“Definitely, the mercury must have been in the ice cubes.” These were the words that Well had told himself after getting rid of the attempted murder through food poisoning plotted against him. Even up until now, two o’clock in the afternoon, two hours since he met the hotel clerk that delivered the meal to him, he still could not believe what actually happened, and what more could have happened only if he was not paying attention to the things happening around him. The food on the table were still untouched. Well was sure to assume that the ice cubes had been mixed with poison. As a matter of fact, that was the only thing he was so sure about. He did not know what was the status of the actual meal itself– if whether it was safe to eat or not. But now that doubts and trust issues had oozed out of Well’s mind, he could not help but think the same thing had happened to the meal. It could have been had some poison, too. Well did not know what to do. He wanted to call the help desk to

“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that,” Well suddenly snapped. “But I am just wondering, have you really lost someone because of that shit?” Well, he was curious. He had heard a lot of people he met talking about the same thing, and now that there was someone who can actually tell him a vivid explanation as to why he had been continuously getting the same caution and warning, he could not help but be worried for himself. “Yes,” the taxi driver replied within one second after Well’s statement. “I lost my eldest daughter over a year ago. It happened really fast. Unexpected, even. It never really occurred to us that something like that would happen because, we are not even rich. As a matter of fact, we live in the skid row. Me and my family of six, we are one of the poorest families residing here in New Bill. But then, people were right when they said criminals choose no victim. A crime is a crime and it can be committed to anyone whom criminals see fit. And then, that was it. In just one q

"Jacel Mae Forecaster? Wow. What a strange name that is. Sounds like someone from Western part of the world," Well told the girl who had now moved closer to him. "So, how long have you been here? In this place? I bet you have been here for more than a year already, because I can tell how much you memorize the place like the back of your hand," Well continued, there was a hint of smile trying to get on his face but he did not want it to be noticed by the girl, who, to him, was nothing more than just a stranger he met on the place. "You are such great when it comes to second guessing," the girl replied, twirling a strand of her hair around her index finger. Confused, Well asked. "What? Really? How can you say so?""Because I really did come all the way from New Zealand, a Western country, like what you have guessed. I came here a couple of years ago to pursue the same thing, my studies." The young lady's brief explanation seemed to have caught the interest of Well that he was forced t

Both Well and the young lady arrived in the place. It took two full hours to be here, on the spot where the lady said was soothing, and peaceful, and tranquil. However, contrary to how she described it using her own words, Well saw the surrounding as the exact opposite of all of those adjectives. To him, the place was creepy, dark, bleak, and lonely. There was no way he would have seen hope and inspiration in a place like this. There was no way he would have liked it at all. Not especially when he saw no one around other than the two of them when he tried to wander his eyes in the dark corners. Not especially when the only noise he could hear were the whooshing of the wind, the rustling of the dried leaves, and the weird and horrific noises made by the bats which seemed to have doomed the place in utter chaos. “Uhm, sorry, but I think I might be a little confused. Just a little bit.” Well cleared his throat. Pearls of sweat were beginning to form on his temples, and it will not take

“Wow, I am actually a bit surprise to know that you have been surrounded by good people,” the young lady replied. “Anyway, where is he now? Your friend?” “That is a different kind of problem I kind of face right now,” said Well. His eyes were empty, and his face was in utter sinister. “My last encounter of him was when we went to this little Welcome Party for Freshmen students held in a fancy restaurant that turns into a bar during the night. We both went there. And every single thing was normal at first. He would talk to literally everyone he would meet, and then he would laugh with them for hours. Of course, because it was a damn party, there had to be tequilas and margaritas and beers and pretty much all kinds of wine and then everyone was drunk and then I felt like I was an outcast because I was the only one who had been in total control of my own self still. Everyone was literally drunk. Some might have been tipsy, but believe it or not, I was the only one who was sober. He woul