SEVEN: Cursed Souls

CHAPTER 9: RAGGED CLOTHES

RYDER

Hours before Sophia's death.

"She'll not be home this afternoon, go inside and put the letter in her bed," a superior in the group told me.

"But CCTVs? Won't those catch me?"

"Leave that to us, no one would know but the dead."

"The dead?" I asked confused.

"Aren't we all dead? No one except us knows that you are alive, you'll also be wearing what we are wearing so you wouldn't know who you are with and other members won't also know who you are."

I'm basically dead. My identity is gone, and even in this group, the superiors are the only ones who knows that I still exist while I don't know who these people in the group are.

It was afternoon when I snuck into Sophia's house, it was huge. I got into her room and hesitates to put the letter.

I don't want to cause her death despite knowing she's indeed a sinner, then I looked through the window, the sun was bright but I'm in darkness, I scanned through the room and saw a framed picture of her, her brother, and mother. I picked the picture up and observed a tear besides her mother's picture, it seemed liked she tore off her father from the picture, and also marked her brother's face with an X.

I remembered my family due to that picture, they'll die if I don't do this.

I was teary-eyed when I went out of her house, the members with me can't see my face, I wanted to cry it out!

***

Days after Sophia's death.

While I was listening to the news, I suddenly remembered what the Hunter told me before we went to Sophia's house.

Hours before Sophia's death.

"She is also a victim of circumstances, her family was poor to a point that they had to wear RAGGED CLOTHES, to a point where they had nothing to eat. She did everything to survive," said Hunter.

Hunter is a superior in the group, I couldn't see his face but I stared straight at him. "Victim? Then why are you trying to kill her? Your leader already told me how wicked she is."

"You were only told of her sins, you only know half of the truth," he rebuts.

"You know the truth? Then tell me the other half of the story."

SOPHIA

Fourteen years ago...

I grabbed my bag, put on my shoes and asked my Mother, "Ma, can I have my allowance for today?"

She gave me 15 Pesos, just enough for a meal; this is all that we have so I didn't complain. I also walk to school since it is not that far--only a 30-minute walk--but I need to wake up really early so that I will not be late.

When I am at school, I try not to look at my classmates during snack breaks. I think of it this way, I come to school to study, not to eat.

Life is harsh for us, but I hope I was my older brother. They give him more, they focus on him more, and they give him better treatment than they do to me.

I don't complain when I receive something, I just feel unloved and unwanted when I see that they give him more.

There was a time when I needed a new uniform, but my brother also needs his so they bought him one while I was left with none.