AMACon 4: Serendipitous - English Fiction

Anamnesis - Superego

WRITTEN BY: LobbyPips

PROMPT: That woman is his reward and his punishment, his reason for existing and the clue to his extinction

PROMPT BY: mjcathy24

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I am okay? E yung babae ba, okay lang?"

His handler looked at him intently, studying his features and taking note of his shaking hands. He seemed collected on the outside but it was obvious that the young actor was shaken.

"Inilabas na siya ng mga guards. Weirdly though, hindi siya nanlaban. Kalmado namang sumama."

"Good, ayaw kong may masasaktan. Kawawa naman."

"Alden, that woman was found hiding inside your dressing room. How she got there, we still do not know and pang-ilang beses nang nangyayari 'to. They seem to get bolder every time... or she pala, if totoo 'yung sinabi nila na siya din yung huling nakitang papasok sana sa van mo and all the other instances before that. I think her well-being should be your last concern."

"Okay lang ako, Ate Cathy. Kaya kong protektahan ang sarili ko."

"E 'yun na nga ang nakakatakot, masyado kang mabait. Kakayanin mo bang manakit ng babae para protektahan ang sarili mo kapag kailangan?"

"Have they discovered who she is?" He started pacing around, restless. Cathy looked at him closely.

"Kalma ka lang. I will let you know as soon as we find out who she is and what FC she is affiliated with so we could take action." She then stood up and walked out of the room.

Cathy knew exactly what to do. Working with the young actor turned Cathy not just into his handler but also into a sister. She knew that whenever Alden was agitated, you have to give him space. He is obsessive-compulsive to the point that he never lets anyone inside his bedroom. Ever. He is also restless. You have to watch over him intently, albeit discreetly.

As soon as the door closed, Alden started moving around the room anxiously. He was trying to keep it together in front of his handler but now that he was alone in the room, he let his restlessness flow through his whole being. While it's true that he only got a glimpse of her face, he was somewhat convinced that it was her.

Breathing heavily as if he just finished running fast, he reached out for his phone and unlocked it. He was about to dial his onscreen partner's number when he stopped himself. He knew that hearing her voice would calm him. She was always level-headed and could make him see reason but this was somewhat a personal issue so he decided to keep things to himself. At least for now.

Alden Richards, with his soft features, rose to stardom for effectively playing roles as an amoral misfit. In fact, that was how he was mostly dubbed, the Anti-Hero Actor. His angelic, almost-ethereal looks give him an innocent aura that could fool movie goers and television viewers that maybe, this time, he will be playing the ultimate protagonist, only for them to be left reeling because of how he effectively twists his attack on his given role. A bida-kontrabida character played very compellingly. A half-monster, half-savior portrayed superbly.

He tried to distract himself from his thoughts by fixing his things and prepare to leave for his next engagement. He knew that Cathy and his PA were just waiting outside so he packed his personal effects, not realizing that he has been doing the packing and unpacking for several times now.

As he did this, his thoughts flew back to the instances when he had close encounters with this stalker of his.

The first encounters during his first year in showbiz were still subtle, food and care packages sent anonymously but each bearing a note with the same penmanship. The hand writing appeared to be feminine. He was baffled because he knew that he was still a nobody at that time. To have someone take notice of him and pay him close attention lifted his spirits somehow and encouraged him to do his best.

The next ones were more aggressive. He received notes suggesting that she was following him around. She knew when he went to a friend's house secretly and when he watched a movie with a fellow artist under cover. The notes kept on coming. This went on for months.

He had it to report to his handler and manager because it was starting to scare him.

The first serious threat happened on his second year in showbiz. She was starting to get bolder. The girl he was dating at that time received a package containing a dead cat bearing a note with the same penmanship which was how they got an inkling that the event could be linked to him.

After that scare, he forced himself to stop dating. It even took a while before management decided to give him an on screen partner. The actresses were scared, of course. He could do well alone anyway. His superb acting was enough.

The anonymous packages continued coming but they mostly contained harmless gifts so things were back to almost normal.

A potted plant which he kept in his house.

A bottle of his preferred perfume.

A package of the pastries he liked.

The sender knew a lot of things about him.

Five blockbuster movies and three years in showbiz later, he was paired up with someone again. She was the only one courageous enough to accept being partnered with him. She was strong-willed and had the most honest, most expressive eyes he had ever seen.

But then he started receiving calls.

He tried to get the caller to talk but he was unsuccessful. All he heard was breathing from the other line.

He changed numbers but the calls continued. He did his best to get a response but all the caller seemed to want was to hear his voice. Could it be someone who knew something about his past?

He never told his management about the calls.

He was concerned.

No, it was more than that. He was frightened.

When the promos for his new project started, he thought he saw a familiar face. He almost lost his train of thought while talking about this new show.

She'd just always be on the sidelines, separate from his screaming fans and simply observing.

Then she started getting closer and closer. However, every time he'd look back to confirm, she'd disappear. He would then find himself reeling from a sense of deja vu.

The last few straws were the events of her almost getting past his driver to get inside his van. And then there was this hiding inside his dressing room drama. Had his PA not gotten inside before him, Alden wondered what could have happened. The possibilities made him dizzy and the room started spinning around him.

He was forced to focus when he heard knocking on the door.

"Alden! Alden!"

"Nak, okay ka lang?"

He moved to open the door and he saw his handler and his PA. It was Cathy who spoke.

"We got one good and one bad news."

"O?"

"We got her name."

"And?"

"She got away. No one knows her, she is not a member of any fan club so we canno--"

"Cathy! Her name? Who is she?!"

"Maine. Maine Mendoza."

...