Chase Pastor, Chase!

Chapter 17

tw // mention of rape

I went back into our house,
hoping Dad wasn't there. Tinanong ko ang mga kasambahay namin kung nandito ba si Dad pero ang sabi nila ay hindi nila nakita simula kaninang umaga.

Nag libot-libot ako sa paligid at nakita na hindi naka park ang kotse niya kaya alam kong wala siya sa bahay. Hinanap ko rin si Mama pero wala rin siya.

I hurriedly entered his office and checked all of his papers and cabinets. He told me to never enter his office but it was open anyways.

There were folders filled with random files and was looking at the door if anyone would enter. Zac made me wear a small device in my ear where we could communicate and he can also hear my surroundings.

As I looked further, I stopped in one of his cabinets with a lock on it. It needed a key. I checked every corner of his things but I couldn't find it.

Dad's a businessman and also an Attorney. Maybe that's why he didn't go to jail because he's not just rich but an attorney.

His office was full of stacked files, papers, and books! How am I supposed to find it? I continued searching and searching. Until I saw a small box full of papers under his table and as I checked all of those, I noticed a paper with a profile on it.

It was a woman who looked just like me and I creeped out. When I saw her name, my hands trembled. What the heck...

Name: Isabella D. Sylvia
Age: 29
Height: 5'1
Profession: Director
Cases: Raped on January 1998 and murdered on September 9, 2003

So she wasn't just murdered but also raped. When I turned the pages I saw pictures of her. I looked at them and she looked a lot like me. I have her nose, her hair, eyes, skin tone, and everything. It felt like I was just a copy of her.

I almost gasped when I saw a picture of her with my Dad. He was resting his arms on her. There were a lot of pictures of them and they looked like they were a couple. Are they? No fucking way...

There was a picture of her carrying a baby in a hospital. It was a newborn baby and she didn't look happy...

I checked the other papers and I saw my birth certificate but what I saw made my world stop. No... please tell me this is fake, please. Hell no.

Mother: Isabella D. Sylvia
Father: Rodolfo E. Sanchez

My heart dropped. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko, I heard Zac calling my name from the device but I couldn't pay attention. Everything that's going on is just too much. The truth fucking hurts.

Tears started forming in my eyes and I felt terror building inside me. Hindi ako makapaniwala na nadatnan kong katotohanan, puno na ng mga tanong ang isip ko.

He killed... my own mother?

So she's my real mom? She and Dad weren't married and I was just confused as fuck. I couldn't process and my mind wasn't working well.

Nanginginig ang buong katawan ko. Everything was all a lie. So my current mom right now is not my real mom? Kung na rape ang mama ko...

I was the baby...

None of them is my fucking parent...

I almost forgot how to breathe. My eyes widened after realizing everything. Fuck this shit. Zac was saying something pero hindi ako nakinig, napuno ako ng takot at kaba. This isn't the truth that I expected.

I cried silently. What the hell.

He's not my fucking Dad.

When I was about to answer I suddenly felt something stung on my neck and slowly fell on the floor while my vision started to blur. I can still hear Zac calling my name but I can't speak properly.

I wanted to shout and run but all I could feel was sleepiness. My whole body became weak and all I wanted to do was sleep and rest.

I lay on the floor and saw Dad's face. Fuck him. My last thoughts before I was completely asleep.

Nang idilat ko ang aking mga mata, naramdaman kong hindi ako maka galaw at ang baba ko naman ay naka tape. Nakaupo ako sa isang kahoy na upoan habang ang mga kamay ko naman ay nakatali sa likod.

Ang mga binti ko ay itinali rin at ang paligid ay walang kalaman laman. May dalawang bintana na nagsisilbing liwanag ng madilim na kwarto at ang pinto ang naka sarado.

Sinubukan kong tanggalin ang tape na nasa bibig ko pero hindi ko magawa. Mahigpit din ang pagkatali ng mga kamay ko kaya sumigaw ako pero wala lang itong nagawa.

Umiyak ako ng umiyak ngunit naalala ko ang device na sinuot ko pero hindi ko ito makita, wala narin akong naririnig na boses ni Zac kaya nawalan na ako ng pag-asa. Ako lang ang makakaligtas sa sarili ko.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas at nakarinig ako ng kaluskos sa labas ng pinto. Nang bumukas ang pintuan ay nakita ko si Dad na may dalang pagkain. Lumapit ito sa akin at linagay ang plato sa sahig. Kinuha niya ang tape na nakalagay sa baba ko  at sumigaw ako sa kanya.

"Dad why are you doing this?" I cried and I can clearly see the cruelness in his face. He just smiled at me like a fucking psychopath while he watched me cry and suffer.

"Why did you kill mom huh? Because she was raped? Akala mo marumi na siyang tao? What? Fucking tell me you liar!" I shouted. He pulled a gun out of his pocket but that didn't shocked me, I stared at him with eyes full of resentment and disgust.

My face was wet because of the tears sweat falling from my forehead. His silence made my blood boil but all I can fucking do is throw words at him.

He took a step forward into me ang wiped my sweat away but I avoided his touch. He just laughed. Such a fucking psychopath.

"You're just like your mom. A slutty bitch who likes to go out every night and have sex with every guys you meet"

I spat on him. "I can't believe I've been calling you my Dad instead of calling you a fucking criminal"

"Anak ka lang sa rape Celést, baka nakakalimutan mong pera ko ang ginagamit mo simula nung pinanganak ka" Pagbabanta niya.

Kapal din naman ng mukha. Gusto mo mag thank you pa ako?

"So when are you gonna kill me huh? Are you also planning to let other people watch me die like my mom?" I panted.

He looked at me with shock and his eyes widened. He put his hand on my neck, pressing it ruthlessly until I couldn't breathe. I coughed trying to get some air but his hand were so strong.

"You know why I killed her? Because she was such a fucking liar, nang nalaman kong hindi pala ikaw ang tunay kong anak, I threw her out of the house"

"And after that, I heard she adopted a child. She easily replaced you, Celést. Kahit ang sarili mong ina ay hindi ka mahal" He pointed his gun on my forehead. "Ngayon sabihin mo sakin, saan mo nalaman ang impormasyon na yan?"

I didn't answer his question. No fucking way I'm telling you. Mas gugustuhin ko pang mamatay. Nilakasan niya pa ang kanyang pag hawak ng aking mga leeg hanggang sa tumigil siya.

Huminga ako ng mabilis at tumingin sa kanya. Puno ng pag aabala ang kanyang mukha habang palakad lakad ng pabalik sa kwarto.

Sumigaw siya ng malakas at sinipa ang pagkain na nasa harapan ko. Lumapit siya sa akin at hinawakan ang panga ko ng mahigpit at linagyan ulit ng tape ang baba ko. Naglakad siya papalayo at lumabas ng kwarto.

All I could do was wait for what to happen next. Wala akong magawa kung hindi umiyak at umasa na makalabas ako.

I sighed deeply and prayed.