~ EVANGELINE ~ I was sketching when the tears began to fall. I didn’t even realize I was crying until a tear splashed onto my sketchbook, smudging the charcoal lines. I wiped it away quickly, but more tears followed. I didn’t want to break down, but somehow I just couldn’t hold it in. I felt bad for the way I spoke to Marty, but I knew I was right. And there was Augustus’s message that kept replaying in my mind. The so-called dinner was a trap, I was aware of that too. The warning about what would happen if I didn’t attend got on my nerves. My hand moved across the page automatically, creating lines and shapes that didn’t make sense. I wasn’t even designing anything. Just drawing to keep my hands busy and stop them from shaking. Three years ago, the only enemies I had were my family, but now there were so many that it was getting overwhelming. The charcoal broke, and I finally stopped myself and took a deep breath. Too focused on my thoughts, I didn’t hear the elevator or the
Magbasa pa