Unwanted Destination

Do I need the red, blue, and white in my life anymore? I don’t want to get stuck in this loop again and again. These were the thoughts that popped into her head. Lu really wanted to escape from her past and move towards a new destination. If not mentally, then physically. She didn’t want to feel like a victim anymore. All the trauma and diseases couldn’t shatter her, as there was always a thread of hope that tied her physical body to her spiritual self. Lu manifested this dream. She really did.

As a young journalist, Lu has always enjoyed traveling. “I am almost there,” Lu mumbled. It was raining. But this time, there was no sadness or fear in that thunderstorm. People often address her as “cursed,” but those words never humiliated her. Maybe her aura turned into a dark void, and she started to accept her true self. Lu isn’t the same anymore. She is recovering. She looked up at the sky, locking her vision on the thundering clouds as if she wanted the rain to wash away all her pain. It was almost magical yet peaceful. A cold air breeze blew her hair from one side, covering her scar on the forehead. “I used to dream about this every day. Is this really happening?” Lu questioned herself. The cold air pierced her skin deep enough, bringing her back to reality. The wind never felt this way before. These were not the ones that she felt in the mainland. This was coming straight from the Himalayas. Yes, Lu was heading towards the mountains, leaving all her sorrow behind. It was her destination. Neither pollution nor the stinky smell of burnt petrol, and surprisingly, a quiet crowd. It almost felt like she was breathing fresh air for the first time.

Lu was standing right in the middle of the road, completely zoning out, when a taxi honked. “6th Mile?” Ah, yes- Lu replied. She quickly stuffed all her bags in the backseat without bargaining about the fare and hopped in, slamming the door hard enough in excitement. The driver turned his head following the sound and glared with a serious look. “Oh, I'm sorry for that,” Lu said with a slightly embarrassed expression. She had never felt such excitement before in her entire life. She quickly adjusted herself towards the window, rolled down the glass, and started gazing outside. As it was raining heavily, traveling to the mountains in such conditions was very risky. But it was worth it. This time, luck was on her side. The twisted roads and speed of the taxi created quite a motion to make her stomach turn, but she was busy enjoying nature. “This is unreal,” Lu mumbled with a soft smile on her face. Tiny raindrops sprinkled on her face whenever the taxi took a turn. It was calming her soul. It almost took seven hours to reach the destination because of the bad weather and landslides. The taxi made multiple stops waiting for the roads to clear up, but it wasn’t boring. Lu enjoyed the time munching on some local food from the roadside stalls. The smell of a cup of tea mixed with the aroma of rain felt like a warm hug.

Lu finally reached her destination and luckily, with the help of locals, she found a stay within two days. After all the shifting hassle, she wasn’t quite comfortable with the new environment. She was staying as a paying guest with other students in a shared room. Although the room was not that spacious, it was warm and cozy. The main concern was the language barrier. Meeting new people was always a challenge as an introvert. She decided to step out of her comfort zone and approach people in the first place. She finally did it. She started texting a girl named Sarah using a local app. After days of texting, they finally decided to meet.

Sarah is an exceptionally handsome female in her mid-20s, a software engineer, and has a bubbly and friendly personality which makes everyone feel comfortable around her. Sarah also introduced her to a new friend, Florina who happens to be a student pursuing her Master's degree in Agricultural Science. After a small introduction, they decided to go to a local cafe as it was constantly pouring outside. Lu finally felt she belonged somewhere. But things took a dark turn shortly after a good conversation. Lu noticed that Sarah was acting weird when Florina mentioned a Girls' Hostel. Sarah was trying to avoid the topic but Florina kept insisting. She said that something bad happened there and the premises are now permanently sealed by the state government.

Curiously enough, Lu asked, with her sharp brown eyes fixated on Sarah “Why? What happened there?”

“Let’s not get there,” Sarah answered. “But she should know beforehand... You know,” Florina insisted. “Fine,” Sarah agreed.

"So… some spooky shit happened there. Like a very bad one. From that day, everyone moved out, and rumors reached the student union."

Sarah Continued.

"What do you mean? What actually happened? And how is it related to you?" Lu curiously asked Sarah with a concerned look on her face.

"One of my friends got attacked by a ghost, they say. If you believe, then yes, or else it won’t make any sense to you, haha," Sarah laughed it off.

“I wanted her to join us today, but it seems like she is having a hard time."

Florina sat quietly while trying to find her lighter in her messy backpack.

"I do believe, but I never saw one," Lu answered very casually as if she knew that was coming.

Sarah looked at everyone and said, "Ok, guys, that’s enough. It’s already pouring and this horror shit is making me sick. Let’s change the topic, can we?"

“Looks like someone is scared,” Florina said while laughing at Sarah.

"I stay alone. You don’t!” Sarah replied while throwing a ball of tissue paper at Florina.

At this point, Lu was zoning out again, thinking about what had happened there. She stopped herself from asking them again and again about the same thing. “What if they start treating me like how others used to treat me before? What if I end up looking like a creepy moron again?” Lu's mind was racing with these unhinged thoughts. Sarah clapped softly to catch her attention. "Hey? You Good?" Sarah asked politely. Lu nodded her head, saying yes.

Sarah noticed the change of expression in Lu's face. "It's always better to avoid things that don't exist," Sarah said in a dimmed voice, whispering in her ears. Lu looked at her, not hearing a thing she said. "Um. I think it's already late. I need to go before it gets too dark."

“I need to run some errands as well," Sarah said. Suddenly a massive vibration echoed through the room following a loud thunder. The next moment there was a complete blackout. "Holy-" Florina gasped, with a slight nervous look while tucking her blue dyed hair strands behind her ears. "Don't they have any power generator or something?" Lu asked. "It will be back in a minute" Sarah answered.

It seemed like that one conversation changed the whole atmosphere around them. The weather got more gloomy, and fog covered all the cars in the parking area. The constant rain flooded the roads and drains making it impossible to walk. We could see people running towards the sheds and rolling up their pants to save themselves from getting drenched. "It will be a bad idea to go now," Sarah said.

We sat there and waited while Florina and Sarah lit cigarettes in their hands, taking slow puffs, blowing the smoke facing the window. Lu watched the smoke slowly blend into the fog. As it faded away, she could see a tall slender figure revealed in the misty road, waving at them. "Hey," a voice echoed. Florina waved back at him and quickly sprinted downstairs. Sarah told Lu that it's Florina's boyfriend from the neighboring college. "Oh," Lu answered. They took a while chatting there in the rain, standing under the same umbrella. It somehow triggered Lu's memories but instead of being sad, she felt happiness as a wave of nostalgia hit her.

Sarah tapped her hand asking "Should we join them?"

"Sure," Lu said while grabbing her half-zipped bag and her long black coat.

Sarah went straight to the reception and started asking for the bill. Lu followed her and offered to pay half the amount which Sarah denied. The receptionist gave them some free candies with a warm smile, reassuring them to visit again. "Oh, I forgot my jacket," Sarah said and ran towards the table. She took the jacket and grabbed Lu's hand while walking downstairs. " I guess you won't mind" Sarah giggled in a teasing tone. Lu asked "Why would I," smiling back at her. "You know" Sarah laughed again and continued " It's our first meet and most of the girls don't trust lesbians." "Oh come on" Lu bursts out laughing.

The streets were flooding and as usual, Lu was wearing her favorite white Jordans on a rainy day. "Here" Sarah went ahead, showing the way. "Follow me," she said, and saved Lu and her favorite white shoes from a muddy mess. Lu hopped onto the other side of the road safely.

"Hey guys! Sorry, it took a while" Florina shouted from a distance. "It's ok lovey dovey we understand" Sarah shouted back at them in a teasing tone and looked at Lu, wanting her to play along. "Yes enjoy you guys, we gotta go," Lu said to them.