THE CULPRIT'S VERDICT
CHAPTER 3

Pain crashes the soul yet a burning fire fixes it.

A small chatty voice muffled into my ears, making me furrow my brows.

Someone was too noisy.

I tried to open my eyes to see who was disturbing my sleep. I blinked many times but the light was too bright; my eyes had a hard time adjusting.

"Max, are you awake? Can you hear me?" I followed the source of the voice, though my head felt hefty. I squinted to see clearly.

As the vision started to get clearer, a girl with long and slightly curled burgundy hair was plastering her bitter-sweet smile at me. Her caramel eyes glittered in happiness but ironically reflected some sadness. "Juliet?" I mumbled. My legs were a little heavy, yet I tried to move my upper body up. "What brought you back? Are you not supposed to be in Canada? Since when did you arrive?" I asked continuously. "I arrived two days ago. I almost had a heart attack upon hearing the news from Lex. I was worried, so I begged my mom to see you." Something was wrong judging by the expression on her face. "What news? Was it that bad that you needed to come in such a rush?"

"Y-you don't remember?" She stammered a bit, her voice was full of suspicions.

My heart throbbed for a second, there was an emotion, too strong; it was trying to take over, but I didn't let it overpower me.

The door opened and an average framed guy with a well-developed chest and shoulders, wearing a hood on his head, came rushing in.

"Max? You okay now? Is something aching?" It was Lexter, my only guy friend who was always missing. I stared at him, not quite sure if I knew what he was talking about.

"Lex, I don't think she can remember what happened," Juliet said. Her eyes were not leaving mine.

I looked at the two of them, perplexed as to what they were talking about. I searched for some memories in my head, but an electric shock ran through my brain which caused me to feel dizzy. I grabbed my head and I noticed a dextrose injected in my hand.

"Just take your rest, Max, the doctor will be here anytime soon," Lex said.

"A doctor?" I ran my eyes through the white room and noticed a familiar veranda from the wide window adjacent to my bed. Then, I realized I was in our private house quite far from the city. "What will a doctor do here?"

I took off the blanket and tried to stand, but I had a hard time pulling my lower body.

"What happened to my legs? I can't move it." I asked hysterically. "Juliet, why can't I move my legs?" My chest started to pound loudly and rapidly as I tried to change the positions of my legs. My attempts were futile, nervousness and fear prevailed in my mind. I didn't know what to do.

"I-I'm not sure why, Max," she said worriedly.

"Where is Baba?" I asked but they didn't answer. They just exchanged glances. "Where's mom? Where's my phone? I'll call her." I shifted my head and looked for my bag, then someone pushed the door open. My eyes glittered in hope upon recognizing a familiar man with a big and tall body.

"Baba?" I mumbled.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he walked towards me. I saw Juliet muttered something to him.

He approached closer and I recognized him. "U-uncle Danny? W-where is Baba?" I asked. Uncle was my father's elder brother, they were quite identical except that he appeared more mature than my dad. With his busy life, he had forgotten how to smile.

"Can't you remember anything?" he asked. I shook off my head as an answer.

"Uncle, I'm not certain about what I should be remembering right now."

"Max, you were comatose for more than a week. I've run some tests on you. Gladly, the results are fine. Based on the CT scan, you don't have any fractures in your head."

"If that's so, why can't she remember what happened a week ago?" Juliet inquired.

"The probable reason she can't remember anything is a temporary memory loss, or she might also be driven by motivated forgetting." The private doctor next to uncle answered. "I don't understand, why would I experience memory loss?" My voice cracked as I laughed at the absurbity of their words.

"Max, why don't you eat first, your stomach had been empty for days," Lex suggested.

The skin on my forehead crinkled at the expression of his face, but I disregarded it, "Where's Mom and Baba? Can you call them please."

"Max..." Sadness overpowered uncle's voice, I didn't think I would like whatever he was going to spill.

"What? What's going on? Why are you showing off that kind of face?"

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Nobody answered and it frustrated me. "Are you keeping something from me? How about Mom and Baba? Where are they!" I demanded though part of me didn't want to push for it. "They're gone," uncled mumbled softly. For a second, I felt like I was a lemon cut in two.

"They are dead," he added.

Three words. Just three words and it was like I was deliberately being squeezed to death.

"That's not a good joke." My heart stopped palpitating for a while. I pleaded for a response, but they all shifted their eyes away from me.

"But how did that happen-" I stopped as memories started to bring me back to the scene I wished had never happened. I got glued to my bed. It can't be!

"Max, be strong." Juliet was already rubbing my back, worried that I was left dazed.

"No, it can't be," I uttered, not even sure if it reached their ears. "Tell me that it was just a nightmare." I was speaking while still lost in space and emptiness. My voice as I spoke was begging for acknowledgment but all I had received from them was regret and pity.

"Tell me!" I demanded as I wanted them to say something I would be happy to hear.

"Be calm, Max." Lex hushed me and held my shoulders, suddenly, I felt an itch on my neck. Gradually, I lost my strength.

My parents are dead. How will I continue living if the ones' I treasure the most are gone?