To the Land of Green

Chapter Three

It was gunfire. Everybody in the ballroom jumped and screamed. Some guests tried to get outside while some decided to hide under their tables. It was so fast. Everybody near us rushed out through the door, while Rosalinda, Juan, and I stood there. After a second's pause, we came to our senses and rushed inside the ballroom. We needed to find our parents.

We went inside the ballroom completely and saw a group of people surrounding some bodies.

We needed to see what they were looking at, so we kept moving forward. Then, as if my heart stopped beating, I saw my mama and papa lifeless on the floor. Blood was oozing out of their bodies.

Juan and Rosalinda rushed to our parents as tears streamed down their faces. I couldn't move. It was as if everything stopped. I remember crying, then crawling on the floor to get close to them. I saw my mama's face and held her head.

I couldn't control my emotions anymore. I started screaming for help. Wishing it were just a dream, but no. God had other plans and took them from us. A close friend of our parents, Aunt Bernadette came next to us and whispered, "You three have to leave now before he gets to you guys."

"What do you mean Auntie? Who will get to us?" I ask.

"Sebastian. You must avoid him at all costs and you must hide. We'll take care of your parents' bodies. Go now!" she yells.

Ever since then we were being hunted for no reason that we know of. Up until now we still don't know the reason why he killed our parents. Why did he kill our parents and why does he want to kill us?

"You're thinking about it again, aren't you?" Rosa asks entering the bathroom. 

"Huh? No, I am just thinking about why he wants to kill us," I reply.

"Yeah, which is about what happened to Mama and Papa," says Rosa.

I suck in a quick breath, hearing their names. I am slowly getting used to hearing the words Mama and Papa again. It took me a year to be able to say those words again. Every time Juan and Rosa would mention those words, I would feel angry and weird. It is not an angriness toward them but toward me. Before they passed, while we were preparing for my eighteenth birthday, I was not nice. I would talk back to my parents and not follow their rules which made me feel angry and guilty about my actions. I should have listened more and cherished my time with them. I remember getting angry and blaming Rosalinda instead. It was so immature and childish of me.

"They're our parents too Marina," Rosalinda yelled.

"Guys stop it. Mama and Papa would not like this," Juan told us. 

"Shut up, Juan," we both told him.

"I don't even know how you can smile and laugh after they passed away. Like, what kind of daughter are you?" I told her.

"What kind of daughter am I? Well, since you want to know Marina, here I will tell you. I'm that kind of daughter who listened to their parents. You know when I wanted to go and hangout with my friends. I couldn't because I knew you would cry. You never liked playing with other kids and I was the only one you wanted to play with. So, me being the most unselfish person ever didn't hang out with her friends just to play with you! Before Mama and Papa passed away, they came inside my room you know. They made me promise that no matter what happens, I have to step it up and be the best eldest sister anyone could have," Rosalinda said.

"Well," I said but got cut off.

"No, it's still my turn. Do you know why I smile and laugh? Because if I didn't, no one would. Who would take the initiative to start conversations? Who would do it? If I didn't step up, how would we be able to move on? As an eldest sister and with the promise I made to our parents, I had to do it because seeing you guys broken hearted broke me more. I didn't want my younger siblings to feel lonely and sad. Did you know that as an eldest sister that's the cost and the hardest thing to experience. And Marie, I'm suffering too. I have been suffering, I just didn't want to show it because someone had to be strong and plan things throughout," Rosalinda said through her tears.