A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX

It was the day when everything began. The wind rustled the leaves and the shutters clattered. Dark clouds gathered on the sky and the chirping birds flew away as soon as the hissing sound of cold blowing air hit the doors and windows, producing a loud creaking sound. And then the weather changed and heavy down pour began. The petrichor swiftly travel through air and hit her nose and being a pluviophile, she couldn’t resist to not look at the weather and feel it. Darkness conquered everything.

‘The weather forecast shows heavy rain in the following week with a possibility of tempestuous storm with thunder and lighting. People should avoid going out for safety precautions. Lets have a talk with a great meteorologist, Mr. Anderson. Welcome to our show. The weather is quite bad nowadays and the people have no idea what will going to happen. what do you think what can happen in the coming days if it doesn’t stop.’

The television was on full volume, making difficult for her to listen the drops of violent rain pouring down on the ground.

She pulled herself in sitting. Hardly maintaining it, she looked out of the window at the sky, that was portraying a characteristic horrific monster with distorting rage, rising the feelings that it may crashed down on the people.

“Marina, did you take your medicines?” she heard Harrison’s voice, but as if the part in brain to respond to the situation didn’t work and as still as a statue, she continued looking at the harsh weather.

Little drops of rain sprinkle on her face as the direction of air changed and the rain started pouring down more heavily with whole window dropping due to the rain hitting it and her face all wet.

“hey, get back. What are you doing?” Harrison shoved her back and closed the window. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and started wiping her face carefully.

“you are not suppose to do like this until ..” He stopped as if giving a hint of a bitter truth she was trying to escape from so long.

“I am fine.” She whispered.

Her energy was draining now and she could feel her head heavy. Suddenly a nauseating feeling emerged. Putting her hand on mouth, she tried to get up from her bed to go to the washroom. She pulled open the door and vomited. She looked herself in the mirror. How she use to be so pink, and everybody use to call her Rosie. But what happened now? She is just Marina and Rosie is long gone. Those pink cheeks were pale now, that milky white skin seemed dead now, those beautiful hair held no beauty now. Those long lashes when putting mascara on them, used to looked perfect and how they used to touch on the upper eyelid every time she looked above, was no more longer. She covered her face with her hands and started sobbing.

“Come on Marry. Everything will be fine.” Harrison hugged her tightly. He didn’t want to look at the sky to search for her shining star anymore.

“No more tears now.” Harrison smiled at her and she felt as if he was the only best thing that ever happened to her.

“Will you stay here tonight?” she looked at him hoping that he won't go to his night duty job.

“Do you want me to?” His hazel eyes always made her heart skip a beat. She was fond of his eyes with curled lashes. So dreamy to look at and so deep to drown in.

She nodded as in the manner of encouragement and he looked at her in a pleasing manner.

A loud cracking sound suddenly grabbed their attention towards itself.

Harrison took a heavy metal bar in his hand, and hinting Marina to stay quiet, he tiptoed towards the kitchen. He try to eavesdropped through the closed door. apart from heavy rain, he didn’t get to listen anything so he banged open the door and saw the window glass all shattered on the floor. He took a sneak peek out of the broken window and his gaze only caught a small squirrel hiding inside a small hole in a tree, too afraid to get out and even move.

“Harry !” his ears unexpectedly heard some one shouting. He rushed out of the kitchen, back to the room and saw Marina lying on the floor unconscienced.

“Marina..” he throw the metal bar he was holding and move towards her when suddenly something hit her right behind his head. A blur grey mist surrounded his eyes that turned black and he fell down with a heavy thud.

He opened his eyes and found himself on the floor. His throat was begging to get wet. Gasping for air, he stood up and looked at Marina who was sleeping peacefully on the bed, not knowing anything about the bad dream he had.

“no one can take you from me.” He said under his breath. He looked at the clock that was striking 3:03 am. A loud thunder almost made him jump on his feet.

He heard the television volume from the other room. As he was just thinking to check out for television,the lights went off. Everything was dark now and he couldn’t see anything as if he was blinded. He searched for the small torch on the side table.

“Honey, is everything okay?” the sweet voice of Marina melt his heart. He hold her hand and gave a warm kiss.

“ don’t worry.” He gently pulled his hand out of her grasp and searched for the torch. He grabbed it and turned on, making the room filled with dull faded light.

“the night is too long to wait Harry. What if I can’t..” Harrison put his hand on her mouth as if stopping her to say more.

“I don’t want to listen anything.” His eyebrows frowned in disappointment. “to feel dawn, dusk needs to be felt. To watch the rainbow, one has to go through rain..” he continued.

“To appreciate light, one has to face the darkness.” Marina completed the last sentence of Harrison, who tell her these lines every time when she feel down.

They smiled at each other.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was 10:00 am in the morning. The weather was still bad but the rain had stopped. Harrison looked out of the window. The ground was still wet, the birds were not sitting and chirping on the tree as they used to do, the clouds were still there on the sky waiting to pour down again, the gusty wind was blowing and everything seemed to be dull and grey but not dark.

“ Marry, let’s not get late.” He looked at Marina dressed in hazel green colored top and white jeans.

He chuckled as he noticed the smile on her face. “Do you like them so much?” he asked her pointing his finger towards his eyes.

“yes.” She smiled back.

Under a single umbrella, they started strolling towards the bus station. It was about 3 minutes, the bus came and they get on it. Marina hold his hand tight as she felt dizzy again.

“to feel dawn, dusk needs to be felt. To watch the rainbow, one has to go through rain. To appreciate light, one has to face the darkness.” Harrison repeated the words in her ear.

She smiled and closed her eyes. She wanted to feel every moment she was living in.

About twenty minutes later, they were sitting on chairs, in a room filled with other people as well, waiting for their name to be called.

“Marina Harrison.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“I am here for you.” He held her face in his hand and try to console her. He saw her entering the doctor’s room and the door get closed.

“Harry!” someone shouted. He stood up and rushed out of the waiting area. He saw a woman crying and a man, probably his husband, consoling her.

“déjà vu.” He mumbled as his breaths got heavy. Putting right hand on left side of the chest, he went back to the waiting area, and closed his eyes.

“I am leaving.” She said as she hugged him. He stare at her in disbelieve.

‘no, this can’t be true.’ He thought. He was breathing hard. He felt sharp pain in his chest. He opened his eyes, and sigh in despondence. Tears filled his eyes as he realized it was merely his fear in the form of dream.

His eyes caught Marina standing in front of him. They both stare at each other. He try to get answer of his unsaid questions. ‘I can’t wait anymore.’ He thought.

She handled him the most awaited papers. He took it and look at her face. Then he looked down on the paper, his eyes read the alphabets, P O S I T I V E. He looked at her again in shock.

‘how can she smile like this.’ He thought while looking back again on the paper and realized the first one was folded and he read the second paper peeking from behind the folded one. With his trembling hands, he unfold the first one.

“positive.” He read it aloud this time. Then his eyes scrutinize the paper. The report was clearly showing positive for malignant brain tumour.

“NO.” Tears flow down his cheek. He felt as if his heart had been stabbed multiple times. With trembling hands he looked for the second one.

“whether I live or not, a part of me will always remain with you. Take care of that part and never leave it.” Marina smiled through her teary eyes, as soon as Harrison read HCG test positive.

“I will be the best Dad, I promise Rosie.” Harrison hugged her tightly. With eyes flooded in tears, with thoughts of losing a part of life and at the same time having a part of soul back was beautifully painful, but not enough to celebrate it.

“you won’t stop saying hello to my shining star every night on sky. Will you?” Marina sobbed

“of course not.” Harrison whispered. “ its just a glitch in the matrix. And as soon as my duties will be finished as a Dad, my elevator to reach the sky won’t be glitched anymore.” He closed his eyes hoping that it may be a déjà vu.