Substituting Cinderella (Twisted Tales Series #1)

Second

Chapter 2

Arrogant neighbor, it is.

I couldn't take my eyes off to the woman in front of me, just like the first time I met her, sobra'ng maamo ang mukha niya, but there's something wrong within her, she's damn surrounded by a black aura. Hindi maganda Ang kutob ko dito. Ibang mama Camilla talaga ang nasa harapan ko.

She smiled widely at me that made her look innocent yet evil. Damn it! Sigurado ako na hindi talaga siya si mama Camilla.

"Cinderella?" Bahagya niya'ng iniwagayway ang kamay niya sa harapan ko, that made be back into my senses.

"Ayos ka lang, hija?" She even tried to caress my arm but I flinched it away from her. Every bit of her shouts danger.

"H-Hindi ikaw si mama Camilla," mahinang sambit ko. Humakbang ako papalayo sa kanya, nag-uumpisa na'ng tumibok ng mabilis ang puso ko.

Her not so wrinkled forehead creased in confusion.

"Ano ba'ng pinagsasabi mo diyan?" Natatawa ngunit makakapa ang kung ano sa boses niya.

"Z-Zatara," ulit ko sa totoo'ng pangalan niya. That made her smirk. Sobra'ng laking ngisi na mapang-inis. She's up to what?

"Zatara?" Ulit niya, natatawa pa siya. Shit! Shit! Shit! This isn't true. Am I going to die??

Come on, Cindy! You need to survive this, 'wag mo'ng ipapahalata na alam mo na! You're digging your own grave.

I tried to regain my composure, I cleared my throat and convince myself to be more cautious.

Ngumiti ako ng matamis sa kanya, hoping that she won't notice that it was all fake.

"Pa...Paumanhin, mama Camilla, I'm just trying my acting skills," great! Ang ganda ng alibi mo, Cindy! Sigurado'ng maniniwala siya sayo!

I mentally hit myself for being so useless.

"Ganun ba, Cinderella?" She asked. My jaw dropped in her answer? She believed my alibi? I looked at her, there's still the hint of playfulness in her. Just like what I thought, sonasabayan niya lang ako, pareho naming pinaplastic ang isa't isa.

"At ano ang nais mo'ng ipahiwatig sa sinasabi mo'ng 'Zatara'?" Balik niya ulit.

Fuck!

Come on, think! Muli ako'ng tumikhim. "It's the title of the new book, I-I'm reading." Hindi ako nag-iwas ng tingin to make it more convincing kahit alam ko'ng hindi siya kombinsido.

Tumango tango naman siya, acting like she's really convinced.

"Kung ganoon ay halika na, Cinderella. Nakatitiyak ako'ng napagod ka sa lahat ng paglalakbay mo," Ang mga tingin niya ay nagpapahiwatig, na tila talaga'ng may nalalaman siya sa kung saan ako nanggaling.

Ngumiti ako ng pilit. "Marahil nga'y tama kayo. Napagod po ako,"

sa lahat ng nangyayari. Gusto ko'ng idugtong pero pinigilan ko ang sarili dahil sa oras na sinabi ko yun, I'm doom. Tuluyan na ako'ng makikipagkape kay kamatayan.

Me, traveling to this unknown dimension made me crazy, I don't even know such place like this do exist, or maybe...maybe I'm just hallucinating things, but I'm not. This enchanted place is damn existing and it is already here right in front of my fucking two eyes.

"Cinderella?" Untag ni Zatara or mama Camilla. Maybe I should try calling her mama Camilla since she's imitating her.

"C-Cindy na lang po," damn! Why do I need to stutter all the time? She, again, showed her wicked smile.