Antoinette Yvonne Nakamura
December 2, 1976
As the only daughter of Agatha Nakamura, the heirloom was passed down to me. And within my blood, the awakening project resides; the study that the Nakamura Clan has been conducting for hundreds of years, and because of that, our family nurtures each generation with a family tradition. And it is to preserve the beauty and health of each oldest or the only woman in the family.
During my childhood, they’ve been telling and treating me how special I am. And whatever I asked them, they will immediately provide it. I never tore or cried. I can’t feel sad nor angry because it was the rule my father and mother made, or else my beauty might fade.
“Who is she, Mom?”
“The symbolism of eternity, our equinox.”
I’ve been exposed to the Awakening Project since I was a child. And as someone naïve at a young age, I thought having a dead woman beneath our house was normal.
“D—dad, why— Dad, why are you doing this?”
All the delightfulness disappeared in a blink when I reached my legal age. My father began to act strange as if he was being possessed or what. And all I know is that I’ve been held captive in my own house, my mom would scream and plead for my father to stop what is he doing, but he wasn’t stop.
“She must be reborn!”
He keeps repeating it every time he will inject me the blood of the dead woman beneath our house. I felt hatred. I felt angry towards my father, my mother, to the dead woman. I loathed my entire clan for doing this to me.
“No… You’re not the one…”
My father became mentally ill as I watch him grieve in front of the dead woman while I was left tortured and wasted. And even though I still don’t get what is happening… I can’t help but be curious about that woman.
She was dead for hundreds of years, but her beauty was preserve. She’s lying in a cold, marble stone with her hair lying down along with a glass cube protecting her. She still possesses her beauty and the face of an eighteen years old woman. She doesn’t look dead at all because whenever I take a glimpse of her, she just looks like a beautiful woman who was peacefully sleeping.
“It is not Antoinette. How can we be reborn, how can we—”
“Calm down.”
“How can I calm down, Agatha? It was not her! Alejandra is rejecting her!”
“Then, let’s wait for her daughter.”
Years passed, but I can’t still forget what happened. And things got much worse when I got married, my husband learned the wicked tradition that my family was hiding, and because he doesn’t want to happen anything that happened to me with my daughter, we didn’t wish for a girl.
But, destiny doesn’t seem to be in favor of us. Soon after, I gave birth to a twin, two beautiful girls. We named them Alyxandria and Alleona Nakamura. Alyxandria was the timid type, while Alleona possesses a strong character, which is why my parents took a liking to her.
I did my best to protect my lovely daughters, but just like what happened to my father, the husband who solely promised to protect my daughters and me somehow became part of the wicked tradition of our family.
“Alyxandria… Alleona…”
It was not also them.
And I am praying and hoping that it won’t be my lovely granddaughter Amira. I want her to live in peace, away from this mad tradition of the Nakamura’s.
Humanity shall not search to evolve, and they shall not seek it, or else she’ll rise. Especially that she’s the only way to reach immortality, she’s the start, the genesis. And if she wakes up, humanity will surely perish.
Because the symbolism of eternity, the equinox, Alejandra Nakamura, is always craving for flesh and blood.
Ilang minuto akong nakatitig sa papel na tila ba’y ayaw rumehistro sa ‘king utak ang bagay na aking nabasa. Si Antoinette Yvonne Nakamura ay ang aking lola na hindi ko man lamang nagawang masilayan o makita.
Pero…
Kahit kailan ay hindi ako sinabihan ng aking mga magulang na h’wag maging malungkot ngunit hindi ko naman iyon masyadong naranasan sa puder nila. Palagi akong masaya dahil nakatuon ang buong atensyon nila sa ‘kin.
Ni hindi ko rin naranasan na masilayan ang babaeng kanyang nilalarawan o malagyan ng sinasabing dugo nito.
“Bakit parang natigil sa akin?” Takhang tanong ko sa sarili.
Eighteen. Kung tama ang natatandaan ko, labing walong taong gulang ako nang tumakas kami ni Cara sa bahay ng mga Nakamura dahil sa biglaang pagdating ng mga kasamahan ng ama ko.
Kagat-labi kong pinatay ang lighter saka tinitigan ang papel. Ang tatay ng aking lola ay nagbago ang ugali, maging ang kanyang naging asawa dahil natutuhan nila ang tungkol sa kakaibang proyekto ng pamilya namin.
Nangyari rin kaya iyon kay Daddy?
“Hmm… H—hindi kaya? Hindi kaya naging pamalit si Mommy sa akin?” Nakatala sa sulat na hindi sina Mommy ang tamang vessel para sa katawan ni Alejandra ngunit pinagpatuloy ba ni Daddy na gamitin ang aking ina upang ipamalit sa akin dahil sa pagtakas ko?
“That… that is just sick…” I heaved a sigh and hid the paper under Parker’s bed and silently walk outside his room.
Walang tayo sa paligid nang makalabas ako dahilan upang tahimik akong tumungo sa laboratory. Nang makapunta ako ro’n ay sumandal ako sa pintuan at pinanood si Parker habang lutang s’yang nagbabantay sa semi-bozo.
Hindi ko naman mapigilan ang mapangisi dahil hindi n’ya pa rin napapansin ang prisensya ko.
Tahimik at maingat akong lumakad papunta sa kanyang likod ngunit hindi n’ya pa rin ako napapansin hanggang sa dahan-dahan kong pinulupot sa kanyang balikat ang aking mga braso at siniksik ang aking ulo sa kanyang leeg.
“I’m scared…” I mumbled. He gently caressed my hand.
He softly laughed, “Are you seriously doing this in front of a patient?” he joked.
I pouted and leaned my body more, so I can see him.
“Hayaan mo s’ya. Malaki na siya’t kaya niya na ang sarili niya.” Saglit akong pumikit at muling sinandal ang aking ulo sa kanyang balikat. Tiyak akong pinagmamasdan ako ni Parker, “Kailangan ko ng pahinga…”
“O, bakit ka nandito sa ‘kin? Akala ko ba matutulog ka na?”
“You’re my rest spot…” I whispered, “You’re my human bed.”
Natatawa kong minulat ang mga mata ko at napansin ko na masama ang kanyang tingin sa akin dahilan upang ngitian ko lamang siya.
“Panira ka,”
“Bakit? Kinikilig ka na ba sa akin?” Pang-asar kong tanong.
“Asa ka,”
Nginisian ko naman s’ya dahilan upang pagtaasan n’ya ako ng kilay, “Bakit parang ikaw ang umaasa sa akin? Anong gusto mo ako o ako pa rin with label?”
Nahihiya siyang pumaling sa ibang direksyon at natatawa kong tinanggal ang pagkakayakap sa kanya. Namumula s’ya at hindi ko alam kung mula sa inis o pagkahiya, maaari rin naman na parehas.
Malalim s’yang nagbuntong-hininga bago ako lingunin. Ang mga mata n’ya ay nag-uumapaw sa kuryosidad habang ito ay nakatingin sa akin.
“May problema ka.” Hindi iyon tanong. Basa n’ya ang kakaibang pag-akto ko.
Bumuntong-hininga muna ako bago ko sinalaysay sa kanya ang nabasa ko mula sa papel. At kung isang piraso lamang iyon ng papel, tiyak akong marami pang nakasulat sa mismong lathalaan nito.
“Let’s tell them—”
I pulled him, “Don’t!”
“Are you still unsure of Mr. Gonzalo and the others? Because they are with your father during that time?” Parker asked, making me nod. He suddenly ruffled my hair and went back to his seat. “So, how are we going retrieve that journal?”
“Let’s ask someone who knows to blend in.” He knew who I was talking about, and that’s good.
“A… Al…”
Nanlaki ang mga mata namin ni Parker dahil sa boses na hindi nagmumula sa amin. Nang dahan-dahan akong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ng semi-bozo ay napangiwi ako lalo na’t pilit nitong ginagalaw ang kanyang mga daliri.
Impit akong napasigaw nang bigla na lamang itong gumalaw at kumapit sa braso ko.
Putangina! Bakit ako? P’wede namang si Parker!
“Al— Al…” Alejandra? Alyxandria? Alleona? Almira— Charot.
Nang tinitigan kong mabuti ang semi-bozo saka ko napansin na hindi na siya mukhang kadiri at naagnas. Bumalik na ang natural nitong kulay maging ang itsura nito.
“Alex…” Ay. Wala sa nabanggit. Nang bigkasin n’ya ang pangalan ng kapatid ko ay dahan-dahan siyang nawalan ng malay. Nawala rin ang mahigpit na kamit n’ya sa akin ngunit hindi naman siya namatay.
Parehas kaming nagulat ni Parker nang bigla na lamang bumukas ang pinto. Mabilis kaming pinuntahan nina Alex at pinukulan ako nang masamang tingin.
“Anong nangyari?” Tanong ni Alex.
“Late ka na. Tulog na ulit ‘yong tatay mo e,” sambit ko habang nginunguso ang semi-bozo na tao na.
“Sinasabi mong bobo ka? Ni hindi ko nga kilala ‘yan.”
“Nice to see you, too,” I joked.
I glimpse at the patient and carefully examined him.
Who are you?
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