The Heir's Retribution

CHAPTER 29

TRIGGER/CONTENT:

Rape, Kidnapping/Captivity, Blood

Chapter 29: ALWAYS HAVE BEEN

My eyelids felt heavy, but I forced them open. Kadiliman agad ang bumungad sa akin. I tried to look around, but I could barely see anything. I braced my weak arms to help myself get up from the cold, rough floor, feeling my body with every move.

"A.. anak," I heard a woman's voice, barely above a whisper.

I squinted my eyes and tried to find where it was coming from until my eyes adjusted in the surrounding and finally saw her. The woman leaning against the wall. Her dress had a large tear across the chest, as if it had been forcefully ripped open. Kitang-kita ang mantsa ng dugo sa puting damit niya.

"Come here..." she called out to me, her was voice trembling. She tried to smile, but it quickly turned into a grimace because of the large bruise on the side of her lips.

My gaze lowered to a young girl lying with her head resting on the woman's lap. Nakapikit ito at mukhang natutulog. Ang maamong mukha ay maamos at may bakas ng natuyong luha.

I crawled closer to them and sat beside the woman. Her arms immediately wrapped around my small body, pulling me close. I instantly melted into her side, feeling the familiar warmth that radiated from her.

We were inside a small cell. There were no windows, making it impossible to tell what time it was. It was cold and hard everywhere.

"Umma, I want to go home," I said, my voice cracking painfully in my dry throat.

The woman stiffened beside me, her grip tightening around me.

"Me too, Princess," she replied, her voice broken. I felt her press a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

"We'll find a way out of this, I promise," she added, though it sounded more to herself than to me.

"Just go back to sleep. Maybe when you wake up, we'll be back home."

I nodded, even though I knew I couldn't follow her advice. Kagigising ko lang, and my stomach was already aching from hunger.

She tried to sway me as much as she could and hummed a familiar song that brought me comfort despite our situation.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away"

I felt something wet drip onto my shoulder—it was her tears. She was crying.

A heavy feeling settled in my chest. I realized that I didn't want her to cry. Marami pa akong gustong sabihin at itanong, pero pinili ko na lang ang itong sarilihin. The minutes dragged on, each one feeling like an hour as we huddled together in the darkness, clinging to each other for whatever comfort we could find.

The silence was suffocating, broken only by the sound of our shallow breaths. Suddenly, a faint sound echoed from somewhere outside the room-a door creaking open, followed by heavy footsteps. The young girl stirred in her sleep, a soft whimper escaping her lips.

The woman's body tensed, her breath catching in her throat. The footsteps grew louder, closer, each one sending a shiver down my spine. The woman's grip tightened around me, and I could feel her pulse racing through her fingertips.

The young girl's eyes fluttered open, and she bolted upright just as the door slowly creaked open. A sliver of light from outside spilled into the room, cutting through the darkness. I held my breath, my heart pounding so loudly in my chest.