Mirage

twenty eight

Mira was gone. They couldn't find her anywhere; they don't know where she had gone to. The step siblings went back to the Angeles house.

"Kuya. Totoo ba yon?" Sam looked at her brother seriously. "Sabihin mo, ano nangyari? Hinayaan mo lang si Mira?"

"Sam...kailangan mo na bumalik sa Manila, si Papa..."

"Wala akong pake don! Nandito ako para ibigay sayo lahat ng mana ko, ayoko ng pera niya o kahit anong pamana ng Sevilla. Now, tell me ano nangyari kay Mira?"

James couldn't speak.

"Ano magsalita ka James! Pupunta ka ba o hindi?! Bilisan mo!"

His dad was talking to him on the phone. Shouting orders and demands that he needs to be at the Angeles' vacation house. His father was telling him to get the gun magazine in the drawer.

Anxiously, he decided to just do what his father said. James went to the office and grabbed the extra gun magazine. He quickly got out of the building and into his car to drive to the Angeles'.

He had a bad feeling of what his father is going to do. He doesn't like it that it involves guns.

When he arrived at the house, James could see some smoke around. He immediately got out of his car and examined where the smoke was coming from.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder. He jumped in shock and turned around. "Pa!"

"Shh! Tumahimik ka, akin na ung pinapadala ko sayo."

Emmanuel was edgy. He aggressively snatched the mag from James and quickly changed his gun. He was looking back and forth at the house and at the gun.

"Pa, san nanggaling ung usok? Wag mong sabihing- "Emmanuel put a hand on James' mouth, stopping him from talking.

"Nakikita mo yon? Spread it on the front door." He pointed on the gallons of gasoline by the front of the house. Then he immediately went around the house leaving James standing there.

"Shit." James grabbed a fist of his hair in frustration.

He didn't do what his father said and instead followed him inside the house. The moment he stepped foot inside, it smelled like smoke and burning wood. The house was slowly being enveloped by black smoke and fire.

"Pa!" He called out when he saw Emmanuel standing on the living room. "Anong ginagawa mo?"

James saw a man lifeless on the floor.

"Tito?! Pa, anong ginawa mo!"

"Emmanuel stop. Please, pamilya mo kami." James heard a woman's voice behind them. He turned around and saw his aunt.

James quickly knelt in front of his uncle and felt his heart beat. He was still alive. James sighed shakily.

"James tumayo ka dyan." Emmanuel said with greeted teeth.

Aliyah was at a hotel's lobby. She was in Baguio, alone. She had just finished putting her things in her room and now she was ready. She's going to find Mira.

She was wearing Mira's denim jacket as she walked near the park. The girl was trying to contact Sam after the latter told them that she was in Baguio and that Mira was missing, again. She was also trying to call Mira, just incase the girl finally answered her.

Sighing, Aliyah frustratingly turned off her phone. No answer from Sam nor Mira, just great.

The girl was walking on the quiet part of the park, no one was there. It was foggy all around and Aliyah almost couldn't see the trees but she saw a silhouette.