✓ | Lucy thought she'd live all her life surrounded with humans that's supposedly to be their food. She disguised herself many times, lived her life with many names, and at last, she disguised herself as a nerd under the name of Lucy Genevive Marian...
Close your mind, Lucy, and don't let others read your thoughts. Don't let them read everything what's inside your head.
Naalala ko ang sinabi ni Tyler kanina sa basement ng mansion. He was right, I wasn't fully trained of closing and putting an invisible barriers inside my head. No one shall know I had been trained with them, that I've been with them for a couple of weeks.
I straightened my shoulders and nodded. I kept my mind shut as hard as I could. Invisible curtains, invisible walls, don't let others read it.
"Of course, Miss Suzzane."
Tumawa nang malakas si Miss Suzanne kahit na wala namang nakakatawa sa sinabi ko.
"Call me Mommy Riana or just Mom. I will be your mother now, Lucy. You will be my daughter now, the both of you and Zee. I think I won't need to introduce you to her? Suzette?"
Riana? Ah, the mistress. The greedy one.
Tumango ako. Nakita ko si Suzy na umirap at lumapit.
"Quit calling me that. I'm Zee inside, Suzy outside the clan, Mom. Never been Suzette Fritzie. Kadiri."
Tumango lamang ang nanay niya at may binulong sa lalaki—sa ama ko. Muli niya akong tiningnan at bumaling kay Suzy, then back to me.
"We'll be resting now. Zee will be the one to bring you to your room, Lucy."
Pinanood ko silang umalis sa harap ko, sa harap namin ni Suzy. They went inside the double door made of thick wood on the right side of what looked like a throne; may upuan kasi at may letrang L sa ibabaw nito. I've seen that on my dreams—no, I saw it before. I used my ability to see the future accidentally.
Humarap ulit ako kay Suzy at ngayon ay nakataas ang kilay sa 'kin, sinusuri ang suot kong shorts, white shirt at leather jacket.
"Oh my, are you okay? Have you been sleeping on the road?" tinuro pa ni Suzy suot ko gamit ang index finger niyang may kulay pink na cuticles.
Ngayon ay ako naman ang umirap sa kaniya. If she's been bullying me in school, I won't let her bully me again. This is and has been my territory, my family's territory and not them. I won't let her and her stupid mother put a finger on me.
I've learned to fight now. I've learned enough.
"For your information, it's a night get up, Suzy. Ano ba ang sinusuot mo kapag natutulog, gown?"
* * *
The man who took me in, was the one who guided me through my room. Matapos kong sagutin si Suzy kanina, bigla na lamang siyang umirap ulit sa 'kin at iniwan ako sa gitna ng maluwag na kwarto. Or if you call that a room with a throne on top of the three stairs.
My room is wide and spacious but not as spacious as my room sa mansion. May queen sized bed sa kaliwa ko, in front was a fire place, a cabinet on the corner, a small but tall table, and a bookshelf with thick and old books.
Lumapit ako sa napakalaking kama na may kurtina sa bawat gilid, a white curtain. The only light that illuminated the whole room was another sets of torches on the walls. I can't live like this, I don't want to live here. Masyadong makaluma at madilim. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi man lang sila nagbabayad ng electric bills.
I look at the side and saw a thick curtains covering the windows. It was stretched from the ceiling to the ground.
Tumayo ako at lumapit doon. Hinawi ko nang konti ang kurtina at pumasok sa loob ng madilim na kwarto ko ang liwanag na galing sa buwan.
Nabitawan ko bigla ang mabigat at makapal na kurtina nang marinig ko ang pintuan na bumukas at sumarado. Pumasok ang lalaki—ang ama ko na may dalang box na nakabalot sa puting tela.
Nilapag niya 'yon ibabaw ng lamesa at humarap sa 'kin na nakangiti.
"Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sisimulang magpakilala sa 'yo, Lucy, matapos ang ilang taong hindi ka kasama."
Nanatili ako sa kinatatayuan ko. Hindi rin siya gumagalaw at parang nararamdaman niyang hindi ako komportable na nasa malapit siya.
"Pinahanap kita sa mga tauhan ko dahil alam kong buhay ka pa at nararamdaman ko 'yon. Noong araw na nawala sa 'kin ang Mama mo ay ang araw din na 'yon na lumusob ang mortal nating kaaway at kunin ka."
I stared at his weak expression. His body's paler than mine, I can see white hairs on his head and on his beard. I watch him wipe off the tears that escaped from his tired eyes, and his shoulders' shaking slightly.
"Hindi ko sinasadyang makuha ka nila, Lucy, dahil 'yong oras na 'yon ay hinahanap ko rin ang Mama mo. Nasa malayo ako, iniwan ka sa kamay ng mga tauhan ko pero hindi parin pala sapat 'yon na maging ligtas ka. Patawarin mo 'ko anak, patawarin mo ang Papa..."
My chest tightened when I saw him kneel down, sobbing. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko pero tinulak ko ang sarili ko na lumapit sa kaniya at lumuhod din.
I don't know him yet. He's my father but still a stranger to me.
Hinawakan ko ang gumagalaw niyang balikat at nang iangat niya ang mukha niya at magtama ang aming paningin, I stared deep down to his eyes and let myself drowned by his memories.
He looks young and his face doesn't look tired or weak. Napakalapad ng kaniyang ngiti at kitang kita ang saya sa kaniyang mga mata habang tinitigan ang babaeng may maliit na umbok sa tiyan. Her face is the younger version of Ma'am Esmeralda, smiling back at Sir Malcolm—my father. My parents.
Hinimas-himas ni Ma'am Esmie ang kaniyang umbok na natatabunan sa damit niyang kulay puting bestida. Her lips's moving but I couldn't hear her voice. When I tried to read what she's saying, I realized she was actually singing.
A birthday song.
May isang lalaki ang lumapit sa pagitan ng mag-asawa, holding up a normal size of a red velvet cake. The candle says five hundred and fifty.
My father blew up the candle and clapped his hands, then hugged Ma'am Esme. Slowly, the muted voices of them suddenly turned on.
"Wala akong regalo sa 'yo pero mukhang sapat na 'tong umbok ng tiyan ko, 'no, Mal?"
My father chuckled, "Bakit ba kasi ang tagal mong bumalik? Ano nga pala ang ginawa mo do'n at natagalan ka?"
"Nagplano ako para sa birthday mo pero nalaman kong buntis ako. Hindi na siguro kailangan ng bonggang selebrasyon dahil alam kong sapat na 'to sa 'yo."
My father knelt down on the floor, carefully cupping the small bump on my mother's stomach. May binulong siya dito at hinalikan.
The scene slowly faded, and now I can see my father's old face in front of me.
What happened to my family? What had happened to them, to my parents? Bakit akala nila patay na si Ma'am Esme? Is Ma'am Esme—Tyler's mother—that I know is really my mother?
Kung gano'n, Tyler and I are siblings. Oh fangs,
Titig na titig ako sa itsura ng ama ko. Malayong malayo na ang itsura niya sa memoryang nakita ko. Malayong malayo sa masayahin at palangiti. But for once, I saw myself in him. I got his nose and his lips.
Kapag nalaman ko ang tunay na nangyari dito noong nawala ako, I would let Riana pay for what she's done to me and my family. I'll make it worse.
Defying Geek graciangwttpd
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