Mark Series : Stigma

I

"So Ms. Salnders, when do you want to start?" the woman in a half moon glasses asked the girl, seating on the opposite side. 

The girl's mouth agape with the question but she recovered it by shaping her mouth into an "OH" shape.

"I ah-- I ah..." overwhelmed that was all she could say.

"So?" the woman asked again, this time with one brow up while settling her back on the clerical chair. 

"Uhh..." the girl looked up, as if doing some mental note in her mind. then said, "Tonight." 

"Night shift, then" the woman restated as she rummaged through her messy desk, full of papers.

"Here and I look forward on working with you Ms.Salnders." the woman then offered her right hand to her.

"I also do, Ma'am" the girl replied and accepted the hand.

Outside the store, the girl leapt with hands raise unto the sky and a victorious smile through the innocent crowd who are now looking at her. Even if she was branded as crazy with her actions today, she wouldn't mind as long as she got the job, and then trotted home.

When she reached at the lavender porch of their home, she could hear her mother's angry voice. She could describe it as if her mother has a visitor and was arguing at the moment. With that, it piqued her curiosity. Silently opening the door, ensuring that no creaks will be heard, she tiptoed near the wall dividing the hallway and the living room, sat at the edge of the archway, enough to hear but not fully seen from the living room.

"—knew about it?!" she heard her mother freaked.

"Sark! We are living a peaceful life in this world and in this neighborhood then what?! It – it gets ruin by some—" she saw her mother paced back and forth with mouth pursed, controlling her rage. Her mother then shifted her gaze from the floor to the man called Sark.

Her eyes widen. Those angular face, refined nose, goatee beard, and scarlet eyes, we're her father's but due to the short length hair hand brushed to the left side, she concluded he was not. She knew what had happened to her father and it pains her just remembering it, she had to just shut her eyes, tight.

Then she heard her mother spoke again, this time in a soft voice, her talking voice and she let her eyes opened.

"Yo--you knew Sark—" her mother stopped, shut her eyes abruptly as if something hurts deep inside and took a deep breath. " Wha—what Shanks paid for everybody to enjoy." Her mother's eyes got teary.

"So, Sark leave, let us live in peace." Her mother finished her statement.

"I know." Sark's baritone voice echoed in the silence.

It was her first time hearing the man called Sark to speak. It was soothing and pleasing to the ears, just like her father.

"But the treaty has been broken, someone betrayed us. Or someone wants us out." Then Sark pulled his black coat to straighten it.

"We cannot give our trust to anybody anymore, except for the two of us. I can at least protect you and the kids, just as Shanks wished but even without his wish I would still do it." \

Sark shifted his gaze from the window to her mother. Eye to eye he continued,

"Without a heartbeat or in a nano-heartbeat." Sark's face softens as he said it.

"I need your answer as soon as possible, you know where to find me or call me." Sark added.

Surprisingly Sark shifted his gaze to the most unexpected person, her.