Chapter 1 - The Girl with the Red Eyes

 

Drip, drip, drip, drip ….

I could hear blood dripping on the ground. My chest hurt and I'm breathing really fast, I guess this is the feeling when you finally realize you are about to die. I have regrets though, I should have listen to my mom to just suppress my abilities and move on, and I should never have agreed to come to this horrendous place knowing that in the end everything I worked hard for ended in vain, I should have tried to confess to the man I love although I knew he have love somebody else, I should ha ----- my eyes are starting to get blur already. I can't stand up anymore so I shake my head left and right trying to see my surroundings. What a dreadful sight, I thought. I really wish I could die in a place filled with baby's breath and lilacs', my favourite flowers yet here I am alone on a rooftop filled with dead fluxes and dollies whom I killed just an hour ago. I can't see anymore and I already lost too much blood. I think I'm ready to face hell now, just when I'm sure I'm finally going to leave this place, I hear someone's voice - calling me.

 

Three Months Ago

I woke up with a headache and gosh it hurts so bad, I guess this happens when you finished watching one anime series overnight. My eyes hurt too, damn. I stretched my arms trying to find my coat beside me only to find out it fell on the floor last night. I move myself to other side of the bed and reach for it, it's already winter and I hate the cold. I feel anxious and nervous every time I get chills and I don't like showing people my negative emotions such as getting angry, scared and etc., people say I'm an apathetic human being because I'm indifferent and unenergetic but the hell with it, I don't care. It's better this way.

I stood up and went to the cabinet next to my door, searching for my contact lenses.

"Where is it?" Opening the first drawer inside and I found nothing.

 I opened the second drawer and the third and still I can't find my contacts.

"Shoot, where the hell is that contacts?" I search again opening the three drawers and throwing the unnecessary things inside till its empty. I started to feel anxious, I can't live without my contacts although my eyes are okay but I badly need it, badly, or else. My head is starting to hurt again and I begin to groan. I have to find my contacts. I ran downstairs and went into the kitchen and heard the sound of plates and see my mom preparing for breakfast.

"Good morning pumpkin, no school today? Why are you not ready yet?" She asks.

"Mom! My Contact Lenses! They're gone!" I shouted, closing my eyes. I don't want her to see it. She came closer and lifts my face.

"Why are you hiding it in front of me? I threw away your contacts because I bought you a new one, here" she reaches for her left pocket and out came a new pair of contact lenses. I feel relieved still closing my eyes.

"Don't hide it pumpkin. You have beautiful red eyes" she said.

Red eyes. Yes, I have red eyes. People who have natural red eyes don’t exist. I believe violet coloured eyes do, some Albino have violet eyes I saw it in TV the other night. I don't mind having red eyes actually but the reason mine is different and unalike and also the main reason I hate the winter, why I'm such an apathetic person and why I wear contact lenses all the time is to hide my frightening red eyes.

 It started when I was about five years old when my younger brother died. At the funeral, I set a commotion because the kids there were afraid of me due to my eyes have turned red. At first my father and mother thought it was some kind of sickness so they rush me to the hospital after the funeral. To their surprise as we reach the hospital my eyes became black again. My parents tried to explain their hardest to the doctor about the situation. Obviously, they were not believed in.

Few months passed after my brothers’ death, the red eyes incident seems to disappear that is when I heard my father died in a boat accident. I did not attend the funeral so I kept myself locked in my room. My mom came in and to her surprise, my eyes became red again. She was scared so with no hesitation she went to the nearest hospital. The doctor could not believe his eyes when he saw me and took interest. So he tried helping us.

My mom was desperately afraid because my eyes never returned to its original colour anymore. She kept updating and asking the doctor if he did find results but there was none.

A few weeks after with all the examinations and tests ran by the doctor he finally found the reason how my eyes turns into red. Although he doesn’t know what made it happen or whatever it is. It’s a step anyway. He explained that naturally I have both black and red eyes; my eyes turn red every time I show and feel deep negative emotions which are the reason why my eyes became red at my brothers’ funeral and my fathers’ death. The doctor said it was normal so we agreed to let it stop there and just learn to accept.

Everything is back to the way it was, I and my mom started to move on and live a normal life. I finally got used to my eyes changing its colour until rumours started to spread and our entire neighbourhood begins to avoid us. They thought my eyes were cursed, causing pain to others. Once, one of our neighbours’ daughters was sent to the hospital due to a high fever. They believed I was the cause of it because she tried talking to me at school.

After the incident everyone treated me as if I am a monster. Though, I do believe I really am. My mom tried protecting me but being all alone she can’t handle everything; I understand her feelings so I decided to hide these jinx eyes. Mom left her job and I quit school, there’s no place for us here in the country of Japan anymore so we moved to the Philippines (I guess it’s the only country where maybe I can fit in).

And here I am now.

"Do you have class today?" Mom asks while making coffee her usual breakfast pairing it with toast.

"I have one, this afternoon. Why?" sipping a hot cup of Choco. It tastes sweet just the way I like it.

 "Can you do the groceries for me? Were out of coffee, bread and such, you can use the car if you want."

 "It's okay. I'll use my bike, the groceries just a few blocks away." I grabbed a toast, wear my contacts and walk straight out.

Just as I suspected the street is already covered with snow. I can see old man Jake shovelling his way to his house. I can't use my bike so I guess I have to walk.

 It's funny. In our history class last week I learned that the Philippines is a tropical country before but as I look at it now, it's difficult to believe it is. I guess it was about 100 years ago that this country was known for being poor that everyone has to kill each other for survival. With no food and water the people starved to death. That is when the US has taken control and the Philippines was saved and is now one of the richest countries all over the world third to China.

"Kai! Kai!" I hear someone's calling me behind. I look back and see Chari. She treats me as if we were best friends but in fact we never were. Well, I guess I can call her just a friend since she is the first ever person who talked to me when we arrived her, I respect her for that.

"Where are you going?" She pants. She must have tried running with all the snow to catch up to me. She brushes her straight blonde hair to the back and I can see her left ear. There's something shiny on it.

 I raise my right eyebrow.

She smiled. "I finally got my first pierce!!!"

"Congratulations, you're not a anymore, hoo-ray." I say with a boring tone.

 "Oh, c'mon Kai, be happy. I finally got a pierce." She shrugs my shoulders.

"Your earrings are cute" I say, emotionless.

 "Well, that's cool, I think. Where are you going?" She grabs my right arm. This girl really is annoying, I thought.

 Ever since we met she's like a gecko stuck with me wherever I go and what I do. Chari, just like me never had friends before. She's quite shy, sensitive and is a bit of a scaredy-cat that is why she is so happy getting her first pierce but when she met me, little by little she conquered both her shyness and sensitiveness. I guess being with me makes her a bit brighter and I want to believe I'm just a shadow to her and I don't mind if she looks perkier than me too. Even though she's always getting on my nerves I need her – to hide me from society. In order for me to not get notice at school I need her light to hide my very existence. That is why I just need to keep it like this till I can graduate college.

  We finally reach the store. It seems like there are fewer people inside. Good for me.

"You're buying groceries?" Chari asks.

 "Isn't it obvious? Mom demands me too."

We went inside and see only old people buying stuffs for the winter. I pull a cart and went to the bread section. Chari went to the cosmetics; I think she saw some new make-up gear she likes. I grab two packs of our usual bread and dash to the drinks section where I can find coffee. While walking, I just felt like there's someone following behind me. Maybe it's just Chari trying to surprise me so I never take notice.

In the drinks section I meet Roddie, he's one of the employees in this store and he is very tall.

"Hey …" he greeted arranging some fallen colas on the floor.

"Sup" I greeted back.

I search for coffee but I couldn't find it. I turn around to ask Roddie but to my surprise he is no longer there. The area begins to feel a bit strange too, it seems like I'm the only one left inside the store. I hear nothing and no one at all.

 "Chari?" I moved forward to the cosmetics section.

 "Hey, Chari, where are you?" my voice begins to sound hoarse.

I let go of the cart and start to run around searching for someone. I really can't find a single person. I feel a distressing presence again and a cold object falls into my face.

"Snow?" I look around and see snows falling. I feel cold even though I wore thick layers of shirt under my coat. I started to sense fear and thought of my eyes. This is not good. Even though I'm alone I don't want my eyes to turn red in public. I have forgotten about the environment and went to the nearest Comfort Room and there a black figure is waiting for me.

I turn my back to run away but I can't move my legs.

"Chari!!!" I shouted.

The figure gets closer and closer behind me. I move around trying to find a way to feel my legs. Damn, my feet are frozen stiff like ice, I look at the black figure and it's already gone. I traverse my eyes around the store double checking it if it is really gone.

"Anyone! Help! Chari!" I scream but no matter how hard I try no one's answering. I feel helpless and cold.

 "K-ai…"

Just in front of me the black figure appear again. It’s covered with a black object which I believe to be snow. I'm starting to get afraid but no voice is coming out of my mouth. Then I see the figure's eyes. Same colour as mine but a bit different. It has a black colour on the left and a red one on the right.

"K-ai…" it whispers my name again.

The figure moves closer and we are finally face to face. I can feel it breathing, its mouth open again and said a word that I can't understand. I shook my fist at its face. The figure back off and said the word again.

 "What?" I say.

The figure started to sob and it echoes around the store. Second by second her weeping's getting louder and louder. It looks at me again, said the word that I can't hear.

"What are you trying to say?" finally able to feel my feet so I move forward. I thought I'm going crazy because instead of running away I move closer.

"I can't hear you, say it clearly" I raise my right arm trying to reach it.

It looks me straight in the eyes, opens its mouth and this time I tried figuring what it’s trying to say.

"Help" I whisper.

The place then started to shake. The ground breaks open and I’m screaming, everything inside the store are being destroyed one by one and I see a flash of light going at me; when it's about to the black figure clinches me and is hit instead. Thrown far away I see myself badly hurt. My contacts also were toss away during the impact and I can see my eyes are still black in a glass reflection beside me.

I search for the figure and see it just a few meters away from me. This time the black figure is showing off colour and appears to be female. I look closer and gasp when her face is showing off.

I see myself.

She opens her eyes and raises her right arm reaching out for me.

"K-ai" She whispers.

I just stared still in shock.

 "He-elp" and she's blown into bits.

I didn't know what happens then because the moment I realize it Roddie is already shaking me.

"Hey! Are you alright?" I can see people's feet started to gather around me and I can hear Chari's voice calling me. Everything is normal again. I move my head to the right and see my reflection in the glass object.

My eyes, they became red.

 

 

 

 

P.S. This is my first time so I'm really sorry if there are grammatical errors (-_-). Chapter two will be release soon.