I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
114. Unreal

"Reserve table number seven,"

The voice surprised Ariel a little, who was a little dreamy at the time.

"Dream again?" reprimand people older than Ariel while shaking their waist.

"Sorry brother," greeted Ariel smiling innocently.

"Take this, lest we get a bad rating from customers" he said.

"Okay, brother," Ariel replied, putting two fingers on her thin as she blinked one of her eyes.

"Please send the message," said Ariel kindly to the couple he delivered the order.

"May you ask me something sweet sister?" ask male customers.

"Sure, sir," greeted Ariel with a smile.

"How old are you?" tanyakanya.

"Uhm, nine years, sir," Ariel replied slightly remembering as she placed a finger on her cheek.

"You're not in school?" tanyakanya.

"I'm on holiday, sir," replied Ariel.

"What a courtesy," welcome the female customer to smile warmly.

"Are you here working?" tanyakanya.

"Yes, I work," replied Ariel innocently.

"Your parents?" ask male customers.

"I don't have it," Ariel replied making the couple surprised.

"But I have a very good brother, he's there" Ariel added.

"Sister? So you two stay?" ask again.

"No," Ariel nodded.

"He's the brother who helped me study here, my senior," explained Ariel.

"Where are you staying?" ask female customers.

"Ten minutes walk from here" replied Ariel.

"Do you know what your name is?" the female customer again asked.

"ARIELL,,,"

The voice of his senior brother calling Ariel made the young couple turn their heads.

"I've been called" said Ariel turned to the bar table.

"Go away" said the male customer kindly.

Ariel smiled as she nodded her head, then posted a little of her body.

"Good fun" Ariel said before leaving.

Ariel returned to deliver each order according to the table number. Until he realized, the night had come and time for the burger shop where he worked closed.

"Sister, is this the only trash that needs to be thrown away?" ask Ariel.

"Yes, that's it, the other trash has already thrown them away" he replied.

Ariel nodded, then carried the trash bag out of the side door. He threw the trash into the barrel that was there, then closed it.

His head looked back and forth as if he wanted to make sure there was no one. His wide smile expanded, he took out a stick hidden behind a garbage can and began to set each lid of the trash can in a different position.

His hands began to move by hitting each lid. At first his voice sounded very messy, but after several times he moved each position, the sound he made sounded unique.

Until when Ariel finished playing, the sound of applause was heard from behind his back.

"K-K-Why are the brothers here?" ariel asked in surprise to see her seniors as well as her superiors.

His head was scared.

"Uhm,, brother, I promise I won't repeat it, so I can still work here right?" ariel looked at her boss.

His superior approached Ariel, then knelt in front of him to equalize their height.

"Why didn't you say you like music?" tanyanya smiled warmly.

"That's it, I'm just curious,, that's," Ariel replied.

"How about you try to borrow a tool from an orchestra player who plays in front of the store every week?" bargained for.

"Can brother?" ask Ariel.

"I'll take you tomorrow, how?" greeted him.

"But, usually the tavern is full when it's jammed," argued Ariel.

"We can handle it" replied another worker.

"Now, go home, it's late" said his boss. "Aren't you going to school again tomorrow?" tanyakanya.

Ariel nodded with a big smile and ran towards her house. His steps stopped when he saw his small house being searched by people who always bother him.

The person who always robs the savings from his hard work and often beats his body.

Ariel stepped back with a frightened face, undoing her intention to go home. But the man saw her first, making Ariel turn and run.

"Stop you, boy!"

The screams of the adult man were enough to make Ariel tremble even more in fear. Ariel tripped over a rock as she ran without noticing what she had on her feet.

"Give me your money!" he clutched Ariel's hand violently.

"I can't yet" said Ariel trembling.

"You want to trick me?" snapped again.

"I really can't" Ariel answered almost in tears. "The money is paid next week" he added.

The man pushed Ariel to the point of falling down, raising his stick-wielding hand towards Ariel.

"Ahhh,, geez," cried Ariel.

Ariel curled up to protect both of her hands from getting hurt which would result in her being unable to work. Because of that, his back continued to receive every blow, until the punch suddenly stopped.

Feeling strange, Ariel lifted her face and saw the figure of another man standing in front of her catching the stick and throwing it away.

"Thank you, sir," said Ariel politely.

"Ariell,,,"

"Master knows my name?" ariel asked, recognizing her voice.

Ariel tilted her head to see more clearly the man's face, yet she only saw a black mist covering the man's face.

"Sweety,,,"

"Go back, to me, to me, to,,,,"

Ariel frowned feeling familiar with the call, before she managed to get the answer, the man who hit her blocked her wrist, dragging Ariel by force.

"Let go,," cried Ariel.

The man continued to drag Ariel to where Ariel had thought before to make her feel an even stronger fear.

'CLOTHES'

"No, no, I don't want to go to the pool, I hate the pool,, Lepaass," cried Ariel.

"Take all the money, but don't take me to the pool" Ariel asked.

"No way,"

Ariel continued to rebel while hitting the hand that blocked her wrist, unfortunately her efforts were in vain.

The man throws Ariel into the pool, drowning her head every time Ariel raises her head to the surface. Until the man who had helped her came back when she was almost out of breath.

His hand grabbed Ariel's hand gently, then hugged her tightly.

"Master,, I can't,,, breathe,,,,"

Ariel rebelled, but at the same time she heard sobs from the man who helped her.

"Master,,,?"

Ariel felt the man's embrace getting stronger, his sobbing sounding clearer, until he tried to encourage the man who was hugging her to stay away.

"Eh,,,?"

Ariel was stunned as she looked at her own hand, she felt her hand turn bigger than before, she also felt her voice had changed.

"What's going on?" muttered Ariel slowly.

It took a while until Ariel realized she was no longer in the arms of the man, but she saw the man hugging his body that had drooped in front of her eyes.

"A-A-What is this?" hiss Ariel was confused.

"What does that mean,,,? Why,,,? How can it be,,,?"

Ariel stepped back, intending to leave. But the voice he heard managed to stop his steps and make Ariel come closer.

"Sweety,, please, please,, come back to me,,,"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, don't leave me,,,,"

"Arielll,,,,"

Ariel stepped closer, approaching the figure of the man hugging her body.

"Who,,,?"

"That's not me, I'm here" Ariel said softly.

"That's not me, lying, I'm here, but why am I there?" ariel is confused.

The man raised his face, revealing his sad face that was soaked by tears, making Ariel jerk in shock to fall to stare at the familiar face.

"J-J-Joel, uh,,,"

"Akh,,,,"

Ariel groaned while clutching her head, all the memories of her with Joel revolved like a movie before her eyes.

Tonight's incident, the burger shop and the person who always dunked himself in the pool was his childhood event. Their first meeting was how Joel expressed his feelings and how Joel was waiting for his answer.

"Please,,, come back to me,,,"

Joel's voice sounded again, making Ariel increasingly strong to grip his head. The scene as he was being pushed appeared before his eyes.

Slowly, Ariel approached Joel, who was still kneeling, clutching his body that no longer moved. His hand stretched out and placed it on Joel's boat, making him lift his face.

"I'm here" said Ariel softly.

"That's in your hands, not mine" he added.

Despite saying so, Ariel could clearly see the body that Joel held clearly his body. It was his face. But the face was pale and did not breathe.

"I'm here" said Ariel again.

Ariel's fingers traced Joel's facial lines, and wiped away the tears that were still flowing.

"Don't go,,, slum, "" wailed Joel with a quivering voice.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm with you" Ariel replied.

Joel placed Ariel's drooping body on the ground carefully, then pulled Ariel's hand in front of him into his arms.

"I'm sorry, you know,,,"

"I've forgiven you, Joel," Ariel welcomed Joel back.

"Come back to me,,,,"

"You're the only place for me to go back" Ariel replied smiling.

"I love you, very, very, very,,,,"

Joel tightened his embrace, not wanting to let Ariel go a second time. Ariel felt a warm feeling that had originally left her to warm her heart again. He hugged his arms and buried his face in Joel's chest.

"Wake up,,,"

"Wake up Ariel,,,"

"Please, open your eyes, open them,,,,"

No matter whose voice Ariel heard, she just smiled and nodded.

...>>>>>>>--<<<<<<<...

To be Continued...