Chapter - 01

Early morning, the sun has just risen, and the birds were chirping happily, announcing the dawn of a new day. People of varying ages, donned in their jogging clothes, were out on the roads, in the parks or in their yards, bathing in the early morning rays from the sun. Except for a few, everyone was enjoying and hoping for a wonderful day ahead.

One of the few people not enjoying the lovely beginning of the day was a guy in his early twenties sleeping with his face covered in sweat. He tossed around and wriggled on the bed like a fish out of water. Judging from his expression, it was evident that he was having a nightmare, and the bulging nerves on his forehead showed that he was in a lot of pain.

While the boy was tossing around in pain, the door of his room opened, and a lady probably in her early forties walked in.

"Alex, wake u---" the lady was there to wake the boy up, but when she saw the boy drenched in sweat and his painful face, she was left stunned. Hurriedly she walked up to the boy, sat beside him and pulled him in her embrace, trying to soothe his pain.

"It's alright, son! Everything is fine. Mom is here. Please wake up," the lady called out to the boy as she gently stroked his forehead. Seeing her son like this, the lady felt choked, and her voice turned heavy.

Maybe because of a familiar embrace and the woman's motherly love, soon the boy stopped squirming and calmed down. His breathing also turned normal, and he was once again sound asleep in the woman's embrace.

The woman also sighed in relief and stayed sitting in the same posture to not disturb her son's sleep. The boy also, having been calmed down, buried his face in the woman's bosom and wrapped his arms around her, not letting her leave. With his face in the crook of her neck, his breathes sent a tingling sensation down the lady's body.

"Alex... wake up, son. It's almost eight. You are go... going to be late," The lady, with a bit of difficulty, managed to squeeze out the words.

"Ummm... two minutes more, mom," the boy rubbed his face by her neck and whispered.

"Uhmmm..." the lady almost let out a soft moan before she hurriedly covered her mouth with her palm, trying her best not to let the boy hear it. But the boy's lips curled into a smile when he heard her, he was faking his sleep. With his eyes still closed, he enjoyed her reaction.

"Alex, wake up. If not, I am going to be angry," The lady said, trying to sound angry, but the boy knew that she was faking it. But still, although he was enjoying it, he had to be somewhere else, and he did not want to be late.

"Ummm... ahhh!" Yawning and stretching his arms, the boy separated himself from the woman. The woman hurriedly adjusted her clothes and put on a smile on her face.

"Mom? What are you doing here? And why was I sleeping while sitting?" the boy feigned innocence and asked his mother.

"Oh! It was nothing. Forget about it. You tell me, did you have that dream again?" The lady regained her calmness and asked with a serious face.

"Well..." The boy hesitated.

"Alex," The lady glared at the boy angrily.

"Yes, but it was nothing serious. I swear. Just a small bit, and it was over before it started. Believe me, mom," Alex tried to downplay the whole matter.

"Alex, why don't you heed my advice? Even the doctor said that a nice little vacation would be good for you. You can visit your brother. It will be a nice change for you," the lady suggested.

"I will, mom... I will. But now is not the time for it," Alex said.

"I know you have a job interview, but Alex, your health is our priority. I, as well as your father, don't want you to overexert yourself," The lady cupped Alex's face in her palm and said affectionately.

"I know mom. I just want to get a job, settle down and take you and dad on a vacation with the money I earn," Alex said, holding her palms.

"Silly, boy," The lady gently smacked Alex on the back of his head, "Who of your age would like to go on a vacation with their parents? You sure are an odd one. Now get ready and come down, I have already prepared the breakfast". Martha could only smile bitterly.

Alex nodded, and without saying anything else, Martha also left the room.

Even after his mother went downstairs, Alex remained sitting on the bed engrossed in thoughts. These nightmares have become more and more frequent lately. He needs to see his doctor as soon as possible. There is no telling what these nightmares mean and why are they occurring so frequently. These nightmares of his are also making it hard not just for him but for his parents also.

Pondering over these issues and making up his mind, Alex left the bed and made his way to the bathroom.

Admiring his looks in the mirror, he removed his clothes, and soon a well-chiselled body without any extra ounce of fat was on display. But one could barely appreciate that when all one could see was a body covered in scars. No part of the upper body except for his face was void of them.

There were small scars all over his chest and abdomen, along with a cut running from all over his heart to his navel. While on his back, right beneath his shoulder, were two marks that looked like bullet holes.

No one could imagine by looking at his face that underneath those clothes, his body was covered in scars. Some scars looked recent, while some had faded with time. From the looks of it, it seems that the scars have been accumulated all along from his childhood.

Alex traced his finger over the scars and somehow felt a sense of accomplishment except when he traced his finger over the biggest of them all. He felt a tinge of pain every time he thought about it.

Alex took his time admiring his body before he finally went to freshen up. Since he has an important interview today, Alex decided to throw these thoughts out at the back of his head for the time being.

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