Before we could even react, there's this girl wearing a lighter shade of orange clothes and stuffs from head to toe, who was exhilarated by the sight of these boys and suddenly ran even with those deadly heels. It's too late for us to move because she's already clinging to Trey like a monkey in a tree! Damn, parang bigla akong nagkaroon ng hypertension sa nakikita ko!
This scene seems familiar to me and I wanna pull someone's hair right now! I don't know where this feeling comes from but I instantly felt a sharp and sudden emotional pain just seeing them being that close to one another. I-Is this a pang of jealousy? But why?!
"Trey!"
"Erine! Distance yourself from him, now!"
All of a sudden, I found everyone panicking in here that withdrew me from zoning out. Hell, what's going on? My God! The sight of that fluid made my whole being tremble as hell. B-Blood... I really h-hate blood!
"E! Don't look!" No such luck because I lost my consciousness in a few.
I can do it! This one is for Mom and Dad, as always! I beamed with delight as I wandered my gaze around in this massive arena. Halo-halo ang nararamdaman ko. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I pouted beacuse I'm just a little bit sad because Butler Clay is only here. Here we go again, attending The Annual Philippine Cup Live Painting Competition.
I'm competing with almost 199 painters, at ako 'yung pang 200! All contestants were age from four to thirty years old. Imagine that? I never thought that I could win for three consecutive years and surpassed those painters who are older and more experienced than me. I was just nine years old back then and already twelve this year!
The Little Boy in the Darkness, The Wall, and The Promise. These were my paintings that made me bring the trophies home for the past three years. People bemusedly believed that I was a painting prodigy, for I could paint images with deep substance and meaning at my very young age. They always praised me because of my painting techniques. Ako rin naman, hindi ko inakala na magiging malakas ang impact nito sa ibang tao.
Sabi nila, natural daw na makulay ang pinipinta sa ganitong kabatang edad ko pero nagulat sila na madilim ang mga likha ko. Masyadong madilim at masyadong malungkot. All my paintings were all dark in contrast to my colorful life. I can say that my life is all completed because of my parents' love. I don't know, I'm just painting what's on my mind and what I feel with my very broad imagination at the moment the paint brush is already in my hand.
Somehow... I feel like I'm not painting for myself, but for someone else.
They were in awe when I told them the story behind my paintings. These actually inspired from some of my dreams. So vivid yet so blurred. It was a very sad dream though. All I could remember was blurry images but detailed scenarios so I've come up with a blur concept.
There was this boy who's same age as me... It was a very dark place and you can see nothing but pitch-black. He's there, sitting and hugging himself while his head was on his knees — wearing white chiton, a Greek clothing for men. He was the only one I could see in this darkness.
He was crying and I could hear his sobs from where I am. I want to go near him but all I could do was look at him from afar because I couldn't even move my feet. I was shouting, telling him I was just there and he's not alone anymore so he should stop crying na. Sadly, he can't hear me however loud I was. It was as if I was there but in another realm at the same time. I want to hug him just like what my mom always does to comfort me whenever I'm sad.
"Please... stop crying. I'm sad na rin eh." I whispered that time and I was taken aback when he suddenly stop crying as if he heard something. Yes, he finally heard me. He lifted his head and wander his gaze around. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang bigla siyang tumingin sa direksyon ko at nagtama ang paningin namin.
He can see me? He tilted his head, looking so innocent. I can see that he's confused. Ang gwapo niya. Ang ganda ng buhok niya, kulay lavender. Was it natural?Siya na yata ang pinaka-gwapong bata na nakita ko sa buong buhay ko. Hala, crush ko na ba siya agad? Lagot ako kay Dad! I'm not allowed to have crush pa raw kasi I'm still young pa.
"Hello?" Kumaway ako sa kanya.
Unti-unti siyang lumakad papunta sa akin. Bakit ako kinakabahan? Hala, ang lapit na niya. Nakatingin lang siya sa akin na para bang kinikilala niya ako. Para siyang nakakita ng alien. Ngayon lang ba siya nakakita ng tao? Tumigil siya sa harap ko. Hala, ang ganda ng mata niya. Kulay gray! Sobrang gwapo niya talaga. He's physically perfect.
"Why were you crying, bata?"
He did not answer. He was still looking at me like I'm some unknown species. Napansin kong unti-unti niyang inaangat ang kamay niya at tumigil ito sa ere. He looked like he's making an oath gesture. What was he doing? Out of curiosity, I put my right hand on his.
And that's when I felt the wall that was separating the two of us that time.
It was like a transparent mirror.
He looked so sad and I hope he could feel I was sad too. Looking at us, we're so close to each other, yet I felt we're so far too.
"Again, this event aims to raise awareness for underprivileged children, provide a platform to help and give them a better future, and to promote cultural and artistic exchange among youth and children not only in our country, but also globally. So, I now pronounce to officially open this event. You only have three hours to finish your paintings, so you may start now!"
The bell rang and it pulled me off to reality. The timer started.
He has to know what it feels to live outside the darkness... even if it's just only in my painting.
Before I could even finish my work, Butler Clay walked into me and brought the worst news I had ever heard and would never wanted to hear. My parents just died. My parents just died.
"Are you playing prank on me, Butler Clay?" I asked him as I laughed too. But I also felt the tears running down my face. My body's shaking right now. This is not happening right? Yup, he's just pranking me but it's not a good joke!
Out of the blue, I heard something like a snap of fingers, bringing me to an abrupt halt. Everything suddenly stopped from moving, as in literally. Is this even possible? It was too much silence... until I heard a whistle. And that was the creepiest whistle I have ever heard. A-anong nangyayari? I could hear someone's foot steps and that eldritch whistle. I'm scared... Bakit hindi gumagalaw iyong mga tao sa paligid ko?
I shuddered with horror when someone started to hum and that's when I started to visualize how my parents died or should I say killed. I don't know how, but it's vividly flashed on my mind. Blood. There was a flood of blood in that plane. N-no! Dad... Mom... They are brutally killed. They were shot in the forehead, heart, and in every vital parts of their body. How could they do this to my parents? Why does it have to be them? What the fuck happened to humanity?! They are not human! They are monsters!
Why am I seeing all of this horrible things? H-how? What is happening? I'm really scared right now.
"Mommy! Daddy! You're just sleeping right? Come on, wake up na! Talk to me! This is not true! You are not leaving me..." I cried my hear out. I can't take this. Masakit. Sobrang sakit. I can't really take this pain, just the mere sight of them lying inside this caskets really crushed my whole being. Dapat sumama na lang ako sa kanila. Sana hindi na lang ako umattend sa annual painting competition. Mas mahalaga sila sa akin eh.
Paano na ako? Wala nang mag-hahug lagi sa akin. I'm alone na.
"Elle Samantha, wake up! Stop crying, please? I'm here, shh..."
