Chapter 8
There was a sloppy sound as Zheira drained the blood out of Robert's neck. Melinda wanted to cover her ears, but her muscles seemed to be frozen. She buried her face to her knees and grieve her husband. The years they've been together was a treasure she wanted to go back to. If only she could bear a child, they shouldn't have adopted a monster.
She looked up when Zheira murmured something. Her hands were clenched as she wiped the blood off her mouth. Melinda felt nauseous. Her husband's blood was dripping out of her daughter's mouth. Such a gruesome sight. She shook her head, trying to remove the image out of her mind, but it seemed to be glued in her every cell. Her tears started racing. This was not supposed to happen. They should be as happy as they always were.
Zheira's breath quickened when she found her mother sobbing in the corner. "Mom!" she whispered as she moved towards her.
A reddish glint filled Melinda's face. The veins in her temple were throbbing as she glared at the monster who took everything away from her. "Y—you a—are no—not my daughter." She diverted her gaze. The sight of the tears trailing past Zheira's cheek gave birth to her pain. Even when she's mad, she still couldn't bear hurting the child that st.i.tched her soul.
"I—it wa—wasn't me, m—mom—"
"L—leave!" Melinda pointed her shaking finger to the door. "Leave before I call the authority."
"M—mom, please!" Zheira's knees..h.i.t the ground. "I—I be—beg of you. I—It wasn't me. I swear!" She raised her right hand.
"This is the best we could do," Melinda cried out, "You'll only remind me of his death, Zheira! Please, just leave!" She cupped her cheeks.
Zheira tried caging her in her arms. Melinda lashed out and pushed her with all her strength. "I want you to leave this instant!" she shouted.
"Please!" Zheira whispered, her shaking lips barely moved.
"Don't you have any conscience? Y—you killed the man who acted as your father! The least you could do is leave." There's an edge to Melinda's voice. It sounded like she's pleading.
It's like an invisible whip hit Zheira's body when her eyes landed on Robert. He was catching his breath as his neck bled continuously. Series of tears visited her once more. She's a murderer. Maybe her mother was right, she has no conscience at all. How could she do such a thing to them? They've showered her with affection and she return the favor by killing her father.
She stared at her mother and saw nothing but regret in her eyes. A dozen pin pierced her skin. Before another shot of pain buried her deep within, she wore her jacket and ran away from them.
There were a lot of guests in the hallway, wanting to take a glimpse of the scenery inside. Their loud voice might have intrigued them. They all moved back as Zheira pa.s.sed by,
The moment she's out of the hotel, she was greeted by the night's cold wind. It penetrated her skin like she's not wearing any jacket at all. Ignoring it was her best bet. If she kept stalling there, she might end up catching the other's attention. Her heart beats rapidly as she saw the line-up of people walking in the corner of the street.
Hissed and complaints followed her as she b.u.mped to the pa.s.sersby. She made sure to keep her head down in case some of them tried looking at her face. It didn't take long before she could find a place where there wasn't a lot of people pa.s.sing through. In each of the street's corner was a tree Zheira has no way of knowing. She retired on one of the tallest tree's roots and looked up at the sky.
Twinkling stars filled her eyes. It was so many that it could light the whole city even if the electricity shut down. Her breathing hitched when she saw the round moon. It was bigger today than she'd ever seen. She smiled bitterly. This was supposed to be her happiest day, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. How could her life change so drastically in just one blow? She couldn't think of any answer at all.
She wiped her tears harshly. There's no point in shedding tears. This was all her fault, anyway. If she was strong enough to overcome that pathetic soul, her father would've never suffered that way.
Her palm relaxed on her chest, feeling the beat of her heart. Even if she left them, they'll always stay in her heart. Someday, when she finally understood her nature, she'll come back and try to live with them. She heaved a deep sigh before closing her eyes. In an instant, memory after memory raced to her. A memory of them that she feared to stay as a fragment of her yesterday.
It was thirteen years ago. She was young and was optimistic about life. Melinda raised her to be that way. Every six months, both of them would hover in the mirror as Melinda trimmed her golden hair. They would laugh while the strand fell with a loud clang. Robert would but in and snort at their behavior. Their life was as simple as that.
"You can be a beauty queen, you know," Melinda once said as she brushed her daughter's hair.
The five-years-old Zheira squeak. "Really?" Her red eyes twinkled.
Melinda merely smiled. "Of course. Your beautiful face would be enough to throw anyone to their wildest dreams." She touched Zheira's necklace. It has a silver lace that was carefully linking to the pendant that has her name in it. "This pretty necklace would be one of the witnesses for the success you would attain."
"Yeehey!" Zheira clapped. She jumped out of the chair and started walking while swaying her hands and hips together. A wide smile was curving her cute lips. "I'll do it like this, mom!"
"You really are a superstar!" Melinda would say. Then, both of them would end up laughing.
Zheira had always been happy with her parents. They show her a love incomparable to others. However, she couldn't understand why she's not allowed to go outside. She never questioned that provision. Until, she saw children playing just outside their gate. Their laughter made her jealous. Why were they outside? Once, she thought every child was prohibited to go out. She's proven wrong.
"Mom, why can't I go out?" she asked her mother later that afternoon.
Her mother would pinch her nose and murmured, "There's too much you don't understand. For now, just follow what we're telling you, okay?" She smiled. Zheira had no choice but to agree with her. She's still not contented, though. So, one sunny day, she sneaked out of their mansion with nothing but the hope to meet children of her age.
There—from the vacant lot—three children played. At first, Zheira contented herself by watching them jump on a rope. She wondered what game they're playing, but what she's anxious to do was to meet them.
Abandoning all pretenses, Zheira ran towards them. "Yo! The names Zheira. Nice meeting you, guys!" There was a thick silence after her introduction. They're staring at her with a wide eye. One even peed in her shorts. Zheira's cute brows furrowed. "Uhm. Hi guys?" She waved.
Zheira's eyes widened when they screamed and cried as they pointed her. One of them called her a freak while the other called her a monster. The corner of her eyes started tearing. She couldn't understand why they reacted that way.
A tall girl pushed her aside before running away. Zheira groaned as her b.u.t.t bounced on the ground. It gave a pain that made her winced. The two children gave her a horrified glance before following their playmate.
That's when she realized she was different. What the children saw was her twinkling skin. The rays of the sun were focused on her at that time. Plus, her freaking red eyes. After that encounter, she did not go outside. If ever she's got no choice, she'll wear her favorite jacket and walk in concealment.
Zheira was thrown back to reality when a loud beep echoed. She wiped her tears before staring at the red car that crashed on a tree. What horrified her was when she saw a pale hand on the wheels. She moved closer to it until she saw Celestine's face filled with blood. Her scream broke the silence renting the air.