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Ticket please?

“Good evening sir. Ticket please?” I said hoarsely for maybe the hundredth time that night.

The man grumbled as he looked for the small thin strip of paper that was supposed to be in his hands the moment he stepped into the boat. I impatiently wait, looking at the other passengers who are also waiting for the man. I found myself studying him, from his furrowed brow to his scattered bag. This guy seriously needed to relax.

“Here.” He pointedly says, handing me a piece of crumpled paper. I open it delicately, afraid it would get torn apart
“Well? I don’t have all day.”

I force a smile, then I point him to the right direction. He stomps away like a little kid, slamming his bags on his bed. I soon accommodate the others, most of them more gentle than the other guy.

“Take a break Lisa. Let me take over.” Mike says, offering a helpful smile that came out as creepy.

“And let you slack off? No.” I huff, remembering the time I left him in charge. Never gonna happen again.

“Come on. I only took a bathroom break. I didn’t know people would come pouring in.”

I ignore him, knowing it was wiser than to acknowledge his arrogant self. Boredom soon came over, making me use my highlighter to paint my nails.

“Excuse me miss?”

I look up instantly with a smile on my face, afraid to get caught not being “polite” to the passengers. But as I met dark brown eyes with a crinkled forehead, I internally groaned to face Mr. Cranky.

“Yes sir?”

“Where can I ask for beddings?”

I noticed he had a dimple on his left cheek while he talked, and the way he was so stiff and bossy.

“Just continue on this side sir, then turn to the right for the Information table.”

He walks off again, without much of a thank you. Jerk. Minutes later I see him return, his tall frame towering the double beds.

“Good evening passengers. We regret to inform you that we will be leaving an hour after our designated time, as we are still undergoing cargo. We apologize.”

I silently protest, certainly not looking forward to another hour of standing. I see Mike snicker across from me, lounging on one of the seats for the others. Rage begins to grow inside of me, barely holding its lid.

“Miss?”

“What?!” Uh oh. Breathe Lisa. I find the courage to look up and begin to apologize to the man, until I realize it was him.

“Uhm, I’m sorry about earlier. I know I acted sourly towards you.” He looked sincere, yet still so stiff. He held two cups of soup on both hands, both steaming with the hot water. “Maybe I could make it up with the soup?”

I couldn’t say no, especially when he showed a smile. It was downright cute, definitely better than the evil tyrant face he wore earlier. Luckily his bed was near my station, and soon we began talking like long lost friends.

“So you were left on port because you got locked in the bathroom?” He bellowed with a laugh. I smacked his arm and tried to shush him, peering around to see the other passengers sleeping on their beds.

“It’s not my fault it’s broken. They should have written that “out of order” note on the door. I got in so much trouble for missing that boat!” I cringed as I remembered that moment.

The overhead speakers soon came to life, zapping me out of retrieving more embarrassing moments to tell the guy beside me. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon depart from the port. Employees, please report to the office.”

“That’s my que.” I stood up and began to dust off the biscuit bits from my shirt.

“See you in 5 hours then? Since you can’t see me til after the trip I mean.” He gave me a soft smile, enough to make my heart go kaboom!

“Sure”

I fell asleep during those five hours, dreaming of nameless guy. It kind of sounds stupid that I didn’t get his name, but if we don’t see each other again it won’t be a problem. I begin to do my rounds to my station, as passengers began to exit the boat. He was no where to be found, his bags all gone.

“Lisa! Want to go somewhere before the next boat?”

“Mike. No.”

I walked away, hoping he would just give up.

“Come on Lisa. It’s not like you have another date somewhere.” I began to walk faster, not minding my way. That was until I bumped into him.

“She does have a date, doesn’t she?”

I looked up to see Mr. Cranky turned Mr. Mystery smiling at me, a hopeful look on his face. I looked back at Mike, his face full of annoyance. I slipped my arm through his, and smiled at him.

“Yes, yes I do.”
——————–
Dedicated to the snotty woman who checked our boat tickets on the way to Tacloban. She was so grumpy that the creases on her forehead never seemed to go away. So I gave her a fictional love life so she could be happy. 😀
On a very HAPPY sidenote, I finished my book! I sent it to multiple publishers, and I have my fingers crossed so hard that they’re locked together! Haha.

Candle lit storm

Everything was set.

The candles were by my side, along with the matches and the flashlights. It was eerily quiet outside, and it didn’t help that I was alone in my apartment. The news informed me that it has entered the country’s area of responsibility minutes ago, and was now moving fast and furiously towards our region.

I expected the lights to go out anytime soon, so I had my emergency lights ready. I was deathly afraid of the dark and thunder, so this would definitely not end well for me. I sat in the middle of my bed, away from mirrors and windows.

“Beth, someone is calling. Beeeeeth. It’s meeeeee.”

The recorded ringtone filled my apartment, and it filled me with irritation. I didn’t spare it a glance, afraid that if I answered my phone it would go empty. I walked towards my curtain covered windows, and saw that there wasn’t a cloud in sight. The stars gleamed as if nothing was about to happen. The only thing I heard was the soft beat of my heart, and the vehicles that passed in front of the building.

“Beth, someone is..”

I turned off my phone immediately, before safely stashing it under my pillow. I began to get paranoid, as I imagined the apartment flooding until the fifth floor. I imagined all my things getting wet, my whole life’s work ruined by it. I turned on the TV to calm my nerves, but I regretted it immediately as a flash report showed.

“A 4:00 PM TODAY, THE EYE OF TYPHOON WITH INTERNATIONAL NAME “HAIYAN” WAS LOCATED BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA AT 1,221 KM EAST OF MINDANO WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 175 KPH AND GUSTINESS OF UP TO 210 KPH. IT IS FORECAST TO MOVE WEST NORTHWEST AT 30 KPH.”

I shivered at the thought of the storm that it was stronger than a bulldozer, and changed the channel. However no matter how I tried, I still wanted to listen more to the news. The skies still hasn’t shown any changes in the weather, and it was the “calm before the storm” phase.

I began to cuddle up in my comforter, trying to rid my mind of fear. A thud from my window made me sit up straight, as I slowly turned towards an intruder. He covered my hand before I had the chance to scream, and I childishly licked it so he would let go.

“Eew! What are you, five?” He asked disgusted. He began to wipe his hand on his pants, his brows scrunched together.

“I’m five and a half actually.” I stuck my tongue out to him, and that was only when I realized that he was soaking wet. “Is it already raining outside?”

He gave me a ‘duh’ look which irritated me, before he finally spoke. “I’ve been calling you for the last thirty minutes so I could get into your apartment before it started raining. But is seems like your phone is turned off.”

I ignored him, looking around the apartment for a shirt he could use. “Here. Take those clothes off and wear some of my big shirts.”

His smile widened and his brows wiggled suggestively, as he took off his shirt. And he actually didn’t look that bad. Okay, maybe he has some kind of a toned stomach that I could only dream of, but he was still annoying. It was then I realized that he has been observing my reaction, and he grinned like a kid. I threw the shirt towards him in embarrassment, and moved to look outside. Surely enough it was raining, but it was only more of a drizzle.

“You can look now.” I turned towards him, and found myself in a pickle. He was a few inches from me, and when I turned around I slammed onto his chest. I felt him chuckle, and I scooted myself towards the right to avoid him.

“Jerk.” I muttered.

“I heard that.”

“You were supposed to.” I smirked at him, before returning to my bed. Soon he sprawled himself on the bed like he owned the place, and I kicked him on the side. But damn, he was really strong and hard as a rock. I groaned, trying to push him off.

“Stop trying princess. This guy is as strong.” He smugly said, showing off his developed biceps It irritated me more that he saw me struggle, so I stopped trying. Soon the rain began to fall harder, and a whip of thunder began to echo in the skies. I instinctively covered my ears, and soon enough the sound went away.

“Awwe. Wittle Beth afwaid of a wittle thunder?” He cooed. It frustrated me more when he saw me vulnerable, but it was too late to go back now. So instead I ignored him, turning around to avoid looking at his arrogant face. I closed my eyes and tried to push myself into sleep, when another roll of thunders began to resound all over the room.

“Jiminy cricket!” I groaned. He began to laugh at me, finding amusement in my choice of words.

“Oh Beth, you’re really something.”

“Oh Bryan, you’re really nothing.”

“Ouch princess. That stung.” He feigned hurt, clutching his ‘sore’ heart. “Is this how you would treat your hero who did everything to come here?”

“Yeah, like you came here for me. I know you have a girlfriend on the second floor. What happened play boy, did she kick you out or something? That’s why you came running to you dear old best friend?” He scoffed at me, so I added. “How many women have you dated in my building?”

He began to say names, mostly apartment numbers, with his fingers. In the end he held up eight with a huge grin. “But I did come here for you, you know. I promised your dad I’d look after you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

Thunder once again boomed, and I found myself crawling towards him. I closed my eyes and hugged him tight until the sound went away. When I opened my eyes, there was no light.

“Bryan, please tell me you just turned off the lights and that there is still electricity.” I prayed that he would say yes, knowing his full craving for pranks, especially when it came to me.

“I-can’t-breathe!” I let go of him immediately, forgetting that I was literally holding on to him for dear life. I gave him a sheepish smile as the color returned to his face. “As you can see, I was struggling to breath as a monkey practically jumped on me, so there’s no way I did that.” I punched him lightly on his shoulder for the “monkey” bit, but soon this playfulness went away when I realized it was really dark.

“Wait! The candles!” I sprung off the bed, immediately lighting the candles that I have set. The room soon was lighted dimly, giving off a warm vibe. The wind outside picked up, almost whistling. I opened the window for a peak, and I saw coconut trees bending as if it was about to break. The storm is here.

“Hey, you okay?” His warm hand made contact with my shoulder that was shaking. “Calm down okay? I’m here for you.” He guided me towards the bed, and he cuddled me into his arms. It was such a familiar feeling, with him always being there when I needed him. The sounds of things hitting on something began to frighten me, as the storm began to become harsher with every dragging minute.

“Bryan, don’t leave me okay?” My heart literally began to beat harder, as I gazed onto his eyes. Under the light of the candles he seemed different, unlike the bad boy I knew him to be. He had soft eyes that were staring at me, that reflected the dancing light. The shadows on his face seemed to gradually morph him into looking like an angel. That was when I realized that I love this guy in front of me, and it was unnerving to think that I have been in love with him for years.

In that moment I forgot about everything else: I forgot about the storm, his long list of exes, and the fact that his pants were still wet from the rain. I was only concentrated on him. Soon his lips turned into a smile, as he kissed my forehead. Before I went to a peaceful sleep, I heard him say something.

“I’d always be here princess.”

——————————-

Not entirely fiction, as the news report above is real. There really IS a super hurricane coming here in the Philippines, and is expected to hit our city TOMORROW since we’re near the Pacific. I’m really scared, mostly because there are rumors that it’s going to be another strong one. I hope everything would be okay.

What did you think of the story though? 🙂

I survived

Everything seemed dark, gray and DEAD. My breathing got more laboured, as my hands quivered. My heart twitched and ached in all places, as I tried to stay ALIVE. Just when I thought I conquered all my fears, this one kind of hell blew up all over my face, as lava of hot tears flowed through. The bittersweet taste of betrayal and anger lingered on my lips, as I remembered the last kiss, the last thing we shared together, the last moment when you really loved me. I tried to keep my heart from blowing up into pieces, tried not to over react, but the words blew up in all direction. Everything in me was dying; every cell was destroying the other.

It seems like centuries ago when I last looked straight into your eyes and said “I LOVE YOU”. Fast forward through time, through the sweet nothings and half-hearted apologies, I spend my nights hating the songs we once loved, waking up crying whenever I saw u in my dreams, the memories eating me alive. I spent my days thinking of what went wrong, lost in the world of anticipation of a better tomorrow. I kept myself busy, coping with the drastic change, as I filled the empty void that was once filled by you. I never thought my heart would have ached for you like that. I would sometimes catch myself staring blankly into the air, trying to fill my mind with meaningless thought, avoiding the thought of you.

But as the sun hid and rose from the mountains, I started to hate myself for acting so hopeless, for drifting into a nightmare I built to protect myself. As soon as I realized that, delusions of a better tomorrow became more real, as I started to accept defeat from the aimless cupid. I slowly and surely gained conscience of the things I have done, the things I have achieved and lost. I no longer felt the rush of regret, but rather, the rush of being someone new.

I may never find the heart to forgive you for what you did to me, for making me go through all those things just to forget you, but what I do want to do is to thank you. Because of you jerking off leaving me bleeding half to death, I found the courage to become stronger when it came to love. I have finally moved on, and am going through my life great without you. To that, I say, I survived.

——————————–

So that was a little dark. I wrote this when I was FOURTEEN. I think I was moving on from someone, and I really like to overreact on things and that’s how I write. Keep in mind this was all but a crush, one sided feelings. I thought like a “matured” kid then. It’s all so, weird to read what I wrote then. (shivers)

Eternally yours

I struggled to sit up on the cemented hedge, and when I did I crossed my legs together. Throngs of cars soon came to view, early morning families who came to visit the others. I soon lost count on how many people came and went as the sun rose to the highest point in the big blue sky. I began to wonder if anyone would visit me today, as I stared in envy for all my friends who wore happy faces.

“Hi Emily!”

My head snapped towards the source of the voice, a smile creeping up my face. Finally! I couldn’t contain my happiness, and I soon jumped onto my sister and hugged her tight.

“I missed you too little kid.” She joked. Even though I’m already 25, she still treats me like I’m 5. I still was so happy she came, and that I wasn’t forgotten. Soon I saw the whole family walk towards me, with flowers and sandwiches in hand.

My mom and dad were walking hand-in-hand, a sad smile on their face. But never the less I was thrilled to see them as they approached me. I gave them a warm embrace, their scent engulfing me. They always smelled like the old people that they are.

“Hey Em. Your brother’s here too.” My dad said, showing me a little kid who was a spitting image of the man I saw as my superman. He had black hair like my dad, had the same nose and eyes. The only thing that he inherited from my mom was the fact that he was shy. I pinched his cheeks, and he didn’t look bothered by it. At least he’s warming up to me now.

“Dad, is that my sister?” Tommy asked.

My dad nodded with a proud look on his face. “She’s the best sister in the world Tom.”

“And the most annoying one.” My sister quipped. The whole family began to laugh, at my expense as usual. They soon set up the mat on the floor, opened the huge umbrella and gave the sandwiches out. My sister placed the flowers in front of me, and lit up a candle in the middle of everyone.

Soon small conversations started here and there, as more people seemed to come in. It was soon crowded, with people going in and out like crazy.

But my family didn’t seem fazed by it, as they continued to talk to each other, trying to get me to join in. The sound of my sister’s phone broke off the conversations, as we all pried on her call.

“We’re here with her. Yes, with the whole family. Yes, you could come. Goodbye.” She turned off her phone with a smile, and she peered to the right and began to wave frantically at someone. My heart skipped like a rock when I saw who she was waving at. He still looked as handsome as ever, although his eyes looked sad.

He was thinner, but he still walked like the angels themselves made sure he didn’t trip. He smiled when he saw my family, who all cajoled him to come closer. He sat right beside me, accidentally brushing his hand on my arm. It immediately sent a thousand familiar sparks throughout my body, jolting me awake from my day dream of him.

“Hey everyone. Little Tommy.” I smiled when he greeted my brother specially, which made the young boy smile a bit. My mother offered him a sandwich that he ate with gusto. That boy was too addicted to my mom’s famous sandwiches.

“How’s work John?” My father asked; his voice soft.

“It was fine sir. So far so good.” He said without a trace of smugness. Gotta love that in a man.

“You know you can call me Keith, or Dad.” My father offered a small smile, which John returned. I could feel my cheeks burn up, and my lips aching from the smile that never went away since I saw him. After a few minutes of idle chatter, my mother stood up and instructed everyone to do the same. The mat was rolled, the sandwiches kept. My dad held to Tommy, my mom beside him, my sister and John followed.

“In the name of the Father…” My mother started to say. She then proceeded to pray, my family and John joining in whenever possible. I soon felt my heart become lighter, stronger even. “And Lord, please bless the soul of my daughter, Emily Bright, and receive her soul as we have received You in our lives. All this we pray in the name of the Lord.”

“Amen.” They answered. One by one they left, kissing the cement that I was sitting on merely an hour ago.

“Bye Emiwy!” Tommy said, waving towards me. I waved back, smiling at the little kid.

John left last, his fingers playing with our wedding ring. He kneeled to face the cement hedge, and began to etch out the words that were carved onto it. ‘In memory of Emily Bright. A daughter, a wife, a sister and a hero. 1986-2011’

“You’d always be a hero to Tommy, Em. I’d make sure he would never forget the day you jumped in front of that car for him.” He held out flowers, placing them in front of me.

“I miss you.” He whispered. “I miss hearing your laugh. Sometimes I miss you so much I forget to eat.” I narrowed my eyes towards him, and he chuckled. “I know that if you were here right now you’d narrow your eyes and yell at me to take care of myself more, but it’s so darn hard Em. I miss you.”

I touched his cheek, caressing him softly.

“Em? Is that you?” I nodded, though I knew he wouldn’t see me. “I know you’re here Em. I could smell the perfume you always wore.” He inhaled deeply, as if savouring every scent. “If you’re there Em, wait for me okay? Don’t go falling in love with angels or other souls. You’re mine. You’re married to me remember?”

I smiled at him with tears slowly making their way to my cheeks. Before I could stop myself I kissed him right on the lips. He smiled as he touched his lips, shaking his head and chuckling.

“Just, save me a seat up there okay? I love you.” He kissed the carving, and began to walk away. My heart went with him, following him everywhere.

I was eternally his, after all.

—————————————–

Fiction. Today was all souls day here in the Philippines, and a lot of people went to the cemeterey to remember all those who went before us. I love this story personally, not just because I wrote it. <3

Nightmares and sweet realities

I woke up with a start, the vivid images from my dream digging into my skin. I was shaking, sweat pouring profusely from its glands. I tried to shake off the feeling, trying to get a grip on reality. My arms on instinct snaked their way onto my husband’s side, and I breathed a sigh of relief to find him there. I began to shake him awake, afraid of being alone. The room seemed to be closing in on me, the darkness and silence as deafening and as blinding. He soon woke up, sluggishly opening his eyes. These eyes whoever, widened at the sight of me.

“Honey? Are you alright? What happened?” He frantically searched my body, his eyes scanning every inch of me. When he was done, he turned back to me, looking at me intensely in the eye.

“What’s wrong?”

I began shaking again, and he hugged me tight. The warmness emanating from him was a gift from heaven, as I inhaled his scent of pine trees and mint. I tried to calm myself again, breathing in heavily. He pulled me closer to him, his big arms wrapped around me. I took a big breath, before burying myself deeper to his chest.

“I-I had a bad dream.” I said, my voice shaking with every word. When he didn’t say a thing, it urged me to continue. “You left me. You said you were tired of me. Then you shot me in the heart, and ran as far away as you could.”

Everything flashed in my mind, the feeling of loneliness, and death that was slowly creeping into me. To some, I might sound like a lovesick teenager, but this man was literally my rock. He made it impossible for me to live without him. Without him, I’d be a walking dead person. My husband only kissed my forehead, trying to calm me. I didn’t even know I was crying till he wiped a tear from my eye.

“It was just a dream, alright honey? Just a dream. I’m here.”

I looked up onto his eyes, and I saw only sincerity. Gosh, I love this man. He closed the distance between us as he kissed me on the lips, sparks flying everywhere. His grip on my hips tightened, closing any milimeter of distance between us. When we finally let go to breathe, a thought entered my head.
“But what if you’re a dream too?” I asked, my voice faltering.

He surprised me by biting the tip of my nose, making me smack his face away.

“What was that for?” I asked, rubbing my injured nose.

“Did it hurt?”

“Of course it did!” He lowered his head to kiss my nose, his warmth spreading all over it.

“Then you’d know that this isn’t a dream. I’m here. I’d always be here.”

My heart fluttered like a bird, as he cuddled me into his arms. We fell asleep like that, just hugging. I knew that no nightmare would ever harm me, as long as it was sweeter in reality.

————–

Fiction. I texted this to my boyfriend the other day when he asked me to imagine married life with him. I came up with this one. 🙂

Little Timmy

“Go to hell you stupid prick!”

I heard mommy yell. She began throwing things at daddy again, and he only turned to me with a sad smile. Her face looked like a dragon, and I could see the smoke coming out of her nose. I laughed, but daddy put his finger to his lips, which was code for ‘be quiet’.

“Go to the secret room Timmy. Mommy and I need to talk.” He whispered, giving me the small wooden sword he made for me earlier. I nodded, and gave daddy a kiss. The sword was really heavy, but Mr. Teddy helped me carry it.

“So that’s what you’re going to do now? Make our son run and hide? Am I a monster in your make believe world?”

I saw daddy wave at me, and I knew that it was code to run. I ran up the stairs like dad told me to, and soon jumped on the string that dad tied to the secret stairs leading to the room. I stumbled going up, with Mr. Teddy wanting to climb up first.

“We have to be careful Mr. Teddy!” I whispered.

Mr. Teddy nodded at me, then we slowly went up. I soon saw Mr. Wizard with his hand stretched to me. He was a very old man who had a green dress. I laughed when I met him, because what kind of guy wears a dress?

“Little Timmy!” He bellowed, “Shall we go to your castle?” He said, his beard puffing as he talked. It was almost to his knees, and it went up and down when he opens his mouth.

I giggled, and I took his hand. Mr. Wizard tied a rope around me, then pulled it to secure it just like dad does. I showed him my sword, and he smiled at me. He waved his old hands on the sword, and just like that it became shiny. Dad’s painting was right in front of us, and Mr. Teddy jumped in first, wearing his armor.

“I’m going to get our son Michael! I won’t let you poison him with your stupid stories! We’re leaving!”

My mom was shouting again, and I knew that she was right below me because Mr. Wizard put his finger to his lips and pointed downstairs. I nodded, and I copied his motion.

“Timothy! Get down here now! We are leaving your father!” The door to the room was banging, and I felt my heart going baboom!

“Quick Little Timmy. Into the castle we go!” Mr. Wizard pulled my hand and we both jumped into the painting, and the green grass of the castle made me happy, just like it always did. I didn’t hear my mom’s voice anymore as we strode into the gold walls of the castle. Everything was shiny and quiet, with the guards wearing a suit. Teddy was the main guard, who saluted at me. We walked to the throne room, where my crown waited in place, next to daddy’s big crown. Mommy never wears her crown, but then she never comes to my castle.

“Do you think daddy will come?” I asked Wizard.

“He always comes Timmy.” He replied, ruffling my hair. “Would you like me to escort you to your room?”

I nodded, feeling a bit sleepy.

“Could you bring me a glass of milk and cookies please?” I asked, putting on my puppy dog face.

My dad says it always works with Wizard, since they’ve known each other longer. He laughed loudly, and smiled at me. He looked like Santa Claus sometimes, but Santa wouldn’t wear a green dress. We went to my room, which was bigger than our house! I had all my toys there, and Teddy was inside too, looking all serious. He was really such a softie.

I felt a tug at the rope from the other side, and that’s when I saw my dad running towards me. He had a big smile on his face, and he wore his crown. He immediately hugged me, kissing me on my forehead.

“Are you ready to go to sleep little guy?” He asked, putting me down on my bed. Teddy shrunk and crawled to my side, and I hugged him tight. Dad soon hummed me to sleep, and I smiled at him.

“Dad, is mommy ever going to come here?”

He looked sad for a moment, and I felt sad too.

“She’s not going to come here for a while little Timmy. Now go to sleep.”

When I woke up the next day, Daddy was by my side, still asleep. I walked around the castle, following the scent of pancakes and honey. That’s when I saw a figure I’ve never seen before in the castle. My mom. I immediately ran to her, hugging her right leg.

“Get off me you- Oh hi honey!” My mom looked like a Queen, with her crown on her head. She was smiling at me, something I haven’t seen on mommy’s face for a long time.

“Mommy, is that for me?” I said, pointing to the pancakes.

She nodded at me, then lifted me up to the stool. I giggled as she touched a tickle spot, and she only gave me a confused look. She then sat down on a chair beside me, watching me eat like a big boy.

“Timmy, do you like it here?” She asked. I nodded vigorously, and she looked sad.

“But I like it better when you’re here mommy!” I smiled, trying to make her smile too. But she only looked more sad, but didn’t say a word. A few minutes later, we were walking towards the door that lead to our house.

“Mom, daddy is still asleep in my bedroom, would you like me to wake him up so we could go home together?”

Mommy began to look like a dragon again, huffing and puffing. She then took me up, then carried me towards the door. I cried so loud that Teddy heard me. He was by my side in an instant. He took me from my mommy’s hands, then he led her out the castle.

“You think you’ve won Michael?” My mom screamed. “You’ll never come back here, and you’d be stuck there with YOUR kid!”

I saw mommy cut the ropes that connected me and daddy to the house, and I remembered Daddy saying that we won’t be able to go back if it was cut. I saw daddy running towards me, and his rope turned to dust.

“Come here buddy.” He took me from Teddy, and I hugged him real tight while I cried. “It’s going to be just you and me okay little Timmy?”

I nodded, as my daddy took me back to my room. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but as long as I had my daddy with me, I knew things would be alright.

———————————
I hope that made sense. 😀 Completely fiction.

Sewed to him

“Lily”

It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to jolt me awake. I pried my eyes open, glancing at my digital clock. 12:01 AM, October 31. I looked around my apartment, noticing the absence of my best friend on her bed. I concluded that it was only my imagination. I then decide to lie down again, knowing that I still had six more hours of sleep to go.

“Lily.”

This time a cold chill travelled up my spine, making me shiver. I glanced at the AC to shut it off with the remote, but it wasn’t even on. Odd. I shook off the feeling, and tried to resume sleeping. My hand hung on the side of the bed, as I slowly drifted into sleep.

“Lily. Wake up.”

This time I crumpled myself into a small ball on the side of my bed, eyes completely shut. I felt the cold feeling of the wall on my back, as I made myself as small as I possibly could. I clutched my phone tightly in my hand, frantically looking for my best friend’s number. This is not real. This is not real. My brain overloaded with thoughts of a murderer or a burglar in my apartment as I tried to call Stacy. But like a complete thriller movie, I didn’t have cell service. Crap.

“Lily”

The voice was becoming louder now, making my heart beat louder. I was sweating so much like I ran a marathon, when I’ve only been hiding myself under my comforter. Stop being a baby Lily. Take a look. At least you’d know who to haunt if you die. I slowly lowered my comforter, but what I saw made me wish a murderer got inside my room. Because right in front of me, or better yet above me, was my ex-boyfriend. My dead ex-boyfriend.

He was literally floating in front of me, looking so real. He looked the same as he did two years ago, right down to his little mole on his cheek. The last time I saw him was when the coffin was closed on his face. I remember how my heart broke when the doctor announced he died of heart attack. I was gaping at him like a mad man, he only smiled at me like this was the most normal thing in the world.

“Hey Lily”

My heart accelerated out of my chest, as I hid under my comforter again. I only heard a ghostly laughter, and I was literally shaking.

“Wh-why are you here?” I asked, saying the million dollar question. When he didn’t answer, I looked around my apartment. It was empty. Was it really just a dream? The room suddenly felt colder for some reason, and I knew in that moment that this wasn’t over.

“Hello Lily.”

His words seemed to roll of his tongue, like a viper calling out to its prey. He was walking towards me, his all black eyes weirdly making it hard for me to look away. He sat on the edge of my bed, a huge smile on his face.

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this.”

I quivered from the coldness of his voice, my body somehow detecting him as an enemy. I backed myself up further into the wall, as if that was physically possible. Think Lily. Think! Or at least say something!

“Ple-please don’t hurt me.”

My nervousness was so obvious that he smiled once again, creepily I might add. This whole situation was creepy, and he was just making it worse.

“Lily, Lily, Lily. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it the day I died. The very day I sacrificed my life to save yours.”

My eyes widened as he said this, but I didn’t say a word.

“Aren’t you curious Lily? That I died the day you got into that car crash?”

His words pierced into me like a cold knife, making me involuntarily shiver. Where is this going?

“I took my life Lily,” He said, crawling towards me, “To save yours.”

He suddenly opened his polo, revealing a stitch on his chest that was eerily a match with my own scar. I reached out to touch it, but when I did I only went through his chest. I immediately grabbed my hand back, almost peeing myself when he chuckled softly.

“Yo-you gave me your heart?” I stuttered, needing to say something.

“This isn’t a cliche story Lily. I died of ‘heart attack'” He said with his fingers up to quote the doctor. “I tied my lifeline onto yours to make you live.You’ve been using my life years.”

I suddenly felt dizzy, subconsciously feeling the scar on my chest. The doctor said it was from a shard of glass that pierced my heart, barely missing it. That’s when I noticed a red string that connected my scar to his, and I tried my best to pull it out. But the more I pulled, more came out. I looked up towards him, confused.

“Bu-but..I-I..” My brain stopped functioning when he came forward, his cold lips on mine. I didn’t feel anything, except a cold, unnatural feeling. He then pulled back, scratching his head, looking disappointed.

“The string won’t come off. It was there when we were born, and only strengthened when I sacrificed myself. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.” He smiled before he continued, “I’m literally stuck to you Lily.”

He suddenly disappeared from my sight, and that’s when I blacked out.

When I woke up the next day, I breathed a sigh of relief. A jingle of keys came from the other side of the door, and Stacy came in with a smile on her face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come home last night.” She said sheepishly. “I got preoccupied.”

I only nodded at her, still hung over the dream. I then noticed something hanging from the inside my shirt. When I looked at it, I froze.

It was a red string.

And it came from the scar above my chest.

————————–
Fiction. I’m getting into the Halloween vibe, so I wrote this. My second horror story. I do hope I spooked everyone 😀

My bag carrier

“I have your bag with me so you won’t leave me.”

He said, a smile on his face. I chuckled, as I waited in line. He walked away from me, looking at the aisle where they sold toys. He looked back at me, as if asking for permission.

“Go then. I don’t think I’m going anywhere with my whole life praticaly in that bag.”

He beamed at me, then walked into the toy section. For someone who’s almost twenty seven years old, my boyfriend sure acts like a kid. I shook my head, as the cashier lady said “Next.” I emptied my arm, full of new books to read. As the computer beeped with every swipe, I realized my wallet was in my bag. I silently cursed, hoping that he’s come back before I had to pay.

“That would be nine hundred pesos.” The lady said, bored as ever.

I looked around for him, and when I saw his egg shaped head, I practically called him like an overhead speaker. He hurriedly ran towards me, his hand behind his back.

“What is that?” I said, eyeing him suspiciously.

He pulled out a space gun and a Hot Wheels car shyly, putting them on the counter. The lady swiped them, and I paid for it. Figures, I thought. I’m in love with someone obsessed with guns and cars while he’s in love with a girl with more books than sense. I inwardly smiled to myself, as he took the bag with all our stuff in it. I offered to take my bag from him, but he resisted, reminding me how many times I ran off without him. I smiled, remembering the times I left him in department stores and other places just because I knew he’d go looking for me. It was fun while it lasted, and it always resulted in a kiss, because I always scare him to death.

“We’re home.”

He said, breaking my chain of thoughts. I looked at the second floor, where our apartment was located. With our heavy grocery bags, he took them all, determined to do it in one trip. I laughed at his antics as we walked up the building. Reaching our door, he asked me for the keys. I quizzically look at him, as he struggled to open the door with the key. I was about to follow him inside, when he stopped me, making a few jars in the grocery bag to crash together.

“Don’t go in yet.” He said, more like ordered.

I puffed at him, and he just smiled as he took the grocery bags and my bag into the apartment. Curiosity was killing me by the second, and just as I was about to open the door his face popped out.

“I know you’re impatient, but could you just please wait here? I won’t be long, I promise.”

He looked flustered, his face looking like he ran a marathon. I reluctantly nodded as he closed the door, locking it from the inside. My eyes widened at the realization: he locked me out! But I stood my ground and stuck my ears onto the door. I could hear his frantic steps, and I could hear him throwing something to the ground. He was saying something I couldn’t make out, then it was silent. The door flung open, causing me to stumble into his arms.

“Eight years later and you’re still falling for me?” He smugly said.

I stuck my tongue out to him, and that is when I realized what he was wearing. He had an actual tux on, like a cute little penguin. He had a yellow rose on his front pocket, and his face broke out into a smile when I looked up.

“You’re not wearing any pants.” I said, stifling a laugh while looking at his Perry the Platypus boxers.

“That’s because when I was just about to put on pants, I heard someone impatiently listening in to what I was doing.”

I smiled at him proudly, then I tried to take a peek of what was behind him. To my dismay, he tsked and blocked my view.

“If you’re going to keep doing that, how am I supposed to propose to you perfectly?”

His eyes widened at what he said, and closed his mouth shut. I was practically peeing myself now, the excitement rushing through me like a drug. He looked at me again, running his hand through his hair.

“Pretend you didn’t hear that okay?”

I nodded, unable to say anything. He then opened the door, and it revealed all my bags and books. They were arranged by color and shape, most books inside a bag. Petals of roses covered the floor, and it was dimly lighted. My brain buffered for a good minute, before I finally noticed him kneeling in front of me with what looked like a handle on his head.

“I know you treat your books and bags as your life. You treat them delicately, and every bag has a book. Everything you need is in a bag, and when you need a good distraction you have your book. I have that connection with my toys, but in a manly way.”

I laughed at what he said, tears brimming at my eyes.

“So I want to ask you this: could I be the one to carry your bag forever?”

I stared at him like he was an alien, not understanding what he said.

“I mean, you said earlier your bag is your life right?”

I nodded, still confused.

“Then could I carry you all your life?”

Realization struck me, and my heart skipped several beats, making me wonder if I was going to have a heart attack. I smiled at him, and slowly nodded. He smiled at me, slipping in the simple diamond ring into my finger. He then lifted me up, and I squealed in delight.

“What with the hair prop though?”

He put me down, then smiled like a little boy.

“I was going to dress up as a bag and say ‘Could I be a part of your life?’, but I figured that I was already a part of it. But I figured that out after I bought this.”

I laughed at his cheesiness, then he lifted me up bridal style.

“Shall I carry my fiance towards our bedroom?”

I looked around the mess in the living room, and looked at him.

“You know you’re going to clean this all up later. I don’t want my bags and books getting ruined because you-“

I was cut off by his lips, passionately entrancing me into a spell. I swear his kisses should be bottled up somewhere and be an illegal drug. He walked towards our room, and closed it with his foot. He slowly put me down, kissing the top of my nose.

“Care to dance my fiance?”

I stepped into his arms, and he began to sway us back and forth. I smiled onto his chest, excited what else life would bring me and my permanent bag carrier.
—————————-
Once again, fictional. I feel like a sappy romantic these days and my stories reflect it. Have a nice weekend! 😀

The mirror’s presage

An abrupt pain causes me to look at my arm, and I stealthily swat the buzzing culprit away. My groggy eyes look up, the eerie silence slowly creeping up to me. It was almost like those cowboy movies were there was a whistle of wind blowing the sand and a tumbleweed would pass by. Except in my reality the wind was caused by a fan blowing very fast(the controls were broken) that it would actually better if I turned it off, and the tumbleweed was the unopened envelopes that were blown by the fan.

I stand up for the fourteenth time since the office closed at eight, and to be honest I thought I was going to lose some weight after standing up for so many times and picking up runaway envelopes. But when I sit back down my belly just protruded itself. I sigh, and I return to sorting out the envelopes. I glance at the clock, and I groan when I see that it has only been two hours since I started. I reach for another parchment, and I notice that it had something heavy inside it. I felt curious, knowing that people rarely sent letters with objects in it. I look around, and I mentally slap myself. No one was here. I’m alone. Very slowly, and clumsily if I may add, I opened the brown covered parchment. I heard a jingle as I reached my hand into it.

“Joel.”

I heard a soft whisper, and my heart beats louder. A million thoughts rushed into my head, the one dominating was someone caught me.

“Joel.”

I hear it again, and goosebumps erupt all over my body. After a few moments everything becomes quiet again, and I gulp down hard then I take out the object from the package. When I look at it, I see my own reflection. For a moment I felt my soul leave my body, but then I realized it was a mirror with a small key chain. I understood where the jingling sound came from, but it still didn’t explain why I heard someone call my name.

“Joel.”

A buff voice called, and I almost dropped the mirror. I shakily looked around, and I sighed to myself thinking that after 5 years of working here every night alone, it was only now that I was imagining things. I shake the feeling off, but then I hear it again. And my eyes widened when I realized where the sound came from.

“Joel.”

With shaky hands, I hold the mirror. I turn it around, and I felt my heart stop for a moment. My reflection, if it was my reflection, was staring right at me. My jet black hair became all white, and I wrinkles that were never there. But that didn’t freak me out. No. It was the fact that my eyes were rolled over my head, so that it only showed the white part. There was blood currently dripping from my nose. My mouth was open, my teeth cracked. And the creepiest part? The blood came out of the mirror and was dripping on my khaki pants. Just when I was about to look away, a haunted laugh rang through the silent office.

“Joel. Silly Joel. You’re stuck here forever.”

The reflection moved it lips, although it’s pupils were still missing and the nose hasn’t stopped bleeding.

“Someday Joel, you’ll look like this.”

I slam the mirror unto my cubicle wall, and it smashed into pieces. Another laugh echoed, and in horror I saw one of the pieces of the broken mirror sticking into my arm. I slowly remove it, closing my eyes as I endured the pain. But when I opened my eyes, I only saw the dead mosquito I have killed only minutes ago. I cold chill ran up my spine, and I see the parchment in front of me, unopened. I hurriedly got my coat and caught a cab home.

The next day, a package arrived.

Ms. Zoom-in

“Ruby!”

I hear someone call my name from afar. I look around me, and I can’t find where the voice is coming from. I squint my eyes, and sure enough I see my superfriend Le-an from the other side of the road. She waves at me, and crosses the road as the traffic light becomes green.

“Your ‘zooming in’ powers are amazing.” she jokes just as she hugs me.

I stick my tongue out to her like an eighteen year old should, as we walk into the donut cafe. We wait for our other friends to arrive, as we munched on some tiny donuts.

“Sooo. Do you have a boyfriend?” Le-an asks.

I laugh at her question, and she raises her left brow at me. My laugh is cut short when I see who comes into the cafe. I didn’t have to squint my eyes to know who came in. With his bowl haircut and pimply face, I hung my head low. Le-an notices it immediately, and her eyes shot daggers at the loathed specimen who’s a sorry excuse for a human being. Visions of fluffy elephants and my high school uniform flash into my mind, and I try my best to shake them out. Luckily my four other friends come in, completely ignoring the specimen near the counter. They sit down in front of me, blocking my view of him. They huddle protectively, and I smiled at their gesture.

“What do you want me to do with him?” Alyssa,my best friend, asks. She pulls her sleeve up like getting ready for a brawl, but I simply laugh at her.

“Nothing. I’m over him anyways.”

The five of them look at each other, then looks back at me. We soon forget about him when one of them opens their mouths. We shift from one topic to the other, and with us six girls in one table, it’s like a whole crowd chattering away. Soon enough an old lady shushes us, and we all talk in whispers but utterly fail because once again the old lady curses at our noise. We look at each other in silence, gather our stuff and walk out the cafe. As soon as we all step out, we burst out laughing at our antics. We soon hug each other goodbye, and we go to our different schools. I missed the times when we belonged to the same school, but it made up for the times that we met with each other.

I climb on the jeepney on the way to school, and my thoughts drift away to a day two years ago, during my freshmen year of college. Everything was falling apart between me and him, and it was only a matter of time before things ended the way it did. The jeepney suddenly stops, thrusting me forward, ending my reverie. I hold on for dear life as I held a person’s arm, screaming a bit. The driver apologizes, and we look at the almost hit to the Toyota car in front of us. Suddenly the driver hops off the vehicle, and screams profanities at the Toyota driver.

“Ouch.”

I look up at the source of the voice, and I saw dark brown eyes looking at me in annoyance. That’s when I realize that I was still clutching someone’s arm, and I let go. I look down, hoping he doesn’t see how embarrassed I was. The vehicle then starts to move again, and soon enough I reach my school. Annoyed boy hops off before I do, and I walk slowly behind him. He rubs his arm and I feel guilty again. He then looks back to me and smiles. He approaches me and runs his hand through his hair. It made my heart skip a bit, and I willed myself to stutter the words

“S-sorry”

“I should be the one who should be sorry. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

The sincerity of his voice catches me off guard, and I look up to him. He was really tall, and for my 5’2 height I was just at his shoulder level. He smiles at me and holds out his hand.

“I’m Michael.”

I stare at his hand for a few minutes, and finally I shake it. Sparks flew from my hand to my heart, and I smiled at him.

“Ann Ruby.”

———————————-
When I went home on Friday evening, I turned on my computer as always. I checked my Facebook, and I smile when I see that Michael added me as his friend. I begin to go stalker mode, I mean admirer mode, and checked his account. He was a senior student, and he didn’t open his Facebook that much. I was disappointed that I didn’t learn so much, and just logged off the computer.

I sit on my bed and I put on my glasses as I begin to study for tomorrow’s quiz. Soon enough I drift into slumber, and for some reason I dream of someone I haven’t dreamt of for a while. We were in our high school homeroom, and he was just looking at me. My heart melted the way that his eyes were just on me. He held my hand and leans in for a kiss. He suddenly laughs, and I see him in his college uniform with another girl.

“Ann Ruby? She’s just an ex. You’re better.”

He whispers to the girl’s ear, who just giggles. The girl turns around and I see that she looked almost like me, and I run away from them. That’s when I woke up, with the light streaming from my window. I shook my head with thoughts of my ex, and simply walked towards the bathroom to do my morning ritual. My head was still confused on why I dreamt of him, when I was over him years ago. I had plenty of crushes after him, but I didn’t get a boyfriend because I wanted to put my studies first. I sigh deeply as I put on my pencil skirt uniform and walked towards our kitchen.

When I reach school, I was just in time before the teacher walked in. I do my best to concentrate on the lesson, but my thoughts kept drifting to my dream. It couldn’t just have happened without a reason right? I try to think of reasons why I dreamt of him, and concluded that I was just stressed with finals coming up. I am pulled from my thoughts when I hear people getting up from their seats, and I realize that class was over. I mentally slap myself for not listening to the teacher, and I walk on to my next class. I shove through the throngs of people who were also rushing to their classes. Stephanie runs towards me and smiles widely.

“Hi Rubyyyy”

She says, stressing out the last letter. I smile at her as we get into our next room. I shove my hand into my bag, and I frantically try to find my eyeglass. My eyes widen as I realize that I might have left them in the other room, but I remember that I kept it in the front pocket of my bag. I slump on my chair, realizing that it might have fallen while walking. I then see a bright reflection, and I see my glasses in someone’s hand. And not just anyone’s hand. It was Michael’s.

“I saw this fall from your bag earlier.”

He says, smiling at me. My lips tug and curve into a smile at my eyeglass savior, and I mumble a thank you. He then waves goodbye as he goes to his room. Which was right next to my room. I felt my day instantly turn around, and I look at Stephanie who smiles at me knowingly. That’s when I concluded that I had a crush on Michael. And I was happy.

—————————————-
From that day on I always tried to take a peek in the room beside mine whenever the teacher didn’t come. I always saw the back of Michael’s head, and I always felt disappointed. I did it again anyways. I noticed other things about him, like how he was thin and that he was a bit silent in class. He always seem to know when I was looking at him, and he sometimes turns around and smiles.

‘Staring at me again?’

I smile when I read his text. We exchanged numbers a few days ago, and he was a hilarious guy. I look up from my phone and see him looking at me from across the canteen.

‘Look who’s talking.’

I text back. It doesn’t take long before he replies.

‘You’re quite hard not to stare at.’

I stupidly grin, and my classmates look at me. One of my friends steals my phone and her eyes grow wide at the text. She nudges my arm, and looks between me and Michael. I take my phone back, and I shove it into my pocket. I feel someone sit beside me, and I look up to see him. My heart jumps high, hoping he’d catch it.

“Why did you stop texting?”

His voice travels from my ears to my heart, making it leap higher.

“They took my phone”

He simply smiles at me, and opened his mouth to talk. Just then a pair of thin arms encircle his eyes, and long flowing hair covers the side of his face.

“Guess who”

The girl says, clearly enjoying what she’s doing. Michael holds her hand, and my heart drops 30 feet below sea level. He then takes the girl’s hands off, and he smiles at her. He walks off when she grabs him by his arm, dragging him to God knows where. I look at my lunch, suddenly losing my appetite. I scold myself for not thinking that he might have a girlfriend. Standing up from my chair I walk to my next class and I bury my head onto my arms. I try to empty my mind of Michael, and I felt like it was a repeat of a past. I sigh, thinking that history does repeat itself. At least I didn’t fall for him.

———————————-
I squint my eyes as I find for Chenee. We were in the mall for our usual hang-out, and I forgot my glasses making it hard for me to look for my friend in the food court. I see a hand waving at me, and I walk towards it, hoping it was her. My whole body stiffens when I realize it was Michael, but it was too late to walk away. I haven’t seen him in school, avoiding him. I haven’t even replied to any of his texts. I respected guys who had girlfriends, because I knew how girls felt when their boyfriend is close to another girl.

“Hi Ann Ruby.”

He smiles at me, or I think he does, and I awkwardly smile back.

“Want to join us?”

My heart ached when he gestured to him and the canteen girl and I shake my head. And as if on cue, I see Carrie walk towards me with Divine.

“Where have you been? Chenee is over there.”

She points to the other side of the food court, and I squint my eyes to see Chenee. I say good bye to Michael and the still unnamed girl, and walk with my friends. I’ve known them for most of my life, and I rarely saw them because of our schedules at school.

“So who was that guy?” Divine asks.

“Nobody.”

They don’t ask further, and soon Stephanie, Alyssa and Le-an arrive.

“Where’s Hannah?” Alyssa asks as she sits down.

“I texted her, but she didn’t reply.”

Soon enough we were lost in each other’s conversations. Luckily we were in a more public place, therefore there were no old ladies to scold us for being noisy.We ended up deciding to watch a movie, and as we walk into the theater I saw a familiar tall figure sit in front of us. He was surprisingly alone, but I tried my best to focus on the movie. After the movie we all went home.

Unfortunately for me, Michael got on the jeepney I was riding in. He sat two people away from me, and I sighed with relief that I wouldn’t be facing him the whole ride home. The rest of the ride was uneventful, that was until I passed my fare to him. Our hands touched lightly, and that familiar spark traveled from my skin. Our eyes locked, and I immediately pulled my hand away and he passed my fare to the driver. I got out the jeepney when I saw my house, and I turned around without saying goodbye to him.
————————————
On the last day of the finals I was feeling sky high. I was finally over half of my junior year in college, and semestral break was just around the corner. I smiled to myself thinking that I would see my friends again and I was too much lost in thought that I bumped into someone.

“Sorry.”

“Did you know that was the first thing you said to me?”

My head immediately shot up, and I saw a grinning Michael looking down at me. I noticed that he had a new haircut, making him look more dreamy. I snapped my head back down, and walked away. I then felt sparks flowing from my arm, and I saw that Michael was holding it.

“Can we please talk?”

He looked at me with pleading eyes, and for some reason I nodded.

“Why have you been avoiding me?”

I swallow hard, and I bravely look at him.

“Because you have a girlfriend” I whispered.

Silence took over, and I didn’t know if it was comfortable or not. I didn’t know if he heard me or not. I was just about to say it again when he cut me off.

“Sam isn’t my girlfriend. She’s my sister.”

My jaw dropped six feet into the ground, and my heart was beating lively after almost a month of staying still. He looked at me in the eye, and said.

“Did you really think I’d keep texting you if I had a girlfriend? I’m a loyal guy Ruby. I wouldn’t text someone I like if I had a girlfriend.

My lips curled a bit at what he said. But I was still speechless. All that effort to avoid him, and it was useless. Sparks once again flew when he held my hand. I was surprised, but I didn’t say anything. That’s when I realized that even though I tried to zoom out my feelings on him, my heart still squinted and zoomed in. We slowly made our way to the school gate, our hands still intertwined.
—————————————-

This story was fictional except for the characters that I based them upon.
Here’s Ann Ruby. She’s my superfriend in real life, super nice yet has the ability to be evil. 😀

And here’s our barkada:

Ann Ruby, Chenee, Divine, Alyssa, Stephanie, Carrie, Me, Sharmaine and Frances 🙂

As for Michael, he only exists in the vast world of fiction 😀