Stacked in a pile of old novels and a bunch of notebooks is an old copy of the well-loved novel entitled, “Dream World”. The story of a little girl who lost sight of her dream and ends up finding it in a strange world of dreams. The book was written by an aspiring young author named Terry Lefebvre. His book was world famous not because of it's contents, but because of how handsome the author was. Terry’s books sold millions because of how much of a celebrity he was and not much of his talents. Although some of his books were intriguing in it's own way, it was always lacking something more that it didn't win any prestigious awards. He might be a bestseller for the numbers of books his fans buy, but most of this alleged fans haven't really read his works.

Only a few people really read his books. And one of those few was Dominique LaMotte who found herself in the shoes of the heroine of the handsome author's book, Denise.

Dom remembers the location of her favorite book in the back of her mind. Where she placed it alongside her other books inside a cabinet in her bedroom back in Edelweiss. It has been awhile since she remembers such things from the past. Of course, who wouldn't? Not after seeing the corpse of the author she had been recently acquainted with; looking at her with those lifeless eyes.

Terry Lefebvre lies dead on a crime scene crowded by both the police and civilians. This included Dana, Leilynn, Heath, Dominique and Leon. The group stood close by and watches the police carefully move the corpse.

Sadly, the corpse was found 2 days after the storm had subsided. The group was minding their own business in the girls’ hospital room when one of Dana's colleagues came barging in looking for her. The news she received was grave indeed, and the medical technician was in distraught to learn that her uncle and guardian was dead.

Several hours after the investigation was secured; Dana was sent to where her uncle was said to have been murdered. There she identifies the body and started answering some questions.

Leon is beside Dana, comforting her while she tries her best to answer the policeman’s questions.

“Where did you last saw your uncle?”

“It was 2 days ago… he knocked at our room in the hospital looking for…” The memory of her once daring experience is now dreading the life out of her with guilt. If I had answered then… Would you be alive now? She drowns her thoughts with grief and dismay wondering if she could have saved her uncle from this.

“It's okay, you don't have to take this all in immediately. Take your time ma'am.” The policeman kindly gestures Dana to take a seat.

The rest of the gang were also questioned since they were also seen with the late author.

One common question went around, and it was about a note they had found in Terry’s corpse. The policewoman carrying the evidence skipped Dana since she is still in shock, and proceeded asking the others if they know anything about it. Each of them took turns reading the note that the policewoman took a picture of earlier that day before preserving the evidence elsewhere.

Leon immediately dismisses the note not knowing what it was about.

Lei wondered about it for awhile but dismissed the coincidence of the name ‘Dom’ mentioned can be the Dom they know. Then again Terry and Dom knew each other. But Leilynn kept it in her thoughts since she was unable to say a word about the matter. She was also shocked to see a live corpse of someone she knows and have met; even if it was for a brief time during the storm.

Heath had a bad feeling. Somehow he knew this was connected to Dom. He also knows that she has been hiding something. Something that made her look so scared the other night. Just when she's started opening up too. This idiot just had to die. Dom… What did you get yourself into this time? “I think my friend would know…” He looks around for Dominique but she was already gone. “Dom??”

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Dom had left the scene when she first saw Terry's cold lifeless body and how it was rotten from the storm that had left the city. She didn't stick around. She knew who did it.

Stupid Dom!? You should've told Darius when you met him last month! That's why you had dinner...not because you had nothing to eat. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid…

Dom stops walking.

You're stupid to think they can help you. This time, you can't go back or start a normal life; surrounded by friends and family and have a career you can be proud of. This time you screwed up so bad.

Tears start to come out of her eyes. The fond memories she shared with the girls; even for just a short while. How both Dana and Lei accepted her despite knowing who she was and after what she did to them.

For a short while she was surrounded by a warmth she had missed for a long time.

And even after that she had fixed things with Heath.

“Heath…”

A deep voice enters her head. A deep possessive voice she had learned to fear. Her brain triggered a memory of this voice with short flashes of images about a man's devilishly handsome smile forming into a smirk. A blurry image of a man putting a knife inside her mouth. The man's voice telling her again and again…

“You only belong to me, Dom…”

A hand grabs her which made her turn to see Heath’s worried expression.

“Dom?”

“You only belong to me”

Dom pushes Heath away. “Stay away!” She remembers. “Don't come near me ever again!!” Why she met with Heath in the cafe last month. “I told you to stay away from me Heath! Go! I don't need you!!!” She shouted with anger towards the only person who stayed no matter what became of her. “Please… Don't come find me anymore.” Dom turns away and runs.

Running with all her might, Dom takes a turn to Lowly Park. She keeps running and running with no real direction in her mind. Much like her life as of late. Something else enters her thoughts, a name. She cries out this name in her thoughts. Darius!

Just as she thought of her adoptive brother's name, a hand grabs her again. But this time she is pulled in a firm yet gentle embrace. A familiar scent.

“Heath…” Dom no longer has the strength to push him away. Not when she feels her shoulders wet from her childhood friend's tears.

“Please… stop pushing me away already.” Heath doesn't let go and keeps embracing Dom. “I love you Dom. I can't let you go...so please… Don't say those things to me…”

Instead of pushing him away this time, Dom finds herself returning Heath’s embrace.

The two share this moment for awhile.

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Back in the crime scene. Leilynn is found alone with Leon in a pair of chairs that the kind policeman offered them. Dana was taken in a tent nearby to recover from her shock. Dom was missing, again. And Heath left to look for Dom. This got Lei jealous. But she was mostly sad. She met Dom and she wasn't a bad person despite her reputation. If anything, she felt her pain for some odd reason.

“Lost in your thoughts again?” Leon pokes her wide forehead.

“Ouch…” she pouts while she rubs her forehead. “I'm always lost in thought.”

“Not this much.” He sighs.

“Well… that's true.”

“Does it have to be him?”

This made Lei look at her best friend. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean… you obviously have issues with that guy, so why does it have to be him?”

She looks away. “You don't have issues with Dana?”

“What does this have to do with Dana?”

“I'm just saying. Everyone has issues.”

Leon sighs. Then he looks at the area where Dana was taken by the police to rest. “I haven't slept with her yet… she… I don't know…”

Leilynn looks at Leon not knowing what to do with what he just shared. Not when she has been sleeping with Heath for a month now. “Not even… 2nd base? 3rd?”

This time it was Leon who looks at his best friend with a certain look that made the both of them blush at where their topic is heading. “Well...no… Not yet.”

“Did you ask her?”

“Now? Just after discovering her uncle died? No. Hell no. That's just… Weird.”

“Do you want to?”

“What?”

“Do you want it?”

Leon is not sure what Lei meant by those words. “Of course I want to.”

Lei wasn't sure about what she was trying to do as well.

But one thing  she knew for sure; both Lei and Leon wants it. Lei’s many sexcapades with Heath made her yearn for sex whenever something stressful comes up. Leon on the other hand has not been having any and that Dana has been teasing him unknowingly; torturing his poor manhood.

Silence filled the air.

This is dangerous.

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Inside the tent to where Dana was brought to rest is a very troubled young maiden. Terry was her support and her whole family's support. It was okay for her to goof around and do some reckless things knowing her family won't really suffer from it. She started dating Leon because it was easier that way. Everything she was doing was a lie. And now that lie is trying to bite her back in the ass.

"What now Dana?" She told herself.

Just as she mopes around, the policewoman from earlier came to check up on her. She also carried the copy of the note that was found on Terry's body.

"How're you?" She asked Dana.

"Good. I guess..." Dana replied, unsure.

"Well I hope you can help me with this." She gives the copy to Dana who takes it and starts reading it. "Would you happen to know what it's about?"

Dana's eyes widen as she focuses on the words Lost Hope.

"It can't be..." Dana remembers the stranger app she was in not too long ago. She couldn't forget it because of the scene she made back then. Back when she wanted to meet with the stranger she was chatting with.

Lost Hope.

It was as if the world was mocking her and that it will continue to do so. And the first thing that popped in her head was the cafe where she was to suppose to meet this stranger. Dana continues to stare at the note.

"Dom. I bet she would know."

"Excuse me?"

"Look for Dominique LaMotte. I bet you've seen her in the media. She'll know what happened to my uncle." It was a hunch. Base on what seems to be pure coincidence. But it was better than nothing.

There are a lot of crimes going around this murder case. And it wasn't even about guns and knives and murder. Sometimes, the scene of the crime can be of two people sharing a long embrace in a park, two best friends looking for a place where no one would see them do each other, and inside a woman's thoughts as she starts to realize how fucked up the world can be and how twisted things can get for the smallest of things.