1 views
Heather | Chapter 1: The Chest
This is probably the prettiest I can be. Even this old lavish mirror is more flattering to look at. This mirror might be the fanciest thing in this house though, and my face just taints its class. Oh dear god, I can’t even look at myself any longer. If only I could change everything that I am. I roll my eyes as I turn away from the mirror. I wonder if changing anything would vanish my sense of identity, or maybe it would just give me a new identity?
“Heather! What takes you so long? We’re leaving in 5 minutes!”. My mom’s yelling wakes me up from my own thoughts, “I’m coming!”, I yelled back.
It’s kind of ironic to name your child Heather hoping she would be adored by everyone. I’m not even close to being one. I don’t even adore myself, let alone being adored by others. I shake my head and sigh.
I put on my brown worn-out skirt and a hand-down khaki blouse, along with the old boots my dad got me from the bazaar 2 years ago.
I’m just going to braid my hair real quick and come down.
“I wish I looked like you”, I turn to the source of the little sweet voice that catches my attention. Freesia. My little sister. The youngest in the family, and the one with the purest heart and lovely eyes.
“Oh Freesia! I didn’t know you were there!”, She stands behind my half-opened door while she watches me braiding my hair.
“Come in”, I smiled.
Freesia walks in and sits on the edge of my bed.
She does not want to look like me. She would suffer like me.
“Freesia, you might wish to look like me, but I wish I could have eyes like yours so I could see me the way you see me.”
She frowns and tilts her head a little to the right, “Heather, you don’t see yourself the way I see you?”,
“Of course she doesn’t, she thinks you’re prettier than her. Which is true. You are.”
Said Hazel, my fraternal twin sister. She was born an hour after me though. We don’t look identical at all. In fact, our hair and eye color is different. She has these beautiful red hair and hazel-ish eyes that turn green in the light. While me, well I’m just an ordinary girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes. I wonder if she would still say anything about my look if only she looked like me.
I tie my braid and get my butt off the vanity chair as I try to ignore Hazel, who stands in the door with her mischievous smile, and says, “Shut it Hazel! You’re a bully!”,
“How am I a bully? I’m just speaking facts!”, Says her without ever having the taste of her own words.
“Shut it!”, I begged.
Just as soon as I try to pack my bag, a loud bang startles me and both of my sisters who happen to be in the same room as I am. I could see Freesia jumped off the bed she sat on and ran to me. She holds my hand as fear starts to take control of her body.
“What was that?”, Asked Freesia as she grips my hand harder.
Just before I could say anything, another loud bang gives another feeling of terror, followed by screams of horror.
I hear rush steps coming closer to my room. We are all too stunt to even flinch.
As the footsteps stop in my door, we are all relieved to see our parents standing there, though in panic. “Go to the basement. Right now. Don’t make any sound. Don’t scream. And don’t cry whatever happens.”, My dad commands as he runs to Freesia and picks her up. My mom hustles me and Hazel, I could see her body is shaking.
“What’s going on, mom?”, Asks Hazel. She’s as terrified and as confused as I am. But it seems like my mom decided not to answer her question. Everything is chaotic in this house. At this very moment.
“Cynthia! Daphne! Come here!”, My dad yelled as he put Freesia down.
My mom on the other hand, gathers all the food she made earlier for our supposed trip today, as well as some supplies. She also gathers some medicines, blankets, and hands them over to me and to Hazel.
She puts her hands on my shoulder and Hazel’s shoulder. She grips my shoulder tight and looks at me and Hazel in the eyes, “you’re 16 now. Yet there are things your dad and I haven’t told you yet because we thought, we still had time and thought we would wait until your 17th birthday. But now it’s too late. But don’t worry, Cynthia and Daphne will tell you everything”, she grips my shoulder and Hazel’s shoulder even harder than our body leans toward her. “You have to be strong. No matter what happens, stay strong.” I am beyond lost. It’s like I have this gnawing feeling inside me that tells me we are in danger. That our lives are in danger.
My mom gives me and Hazel one last look in the eyes before she holds me and Hazel close, and hugs us tight.
“I love you. I love you so much”,
“I love you too, mom”, me and Hazel replied at once.
Mom pulls us away and once again, looks us in the eyes. With more serious glare she says, “Cynthia and Daphne will lead you to a safe place. Remember what I told you.” She then gives me and Hazel a kiss on the forehead before she turns to Freesia who stands beside me, and hugs her tight, kisses her, and tells her how much she loves her.
“Wait, mom”, said Hazel while she turns to mom.
“Are you not coming with us?”,
My mom shakes her head before she continues, “I’m afraid not. We have to stay here. We can’t go.” She walks to Hazel and touches her cheek, rubs it gently and says, “you’ll be fine. You have your sisters.”
I just don’t understand. Why can’t she go?
“Will we ever see you again?”, Cries Freesia. But just before my mom could ever answer, another loud bang alarms us, and the sound of it is even closer than the first bang we heard.
“Alright. We don’t have any more time. Guys, please follow your sisters, Cynthia and Daphne, to the basement”, my dad commands. That’s when I know that my dad won’t come either. He and mom are staying while their kids are running away. But why? I just don’t understand. What’s holding them going?
I hold Freesia’s hand as me and my other sisters are hurrying to the basement. I give my parents one last look. My eyes become watery as memories with them come in a 5 seconds flashback, as we’re leaving them. I look away to watch since we’re about to step down the stairs. But just as we’re stepping down the stairs, 2 bangs are shot. All of us freeze for a few seconds, until Cynthia breaks, “come on, let’s go. Don’t look back”. I try not to look back but my head won’t listen. And so I look back. And there I see my parents’ lifeless body lay on the kitchen floor, drowning in their own blood.
Daphne turns my head a little harshly and says, “whatever you just saw I don’t wanna hear. She told you not to look back.”
I am too shocked to even cry. I just can’t believe my dad.. my mom.. they.. they died…
I can’t believe that it was my last moment with them. I refuse to believe that this is real. I just can’t process what just happened.
Cynthia closes the basement door slowly as I assume not to let those wicked people find us.
Daphne, on the other hand, takes out one of the walls brick, places her hand inside the hole, and puts out a key that’s bigger than her hand. Then she installs the brick back to its place.
She then rushes to a huge dusty wooden chest covered in spider webs.
She uses the key she took to open the chest and there, a lot of weapons lay gracefully. There are 2 daggers, a bow and arrows, a double-edged sword, throwing knives, and at least 18 mines.
“Of course, there are weapons.”, Said Daphne.
She then takes the daggers and passes them to Cynthia, “catch!”, She tells Cynthia as she passes the daggers. Cynthia catches the daggers with both her hands, each dagger in each hand, and twirls them like they’re just a pair of drum sticks. Then Daphne takes a bow and arrows for herself. They both convincingly look like they know how to use the weapons they took. Daphne quickly gathers all the remaining weapons and wraps them in a white cloth inside the chest. The chest is now empty. Then Cynthia comes closer to the chest and kneels down. She reaches her hand to the inside corner of the chest and pulls the edge of the paper that coats the board of the chest. She peels the paper off and suddenly blinding lights force me and my sisters to cover our eyes. After a few seconds, the lights become dim so that it’s safe for us to open our eyes again.
“Come on, let’s go. We don’t have much time.”, Cynthia says while she prepares herself to jump into the chest.
“Wait, wait, wait, are you going to jump in there?”, Asks Hazel.
“Yeah”, Cynthia replies, nodding her head.
“Are you a moron? This chest might be big but it won’t fit all of us!”, Yells Hazel.
“Oh my god Hazel!”, Daphne gets pissed and pushes Hazel into the chest.
“Aahhhhh!”, Screams Hazel.
“What did you do?!”, I panicked.
“Where does Hazel go?”, Asks Freesia, innocently.
“Don’t worry she’ll be fine.” Daphne said before she jumps into the chest, following Hazel.
“You better jump in too, kiddos. If you don’t wanna get killed, of course.” Cynthia said to me and Freesia, then she jumped into the chest just like Daphne did.
Now it’s only me and Freesia.
“Alright Freesia. Not that we have any other choices, do we?”, I said while grabbing Freesia’s hands.
Freesia resisting. I look at her and she shakes her head. I know that she’s scared.
“It’s okay Freesia. As long as you’re with me, you’ll be fine.”
I then pick her up and as soon as I’m about to jump, somebody is trying to break the door. Without any second thought, I jump into the chest with Freesia in my arms.
to be continued…
© Thalia Noya
“Heather! What takes you so long? We’re leaving in 5 minutes!”. My mom’s yelling wakes me up from my own thoughts, “I’m coming!”, I yelled back.
It’s kind of ironic to name your child Heather hoping she would be adored by everyone. I’m not even close to being one. I don’t even adore myself, let alone being adored by others. I shake my head and sigh.
I put on my brown worn-out skirt and a hand-down khaki blouse, along with the old boots my dad got me from the bazaar 2 years ago.
I’m just going to braid my hair real quick and come down.
“I wish I looked like you”, I turn to the source of the little sweet voice that catches my attention. Freesia. My little sister. The youngest in the family, and the one with the purest heart and lovely eyes.
“Oh Freesia! I didn’t know you were there!”, She stands behind my half-opened door while she watches me braiding my hair.
“Come in”, I smiled.
Freesia walks in and sits on the edge of my bed.
She does not want to look like me. She would suffer like me.
“Freesia, you might wish to look like me, but I wish I could have eyes like yours so I could see me the way you see me.”
She frowns and tilts her head a little to the right, “Heather, you don’t see yourself the way I see you?”,
“Of course she doesn’t, she thinks you’re prettier than her. Which is true. You are.”
Said Hazel, my fraternal twin sister. She was born an hour after me though. We don’t look identical at all. In fact, our hair and eye color is different. She has these beautiful red hair and hazel-ish eyes that turn green in the light. While me, well I’m just an ordinary girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes. I wonder if she would still say anything about my look if only she looked like me.
I tie my braid and get my butt off the vanity chair as I try to ignore Hazel, who stands in the door with her mischievous smile, and says, “Shut it Hazel! You’re a bully!”,
“How am I a bully? I’m just speaking facts!”, Says her without ever having the taste of her own words.
“Shut it!”, I begged.
Just as soon as I try to pack my bag, a loud bang startles me and both of my sisters who happen to be in the same room as I am. I could see Freesia jumped off the bed she sat on and ran to me. She holds my hand as fear starts to take control of her body.
“What was that?”, Asked Freesia as she grips my hand harder.
Just before I could say anything, another loud bang gives another feeling of terror, followed by screams of horror.
I hear rush steps coming closer to my room. We are all too stunt to even flinch.
As the footsteps stop in my door, we are all relieved to see our parents standing there, though in panic. “Go to the basement. Right now. Don’t make any sound. Don’t scream. And don’t cry whatever happens.”, My dad commands as he runs to Freesia and picks her up. My mom hustles me and Hazel, I could see her body is shaking.
“What’s going on, mom?”, Asks Hazel. She’s as terrified and as confused as I am. But it seems like my mom decided not to answer her question. Everything is chaotic in this house. At this very moment.
“Cynthia! Daphne! Come here!”, My dad yelled as he put Freesia down.
My mom on the other hand, gathers all the food she made earlier for our supposed trip today, as well as some supplies. She also gathers some medicines, blankets, and hands them over to me and to Hazel.
She puts her hands on my shoulder and Hazel’s shoulder. She grips my shoulder tight and looks at me and Hazel in the eyes, “you’re 16 now. Yet there are things your dad and I haven’t told you yet because we thought, we still had time and thought we would wait until your 17th birthday. But now it’s too late. But don’t worry, Cynthia and Daphne will tell you everything”, she grips my shoulder and Hazel’s shoulder even harder than our body leans toward her. “You have to be strong. No matter what happens, stay strong.” I am beyond lost. It’s like I have this gnawing feeling inside me that tells me we are in danger. That our lives are in danger.
My mom gives me and Hazel one last look in the eyes before she holds me and Hazel close, and hugs us tight.
“I love you. I love you so much”,
“I love you too, mom”, me and Hazel replied at once.
Mom pulls us away and once again, looks us in the eyes. With more serious glare she says, “Cynthia and Daphne will lead you to a safe place. Remember what I told you.” She then gives me and Hazel a kiss on the forehead before she turns to Freesia who stands beside me, and hugs her tight, kisses her, and tells her how much she loves her.
“Wait, mom”, said Hazel while she turns to mom.
“Are you not coming with us?”,
My mom shakes her head before she continues, “I’m afraid not. We have to stay here. We can’t go.” She walks to Hazel and touches her cheek, rubs it gently and says, “you’ll be fine. You have your sisters.”
I just don’t understand. Why can’t she go?
“Will we ever see you again?”, Cries Freesia. But just before my mom could ever answer, another loud bang alarms us, and the sound of it is even closer than the first bang we heard.
“Alright. We don’t have any more time. Guys, please follow your sisters, Cynthia and Daphne, to the basement”, my dad commands. That’s when I know that my dad won’t come either. He and mom are staying while their kids are running away. But why? I just don’t understand. What’s holding them going?
I hold Freesia’s hand as me and my other sisters are hurrying to the basement. I give my parents one last look. My eyes become watery as memories with them come in a 5 seconds flashback, as we’re leaving them. I look away to watch since we’re about to step down the stairs. But just as we’re stepping down the stairs, 2 bangs are shot. All of us freeze for a few seconds, until Cynthia breaks, “come on, let’s go. Don’t look back”. I try not to look back but my head won’t listen. And so I look back. And there I see my parents’ lifeless body lay on the kitchen floor, drowning in their own blood.
Daphne turns my head a little harshly and says, “whatever you just saw I don’t wanna hear. She told you not to look back.”
I am too shocked to even cry. I just can’t believe my dad.. my mom.. they.. they died…
I can’t believe that it was my last moment with them. I refuse to believe that this is real. I just can’t process what just happened.
Cynthia closes the basement door slowly as I assume not to let those wicked people find us.
Daphne, on the other hand, takes out one of the walls brick, places her hand inside the hole, and puts out a key that’s bigger than her hand. Then she installs the brick back to its place.
She then rushes to a huge dusty wooden chest covered in spider webs.
She uses the key she took to open the chest and there, a lot of weapons lay gracefully. There are 2 daggers, a bow and arrows, a double-edged sword, throwing knives, and at least 18 mines.
“Of course, there are weapons.”, Said Daphne.
She then takes the daggers and passes them to Cynthia, “catch!”, She tells Cynthia as she passes the daggers. Cynthia catches the daggers with both her hands, each dagger in each hand, and twirls them like they’re just a pair of drum sticks. Then Daphne takes a bow and arrows for herself. They both convincingly look like they know how to use the weapons they took. Daphne quickly gathers all the remaining weapons and wraps them in a white cloth inside the chest. The chest is now empty. Then Cynthia comes closer to the chest and kneels down. She reaches her hand to the inside corner of the chest and pulls the edge of the paper that coats the board of the chest. She peels the paper off and suddenly blinding lights force me and my sisters to cover our eyes. After a few seconds, the lights become dim so that it’s safe for us to open our eyes again.
“Come on, let’s go. We don’t have much time.”, Cynthia says while she prepares herself to jump into the chest.
“Wait, wait, wait, are you going to jump in there?”, Asks Hazel.
“Yeah”, Cynthia replies, nodding her head.
“Are you a moron? This chest might be big but it won’t fit all of us!”, Yells Hazel.
“Oh my god Hazel!”, Daphne gets pissed and pushes Hazel into the chest.
“Aahhhhh!”, Screams Hazel.
“What did you do?!”, I panicked.
“Where does Hazel go?”, Asks Freesia, innocently.
“Don’t worry she’ll be fine.” Daphne said before she jumps into the chest, following Hazel.
“You better jump in too, kiddos. If you don’t wanna get killed, of course.” Cynthia said to me and Freesia, then she jumped into the chest just like Daphne did.
Now it’s only me and Freesia.
“Alright Freesia. Not that we have any other choices, do we?”, I said while grabbing Freesia’s hands.
Freesia resisting. I look at her and she shakes her head. I know that she’s scared.
“It’s okay Freesia. As long as you’re with me, you’ll be fine.”
I then pick her up and as soon as I’m about to jump, somebody is trying to break the door. Without any second thought, I jump into the chest with Freesia in my arms.
to be continued…
© Thalia Noya
