Feuillemort

~

every one of us is a slave to our own masters

~

You took the sun with you

When you left.

-Rupi Kaur (The sun and her flowers)

~

Darkness finally consumed the city, defeating the sun’s mighty rays. It was past dusk when people started going out of their respective buildings, wanting to go home and rest, hopefully get another chance for tomorrow. After a long day at work, some people cope by going to the nearest pub, some enjoy walking down the park with headphones blasting their eardrums. People enjoy the taste of freedom after a long tiring day of being the economy’s slave. Although that’s not the case for her.

As soon as the clock struck six, her heart felt heavy. As if it has an alarm of its own. She took her purse and walked her way out of the four cornered room she was stuck in the whole day. It didn’t matter if her heels were clinking, causing heads to turn just to get a glimpse of her.

It was today, the day she waited for all her life. For others, it was the end of the day that they will celebrate when it’s time to start working. For her, it’s the end of a dreaded life.

With one foot out of the building and a heart filled with hope, she smiled.

And then everything went blank.

~

Mina’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. It was twelve noon and she wanted nothing but to enjoy her sandwich. It’s not common for doctors to have a perfect lunch break time. But alas, duty calls. Or at least that’s what her roommate, Nayeon, thinks. “What?” Mina hissed when she answered the phone. It was rare for Nayeon to call her anyway so she wanted to know if the older girl needed help with anything or if somehow, by a fat chance, she got herself in trouble again. For years, Nayeon and Mina have been roommates (technically housemates but they converted Nayeon’s room into a closet) and not once did Nayeon call her during her shift.

“I’m not in trouble,” the girl said from the other line. Although Mina still found it weird that Nayeon would call for some petty reason. Regardless if her roommate is the pettiest person to ever walk on earth, she knew that Nayeon respected her profession. Their eight years of living under the same roof, Nayeon learned to adjust into Mina’s career demands and Mina adjusted to Nayeon’s hectic schedule. Oftentimes, the older girl would arrive at two in the morning just to sleep for an hour or so and then leave again for another schedule. As a doctor, Mina understood the importance of time. In every industry, it’s all the same. Time is money. For Mina and the rest of the health workers all over the world, time is life. Every second wasted is a life wasted as well.

“Then bye,” she was about to end the call when Nayeon called her name again. “What?! Talk now because I’ve been awake for three days and I don’t want any model related drama, Im.” Mina said through gritted teeth.

“This is kinda confidential. What time do you get off work?” Nayeon asked her, sounding extremely suspicious for Mina’s liking. Nayeon was never the type to hold any drama. She’s that kind of petty. But criticising Nayeon’s life aside, she found Nayeon’s alert tone worrying.

“I get off after eating lunch. I should be off my now if you hadn’t called me,” she rolled her eyes even though Nayeon couldn’t see her. Mina looked at her sandwich, her grilled bacon and cheese sandwich which she had been thinking about since three am, while doing a surgery.

“I’ll come get you. I need your help with something,” the line went dead after Nayeon said those words. Mina literally threw her phone inside her bag and started eating her sandwich. To her dismay, it was cold already. Nayeon was really going to get it. Her last meal was over twenty four hours ago and she just ate a cold sandwich. The day wasn’t going so well for her.

Inside the doctor’s quarters, Mina changed her clothes and shoved her dirty clothes inside her bag. She didn’t mind if it was crumpled. She’ll wash it when she gets home. If she gets home for that matter. Nayeon just messaged her that she was already at the parking lot, waiting for Mina to get off work. As much as she wants to go home, she must help her roommate first or she won’t get a second of rest. Mina found Nayeon’s car in the basement. She was surprised to see Nayeon using the black and heavily tinted SUV instead of her two door luxury car. Nayeon got out of the car and walked towards her, as if wanting her to hurry up.

“What?” Mina raised her brow when Nayeon took her bag and dragged her towards the car. “I’m gonna murder you here if you don’t tell me what’s happening!” Nayeon hushed her and fixed her cap, making sure her face didn't show.

“Shut up for once and get in the fucking car,” the older girl’s urgency made her scared. Nayeon was never assertive even with their age difference. It was purely a friendship respect that they have for each other. Once inside, Nayeon gave her a hat of her own.

“Hi!” Mina almost died when someone spoke behind them, from the back seat.

“Jesus Christ,” she held her hands across her chest and looked at the back seat, “Who are you?!”

The girl looked beautiful, if she was being honest, but nonetheless, she scared Mina. Nayeon started the car and drove out of the hospital, away from the city, as Mina observed. “I need your help,” Nayeon broke the silence. Mina looked at the girl behind them again only to see the girl smiling. If it was genuine, she didn’t know but she couldn’t care less.

“Do you have a job I can do?” Nayeon looked at the girl, who spoke, from the rearview mirror. She noticed Nayeon’s shaky hands, a habit she does when she’s scared or nervous or both.

“What is happening? And who are you?” Mina asked, now a little terrified with what is happening. She never saw Nayeon this way. And who was the woman with them? “Nayeon, answer me or I will call the police and report you for kidnapping!”

“I’m Sana, I-,” the girl answered but she got cut off by Nayeon.

“My girlfriend. Yes, she’s my girlfriend. Remember that girl I told you about?” Mina shook her head. “No? Okay maybe it wasn’t you but she’s my girlfriend and she needs a place to stay while we go lowkey.”

“Lowkey? Why?” Mina sensed the tension around them, Sana’s smile faded and is now looking outside, admiring the scenery.

The older girl stepped on the gas, “News broke out that I’m gay. My supporters turned into haters. Now, Sana’s receiving death threats. So would you please help us and give her a part time job so she can live in peace. If possible, the job should be away from the city. Use your connections.”

Mina thought about how Nayeon looked so worried and frantic about Sana. Maybe Nayeon really loves the girl so she's taking drastic measures to keep her safe. Everyone knows that their country adores Nayeon too much even though she is part of a scandal every single week. But nothing is scarier than her stalkers sending her threats that if she gets into a relationship, they’ll kill her.

She looked at Sana. Mina thought of what is at risk if she gives Sana the job, “Do you really need a job? It will be hard. No one lasted even for a week in what I am about to offer.”

The girl looked at her, brown eyes that told thousands of stories held her gaze, “Sure.” There was emptiness in Sana’s voice.

“There’s this place. An isolated area for a special patient with special needs. The patient is harmless but we don’t actually let non health workers near the area especially since she’s sensitive. I am the assigned doctor for her. I go there every two weeks just to check on her. Are you up for it?” Nayeon stopped the car by the ocean.

“I don’t see why not? Just give the patient her needs right?” Sana shrugged, completely defeated. Her eyes met with Nayeon’s. Mina didn’t pay attention to the two girls’ silent discussion. “Fine! You win, I’ll go there.”

“It won’t be easy. The longest caretaker she had was three days,” Mina warned the girl. Sana’s kind smile didn’t disappear.

“No worries, I’m sure I’ll do my best,” the girl looked away again, as if lost in her thoughts. Mina dialed the hospital’s number.

“Hi, it’s Dr. Myoui here. Prepare the boat for isolation island. I found a caretaker,” Nayeon looked at her, waiting for Mina to get off the phone. “Yes, this one will be the last,” when Mina turned the phone off, she looked at Sana. “I hope you get along with the patient. If not, we might be forced to euthanize her.”

~

The travel from the city docks to the island was two hours long. Sana didn’t even go home to her own house and just took clothes from Nayeon and Mina’s joint closet. Nayeon drove them to the dock but as per policy, they can’t go to the island with Nayeon. Since the location is confidential, only Sana and Mina are allowed. Of course the boat driver. Nayeon fixed Sana’s cap and glasses, the look mirroring to hers as if the driver was a suspected fan. Although Mina is sure that the driver is not a fan because he is almost seventy with zero to none knowledge about technology.

“Always put your phone on silent. There is a signal there but you shouldn’t use too much noise. That’s one of the requirements of being her caretaker,” Mina talked to Sana during their trip. The girl nodded and gave her a smile. The same smile Mina thought was an automatic response to people.

“What’s her case, really? Why is she so isolated?” Sana asked, genuinely confused as to why a person would be isolated because of an illness.

“I can’t really say. It’s hard to explain. I think you’ll understand if you get to know her more. Although it will be hard. None of the other caretakers succeeded in even talking to her. But good luck. If you managed to tame Nayeon, then maybe you have a chance in talking to her,” Mina stopped talking when the boat reached the dock of the isolated island.

Sana felt the water on her feet, she laughed out loud.

“Sana, please keep quiet,” Mina whispered. She helped Sana with her bags and proceeded to walk towards the island’s land area. Sana found it weird that the island looked so well maintained for it to be isolated. A car greeted them by the road, it was just a five minute drive from the docks to the house but with all of the things they bought, they opted to ride.

Amazed was the perfect word to describe Sana’s reaction when she saw the house. It was made of glass, like those rich houses people see online and in exclusive villages. When the car halted, she stepped out, “Nice place!”

Mina turned to the house, “Jeongyeon.”

Sana followed Mina’s line of sight. She saw a girl wearing a black dress standing by the main door of the house. The girl screamed… nothing. Sana felt absolutely nothing coming from the girl. Although she has to admit that the girl with long blonde hair looked gorgeous. But she can’t shake the feeling that the girl doesn’t like her. But that’s not it as well. It almost felt like the girl didn’t care.

Mina approached the girl, maintaining the distance between her and the girl named Jeongyeon. The shorter girl almost whispered, “How’d you know we’re here?”

The girl shrugged. “I heard the boat. The waves changed. I felt your weight when you stepped on the island.”

Sana smiled, feeling confident. She approached the girl and offered her hand, “Hi! I’m Sana!”

Jeongyeon winced, as if in pain. She turned around so quickly Sana felt as if she weren't human at all. As the girl walked back into the house she said one thing, "Get her out of here."