Identical Plot (Wicked Writer Series #7)

Chapter 2

It has been a week since Elly was gone. The house was quiet unlike the usual where Elly’s voice usually echoes in the entire house, yelling for mom and dad, and pestering me all day. Well, I kinda like the silent atmosphere though. Glad Elly wasn’t found. Yet.

“Hun, we’ll going to find her, okay?” dad said to mom in an assuring manner while rubbing her back. They’re making noise in the dining room, worrying about their favorite daughter.

“What if our daughter is not safe? What if she’s not having enough sleep? What if she’s in pain? Leo, we have to find her now! Oh my god, my baby,” Mom hysterically uttered.

I grimaced at the sight of them. If I’m the one who’s missing now? Surely they’re just out in the park and baby-ing Elly.

Umiling na lang ako saka nilampasan sila para magtimpla ng quaker. After Elly went missing, there’s no longer breakfast prepared in the table every morning. Mom seem too depressed to make one. That bitch. It’s her fault.

Ramdam ko ang pagsunod ng tingin sa ‘kin ni Dad. Sa bawat galaw na ginagawa ko ay nakamata s’ya. From grabbing a bowl down to pouring a milk. He’s up to something again. I can say. For sure it’s about Elly again.

“Are you even worried about your twin sister, Melly?” And yeah. What a morning.

I ignored his question for a while and made myself comfortable in the dining table while facing mom who seem so depressed. I took spoon-full of my quaker with my eyes nailed to dad’s. “Kind of,” I answered in conserve to dad’s question after.

I was almost pinned to my seat after he sharpened his eyes at me. From his facial expressions, I know he didn’t like my answer. As if I care. He doesn’t like me ever since. What’s new? What could bother me anymore?

“Jesus. Kind of? Anong klaseng sagot ‘yan, Melly?” banat n’ya. Hindi ko alam kung galit ba o disappointed. Or could be both. I have no care though.

I smirked at dad before giving him my answer. “An honest answer, Dad.”

Without a visible delay, my bowl of quaker crashed to the floor after dad’s palm swayed it. And the dining table made a screeching noise as it danced in dad’s wrath.

“Leo!” my mom who seem so listless just a while ago is now in a lively-yet-hysterical mode while trying to hold my father’s hand from slapping me.

“Wala ka talagang modong bata ka!” his voice thundered as his eyes went dark on mine.

At the sight of my crashed breakfast and dad’s arms raised for me, I balled my fists and gritted my teeth. He’s mad? I am too. Mad for so long.

“What? I ju-” sasagot pa sana ako nang pigilan ako ni mommy.

“Melly, please, just leave us alone. Go to your room,” bagamat naroon ang malambing na pakiusap sa tinig ni mommy ay naroon naman ang inis sa kan’yang mga mata. I see. She’s trying to show me sympathy. Her bad. I know she don’t feel any.

Hindi na lang ako umimik pa at diretso ang tingin ko sa pintuan habang papalabas sa dining room. While climbing my way to my room, I felt the mere existence of pain in my chest. I despised it as I don’t want to feel it. I’m too exhausted of it. I unfriended pain long ago and invited grudge to take its place.

When I reached my room, I immediately grabbed my towel and went inside the bathroom to freshen myself up. This morning is too boring. Dad failed to make it a little feisty.
While the water from the shower is taking its venture in the every nook of my body, mostly to my scalp down to my face, storm-filled thoughts started to equivocate my mind as it made me tighten my grip on the shower’s faucet.

I have lived with the treacherous feelings of being unwanted and unloved by my own parents. The void in my heart can affirm that.

I didn’t wait for long and dried myself after a couple of minutes. With a towel wrapped on my wet hair, I opened my closet to grab some outfit which I could wear today to make everyone stand in awe. A Balenciaga black skirt and a Balenciaga maroon crop top as well complimented my fair complexion, natural-brown curly hair and thick brows with a charming eyes. Who wouldn’t be in awe with such beauty of mine?

“Oh, my Elly is such a goddess!” I heard mom exclaimed from the patio. Excited, I got off from the pool and hurriedly ran towards the patio. There I saw mom combing Elly’s hair.

“Mom! Look a my hair! It looks like Barbie’s hair,” I happily stated while showing her my wet-long-curly-black-hair. But to my dismay, mom just nodded without even giving me a glance. Her eyes are still glued to Elly’s hair.

“I braided it, Mom while I was on the water,” I added once again, trying to get mom’s attention. But I received the same response. She didn’t give me a glance. Neither gave me a compliment.

I glared at myself in the mirror. It’s my mom. I don’t understand why ever since I was a kid, she never complimented me with the beauty I have like what she does to Elly. It was just always Elly in her eyes. In their eyes.

I remember one time, it was our Prom night. I was the one who seek for my own gown to wear while mom prepared Elly’s. I wore an elegant banquet style black gown at that time. I looked stunning at the mirror and even my Instagram followers flooded me with compliments. But my mom and dad never saw that. They never see how beautiful their daughter looked like during that night dahil palagi lang silang nakatuon kay Elly.

Instead of running my day more by remembering such things, I decided to finish dressing up. And when I reached the living room, dad who was sitting on the couch near the door encountered me with a question.

“Whrere do you think you’re going?”

“I have a book signing today,” walang gang tugon ko.

“Book signing?” he asked with an unreadable expression.

“Did you hear yourself, Melly?” he again asked, putting the newspaper away from his face so I can now barely see his furrowed brows.

“Yes. I’m not yet deaf,” I rudely answered which made him sarcastically gasp in disbelief.

“Really? Melly, the nonsense writer who just held a book signing today despite her twin-sister’s disappearance. How does that sound?” Napairap ako sa sinabi n’ya.

“I’m making a name in the writing industry. I’ll have my book signing today. I don’t care what other people will say. In fact, we aren’t known as ‘inseparable twins’ that would give the just for my paralyzed businesses. I’ll do whatever I want,” I firmly answered.

“Bye, Dad,” I added and immediately head to the garage after.

After I got in my car, I felt pain and madness devouring my system. Making me frantically slam the steering wheel. I hate him!

I don’t understand how my own parents could treat me like this. Like as if I never exist as their daughter. Palaging si Elly lang ang nakikita nila. And now that Elly’s gone, they’re stopping me from doing things I like just for Elly’s sake again? That’s bullshit!

I grabbed my pocket knife from the compartment glove and let it gradually trail my wrist. I’m feeling the urge of hurting myself just to express the emotions that’s consuming me.

The gradual existence of blood in my wrist gave me the satisfaction and pleasure. It feels addicting. But before I could even kill myself, I put the pocket knife away and wrapped my wrist with my handkerchief.

•••