Elena

The alleys were dark and strangely quiet.

Ellaine found it hard to figure out her location as she was unfamiliar to the place. The old town looked like it just came from one of those fairytales she so often read about when she was still a child.

            Yet the atmosphere was intriguing. Street lamps were out, no sign of stray cats and dogs, not a soul to be seen or heard everywhere, and every house on every block were closed as if there were.. deserted.

            As if the whole town was deserted, if truth be told.

            “Talking about being alone,” Ellaine said to herself. She had been strolling along the empty streets for quite some time now and eventually, she had completely concluded that she would see no ounce of life even if she turned the whole place up and down.

“So now what?” She snapped at herself instead because there’s no one to snap at. First, she didn’t know how she possibly got herself tangled up with those vines on the outskirts of town. And now, she couldn’t find her way out.

Suddenly, there was stillness in the air. The cold breeze that haunted Ellaine’s skin was instantly gone. The distant sound of creaking doors stopped, leaving her with a rather unpleasant feeling of solitude.

Where did all the people go?

“Hello? Anybody?” She tried to raise her voice but the dead silence engulfed her nerves.

However, her calls didn’t go unnoticed. Not far away behind her, she heard a rustling of leaves. She turned, hoping to finally meet a company but instead, an unseen force pulled her. She screamed at the top of her lungs and resisted. She tried to run away, yet her efforts were futile.

From the direction of the unseen force, a black hole materialized and the force only strengthened. Ellaine imagined resistance would tear her to pieces as the black hole sucked her completely. Even her head throbbed hard in her battle with nature.

Losing a great deal of energy, the young girl yielded and gave up. Inside her head she could only think of closing her eyes and waiting for the worst—death.

Numbness conquered her body, swam in her blood, and throbbed in her brain. She no longer felt the horrible force or the maddening loneliness. It was not a moment later when she acknowledged it safe to open her eyes once more. Although this time she was not in a haunted city, instead, she was under a magnificent tree.

            It was more of a.. humongous tree, rather. Its roots were thick, spread and arrayed on the vast land. Its trunk stretched high across the sky and its branches extended far and wide. Its heart-shaped leaves were in rich green color which covered the half of the tree.

            Ellaine felt something here. Different emotions were radiating everywhere and through her: happiness, excitement, sadness, loneliness, and grief. She was deeply moved and confused by these strongly contrasting emotions which seemed to come from the tree.

            “But, could it really be coming from this tree?” Ellaine told herself. Did she somehow manage to bump her head and come up with this illusion?

            She walked closer its trunk to touch it and felt it so warm and alive under her hand. In that instant, the tree glowed in response.

            Ellaine was surprised. The tree might be alive after all! There was no mistaking of it glowing. She couldn’t have imagined that warmth she felt under her palm just now.

            A glance on the pool of withered leaves at her feet made her witness a glinting material against the sunlight. She narrowed her eyes to have a good look at it. It looked more like a transparent moonstone dangling on a gold necklace.

            She was about to come closer to get hold of the captivating jewelry when a voice called.           

            “Ellaine,” it said.

            “Who’s there?” She glanced in every direction looking for the owner of the voice.

            “Ellaine,” The voice called again.

            “Where are you?” She felt something heavy on her and suddenly, the atmosphere seemed hot and cramped.

            “Ellaine! Wake up!” Aunt Caroline was atop her niece, shaking her with all her might. “My goodness, you scared the life out of me!”

            Aunt Caroline was a short and plump woman in her mid-forties. Her hair was always dyed blonde because she took after her idol Madonna. She kept her face hidden with all the cosmetics she covered it. The only time she was seen without her make-up was when she applied facial mask.

            “Aunt Caroline? What’s got you all fired up?” Yet inside Ellaine’s head she was still thinking about the empty town and the huge tree.

            “You were having a bad dream!”

            “I am?” But it didn’t look as if it was a dream at all.

            “Oh yes. If I hadn’t come up here to look for you who knows what might’ve happened!”

            Poor Aunt Caroline, her words and worries were for nothing. Ellaine was much busy thinking about her dream than listening to her Aunt.

            The older woman climbed down the bed and called out to her niece, “Go take a bath and eat your breakfast. You’re about to be late for school.” She went out of the room closing the door behind her with a bang.

            Ellaine was left brooding in her messy bed in her completely messy room. “But it seemed real..” She pinched her cheeks just in case.

            “Ellaine! Get moving or you’ll be late!” Aunt Caroline yelled.

            Still half-asleep and half-awake, Ellaine got out of bed and marched to the window. Sliding the curtain sideways, she welcomed the warmth of the sun. Inhale and exhale she went; taking deep gentle breaths.

            She did this daily as a rule and as a way of chasing her sleepiness away.

            “Ellaine you don’t have all day!” Aunt Caroline called.

            “I’m hurrying!” Yet even as she said that a flock of birds that flew overhead caught her attention. The little one from the group glided downward away from its kins. It wandered around the block until it finally settled on the bark of a tree.

            “That’s strange,” Ellaine thought. She didn’t know birds can break away from its cluster. And that reminded her of her birthday tomorrow.

            Tomorrow would be no ordinary birthday because it will be her debut. Excitement swam in her blood and a smile crept on her mouth. She had always wanted to have a life of her own especially one where she called the shots. Independence was her one and only wish since she figured that she could survive single-handedly.

            An intrusion of Aunt Caroline’s image inside her head instantly burst Ellaine’s bubble. But of course, her aunt was constantly there which reminded her that her debut wouldn’t even provide her independence. Maybe it became more of a reason why Ellaine had wished to be free.

            Although, Aunt Caroline wasn’t a bad guardian. In fact, she was a good one. She provided Ellaine her needs and, if possible, her wants. Her life under the Medina household, consisting of Aunt Caroline and herself, was not lavish yet not deprived.

            The only hitch was Aunt Caroline’s inappropriate sense of ownership. She regarded Ellaine as something to be taken care of and disciplined as one would keep and clean a pearl. Ellaine was never allowed to go anywhere asides the house and school,  to stay out late, to have boyfriend until 26, and a lot more of no-no’s.

            “I wish I could be more like that bird.” She said to herself, “If only I can have the courage to leave Aunt Caroline.” But it was impossible.