[Phraea's POV]
Dad? Am I just hearing things?
Dinikit ko pa lalo ang tenga ko sa pinto para makumpirma na hindi ako nag-iilusyon.
"Ah!" Napasigaw ako sa gulat nung bumukas bigla ang pinto at napahiga ako sa sahig dahil doon.
Mabilis akong tumangla at tama nga ako, si Garen talaga. Tumingin ako sa salas at naroroon si Paige na nakaupo habang nakatitig sa akin na nanlalaki ang mga mata.
"Gaano karami ang alam mo?" Umiigting ang pangang tanong niya. Agad akong tumayo at inayos ang sarili ko bago siya hinarap.
"Not much. All I know is that Paige is an impostor, manipulated by her very own Daddy." Lumipat ang tingin ko kay Paige at mabilis siyang umiwas dahil sa talim ng mga tingin ko.
I feel upset. I was tricked by a freaking kid. I cared for her and even save her own life because I thought Garen would kill her but it turns out that all of it was just a show.
"Don't speak of this to anyone."
"Why? Why would you pull an act when you can just ask us to take care of your kid?"
"Because I needed to see something!" Kumunot ang noo ko. His words are fucking useless, just freaking clues and even if i'm good at riddles, his twisted mind is the only riddle I can't handle.
"You always left me nothing but confusion and theoretical conclusions. I want answers."
"I own this island, this is my territory and you don't have any rights to demand."
"Then find someone else to babysit your kid." Mabilis ko siyang tinalikuran. Nilampasan ko si Paige na akmang bubuksan niya ang kanyang bibig para magsalita pero hindi natuloy. Kinuha ko ang hagdan na pwedeng matupi sa kwarto ni Evelyn at napaatras ako nung makita si Garen na nakatayo mismo sa pinto.
"She needs you."
"No, she needs you. She's your kid." Natigilan ako nung may nabatid ako at pinaghalong gulo sa isip ko.
"Who's her Mother?" Napasinghap siya at napahilamos bago umiwas ng tingin.
"Long dead. She was working in a bank when she got shot and raped by thieves... people who doesn't care about anything but paper bills." When he looked at me, his eyes looks like they belong to a dead man. There were no hint of emotions. I feel sorry yet I don't know what to say.
"You look like her Mother and she needs one. Phraea, please take care of Paige."
"What do I get in return? Makakaalis ba ako rito?" Umigting ang panga niya dahil sa tanong ko.
"You know that I don't let anyone out." Agad niya akong tinalikuran at pumunta na ng salas kung saan naroroon si Paige.
I was about to leave the house but what Paige asked got me stunned. "Do you hate me, Ate Phraea?"
Tumingin ako sa kanya at lumipat naman agad ang tingin ko kay Garen. His eyes are begging me to answer Paige, to calm her down when she's about to cry.
"No, I don't. Never. It's your Dad that I hate."
Sa isang iglap lang ay hinatak ako ni Garen palabas at dinig ko ang sigaw ni Paige. "Dad, don't hurt her! Please, I can't lose another Mom!" Ni-lock ni Garen ang pinto at panay hampas ni Paige na parang takot siya na baka saktan ako ni Garen.
Mariing pumikit si Garen nung pinagtaasan ko siya ng kilay. "You act like nothing happened. You're just so good at pretending." Napasinghap ako at umiwas ng tingin nung pinaalala niya naman. Ayos na sana ako, e. Nakalimutan ko na! Ba't ba pinaalala niya?
"It was a mistake. Huwag mong ibahin ang topic. Why are you so suprised when I said that I hate you? Who wouldn't? You killed someone in front of your daughter!"
"My daughter understands what I was doing. She's just nine yet she's better than the rest of you." Hindi ako makapaniwala. Did he just compared me to a nine year-old?
"This is insane, Garen. Your child suppose to have fun."
"That's why I need your help! Paige need someone who looks like her Mother... she said it herself and she likes you."
Napabuntong-hininga ako. Her daughter is already nine years old but he acts like he doesn't know what kids are.
"She needs to have fun kasama ang mga batang kaedad niya. Garen, your child is missing a lot of things."
"All this time, do you have any idea where Paige was? She was in school and she begged to be brought here... to see the woman who looked exactly like her Mother. She yearns for a Mom, something only you can give."
Hindi ako makapaniwala. A psychopath needs me to look after his daughter, what a pain in the ass.
"Parang joke lang 'to. Lahat ng mga nangyayari ay parang joke lang. You abducted me, locked me in this island, forced me to kill someone and yet you have the audacity to ask me a favor." Garen frustratedly mess his hair.
"I can't let you go! Paige needs you!"
"You can let me go, I can take care of Paige even outside this island. I only ask freedom of you." Nabasag ang boses ko. I was so persistent with my words that I got my emotions mixed up.
"You shall not speak to the others about this matter."
"What about them? Will they acquire freedom as well?" Binasa niya ang kanyang pang-ibabang labi at mukhang nagtitimpi dahil sa mga kasunduang inilalahad ko.
"No more negotiations. You don't have any idea why I built this place."
"I actually have. You want to change the world? You want to make things right and fair? Well, to tell you this, the world is a lot twisted than you think. It would take a millennium to fix a planet. The best thing you can do to make change is be kind... nothing else."
He looked at me so intently but no words came out of his mouth. His chest keep rising and I know he's holding back his anger. Is he worried that his daughter might get upset if he hurts me?
"Leave"
BINABASA MO ANG
Island of Insanity
Mystery / Thriller[COMPLETED] Phraea Chelsey Bautista has always been the top in her class and every professors' favorite. She has both beauty and brains, and everything a girl would dream to possess but her life is not entirely perfect. No one deeply cares for her...
