While I was currently in the kitchen sitting on a stool, watching my mom cook something to fill my empty stomach and nagging constantly on organized sleeping pattern or something, I had sneaked the freaky card under the table and pressed it to my thigh and the back of the table for it not to fall. I wanted to leave it alone in my room, but something tugged me at the back of my head to not leave it alone, for what reason though; I have no idea.
"Just because it's summer break doesn't mean you get to sleep for how many hours! Summer breaks aren't only about having fun and acting with no responsibility. I'm glad I did not make you go to that horrible party,"
My mom kept on nagging and nagging while having her back facing me. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her, an action my dad caught because the next thing I knew, his newspaper came face to face with my head with a loud smack. I groaned loudly, giving the old man a glare which he smugly shrugged at.
"And I thought you would actually be more resp..- Moon Hani, why are you glaring at your old man?" My mom's stern voice brought me out of my game with my dad, and I stared innocently at the lady with a spatula in her hand with a furious glare. Oops! I didn't think she would actually stop frying my bacon to notice me giving my dad the infamous Hani look. I gave my mom a sheepish smile, one dripping with innocence and hearts that made her sigh in helplessness. If there is something my mom is weak against, it's my beautiful cute actions, considering I'm her only child and she likes it when I give her my puppy looks. Something along the lines of 'first borns should know how to make use of their parents wisely,'
"My beautiful and gorgeous mother, I was totally listening to your rant..- I mean your advice attentively," I could totally hear my dad stiffling his sniggers, and I wanted to give him a deadly glare if only my mom wasn't using her hawk look on me.
"Then why were you glaring at your father? It's disrespectful," My mom had a stern look behind that mask of hers, and I know she didn't exactly mean it. My family and I have a deep kind of relationship with each other; my parents treated me like I'm their best friend most of the time, but they automatically switch into my parents when I'm in need of them, or during a lecture, which is what's happening right now with my mother.
"Ay, Ay, captain," I playfully saluted her, and my mom sent me a deep glare before twirling around to continue her cooking while my dad and I got ourself engrossed with a debate on what is much better, diet cola which I liked very much, or sprite which he loved a lot.
"Hani, there is something I need you to do for me," My mom cut our conversation while placing a plate of fully cooked bacon strips and cheese. I looked at her with my innocent eyes while gobbling down my food like a beast. I asked her what she wants me to do with my cheeks stuffed with food, and she gave me a white paper of a variety of things listed down from drinks to vegetables and fruits. I groaned loudly, I almost forgot about my usual goings to the supermarket every two weeks to restock our house needs, and honestly, I did not want to go this time because I want to sleep again ( even if I knew my mother would kill me ) I was a sleep monster, sue me, not to mention I actually felt like a pound of rocks is sitting on my shoulders.
I gave my mom a puppy look, wishing that she would forget about it just this one time and leave me alone to sleep. She could read my stare easily, and the next thing I know is my mom pulling me out of the chair and dragging me to the front door with her hand on my arm. I groaned loudly when she started lecturing me again, and I whined one more time for her to just let me sleep for now and wake up another time where I actually would be willing to go. She refused – as expected, she had always been a hard-headed person – and urged me to go out, opening the door to my car that was, dare to say; simply parked outside our house in a slightly, curved angle. Okay, I'm a horrible driver, hope I have established that information clearly.
"Here, your keys and cash. Don't be back before you get all the items on the list," My mom huffed, throwing – quite literally – the damn keys to my lap and snapping an accurate amount of money – I know how she always does the math before she hands me the correct amount – on the dashboard, before trotting inside the house rather elegantly. I sighed, slumping my head on the wheel and puffing a big amount of breath out. Then, suddenly; I remembered the card that was lying on my thighs, and stared down at my thigh to confirm it's presence, while knowing clearly it would be impossible for it to stay. A wave of panic rushed inside of me. It came out of no where, but the emotions that attacked me were real, raw even; the thought of it being alone, in a house filled with strangers made me horrified. I couldn't help but open my door and dash inside the house in a frenzy.
"Mom! Sorry but I forgot something!" I yelled the moment I barged the door of the front yard open, and rushed inside the living room. I passed it, and was ten inches close to the kitchen when I stopped altogether.
It wasn't very strange, the view in front of me. But my Mom's eyes were wide; my Dad too, and my eyes reluctantly widened like them when I caught the reason of their sudden panic. Apparently; the card was in my mom's hands, holding it a little roughly where her knuckles turned white. She has a stupefied look on her face, that my dad mimicked amazingly well. My shock suddenly turned into confusion, as I did not expect the card to evoke such an expression out of their faces. For all I know, they should be uninterested about a mere presence of a colorful card; but they seem to be exactly the opposite. I raised an eyebrow up. The way the kept on staring at the card so creepily gave me the shivers. Apparently, they still haven't noticed my presence.
"Do you think she did it?" I heard my mom whisper lowly to my father; and sent him a look that I did not understand the meaning behind. My dad gave her the same look; and slowly shook his head. Then, after a second he started nodding his head.
"I..I don't really know. The card seems very.. Alive," my dad replied. Okay, they are officially being weird. What is it about the card being alive? I mean sure the color choice is pretty thrilling and bright; exciting even, completely different from the first time I've caught the card. But it being alive? What are the odds of that?
"Ehm.. Mom? Dad? Are you okay?" I stepped inside their view fully now, surprising them with my sudden appearance because they flinched and stared at me with equally, surprised eyes. I raised an eyebrow at them, and then lowered my eyes to the card with a still suspicious expression on my face. My parents both gulped at the same time, and I was amused but the situation was too serious to be laughed at.
I marched inside, placed all of the money and car keys my mom gave me to the side. I stopped in front of them; expression confident yet confused. I still couldn't get the sight of them talking about the card like that out of my mind. I gave them a pointed look that screamed ridicule and absurdity, and my mom could easily catch it – apparently - because she started to chuckle awkwardly and completely out of character.
"Yes Honey, we are fine. What made you ask that.." She kept on awkwardly sniggering to herself and giving my dad the famous look of hers that screamed danger. I stifled a smile; she looks absolutely thrilling when she is feeling threatened. I wonder what's the reason behind that.
"Okaaaay," I dragged on the Okay and sneakily tried to peek from behind her, at that specific card that was pulsating with energy. Now that I've noticed; it suddenly appeared like there was a fourth presence inside the house. Some sort of power, aura, coming off from that card, and I realized to my absolute horror that it was calling out for me, for my refuge.
"Then, can I have my card back... please?" I asked again, taking another obedient step closer to them and offering my hands for them to drop the card into. My mother once again exchanged a glance with my dad, and I hereby officially accuse them of being suspicious. Then, my dad stepped closer to me, took a rough grip of my shoulders and looked at me seriously in the eye, peering at my soul. I honestly felt very small under him and his sudden serious demeanor. He never gets serious, he is always the jokester type; but those few little times he gets serious, it means whatever it is had passed those limits he had.
"Hani, where did you find that card?" Bizarre question to an equally bizarre situation. Fair enough though, because the card looked creepy, suspicious and down right mysterious. Me, for all I care was far from obtaining things that clashed with my personality that much. Besides; my father looked terrified, pale even; but I realized, to my disdain that he already knew from where I had found that card before he can get an answer.
"Somewhere in the pit of a dark alley. Why?" I questioned, eyebrows creasing and meeting in the middle without my knowledge. My dad broke into a sigh, and his hands around my shoulders tightened their grip on me.
"Then.. Did you by any chance drop some blood on it?" Odd, how did he know what exactly he should ask? I gave him my look, the I'm-suspecting-you look, and he didn't even react upon it.
"Yes, sort of. I kind of accidentally brushed some blood on it when I sneaked...-" I stopped myself momentarily, my cheeks flushing red and eyes widening. Damn it, was I about to spill the beans and tell my parents I sneaked out of home last night? I stared at them, horrified that they might catch the slip I made. Thankfully, they didn't, and only retreated back to the couch and sat on it sadly. Okay, who died this time? (Dry humor)
"Oh dear," my mom mumbled incoherently under her breath, which I noticed thankfully. She clutched on her palms tightly, eyes closing and expression blue, solemn. I looked at my dad and he had the exact same expression on his face. I crossed my arms over my chest, overly confused and worried to the max. What is it that they are hiding and I seem to be very oblivious of?
"Can someone please explain why you guys seem so stif and.. Iffy, over a card?" I requested, more like I demanded with more than three octave high voice. My mother sighed yet again, placing the yellow card on top of the table gently. I stared at the motionless card, and then back at my mother, extremely and utterly lost. Then, she patted the empty seat beside her, and urged me to sit there by her eyes. With a reluctant sigh, I sat down beside her.
Then, she took the card again and handed it to me. I gave her a weird look, wondering why she didn't want to give me the card in the first place, but now she gives it to me so willingly? Anyhow, I took the card from her, and it gave a soft buzz when it touched my hand. I glanced at it, surprised and a little bit mortified at the sensation of it against my palm. I could almost swear there was a humming tune coming out of it.
"You see.. There is something big we didn't tell you about," my mother spoke, and I snapped my head up to look at her. Now, even my dad was staring at me with an intense look, and I gulped down. I knew there was something absolutely serious about this situation that sent shivers down my spine. Somehow it didn't feel exactly good.
"First of all, you need to kiss that card,"
"What in the world.." I whispered, dazed but worried for my mother's sake. Did she just say what I think she just said? I looked at her like she grew two extra heads, emerging from her neck. My mom gave me a pointed look, as if silently telling me to do so without questioning so much. Whatever, if they wanted to be insane they can be by themselves, there is no way I'm kissing a darn card and getting called crazy for it. I was about to put back the card on the table, an expression of disbelief clear on my face; when my mother grasped my wrist and stopped me from placing the card flush against the table.
I gave her a look as if she was insane – I'm starting to wonder if she really is – and she gave me a piercing glare that made me immediately take back my card and look at my mother with a scared shitless look. Alright; she scared me there and I thought she would kill me for a second.
"Do it," she pressed, and I let out a bored sigh before giving it a sloppy, fast kiss on the surface. My mother seemed to be anticipating, excited even though she tried to hide it. My dad didn't look as excited as her, but the excitement was there. I, on the other hand was bored – a little scared but let's not talk about that – and I wasn't waiting for anything to happen. There is no way anything creepy could happen because of a damn card anyways.
Oh boy was I so wrong.
***
"Stop screaming!"
I couldn't for the life of me stop screaming at what exactly appeared in front of me – materialized is the correct form of word – even if my mother kept repeating that I should stop yelling. This is honestly a matter of screaming, or bursting your lungs out. I mean just seconds ago, I was sitting with my parents kissing a damn card, and then suddenly there was white dust – a yellowish hue surrounding it – lots and lots of white dust that appeared from nowhere and started to surround the living room, and then there was someone standing behind the dust right when it cleared away, and I was beyond petrified.
He was tall, the boy; maybe five feet tall. He was slim, but his arms were slightly thick, his thighs too. He was wearing strange clothes. A blue vest with nothing underneath, showing his lean upper body. Brown pants made of a weird glittering material and brown boots. He was crossing his arms over his chest, expression cold and motionless. He was, by far the most beautiful boy I've ever seen in my life, and if I wasn't so scared of his appearance I would have swooned. His lips thin, red with a mole decorating his upper lip. His eyes small, squinting – I realized he was indeed squinting – and brown, coffee drown-worthy eyes.
"My lady," he spoke, gently and softly and just oozing with charm. He bowed his head, one knee bending down on the ground in courtesy. His left hand was pressed upon his chest, right where his heart lay. I gulped, but eventually stopped screaming, and my eyes seemed glued to this odd boy in front of me. The boy didn't move from his position, and I shot my mother a wry glance. Surprisingly, there was a small, awkward smile on her face, and I was so very much crept out.
"Baby? Are you going to do it or should I ?" My mom suddenly spoke from beside me and I didn't even have to look at her to know she was talking with my dad. It's not like I actually payed them any of my attention since it was solely on the majestic boy in front of me who still didn't rise from his bow. Something in his position, in his whole demeanor. He looked so respectful. For whom? Me? But why? What did I do?
"I will," my dad sighed, and I shifted my eyes away from the boy and looked at my dad with wide eyes. There is something that changed in my father when he looked at me, he seemed more serious, his posture straight; and his eyes sleek, quick and just simply different. He took a hold of the card in front of me, and I could have sworn the boy flinched from my peripheral view. Then, he opened his mouth and said the strangest thing ever.
"This is not a normal card, Hani. This is more like a portal to other beings... Beings like him," my father pointed at the boy in front of me with a sharp gaze, the card looking vulnerable and thin in his hands. "We call them warriors. They are entrapped in this card their entire lives, and they come to us when they are being called. You call them by kissing the top of the card. Then, they become yours. They protect you, they listen to your commands. You are like their master, you own them," my dad completed, placing the card back on the table and urging me to take it.
I took the thing in my hold, more wry this time than before. I examined the card with a different view, with a different perspective than before. Has this been magical all long? If I haven't seen that guy appear in front of me out of thin air I would have told my parents they are horrible liars, but I did, I saw the boy materialize in front of me, and I should believe it. The truth still hasn't sunk in fully, but he is there; this so called being is there, bowing to me with utmost respect.
I noticed that the sun on the middle of the card seemed to glow, more than before. There was a bluish hue surrounding it that wasn't there before, and I wondered if this was because the being is no longer present. I looked up at my father hesitatingly, and I found him staring at me as well, a worried look on his face.
"We are not normal people Hani Dear, we are known as wielders, we can bend the cards and control those that lie within. Your mother and I, we didn't think you would grow up to be like us since you didn't show any signs of having a wielding gene in you. But apparently, you are a late bloomer," then he offered me a gentle smile as if he was the proudest father in the whole universe. Heck, I didn't even do anything. In fact, I was growing angry, defensive even. Why haven't they told me that before? That my own parents aren't normal like how I imagined them to be? My eyebrows creased in the middle, but my father didn't pay attention to it and kept talking.
"When you obtain a card, you have to offer it some of your blood so you can be bonded to the warrior of the card, to give you utmost respect, for ownership. Unfortunately, if you happen to have a strong card, some people would want to have it, so don't let any other wielders shed blood over that," he sleekly pointed at the card in my hold, and not for a second have I looked away from his burning stare.
"Why... Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked, and I didn't know my voice would be breathless, a whisper. Apparently I'm in such a severe shock. I mean who wouldn't? Imagine that your parents just told you there is this huge mystery identity they possess that you have absolutely no idea about? Not to mention magical ones, with cards and warriors and whatever nonsense he was talking about. Wielders? Warriors? Why haven't I been introduced to this earlier? And why did this card decide to suddenly land in my hands just now? My head buzzed with questions, lots and lots of questions and I suddenly felt light headed. I put a hand over my head, and my mom noticed me immediately as she started massaging it for me. She should be happy I'm not being negative about all of this or I would have yelled at her.
"As I told you before, you didn't seem to possess any wielding genes in you and we thought you would be normal. We decided that you don't need to be indulged into such things if you weren't a part of it, I'm sorry we didn't tell you," my father apologized, but I don't think he needed to do so since he makes sense. I wasn't cut out for this, I didn't seem to be like them, and if I was a parent I would have done the exact same thing as them. I waved a shaking hand at them both, and looked once more at the boy – guess what? He was still bowing – I gave a shaken sigh.
"Alright, well.... That's a lot to take in," I mumbled shakily, and I saw my father stand up and head to the kitchen, mumbling something about water. I looked at my mother, and she was having this crazed smile on her face that made me crawl away from her with horrified eyes.
"You are.. Scaring me," I muttered to her, pointing a shaking finger at her. She clapped her hands excitedly and crawled towards me as if I didn't just contagiously fly away from her. She giggled – alright; she has officially lost her mind – and started fanning herself with a happy grin.
"You have no idea how I wished you would be like us! Oh my god I can't wait for you to attend my high school, and collect tons of cards! Go to parties and celebrate having a dec...-"
"Woah woah woah, slow down mom. I'm right next to you," I exclaimed loudly, waving my hands around her face so she would stop overwhelming me. I sent her a nervous look, and she smiled – more gently this time – and enveloped me in her embrace. She started patting my head tenderly, brushing along my loose hair locks and putting them behind my ears.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy that you're finally becoming a part of my society. Unlike your father; I grew up knowing I have wielding abilities, and I have always loved collecting different kinds of cards. Baby, I'm just very proud of you," she mumbled against my hair, soft, small and tender. I lifted up, breaking our hug and looking up just in time to feel my father press a cold glass of water against my forehead. I smiled a little, since he had always been this playful even in serious situations. I took the water and gulped it down in one go, and smashed the glass on the table, alerting the-so-called warrior.
Seeing him again, I felt a wave of nervousness seep over me. I have no idea what I should say or how I should act to him. I was new to this, and I was feeling really pressured at the moment. His movement looked tense, robotic even. And I wondered why he was being like this, why was his head bowed so low to the ground? I felt my mom shift from beside me, and as I turned to look at her, my father sat beside me as well, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulder.
"First things first darling, You'll have to name him."
"Excuse me?" I blurted, mortified that my father would actually propose such a ludicrous thing. He only nodded his head reassuringly, his eyes sharp and sleek on the being in front of me.
"Your warrior, your own. You can call them whatever you want, just like a dog." My father smiled gently, and I knew he didn't mean anything malice behind his words, but I couldn't help but feel disgusted about the way he spoke. This warrior.. This being, he looks so much more like a human than a dog. I peeked at the boy-warrior to see his reaction to what my father had said, but the boy was still motionless, emotionlessly frozen in his curtsy. I found it very odd of him to not react upon being compared to a dog – though dogs are pretty awesome creatures, you can't simply call someone a dog.
"But he doesn't look like a dog," I gave my dad a blank look, in which he sighed at and gave my mother a helpless look. My mother shifted in her place, and I turned to look at her obediently.
"Honey, you don't get it. When you own a card; an anonymous card, it's like you have found something that belongs to you, especially after the blood bond. Now, everything in here is displayed by their names, their names are their identity, and so is his" she stopped momentarily to point at the boy, a tender look on her face. "So you need to give him one, to give an identity," she completed, a satisfied expression morphing her face. I looked away from her, at the boy. I found myself frowning, not liking the way things should be. I mean I'm pretty sure my mom means well, but I don't think she actually gets it.
"Mom no, what I meant is; why couldn't he just name himself whatever he wants?" My question – apparently – was a ridiculous one to my parents, a question that evoked shock and jolts of surprise. What did I say wrong again? Then, my mom and dad shared a look again, a look that told me I was in the dark for so long. Before my mom can explain herself, I caught a shift from the boy's direction, and I snapped my head towards him to see him taking peeks at my face. I gave him a giant smile, one that came out unconsciously since I'm a very friendly person. Apparently though, the boy didn't expect it because he flinched and looked down at the ground in what looked like.. Fear?
"Hani look, you shouldn't be saying that in front of a warrior, you are giving him the idea that it's okay for him to rule over himself," my mom sternly sounded, and I found myself yet again frowning in ridicule.
"And what's wrong with that?"
"Honey you don't understand, if you gave him the idea he can have choices and commands by himself, he would think he can do whatever things he desires to do. Unlike us Humans, they don't know how to separate between whats wrong and whats right. They do what they think is good for them, without knowing the consequences, or; what these consequences can do to them. If you gave him a chance to do that, he would cause a huge havoc. Do you understand?"
"You mean they are like entities, they don't have a conscience."
"More or less,"
"Oh." my mother offered me a gentle smile, one that I couldn't return. I don't know, I just feel like there is something more about those warriors than my mother is really telling me. I mean, look at this boy. He looks so normal, so young, so gentle looking. He can't possibly be an entity with no conscience, right? I stared at the boy in front of me, suddenly feeling like all the names of the world are a big chunk in my head. I couldn't exactly pick up a suitable name for him, it felt wrong from my side. The longer I stared at the boy, the more my tongue twisted inside my mouth, not able to let out a single letter.
"You know what. I can't pick up a name, I don't exactly know the right one yet," I coughed, trying to ease the growing tension. Both my parents sent me a gentle smile, with pats on the back and usual, goofy grins. I returned the grin, however mine is more forced and awkward than theirs.
"It's alright sweetie, you can wait until you find a proper one." My mom said, my dad nodding beside her in the same rhythm of her own nods. Then, she suddenly clapped her hands loudly, causing me to flinch.
"Okay! Back to your grocery shopping, we still need to eat you know?"