyway.

~DABI~

I couldn't believe my eyes.

I really couldn't believe the beauty of this place.

This has got to be the most beautiful place I had ever been to in my life. I was certain of that face.

And stepping in was an even bigger shock to me.

The moment I had walked down that stunning path, savouring the beauty all around me, of the lights, the warm feel, and jeez, the lights, the next place I found myself in was inside the building. I didn't even understand how, I didn't even see the building. One minute, I was walking on the beautiful path, and the next minute, I was inside of the building.

"Wow." Was all I could say as I looked around the place,  sinking myself in the unbelievable magnificence and glory of this place.

It felt like heaven. The walls didn't even look like walls, they looked like a themed simulation of the most beautiful shades of purple and pink, a variety of stunning themes I had yet to discover.

It was like an aesthetic off pinterest, coming to life all around me. Calm harmonies were all around the place and in the middle of the ceiling was something that looked like a see-through glass, one that showed the most beautiful pink and purple cloud outside. I figured it was a simulation too, and it shone down like a chandelier, directly on the middle of the vast room where they was a cloud bed.

"Pretty," I muttered, awed.

"I take it that you haven't been here before."

I jumped at the voice.

I had totally forgot that Marcus Acha walked in here with me. 

"It's my first time," I told him.

That moment that I had come to terms with Marcus' presence, reality hit me hard and then came the scariest part of this reality.

People.

Having Marcus around was okay.

But what about the multitudes of people that were literally surrounding the whole entire place.

Somehow, I had managed to walk in here, and imagine I was the only one here.... 

I wasn't.

People. So many people. Too many people were here. Adults. Kids. Teenagers. Even old people. Too many people were here.

Some were walking around us, past us, behind us. Going to and fro, and I wondered how the hell I had managed to mentally erase these people from my vision as I walked in here.

I looked to the cloud bed I was already thinking of laying on as I came in here, and realised that it was already fired and taken by some people. Some boys and Girls. They looked older than us, I was sure they were University students.

I started to feel very uneasy.

Very.

"Are you good?" Marcus asked me.

Once again, I even forgot that that one was standing there.

"They're so many people." I muttered.

He heard me.

"You couldn't have expected to come here and be the only one, tho." He said.

I guess I shouldn't have?

I felt him come closer to me, I could smell his cologne and that was how I knew. I wasn't looking at him, I was staring at the multitude of people who were seeming like a threat to me.

"If you're not comfortable, we can leave," Marcus suggested, he sounded wary.

"I like it here," I took a moment to look around me, just one more time. The people aside, damn, this place was gorgeous.

"I take it you don't go out much," I heard Marcus chuckle a little, watching me.

"Asides Dance Class and School, I'd have no other reason to be outside," I told him.

He hummed. "I see."

Thinking about School alone, was enough to make me on the edge.

Maybe, I shouldn't even think of school.

Maybe, not tonight.

Maybe, I should be here.

"Well, I've been here a few times," Marcus said, "And I think it's my call to show you my favourite place before we leave."

I liked the idea.

"Let's go." I told him and he was more than happy to oblige.

Marcus took me to the left side of the building that had the massive doorway entrance and we were soon stepping into a vast hall with white walls.

It had the same thing I saw at the ceiling of the room we previously in - the see-through glass that showed a simulation of some pretty pink and purple clouds and skies, and just like the last one, the light from the simulation somewhat acted as a chandelier, but this time, somehow illuminated round the whole hall, like a disco ball, and gave it this solemn feel.

(Something like this, the purple and pink cloud/sky thing)

All around us were people still moving to and fro; some, coming in, some, going out, others, taking the escalators that were right under their 'chandelier'. Still, no matter how busy this place was, there was an orderly organization that was to die for. It was almost regal.

I noticed some people at corners of the building; some of them were standing as ushers at the entrances and the others were busily walking to and fro. I couldn't help but notice the large, artificial white wings attached to their backs, as well as the fact that they all had the same identical uniforms - white shirts and white trousers, and a white cap with a name inscription on them.

"Those people are the workers here," Marcus told me. 

"So, they're like angels?" I asked him.

He chuckled under his breath. "You could say that."

Interesting.

We had stopped at a glass counter reception where there was a lady, busily typing into a computer, acting like she had no idea that people were standing in front of her and waiting to be attended to.

The lady was light skinned, moderately pretty, but looked like she didn't like to smile much, I guess. She, too, had the same uniform, and her own pair of white wings too. It was easy to decipher that she was the receptionist of this place.

"Hey, there!" Marcus greeted, a playful, yet charming smile on his face.

The lady didn't respond. Legit ignored us like we were ghosts. Our response was the fast, hard punching of the keyboard in front of her.

 Marcus laughed awkwardly.

"Uh..." He waved to get her attention, but when she didn't budge, he looked up to the name inscribed on her white cap. "Angel.... Dami?"

Oh, wow. Dami. Sounds like Dabi.

"Sounds a lot like Dabi," Marcus laughed. "The beautiful girl with me is called Dabi, you two could be friends, hehe."

The lady looked up, unimpressed. Clearly not humoured by Marcus Acha.

She... wasn't friendly.

"Can you go straight to the point?" She raised a stern brow at Marcus.

He cleared his throat, standing up straight as her unfriendliness seemed to get him to act right.

"We want some tickets to the Ecstasy Room." He answered promptly, dropped a Pacific Bank card on the counter top.

"Where's your ID?" She asked him with a flat, strict tone.

"Huh?" Marcus seemed to blink in confusion. "ID? I'm sorry, what for?"

"To ensure you aren't under age." She responded bluntly. "Anyone below the age of 18 can't go in without a guardian."

Oh, no.

"Well, uh..." Marcus was quick to have something to say, even if I wondered what.

"You see the thing is..." He was saying, "I turn 18 on the 19th of February, next year, and you know this is already October, so it's just in a few months time, so I don't know, does that count?"

Jesus Christ.

Angel Dami looked surprisingly calm.

Maybe Marcus' response did not irritate her?

"Please, leave before I call security." She deadpanned.

My heart dropped.

I spoke too soon.

"Really?" Marcus looked at this woman.

"You have five seconds before they come to escort you out of the building." She deadpanned.

I was one step close to having a panic attack.

Marcus looked like heartbreak.

"Oh, c'mon, are you really going to ruin tonight for us?"

She seemed to be typing into the telephone for security.

"Please." Marcus pleaded.

She was still doing what she was doing, regardless.

"Please!" My eyes went wide when Marcus grabbed her hand to stop her from continuing with the telephone.

The woman looked like a horror film.

"Can you leave my hand?" She asked calmly.

"Look," Marcus still had her hand in his hold. "This will be the best thing you'd do for the both of us today..... Please."

The lady stayed quiet. Stared at Marcus who looked too desperate, like his whole life depended on this.

For a moment, I found it hard to understand why he was so desperate for us to be here. After all, I was the one who wanted to come in, and not him.

Marcus left the lady's hand after a decade of held eye contact and I was just about to give up on being here....

Then, she took his card, slided it into a POS machine, got it out, and tore up to pieces of paper with number tags on them, for the both of us.

"Here's your tickets." She said, her face in a deadpan. "The Ecstasy room is upstairs by the right, you can use the escalator. If you get caught, I didn't see you nor give you the tickets, you stole them, understood?"

I felt so much jot bubble in my heart, I could have jumped for it.

"Thank you!" Marcus was hysteric. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Don't touch me." The woman stopped him when he wanted to shake her in all his excitement.

"Sorry." He apologised as he grabbed our tickets.

"Now, get out of my sight before I change my mind." She said to us.

Marcus and I were quick to leave as she warned.

I was too happy. Too happy.

"There really is a God in heaven," I just had to say.

"Certainly," Marcus agreed, "But if there were angels as cranky as that lady, we'd have a lot of problems, though."

I laughed. I actually really laughed.

As instructed, we took the escalator, and since Marcus knew his way around this place, I just followed him, trustingly. I mean, I was curious to see the place that Marcus had swore was his favourite place in this whole place.... 

And when we got there, I was....

Disappointed.

It was very basic. If basic was in material form, it would be this room I was standing in.

It was a plain white room. An empty plain white room with some fancy looking black seats that looked like enhanced massage seats. At least, I'd give it to the seats, they looked pretty and expensive. 

But that was it. A big white room with seats.

"It gets better, trust me," He told me.

"Okay." Was all I said. Let's hope.

The 'angels' around the room started to help all of us take the seats around, in an orderly fashion.

"Seat number?" One of them had asked us.

"Number 7." He had looked at the tickets to see, before handing to them.

"Follow me." The angel had said.

And that was how he had taken us to one of the seats there.

"Trust me," Marcus had chuckled, looked at me with an assurance in his eyes.

I nodded, joined him on the seat, and offered a little smile.

I was slowly beginning to ease up, slowly, slowly, slowly. I was about to take his word for it. Maybe this place would surprise me.

Suddenly, the seat we were on, fell back with brutal force.

"Argh!" I screamed, jumped right off it, make a run for it.

Marcus was a laughing mess. The boy was hysteric, nearly falling off the seat that was laying on the ground, looking like a small, leather couched bed, as he laughed the shit out of me.

"Why didn't you tell me it was going to do that!" I scolded him.

He couldn't stop laughing at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He couldn't stop laughing. I wanted to choke him.

 "Come here, come here," He gestured for me to come to him as he laughed. "Come, please."

"No." I folded my arms, annoyed.

"Please," He tried to control his laughter. "Please, come, it'll soon start. C'mon."

"No more surprises," I was adamant. "Promise."

"No more bad ones, I promise," He promised. Raised a hand to make an oath.

I sighed, joined him once more.

I didn't know what to expect from this, but as soon as both of us laid together on the leather seat, I breathed, hoped I wasn't making a mistake.

There was a moment of silence after one of the angels had addressed everyone, and then, suddenly, without warning....

All the lights went off.

"What's happening?" I whispered to Marcus, panicking.

"Shh!" He responded.

I didn't have time to protest.

First, I was caught off by a ghostly, somewhat eerie and creepy harmony in the dark, and before I could speak another word, the lights went back on, immediately.

My goodness.

Marcus Acha and I were in the clouds.

No, literally. All around us were clouds. Colourful, beautiful clouds of orange, pink, purple, blue, gold, were all around us, moving and changing colours, according to the beat of the song, playing. 

What is this beauty?

I don't know if it was all in my head, but we also seemed to be the only people in the room. I was certain that a few minutes ago, this room was filled up with many people, cozying up in their own seats... But now, it felt like it was just me and Marcus.

"It's all a simulation, we're not in real clouds," Marcus whispered to me. "We can't see them and they can't see us too."

Wow.

"And what song is playing?" I asked him.

God, the song made the entire feel more eerie.... and also, strangely, comforting. Peaceful.

"Runaway by Aurora," Marcus answered me. 

"It's so..." I sighed, balanced onto the seat I could feel, but couldn't see. "It's so calming."

It was calming. A strange, yet disturbing calm. 

"It gets better," He whispered to me.

And on cue, like he was heard, we seemed to switch into another realm. It seemed like our seats were moving, and we were going up, side, and down this giant, beautiful rollercoaster, and the whole atmosphere around us kept changing into more beautiful sceneries, moving along with the intensity of the song, and soon, it was a blur of the most beautiful colours, the most eerie, yet calming sceneries, and the most warming and calming themes ever seen.

It was so beautiful. Too beautiful. It was as beautiful as a dream.

It felt like I was in a dream. A sweet, calming, soothing dream I didn't want to come out of. Or as though I were a wandering ghost, roaming the eerie, almost creepy peace that bounds in the afterlife.

I knew this wasn't real, but wow, it felt so real. Too real.

I loved it...

I wanted to stay here. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. I didn't want to leave the serenity this place made me feel. It was too much peace..

Like the perfect escape from reality...

I said nothing and neither did Marcus. We just watched the beauty all around us and basked in it, felt it, lived in it, died in it.

Goosebumps filled my whole system and I imagine what it'd be like to just stay here forever. Till all eternity.

 All up in my feelings, my senses were calm and it seemed to me like Marcus and I were the only people in the whole planet.

But I kept running....

For a soft place to fall....

More goosebumps formed on my skin as my heart felt overwhelmed with peace, and I shifted closer to Marcus, rested my head on his chest and cuddled myself closer to him, letting the euphoria spread through out my whole body.

But I kept running....

For a soft place to fall....

But I kept running....

For a soft place to fall....

I stayed that way; my head, resting on his chest and let myself loose, free, calm. And he rested his chin on my head, stayed still, held me still.

"What did you say this song was again?" I asked him.

"Runaway by Aurora," He answered.

"My middle name is Aurora," I randomly told him.

I felt his body vibrate just a little as he chuckled, and on feeling that, I felt my insides twist and burn with nausea.... But the good type. The peaceful type.

"I like it." He said to me.

Well, I like this.

I really liked this.

How did this chapter make you feel?😢♥️

Oh, and for the whole simulation Dabi and Acha were in, I have some videos that could aid you feel some part of what they felt (Just go to the next page to see them♥️)

See you tommorow! (By God's grace)