It was the twentieth of December. When the night was cold and the snow fell down on everyone’s head and piled up on the road. That was when they found my cold corpse under the bridge of Milgenistan.
I was heading back home from my university, a university that no other people can enter or exit unless they have permission to do so. I clutched both my arms and warmed them up. I walked faster, since this is the only day that I could go back home, I was excited. The crunch of the snow beneath my feet was somehow pleasing to hear. A familiar sound I heard many times already.
It was almost Christmas. I’d been wondering if I would be able to visit my family again at that time. Probably not. All of the students in my university might be busy again. December was the time of the month where the students had to go on a field mission.
Not many people knew about the secret of our university. My parents didn't even know either. “Damn, it's cold.” I looked behind me and saw my sister walking down the same path as I did. Footsteps embedded in the snow. “I told you, didn't I? Wear warm clothing. You ignored me,” I said, laughing at her.
“Yeah, yeah,” she replied with a very funny face. I walked towards her and hugged her sideways to give her a bit of my warmth. “Hey,” she called out. “When do you think we should tell mom and dad about our school?” she asked. My face stiffened. “Stop it. You know very well that we can’t. It’s too dangerous.” I let go of her and started walking ahead instead.
My sister rang the doorbell and we didn’t wait too long for someone to answer it. “My goodness!” Our mother didn’t even give us time to greet her as she ran and hugged the both of us. “Hello, Mom,” I finally managed to greet her. Mom let go and looked at us again. “You two grew up looking wonderful,” she said, caressing both of our heads.
“That’s right. If I’m not your father I would’ve thought that the both of you were your mother.” We smiled at our father who was waiting at the doorstep, holding the door for us. Dad was the one who opened it.
We all went inside as it was getting colder. Mom went to the kitchen to give us something to eat, while the three of us sat down at the dining table. “How’s school?” Dad asked. I almost choked from the water I was drinking. Good thing I didn’t. With a nervous smile, I answered, “It was good, Dad. We learned new things every day.” He wouldn’t know how much anxiety was piled up inside my chest. Hoping that he would not doubt my answer.
It felt like a lump that was stuck on my throat was removed when he smiled from ear to ear. “That was good to hear, my dear.” Mom placed the plates in front of us. My sister did all the talking with them. Maybe she could feel how nervous I was.
Moments later, I told them that I would go out for a while to buy something, but in truth, I wanted to leave because it was suffocating. I was never a good liar. It was a miracle that dad bought the excuse I said when he could’ve read the truth from my face.
It would be hard, not only for us, if ever our parents knew about the university’s secret. That was why I thought it was best to keep them away from that kind of world. The world was far more dangerous than that of Banausics. I wouldn’t want them running away from danger from time to time. It was already hard keeping my sister away from those.
Looking around me now, I just noticed that the street I was in was darker than the street before. I hugged myself, not because of the cold, but because of the feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced behind me to check but no one was there. My feet almost stumbled when I walked faster, wanting to escape this eerie aura. “I’m begging. Tell me it's not that devil,” I said under my breath. Lights became brighter now that I turned to another alley where there was an abundance of people.
I was heading to the store when someone suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me close. My initial reaction was to kick that person from behind, but I stopped when the familiar smell of someone crept to my nose. “Raco…” I called out, my throat ran dry when I saw what he was holding. “I’m so sorry, Lea.” My eyes moved from the wand he was holding to his face. “Raco…” I mumbled. “I’m sorry.” His face showed me the answer. We are wizards. Not everyone can be like us but for some reason, my sister and I belonged to that world. “I have to kill you,” he said as he crinkled up his nose. I could see how he was trying so hard to fight back the tears filling up the rim of his eyes. “I know,” I said, walking towards him, caressing his cheek. His face softened, breathing hitching up. “Lea…” he mumbled.
If he tried his best to stop his tears, I didn't. I couldn’t. Not when all of the memories... the promises we made flowed back in. “It was always you. I would always choose you, Raco. I love you. Remember that.” I know that he had no other choice. That he didn’t want to...but if he wouldn’t do it, I would lose him. His father would kill him. Their family was under that demon’s commands and even though they wanted to get out from his grasp, they couldn’t. I expected this already, that's why instead of him, I’d rather lose my life.
I looked through his window and saw that the lights were off. I was about to turn around when I heard his agonizing scream. “Raco!” his mother yelled worriedly. “Can you please hold my hand, Mom?” he said. Basically pleading for his mother’s comfort. “It hurts. I’m hurting...so much…” his voice trailed off as he started crying. “I want her back. I want my Lea back. My darling, my life…” his mother sat beside him, obviously not knowing what to do. “Come back...please come back…” I froze. I covered my own mouth to prevent the sound of my cry. I wanted to run to him, hug him, and tell him that it was not his fault, but I know I couldn’t. I shouldn’t.
I had a secret. A secret that I could never tell anyone. A secret that only I could keep. A secret that I promised my sister to never tell even a single soul.
It was the twentieth of December... when the night was cold and the snow fell down on everyone’s head and piled up on the road. My sister’s cold corpse was found beneath the bridge of Milgenistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment