It was a Friday, Charlie just got off from work in downtown Upper East Metro. It was raining and humid at the same time. He is a newly hired associate writer in a cheap metro newspaper, which he could not take at all. Anyways, he's got no choice, who is he to complain like he always says. A couple months after graduating Bachelor of Arts Major in Journalism in a Catholic university in Bern, he still hasn't landed any jobs. He was always turned down, as a writer, the job he aspires. But he knew later on that fixing a coffee for your immediate superior is really a a stepping stone, and that's not a joke. A newly grads dilemma. Though his professors says in his college years that he was an exceptional writer, he hasn't joined or run for position in any of the existing school publications. That may have helped him land 'the job' but he was such a loner on those days. It was almost like he was hiding something from everyone.
After the 30-minute bus ride, he got off and the most unimaginable thing happened.
Lighting struck a motorcycle directly in front of him. Well, it wasn't really lightning but that's what it seemed in Charlie's view. Apparently, an electric cable from the light post suddenly broke off from the post itself. The deadly bolt of electricity instantly ejected the man riding his motorcycle. Charlie suddenly is between the bus and the motorcycle. The vehicles are parallel to each other.
Charlie was pinned to the bus.
Charlie didn't know what to do, it all happened so fast he's got no reflex to run, shout or even shut his eyes off. It all happened in a snap and all he could think of is he's toast!
He is going to die and the motorcycle is doing it's best ramming him to the bus as if the vehicle has it's own life. He tried to fight it but it seems the vehicle got a good hold of him. He felt that the bus is still running with the raging motorcycle then it came to a stop. The bus stopped and he bumped his head hard on the wet glass door of the bus, he almost lost his consciousness but the motorcycle made sure he will. The raging motorcycle further pinned him to the bus, struck him so hard for the last time and slid him in between the tire and the bus's lower body.
That gave shrieks to the bystanders who witnessed a gruesome accident.
Charlie is still alive. He panted. He is losing consciousness. He sees a lot of people, blurred. Rain is still pouring as his blood, too, pouring from his head and everywhere else. He can smell it, taste it. He's got his whole body numb, he couldn't feel anything, he can't even feel the motorcycle over him. The vehicle have already stopped running. He squinted his eyes looking at the monster motorcycle, in black, which is giving off this smoke that is suffocating him. Then, his view turned into the motorcycle's side mirror, there was this young man who has nothing but promises. That struck him, he puked blood then went blackout.
"The next thing I know is I'm at the hospital, hearing phone rings, buzzers, soft tones from monitors, nurse's talk.... ", said Charlie as he connects to his Facebook account via his iPhone.
Agatha sipped her coffee, this is a week after Charlie roused himself from the bed. He was traumatized as Agatha sees it. He would not talk but he would look. Agatha knows there's more to his story, she cares alright but she is more curious, more and more each day. Then this day comes, she bribed Charlie for a little CBTL.
"Charlie, you know I love you, right? But, I just can't get this off my mind, you were in a coma, and the doctors were saying you ain't going to recover, that you ain't going to come back, but you did... so..." Agatha said in relief but with fear.
Charlie barely looked at Agatha, his eyes wandered off to the people passing by, the cars then to the coffee shop's bar then to his cellphone. "I don't know Agatha, I don't know." Then there's this silence that almost ran for a minute.
Agatha broke this, "I th..." Then Charlie interrupted with the most tired eyes still looking to the nothingness of the cafe, "But... all I know is someone's got to tell me what happened and what's happening. And it's out there."
'What's happening?' 'It's out there'? Agatha told to herself.
"I am afraid Agatha." Charlie said with his blank eyes.
"I am too." Agatha replied looking deeply into Charlie's eyes.
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