AMACon 4: Serendipitous - English Fiction

Through Her Eyes - Zero

"O, may bago?"

"Court order, brad. DID ang initial, tapos may signs din ng personality disorder. Narcissism yata. Basta, wala pang final."

"Saan pala tayo mamaya? Chill bar ulit?"

"Tangna, hindi ka pa ba nagsasawa d'un? Halos linggo-linggo tayong nand'un."

Faceless voices echoed in the hallway, and Richard restlessly turned in his bed, trying to shut them out.

When they found out about Rica's death, his parents immediately flew back to the country. It was all over the news, but it took the police a while before they discovered that it was him who did it.

Before the arraignment, his father begged him to enter a plea of insanity. Richard, of course, profusely refused it.

"I'm trying to protect you, son," his father calmly explained. "Please, anak. I don't want to see you locked behind bars."

"But I'm not crazy! Where the fuck do you even get that idea?!"

"YOU KILLED YOUR SISTER, RICHARD!"

"That does not mean I'm crazy! I just hate her. And Nicomaine said it will help me with my art," he added wistfully. "I miss her so much. I didn't want to kill her, you know? But she insisted."

His father rubbed his hands on his face in frustration. "There was no Nicomaine, Richard. There has never been one."

He glared at his father. "Ha-ha. Funny."

"RICHARD, THERE IS NO NICOMAINE! SHE'S JUST IN YOUR HEAD!"

Richard suddenly stood up, grabbed his father by the neck, slammed him forcefully against the wall, and with eyes burning with anger, warned him, "Don't you dare talk about her that way again or I'll kill you next."

He pleaded 'not guilty', but his mother, having worked with different government officials to hide their ill-gotten wealth, was able to pull some strings and the Court issued an order to transfer him to the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong for psychiatric evaluation and treatment before standing in trial.

Richard was given a spacious room, but it was mostly empty except for the bed in the middle, a couch on the right, near the windows, and a bedside table.

It was his third night in NCMH when he saw her again.

All lights were turned off at nine, but sleep evaded Richard. His hands itched to draw something, but he was not allowed near anything sharp like a pencil unless he was under supervision.

He sat wide awake, staring at the barred window, when he felt something cold touch his legs from under the bed. Curious, he kneeled and checked what it was.

And though the light was sparse and he could hardly see anything, he was sure it was her.

It was her blood red lips that first caught his attention.

"Hey, babe," she grinned, her chin resting on the back of her folded hands. She was lying on her chest and she fluttered her lashes at him. "Missed me?"

"Hi," he whispered, afraid she would go away if he spoke any louder. And just like how they first met, he asked her, "What is a beautiful woman like you doing in a place like this?"

She played along, "My boyfriend stood me up. I was waiting for him in his apartment but he didn't come."

Richard, now lying on his chest, too, tilted his head to the right. "Is that so?"