I woke up on my bed. I sat up. My eyes darted around the room. I looked behind me. It was a dream. Who was the hoodie lady? She had two identities. One was the one in a red hoodie, and the other who came behind me was wearing a similar hoodie, but white. I saw neither of their faces. Why was she knocking? Who was she looking for? Why was she two? I stood up from the bed and faced the mirror. I looked at my reflection. How time flies. My days of loneliness were complimented by each beautiful moment I spent with Emiliano. God has blessed my shadowed life with a new light of a brighter future. Maybe it’s time I let the past die and face a new beginning. Maybe the two ladies were me. The one in red hasn’t forgotten the past just yet. She lingered in the past where nothing lies, but sorrow, and helplessness. The one in white could be me living my life in a peaceful future. Maybe she was urging me to stop chasing after the past and connect with a beautiful future. If that must be me, then
After the incident, Luna hardly left home. Her earlier fears continued. She wouldn’t tell me about it. What was she afraid of?“Luna? Can’t you tell me what troubles you? Why are you scared?” I asked one night after dinner.“I’m scared of not being able to take care of you as per Mother’s last wish. I feel inadequate right now,” she expressed.“Why would you feel that way? You are not inadequate, you are everything to me. I’m not complaining,” I assured her. “You don’t have to be scared of anything. We can handle any situation together. We will tough it out at any challenge we face. Just don’t give up, please.”“I’m glad you understand now. I will always be back for you, I promise,” Luna assured.“Stop saying you will come back, you are going nowhere. We will stick together,” I let out. She smiled.A few weeks on, Luna was back on her feet, hale and hearty. She started all over again. She ran from business to business, delivering her specialty and getti
“Luna?” I called.Luna was standing close to the road, she was going to cross. The distance was foggy. I grabbed her hand. She looked at me, she smiled sorrowfully. Her eyes glowed with tears.“I will be back,” she uttered.Tears streamed down my cheeks. Where was she going? Why was she leaving? Her hand slowly loosen from my grip. Even when I tried to hold on tight, her hand slipped from mine.“Don’t go,” I cried. She was being moved like the wind. My voice couldn’t be heard, it just died off immediately it escaped my lips. “Don’t go, please!’ I begged, but she never heard. She was swept away, across the road to the foggy distance.“No…!” I screamed, jerking up from the bed.Luna rushed in. “Are you okay?” she queried concerned. I sighed in relief. It was a dream, but it felt so real. “Are you fine?” Luna asked again, sitting beside me. I embraced her in tears. “Please, don’t go,” I cried.“It was just a dream. Calm down,” she pacified, fondling my hair. I disengaged the h
Two weeks later at night, I woke up to a hot temperature, yet I was shivering. I covered myself up with the duvet. My temperature burnt my skin so badly. I checked the time, it was half past midnight. I couldn’t go call Emiliano. I couldn’t even stand up to go take my phone from the vanity table. I was shaking vigorously. Tears leaked out from my eyes. I was fine before going to bed. What could be wrong? Do I have a fever? I couldn’t sleep anymore. The time was slow. It seems it has stopped ticking. I tossed and turn on the bed. I wish to fall asleep but sleep was far away from my eyes. I was freezing inside while my body burnt like fire. I tried calling Emiliano. I know he wouldn’t hear because I hardly heard myself. The tough night slowly died off. The sounds of early morning birds were heard. I didn’t sleep the whole night. Now that it was morning, I still couldn’t stand up. I was weak, burning, and freezing. I wish Emiliano comes soon. Just as I prayed, Emiliano walked in.“Food
I got to continue my story. I lay with Emiliano in his room the following day. It was weekend, so he didn’t go to work. We were both facing the ceiling. I wanted to continue my story. I had to, before the wedding.***After the death of Luna, my life turned upside down, dark and cold. Luna was buried in a cemetery. I couldn’t go home. I stayed with my sister. How can I leave her all alone in the cold? She was my everything. I can’t ever leave without her. I sat close to her grave. No more tears in my eyes. My eyeballs were red hot. I couldn’t open my eyes completely because of the sunrise. The sun shone softly on Luna’s grave. I still couldn’t believe Luna was under the earth. All the memories from my birthday were stuck in my head. Why didn’t I stop her? I should have forced her to stay with me.“Luna?” I called out, running into the woods. Where did Luna go? She was just here. “Luna?” I continued calling. I heard no response, just the symphony of the tree branches.
The face came out clear. My eyes bulged out. Tommaso? Tommaso was Luna’s college mate. He somehow saw me and Luna one day on the street. Luna warned me against him. He was part of a notorious gangster. She knew him so well in college. Jailed severally for vandalism, bailed, and continued. When I had gone to buy something from the next street, he approached me. He claimed to love him since the first day he saw me with Luna. I knew better than to accept him. I don’t think twice before replying to such an approach. I rejected him, politely as I could remember. Ever since then, he started stalking me. He follows me everywhere I go. On a faithful day, Luna had gone to the birthday party of one of her clients. She couldn’t pick me up from school that day. We had a long day practical that made me close late from college. As I trekked from where the bus stopped, Tommaso came along, dragging me to a corner. He stole a kiss from me. I struggled with him. He wanted to continue. He dragged me a
“Wake up, time to work!” I was pulled out of bed by two guys.“Ow!” I winced at the pain between my thighs.One of the men was the one that brought that painful injection. The other was a new face. I was at my weakest point. What work can I possibly do? I was dragged along to a stable with two horses. They pushed me inside. I fell on my knees with my palms landing on the hay floor. I looked back at the wicked men.“Feed them and clean this place up,” the evil injection man ordered. He went away, leaving me with a new face.“Work,” the new face commanded. He tugged at a whip that was kept on some pile of straws.Where do I begin? I don’t know about horses. What is all this? I gathered my pieces together and staggered up. I felt a shooting pain around my stomach. I was hungry. I have tasted nothing, like forever. I couldn’t walk like a normal person. My legs were a few distances apart. The distance is beyond normal. The pain between my thighs was just there, i
***I sighed as s I looked at Emiliano. He was moody. I had wanted to cry along the way while telling my story, but he consoled me by holding me close. “You have passed through a lot, sweetheart,” he said to me, snuggling me closer to himself. “I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. I will protect you. I won’t leave you,” he assured. I smiled. He kissed my hair. I slid my arm across his chest. He hugged me while we were still lying. He cuddled me like I was cold and needed warm clothing. “Let it all go, okay?” he said to me. I nodded against his chest. I closed my eyes, allowing myself to be swept off by his sweet scent. A day on. I couldn’t believe Emiliano was fixing our wedding date to just a week. He already spoke with the priest. He took me to a bridal shop to buy a wedding dress. I selected a simple wedding gown, just like a normal white gown. It was a snuggly fitted gown, revealing my figure. It was flared at the la