The Holmes Conspiracy Part 1

The Unfortunate meeting

Torrin.

I was tired of the flight. The dark clouds swept above and all around us, around the plane. I looked to the window. The city buildings were already clear.

I wanted to jump. It looked so peaceful to be true. I wonder what it would feel like falling down from the sky. It would feel so cold, I would feel cold, but I wonder what would happen when I felt the cold cement break my bones. I wonder what it would feel like if the blood slowly streamed out.

No, I am not suicidal. But I crave the idea of fear too much. I love fear. Fear is the reason we are alive and breathing every day.

Fear keeps us alert, the adrenaline filling our whole body, giving us the strength and speed. Giving us the ability to feel inhuman.

I wish it was like that all the time.
The fear ate me a lot, and I loved it. I fed that monster inside me a lot. I imagined my Fear like a small black ghost with no face but rather like a mist.

And then the mist would would trap me, consume me, and I would try to escape, with all the knowledge that I knew I couldn't.

The person beside me started talking in his sleep. He started sweating and I could hear the gritting of his teeth.

And then, somehow, I smiled. I wanted to go to sleep, but I couldn't. I tried every position, twisted and turned. It didn't work.

We were nearing. I felt the plane go down, and suddenly we hit the road with a smooth landing.

The captain called out for us to remove our seat belts and everyone did so, and then we all stood up, taking our luggage.

If you picture me in your imagination now, siguradong ang akala nyo ay isang babae na may maraming itim na eyeliner at nakaitim lahat.

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I looked rather average. I had shoulder length black hair and spectacles, a gray long sleeved sweater with a white polo underneath, jeans, and sneakers.

I grabbed my bag from where it was. If I would describe myself, craving the feeling of fear was the only weird thing about me.

I'm a responsible person, quick witted and clever, determined, and a bit more mature than most teens my age.
Yes, I did attend parties and that sort of thing.

Overall, hindi naman talaga siguro ako weirdo. I work hard, but not to impress my parents and all that. I work hard because I simply want to.

Pagdating namin sa Airport, hinanap ko ang aking pangalan sa daan daang mga signs na nakapataas.

Tapos nakita ko ang isang babae na naka t-shirt at skinny jeans na may itinaas na
Torrin Constell.

I smiled and walked at an average pace towards her. I wonder if she knew.

She looked so young, despite the fact she was in her forties, my Tita Victoria looked as young as a woman in her late twenties. She was a make up blogger, and she worked at the company of a popular magazine.

She was also my landlady. I'll spare the details. As I came within her range, she held down the sign and hugged me tightly.

I returned the gesture.
" ang laki laki mo na! Last I saw you, you were still 9! Now you're 16! You lok exactly like your mother, you know."

I nodded in agreement. I was a carbon copy of her, one might say. I took it as a strong compliment and felt grateful.
"salamat po."

" oh, would you like me to carry those for you?"
She said, pointing to my luggage.
"no thanks, I can carry my own things."

...
Tita Vic asked me whether I had eaten already, to which I responded with a yes. We took a taxi cab to the apartment I would be staying for the next few months or so, unless I would be forced to move again.

It wasn't my dad that picked the apartment, it was tita Vic, who suddenly insisted about a week ago while I was looking for places to stay in the city. It was hard.

" hinatid ka ba ni Darius? "
She asked, referring to my dad.
My father was bit the sentimental type, nor was he the type who really cared. I'd be surprised if he even bothered to ask me how I was doing.

He just told me I would transfer, and that would be the end of it.
" no, he's extremely busy. I'd just be a hindrance."

"I wish he'd come check up on you just once. Always busy with whatever he's doing. You're his daughter, for Gods sake."

Biologically. But not really, based on his actions. Ive grown used to it. I don't care anymore, really.

My tita looked at me briefly, sighed and knocked on the door.

" ah, so I have a roommate, tita?"
I asked. I lived alone most of the time, so this was one of the very rare opportunities. I don't have anything against it, I don't really care, but I'd prefer to be alone.
" sorry talaga, iha, wala kasing mga vacant. Your dad paid for everything already so you don't have to worry."

No one responded as tita Vic knocked on the door, so she knocked again. Is the tenant here or...
Tita Vic opened the door carefully.
"baka natutulog. He doesn't come out very often, just for school. Sometimes the police come showing up at his door, and I don't very damn well know what the hell is going in in there."

He?? Lalaki? Wala akong problema sa kanila, kaso lang mas okay sana ako kung babae. Preferably one who doesn't get the police to the room. I was starting to think negatively.

" what a mess! "
She exclaimed. Books were piled everywhere, newspapers, and a bunch of other stuff. I was pretty sure it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. I was also sure the tenant didn't care.

" Severin? I want you to meet someone."
Wika ni tita Vic, na parang medyo hesitant.
Seriously, what is he, a drug addict?
Seryoso ako.
" you didn't tell me anything about a new roommate."
Sabi ng isang boses galing sa silid.
His voice was accompanied by his presence, in which napatikom ako.
He was my age, most likely, and he was holding a bag of.... Ano yan? Eyeballs?
I flinched. What in the world did he do to get those?

He was handsome, but in a messy aura, sort of way. The two first things I noticed were his whitish blonde hair, and his intimidating green eyes. He also looked somewhat like a foreigner, perhaps he has foreign blood, naisip ko.

His face seemed so unreal, not that there was anything wrong, in fact, he looked so well, perfect! As I looked at him, I realised he has a resemblance to an...anime character...God, seriously, there are people like this?
He raised an eyebrow at me, and turned to Tita Vic.
" and I didn't tell you she was your roommate either. How did you know that? "
Tita Vic responded.
" you leave in the middle of the night with no warning, and you usually tell me your whereabouts, theferefore, it's not for work, and you show up here with a girl my age, with a troubled history and not from around here. No doubt she was looking for a place to stay. That won't be any problem since I suspect you wont be staying long. And here you are. "

Excuse me, what? Ang bilis naman ng pace.
And how did he know all that? Surely he must have heard something about me? Pero galing sa reaksyon na nakuha ko sa kanya, wala talaga siyang alam tungkol sa akin.
He looked me up and down. The moment his eyes met my gaze, I realised he looked so.... So blank.

There was nothing inside his eyes that I could read. His expression seemed so unemotional.
" Im Torrin Constell. It's a...."
I struggled to find the word.
"pleasure."
I finally said, frowning.
"your face suggests otherwise. Severin Montez, and unfortunately, I can't say the same. You were not what I was looking for. '