Whispers of the Damned

I woke up when my phone rang. Frowning with eyes that were still sticky, I stared at the Caller ID displayed on my phone, and I immediately sat up when I saw that it was Karem Masson. I immediately picked it up and forced my head to wake up. "Hello, Mr. Masson?" I greeted him first.

"Good morning, Ms. Gomez. Sorry to disturb your sleep, I wanted to confirm about the offer we made to you one month ago." He replied kindly.

"That's okay. It's already morning. I'm already awake. You can talk to me, Mr. Masson." I replied with a polite grin.

"Okay, fine. So, based on our interview, I'm very satisfied with how thoroughly you answered my questions, and how much experience you've had. I am expecting you to come to Royal Ridge in Los Angeles, since that will be the center of our company in California."

"Am I not working in San Francisco??"

"Yes, you are, Ms. Gomez. But the head of the IT division is there, so he wants some of the people who have entered this recruitment to get together and discuss what preparations you'll be making, and put together a framework. He'll explain it in a small meeting."

I nodded. "Okay, when is it?"

"Monday at nine in the morning, Miss." He replied. "I'm sorry for telling you so late."

"That's okay. I happen to be in Los Angeles." I replied. "Well then, thank you for the information, Mr. Masson."

"You're welcome, Ms. Gomez. Have a nice day."

"You too."

I cut off the call, and I sigh softly before laying back down on the bed. It's still seven in the morning, and I'm going to continue sleeping until Abraham wakes me up for breakfast. I could cook, but if Abraham was around, I would choose to be lazy and let him do the cooking.

So I closed my eyes again and let the darkness of my subconscious embrace me again.

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*Magnan's laughter greeted me. Her smile was so wide. Beautiful and lovely. I chuckled as I watched her play in the meadow while I chose to sit and observe her. Then she saw me. Smiling widely, waving at me, inviting me to come with her.

I chuckled, stood up, and started walking towards her.

But her laughter faded.

I froze.

There was no more light on her face. Her aura turned sinister. In front of me, the blood appeared through her hair, like it was creeping up to take over her face. I glared.

She stared at me blankly, a single tear escaping her.

And I screamed.

Loudly.*

<<<

"Daniella!"

My eyes opened, and I saw Theo's worried face before me. I sat up quickly and brought myself to hug him. Burying my face in his chest, I take deep breaths to fill in the oxygen that seems to be missing from my lungs.

My heartbeat was moving chaotically. My chest was so tight with pressure. I squeezed Theo's T-shirt to vent it.

Theo hugged me so tightly, striking my back and running his fingers through my hair, giving me enough peace of mind.

"How many times this month?" Damien's voice came from the other side.

I turned to him without moving away from Theo's chest. He was sitting on the side of the bed behind Theo, not far from us, and Abraham was leaning against the doorway. Anxiety and worry were on their faces, though Abraham was covered with a faint, cold calmness.

"I don't know..." I swallowed. "Three times." I paused. "Four times."

"You should see a psychiatrist." Abraham said.

"No, I won't. I don't want that." I denied him vehemently. "I'm not crazy!" I yelled at them. Drugs and being confronted by someone dressed in white, watching me like I had a chronic mental failure.. I didn't want to do it. Theo stopped rubbing my back.

"You're not crazy," Abraham countered stressfully but gently. "You need help for that trauma."

"I don't have trauma. I don't-"

"Then why have you been taking panic attack medication all this time? And sleeping pills? That's without a prescription too!" Abraham cut me off.

I curled up in Theo's arms, staring at Abraham who gave me a sharp look.

Theo looked at our eldest brother, and gave him a sharp look back. "Be nice."

"I... damn it," Abraham says like he can't talk back to his brother.

Now Damien started talking, looking at me gently. "Since when did you take that medicine? Where did you get them, Danny?"

I swallowed, turning away from them, choosing to bury my face in Theo's chest.

Theo clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Get out, you two! Let me do this." I felt Theo's head turn to them. "You are indeed incompetent brothers."

I heard their steps and the sound of the door closing. I tightened my arms around Theo and sobbed into his chest again. He rocked our bodies gently for a long time until my crying subsided.

Then he moved my head away from his chest, wiped away the tears on my cheeks, and chuckled. He handed me a glass of water that was always on the nightstand. I drank it down.

"You're getting ugly, Princesa." He said.

I snorted and looked away while rubbing my cheeks.

"What were you dreaming about?" Theo asked softly.

I bit my lip, holding back the tightness in my chest that had eased. His reassurance affected me until I felt comfortable telling him about my dream. "I saw Magnan," I paused to catch my breath. "She smiled at me before it all stopped." I swallowed painfully. "And I saw her face full of blood."

Theo didn't say anything. He just looked at me with a frown on his forehead and a long reflection. He sighed and released a faint smile. "You haven't let her go yet, Princess."

I didn't know what to reply with because I knew that Theo was right. I wasn't denying it. I had indeed not let go of Magnan's death and could not bear the fact that her death was so tragic. I still can't do that.

"Let's go, we should have breakfast." He said. "We're going fishing in the middle of the sea." He said, and I widened my eyes. "Accompanied by Franky."

I glared.

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<<<

I sat down with some trepidation beside the edge of the boat and gazed into the sea's deep, dark blue depths. I shuddered in horror at the sight. Something in my head envisioned a large eye blinking at me. It wasn't there, and only in my head, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of horror inside while my second brother was sitting leisurely on a chair, holding the handle of his fishing rod while occasionally taking a sip of the cappuccino I had made earlier.

I sat next to him, and since there was no barrier before me, I backed away slightly. I was afraid of my crazy thoughts of going into the water and letting myself drown.

"Are there no sharks here?" I asked.

Theo turned to me and chuckled. "There are, Princesa." I winced in horror. "But don't worry, the sharks won't eat you." He reached out to pat my shoulder, giving it a soothing touch. "How can you be sure?"

"Because you're on the boat."

I rolled my eyes at his unfunny joke. He chuckled in a voice that sounded just like our father. My three brother had the exact resemblance to our father from the sound of their laughter.

Oh, I miss Papa so much.

I took a deep breath, trying to ease the anxiety that was still lingering in my mind. My eyes returned to the dark sea, trying to convince myself that this was just the refreshing part Theo had recommended. The calm sea and the gentle sound of the waves should give me peace of mind.

"Where's Franky?"

"He's going to come." Theo replied casually.

We're already at the place where we met Franky yesterday, although a little further away. But we've been here for almost an hour, and Franky hasn't shown up yet. "Aren't you going to call him?"

"No need."

"How did he know you were here, then?" I asked curiously.

"Instinct, maybe." Theo replied, which sounded easy and perfunctory from his mouth.

I frowned. "You're never serious."

Theo just sent me a playful grin before focusing on his small fishing rod.

I scowled. "If I swim out here, will Franky eat me?"ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Of course," he replied casually as if he was answering what was for lunch. I grimaced. "But you'd still be alive in his stomach because he wouldn't chew you up."

Like that was a good thing. "Why won't he chew me up?"

"Because you're small." He replied.

I snorted, and then I asked again. "What if the whale that's been seeing you all this time isn't Franky? What if it was another whale?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I love all whales. So I'm just fine with that."

His completely casual and easy response sometimes annoyed me. I grunted at the thought of getting out of here, but a little ways away, I found a spray of water in front of us. Then, I saw the water's surface moving gently against the calm waves. It was traveling towards us.

Theo, who was already on the ship's deck without a barrier, immediately moved towards the edge. I grimaced in horror at what if the whale opened its mouth and ate the boat and us because it's mouth was so big.

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I was already backing away when I heard Theo laughing as he sat on the deck floor, putting his feet in the water.

My second brother is really.. something.

"Hello, bud." He greeted the whale like it was his friend. "Danny, come here. Say hello to him."

I shook my head hard even though he wasn't looking at me. "No, no, no. That whale will eat us." I squealed softly, unable to calm myself.

"No, he's a good boy."

"No," my voice was like a squashed rat.

Theo looked at me over his shoulder. "Come here, he wants to see you."

I furrowed my brow. How could Theo understand that? Did the whale speak to him? Using telepathy? Or is Theo actually the real Aquaman who can understand the language of all sea creatures?

I really couldn't figure it out.

"Daniella." His voice was soft but forced.

I walk slowly, my curiosity making me desperate even though my legs are shaking violently now. I inhaled, surprised at how giant the whale was and how small we were compared to this animal. It reminds me of how helpless I am. Franky stayed in front of Theo, occasionally surfacing and then diving. Theo sat near his head, stroking the surface of Franky's slick skin like he was petting a cat.

"He's going to eat us," I muttered in horror.

Theo turned his head and laughed once more. "Your meat is not good to eat."

I shrugged, shuddering in horror at the magnificent, luxurious sight before me. I'd seen all sorts of whales on the internet and noticed how big they were in the sea. But now... I saw it in person.. it was amazing.

"You haven't seen anything bigger. He's still a baby."

I glared. "And already this big?"

"You'll be surprised when you see an adult blue whale."

"It's really horrible." I crouched down with goosebumps all over my body, but my blood was pumping hard with excitement when Theo took my right hand and led it to the whale's surface.

I rubbed it. The surface was slippery, and I stroked it again. Pulling away as the whale spouted water through a small hole above it's head, and then Franky was in the water again. The whale was just as still as if it knew it was Theo, his friend, who saved it from the fishing anchors of stupid sailors.

"Wonderful," I whispered, my eyes traveling the length of the whale's body, which was roughly almost twenty feet.

Beautifully breathtaking.

"See?" said Theo. "He's a good boy."

I sighed and stroked the surface of Franky's skin again before it returned to it's deep dive beneath our ship.

The whale flapped its tail, making a strong splash of water over us.

I laughed, along with Theo.

And damn, how my heart swells at this work of nature.

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