Toxic and Callous

This all began six years ago

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ

The following story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or people, alive or dead, is completely coincidental. Unless otherwise noted, all characters, names, events, and locations in this story are entirely imaginary.

𝕿𝖔𝖝𝖎𝖈 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕮𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖘 is a story that wants to remind you that bad things is life aren't only a result of bad things in general. Sometimes they come from good things when those good things aren't used in the way they're supposed to.

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－ Ｆｅｌｉｃｉｔｙ －

Pagmulat ng mga ko I was greeted by a painfully familiar scene.

I was back on that day.

It was like a movie was being played right in front of me but instead of watching in the theatre or in the comfort of my own home nandoon ako sa loob ng palabas. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang pagpatak ng ulan sa mukha ko. My clothes were soaked. Mukha akong kalalabas lang ng banyo, naligo ng nakadamit.

I was well aware that what was happening in front of me was just in my head. Panaginip, or more accurately, isang bangungot. Pero matatawag ko nga ba to na isang bangungot when this was in fact a memory? A memory of one of the worst days of my life.

Siguro nga hindi ko siya matatawag na bangungot because reality can be far scarier than an actual nightmare.

With a heavy heart, I watched as the events unraveled.

There I was, the woman I used to be five years ago, sa gilid ng bangin sa gitna isang bagyo.

While wearing a blank expression on my face, tears fell from my eyes na para bang isang gripong hindi sinara. Panay lang ang agos ng mga luha ko as I gazed upon the angry sea on the horizon.

I remember this scenario... The things that were going through my head. The things that were weighing on my heart.

Suout-suot ko yung paborito kong bestida, the indigo dress that my husband got me for my birthday. The first birthday I celebrated as a married woman.

Pinakaingat-ingatan ko yung damit na yan, bihira kong ginamit kase natakot ako na baka masira. You'd think it was a priceless piece of jewellery by how delicately I handled it. Syempre, regalo kase ng asawa ko.

I liked that dress a lot but now seeing it being worn by my past self pinapaalala lang neto ang lahat ng kinailangan kong pagdaanan.

"Laurel!" sigaw ng asawa ko.

Alam kong narinig ko siya, I remember his husky voice calling out my name, pero hindi ako agad humarap sa kanya kase alam kong pag ginawa ko yun I would lose my resolve and I wouldn't be able to do wht I was about to do.

I've been called a resilient woman and indeed I was and I still am, pero kung may isang tao na magpapatiklop sakin and cause me, a rational person to be irrational and make impulsive decisions, it would be Jonathan Adrian Acda.

Nagmamadali si Tan na tumakbo papunta sakin. Pagkatapos kong magipon ng lakas ng loob saka lang ako humarap sa kanya. The expression on his face was a mix of worry, fear, and desperation.

Nakabuntot sa kanya yung mga byenan ko. Dali-daling hinahabol ng Papa si Mama na desperadong makarating sa kung nasaan ako, sa likod nila sina Lolo at ang mga kapatid ng asawa ko.

Hawak-hawak ni Tan ang sulat na iniwan ko para sa kanya sa bedside table ng kwartong napunta samin. This was supposed to be a relaxing family vacation but it was far from that.