PART 1- CHAPTER 8

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A Call for Help

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A Call for Help

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Lilith Alarcon Chiu's Point of View

"Miss Lilith, tara na po sa activity room, may recreational activity po tayo ro'n," Nurse Marj said, her voice laced with concern as she stood by the side of my bed.

I remained still, barely acknowledging her presence. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to leave this bed, didn’t want to face anyone. The mere thought of interacting with other people felt like a heavy weight pressing down on my chest. Ayoko.

"Sabi ni Dra. Lucy, kailangan mo'ng bumangon diyan para makapag-exercise ka pa rin kahit papaano," Nurse Mond added softly, his words coaxing me as if I were fragile glass.

He moved closer, reaching out to gently pull me up from the bed, but the moment his hand touched my shoulder, I snapped. I shoved him away, harder than I intended.

"Ayo'ko nga!" My voice came out harsher, a mix of panic and anger spilling out. Couldn’t they understand? Why couldn’t they leave me alone?

But they didn’t stop. Their resolve to pull me out of my cocoon was stronger than mine to stay hidden. Nurse Marj tugged the blanket off my body, the last piece of comfort I had. Kailan ba ako magkakaroon ng sarili ko'ng desisyon? Why couldn’t they let me decide for myself?

I clung to the blanket, pulling it back with all my strength. I held on tight, my grip trembling, but it wasn’t enough. Slowly, my hands gave way, and I let go. My strength, my will—it was all slipping away.

The tears came without warning, quietly at first, then uncontrollably. Pagod na ako. I was so tired of fighting, of trying to hold on to even the smallest piece of control. I curled into myself, hugging my knees as the memories came rushing back, uninvited and relentless. Everything I had gone through, everything that led me here—Dra. Lucy, the one person I thought I could trust, was the one who brought me to this place. Akala ko iba siya. Akala ko kakampi ko siya. But I was wrong. She turned her back on me just like everyone else.

Why does no one believe me?

"I-I'm a victim," I whispered, barely audible through the sobs. "Hindi ako mamatay tao..." But the words felt hollow. No one believed me. Not when I woke up and found my sister’s lifeless, bloodied body beside me. Not when I screamed for help, only to be met with silence.

And then I saw him—Nurse Mond. He was moving toward me again, his expression full of concern. But as I looked closer, his face began to blur, shifting into something else. His features twisted, morphing into a face I recognized all too well.

Siya. The man who had hurt me, used me. The man who haunted my nightmares.

I know it's not him. Alam kong hindi siya 'yon. But my mind was betraying me, forcing me to relive it, again and again. His face flickered before me, like a glitch in reality.

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