#writingbackwards

Aunt Marissa was the one who insisted on leaving to bring back the body of her father home. Since Alexis was also facing some problems of her own with Moe Blush threatening to close down; she'll be forced to stop publishing her mini-series and find another teen magazine. But last time she checked, Moe Blush was the only openminded magazine to take in her work.

She'll be back in a week, she tells the young woman. Alexis was on a month-long bereavement leave but she decides to drop-by every now and then at the institute because mourning was the last thing her late father wanted of her to do.

"Alexis? Why're you here?" Lucas asked in surprise of her appearance in the general laboratory of the genetics department. "Everything's prepared for the funeral, so there's nothing else to do I guess. I can help around here too." she said, trying to sound indifferent.

He accepted her help and asked her to change into proper attire first since they'll be dealing with some contaminated and possibly deadly specimens. Alexis comes back from the dressing room all geared up in faded blue overalls, a hair cap, goggles and a face mask. The logo of the institute, which did somehow ressemble real whipped cream swirled at the center, was embroidered on the sleeves.

"How sexy, Miss Winterfold. You should be in a men's magazine and be called Miss Centerfold!" Lucas joked.

The two worked closely, literally. They would bump into each other's head accidentally that most of the time caused numerous reactions with the chemicals they were handling. They even managed to burn through one of the metal and wood enforced work tables.

They would exchange awkward glances that would end up into hearty laughter, sometimes both of them would secretly study one another while the other isn't looking. Lucas, especially, liked taking off his gloves and pushing back Alexis' hair to the back of her ears. She didn't want to take this actions to heart, not wanting to translate it to signals that he likes her too because thus far he hasn't asked her out romantically, though there are occasions where he would pull her from whatever she was doing just so they could hang out.

"That's the last of the batch! We'll be waiting a good twelve hours to see some improvement...or not." she declared and then after asked what else was left to do. He grabbed hold of her hand and answered "How about dinner?"

She blushed entirely as goosebumps circuited all over her body. "You've been down for so long, that I forgot how you looked like when you're smiling." he observed. Her heart beats faster, faster even than when Gabe planted on her. "And I know how much you love food, so maybe, if I feed you some really exquisite delicacies, then maybe, you'd smile again. Even just for me."

It was perfect. The moment itself where he holds her hand while he asks her out in his own unique and unorthodox way, its all perfect for her. But living in her life, in any human's life actually, you can never really have too much of a good thing.

Gabe knocks on the door and destroys their silence. "Hey, Luke. Are we still up for game night?" he asked out of the blue. The white haired man noticed how the two was holding hands that made him expression changed immediately.

The air was filled with the scent of red roses. Alexis had her eyes closed but she could tell that she was going fast because of how fast the wind was blowing through her body. She could feel rose petals too, gracing her skin for some reason. The song 'Paradise' by a bristish band, Coldplay, was playing in the background. She actually couldn't hear anything else, not even her breathing or her thoughts.

(In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes

In the night the stormy night away she'd fly.)

She opens her eyes and finds herself plunging down from the clouds that rained down the red rose petals. It was a very long fall. Down below was a long pool of blood; it too was covered in some of the petals. The blood was thick, she could tell just by the vibrant crimson shade it had.

Free falling, she wasn't alone; someone was tightly embracing her. She turned and saw the man wrapped around her was Gabe. His face was saddened but from the great force he was imposing on her, he seemed like he wasn't ever going to let her go. He faced her with drooping eyes, making sure she was alive and then dug his head in the space between her neck and her shoulder.

The place was an open field covered with petals. It had one dark castle-like tower standing. The sun and the moon appeared at the same time; the sun touched the sky like it an endless sunset while the moon was hanging with the stars on the dark sky. It would've been such a majestic view to savour if it just wasn't for the fact that she was about to fall into a pool of blood.

Then another man entered the picture, it was Lucas junior. He was above the two, desperately trying to catch up, trying to grab Alexis away from Gabe's grip. She reached out for him, almost touching his large hand but it was too late.

The fall caused a big splash that sprayed blood everywhere!

She lifted her head to gasp for air but as soon as she took in some air, Gabe held her face and pulled her back down, chasing away any chance of light.

The gates of the institute were always open. The work in there never stops. Some of the researchers take advantage of the well facilitated sleepeing quarters at the north building that was purposely built to take care of their employees.

It was four AM in the morning, the sun wasn't up still but half the facility was. Alexis was in the storage room, trying to find the clipboard she used from last week's trip to the mountains when she heard heavy, dragging footsteps. No one could be there that early, that place was an abandoned part of the basement as far as her months of experience has thought her. She went out to have a quick look and saw Dr. Whesley senior pass by the stairway on the upper ground floor.

"Doctor Whesley?" she called at first, and when he didn't answer back, she followed him. "Doctor Whesley, where are you?" He appeared to her in a sort of loose grey hospital gown. His face was weary, eyes dull and lips dried out. He looked absolutely ill. "What are you doind here, doctor? You should be in a hospital! Here, let me help you."

Alexis grabbed his arm and rested it on her shoulder. The man was pretty heavy despite the fact that he wasn't as tall as his son who was at six feet tall, and he was very thin. Maybe it was in the bones. She was able to get him halfway across the hall, near one of the exits so that she could call for some help from the guards to call him an ambulance.

The old man was trying to whisper something. She thought it was very important because of the effort he was exerting but all she could hear were deep breathes and panting. And then, he said something "Hel-"

"Alexis, hold on." someone shouted. And came in rushing his son, Lucas junior who took hold of his father and pulled him away from her. "I am so sorry. He should be in bed right now." Lucas apologized. He looked like he ran a marathon because of the continous beads of sweat coming down from his face; he must've looked all over for him.

"Dr. Lucas, isn't he supposed to be in the hospital? He looks terribly ill. We must take him." she stated. She called the older one with his surname and the young one with the first name for her own sanity's sake.

Lucas declined and said that they had their own state of the art facility inside the building and that's where his father wished to stay. She shrugged it off, the feeling that something was wrong and just nodded. Maybe she was being too doubtful and it was very possible that the institute had something more advanced than the capital's hospitals. He took him to the elevator to the fifth floor and she continued with her work.

The two met later outside the building and on the open field where most of the workers took their lunch. "Is your father  going to be alright?" was her first question as he took his seat in front of her. "Well, they said it was something with his brain that caused him to walk out of bed. That doesn't usually happen. Sorry for troubling you." he answered.

"No, no. It's fine."

Lucas sensed a bit of reluctance in her statement.

"Is there something wrong? Does it have anything to do with why you're here at four in the morning when your shift starts at eight?"

Alexis chuckled at first. The rays that escaped through the leaves of the trees and made their way on to her face reflected her tears that were just about to fall down.

"I was always waiting for the mailman at that time...because he arrives from four to six. It's really annoying of that man."

"What?"

"My father...my father's dead, doctor."

The first night at the mountain, the skies weren't merciful. It drew thunder and lighting outside their boarding house like God was making researcher soup for dinner! Half of the girls were scared, almost everyone actually, except for Joanne who was on the phone with her girlfriend and Alexis who was too busy being pissed off to care about the potential threat to their lives the storm was giving.

Earlier she got into a petty fight with one girl who told her that Emergency Room Midnights, her mini novel, was the work of a forty-something year old hack who loves the sick idea of two guys getting it on, and that's the worst crap she has ever read since that Twilight Saga. Then while she was writing down the gathered samples and recording the progress from the specimens they brought from the capital city, Gabe asked her to redo everything. There were about sixty fresh samples and sixty more from the ones they brought. 

The old house was creaking here and there because the boys were blocking up all the windows and doors, ensuring that no one go out in that storm.

"Stupid woman...what does she even know about literature? Why did she even stick to the damn story if she hated it so much? No author should put up with her crap!" she rants at the mirror while watching her muddy underwear. "So there's more to you than writing erotic scraps? Doubt it." someone from the doorway said, it was Gabe! 

[Oh no...now he knows my secret! Damn you! I'll never hear the end of this! He'll tell everyone and I might get fired for being so lewd! I don't even know if that's solid ground to get someone fired but I bet something bad's going to happen!]

"He-hey...It's not what you think! I'm not the author, why would you think that! I'm not capable of writing those things! It's just my friend, you see. The author is a very good friend of mine and---" she was cut from continuing because Gabe sharply let go of "Tch. I don't care." and then walked away all of the sudden. 

Another day passed by and as soon as they knew it, it was the last night they'll be spending together. Since tomorrow was just going to be spent packing for the trip home, the group decided to have a little merriment.

Everyone was outside, circling the camp fire, singing and drinking and just having a laugh. Alexis was there, being taken care of Joanne because she wanted the whole bottle of whiskey to herself! She thought of how funny whiskey sounded like Whesley, and how much she's missing him. "Let me sing you the song of my people!" Alexis exclaimed, still holding the bottle.

The group clapped together, rooting for her and shouting "Hey! Hey!" She was about to sing something from the old movie 'Fifty First Dates' until her snooty senior, Gabe told her that she needs to pack up the samples and things and that if she ever does it tomorrow, there'd be no time because she'll be drunk senseless as the night goes deep.

They boo on him as Alexis leaves, making loud footsteps. There were a lot to do, actually, but it would've been better if it was done tomorrow, Joanne would've helped her.

She spent almost an hour already and she wasn't even halfway. She threw the board and pen down to the floor and cried. "Why is he making things so hard? What is his deal!?"

It wans't in her knowing about the accident that happened outside. Gabe slipped and crashed his leg on a bottle that broke into his skin. The others tried to help him but he declined and walked straight inside where he found the crying Alexis. She noticed him, slanting on the doorway of the storage room as usual and asked "What do you want now? Tend to your wounds?"

"Actually--" he lifted up his sweat pants, " yes."

Alexis gasped at the heavily bleeding wound and held in to her surprise at first before hurrying to get the first aid kit. Finally, she settles him on the floor, where she is seated too and sterilizes his knee. The bleeding has stopped and the last thing to do was to treat it with antibiotics and give it a good, clean wrap.

They were at the kitchen at the back of the house because it was the room where there were the most lights. Every Time she would touch his open cut, he would hiss at her. She found it very amusing and continued to prod it until she starts wrapping it. 

"Such a big boy. A big, bossy, clumsy boy." she tells him like it is. "Why're you staring? You always stare at me with those menacing eyes, what do you want? I can't stay away from Lucas. He's my boss, if you aren't informed."

"So you didn't listen?"

"Oh what am I supposed to do? Quit? You know how long it took me to get a real job?" then she had some sort of epiphany. "Oh my, is it because you're gay? Is that why? Is he your boyfriend or something? Well I'm sorry but--"

Gabe grabbed her chin that made her shut up. He went in closer. No one was around to react to this sudden intense situation. He pulled her closer and kissed her.

The mail just arrived back at the city and Aunt Marissa had it placed on Alexis' bed after reading it.

She was clutching her chest and mourning for a loss of some sort.

"She will not like this..." she whispers into the empty house.

"She will not like this at all..."

The main placed on Alexis bed was stamped 'URGENT' in bold letters and in red color.