CHAPTER 1: Arrested

Nala’s Point of View

"What the hell, Nala? Did you just say he saw your face?!" Lawrence exclaimed with wide eyes after I told him what happened earlier.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes! Do I have to repeat it again? That’s why I am telling you that I need to leave Nadine to you in the meantime, right?" I said, annoyed, and then drank the redhorse alcohol in my glass. Its bitter taste caresses my throat.

"Are you stupid? Are you really going to jail? Don’t you intend to hide or run away from the police?!"

"Seriously, Lawrence, are you dumb too? Do you really think I didn't consider that? Obviously, I don't want to end up in jail, but let's face it, what we did was totally illegal. I'm not trying to act all high and mighty here, because let's be real, I got some benefit from the money I stole too. But I'm willing to face the consequences. I won't run away like a coward because I know I'm guilty as hell. The cash I swiped before is enough to cover Nadine's medicine. So yeah, I'll just pay for that in prison. It's the right thing to do, even if it sucks big time."

He didn’t answer.

I took the bottle of redhorse and then drank it without using a glass. It’s only six in the morning, but I’m already drinking. I’m making the most of it because I won’t be able to experience it when I’m in jail.

I had a very strong hunch that at any moment, the police would knock on the door of my house and arrest me.

Lawrence gave me a silent, disapproving look before cautiously making his way towards me. It's funny how he's still in the same outfit as earlier, refusing to head home, even though he's just my neighbor.

"That’s enough, Nala. Get some rest," he seriously broke the silence and tried to grab the bottle of redhorse that I was holding.

"I’m fine. I’ll wait for the police to come," I insisted, moving the bottle further away from him.

He sighed heavily, scrubbing his face with his hand in a futile attempt to hide his irritation with me.

"I’ll just wake you up," he said.

He snatched the bottle of redhorse from me even more.

"Don’t!" I stopped him.

He took the alcohol from me effortlessly, flexing his muscles like he was the Hulk. I shot him a death glare, hoping he'd get the message that I'm not giving up without a fight. I've already downed two bottles of redhorse, so my vision is doing the Macarena. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to regain some semblance of sobriety.

"Tsk. Here water."

Lawrence placed a glass of water on the table. I took it and then drank it straight. I felt relieved a little because the water replaced the bitterness in my throat.

"Thanks," I said.

Lawrence's judgmental gaze made me feel like some kind of twisted anomaly in his world. Whatever, I brushed it off and decided to take a moment to rest my eyes. I plopped my head down on the table, blocking out his negativity.

A familiar voice took over my sanity. This was followed by his demonic laughter as soon as I closed my eyes.

"I will make sure that you root in hell, woman!"

I know him! He was the man in the parking lot earlier!

I couldn't even open my eyes, no matter how hard I tried. That guy's voice scared the living daylights out of me. Thank goodness I managed to find a way to escape earlier, or I'd be six feet under by now. I can still feel the sweat dripping down my forehead, freezing me to the bone. And that gun was like a popsicle pressed against my head.

I don’t want to go to jail, but when I think about the sin I committed, I can’t sleep anymore. My conscience is chasing me so hard that even if I try to run away, I can’t escape.

I didn’t kill anyone, but it seems like I did because of how I feel right now.

"I told you, the person you’re looking for is not here, so can you please leave?!" Lawrence’s angry voice made my eyes open.

Another non-familiar male voice followed. "We know she’s in there. We have an arrest warrant. We can’t leave here until we’re with her. If you don’t let us in voluntarily, we will be forced to enter by force."

My eyes widened as I got up from lying on my small bed inside my room when I heard that.

Are those the police? Why didn’t Lawrence wake me up? He said he would wake me up. What is he trying to do? Is he trying to hide me?

I cursed in the back of my mind. Sleeping is not a good idea, damn it! I left my room with a complete decision in mind. I trust Lawrence to take care of my sister.

I’m not surprised that the police are here. I expected them to come here, especially since I robbed a rich man earlier.

"Leave now!" Lawrence repelled the policemen who were in front of him once again.

"Lawrence..." I grabbed his attention.

His eyes widened as our eyes met when he turned in my direction. He was confused about whether to approach me, to hide me, or to continue to drive the policemen away.

I shook my head at him slowly. "You said you would wake me up," I said.

He immediately closed the door. He frowned when he gave me his attention.

"Do you really think I’m going to let you go to jail, Nala? What do you think of me? A useless friend? It’s my fault. If protecting you is in exchange for my imprisonment, I don’t care anymore."

"Lawrence, are you crazy?! It’s not your fault. It’s my fault because I was careless!"

"Stop it, can you? Run away, Nala. Go through the back door. Think about your sister. You still have a family that needs you. I don’t have a family anymore, so it’s okay for me to go to jail. Compared to the two of us, I have more sins to pay for in prison."

I shook my head. "I will not agree, Lawrence. I can only count on you. My conscience wouldn’t let me act normal in front of my sister after what I did. I trust you, Lawrence. Please take care of Nadine."

"Nala..."

I tried to laugh and jokingly punched his right shoulder.

"You’re really disgusting! I don’t like drama. Maybe I can get out quickly from jail because I didn’t kill, right?" I uttered. "Besides, you’ll probably visit me there, won’t you?"

"I’m giving you a chance to escape, Nala."

"I will not run away because I am not a coward. If I run away, my case will only increase, and I will spend more time in jail. Do you understand?"

He sighed violently and straightened himself. He seems confused and problematic with what is happening.

"Alright, if that’s what you want. But promise me that you will take care of yourself. Don’t worry; I will find a way to bail you out. Immediately!"

"Don’t mind. I’m fine. Maybe it’s a new experience on my part," I joked.

"It’s not funny," he said seriously, which made me laugh.

I patted his shoulder and then walked towards the door.

No one wants to go to jail. No one wants to be away from the love of their life. There is no person who would not think of running away in this situation. But, like I said, I can’t face my sister after what I did.

My eyebrows suddenly rose upon opening the door. I saw three men standing in front of my house. I looked at them from head to toe.

"Are you the police?" I asked, frowning.

I'm not sure what to make of them. These guys definitely don't fit the typical police officer look. They're rocking black suits, white button-down shirts, black ties, and shiny black Oxford shoes. Oh, and let's not forget the eyeglasses. They're like the men in black, but somehow they ended up on our street. It's a bit unnerving, to be honest. Should I be afraid? Who knows. But they definitely stand out in the neighborhood.

"Are you also the thief?" asked one of them.

I didn’t answer. If I say yes, they might think that I’m still proud because I did something illegal, so instead of speaking, I just held out my two hands in front of them.

"Handcuff me," I said without emotion.

One of them grinned. "No need. We know you aren’t attempting to escape, though," he said.

Even though I was surprised, I didn’t speak.

"Are you really the police?" I couldn’t hold my mouth anymore, so I asked the police officer next to me.

I was fully prepared to be apprehended by some cops who weren't exactly towering figures and had a little extra cushion around the midsection. Their uniforms seemed to be struggling to contain their ample bellies, with buttons barely holding on for their lives. That's just the kind of police force you'll find here in Parañaque. But hey, no judgments here, just an honest description.

"Why you? Are you really a criminal?" he asked back again.

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. "Do you want me to prove it to you to believe?"

"Whoa! Calm down. I’m just asking. I won’t even lay my fingertip on you even if you prove that you are a criminal," he flatly said.

"Why? Are you afraid of losing your job?"

He laughed. "Not really. We were ordered not to touch you," he grinned.

My forehead furrowed in confusion. "What? And who the hell will order you such a useless thing?"

He didn’t answer; he opened the car door for me. My confusion got worse upon seeing that it was an expensive car and not a police mobile!

What’s going on?! If only I had known that this is how it is when arresting a criminal, I would have committed a crime long ago!

But wait, isn’t this the modern way of kidnapping someone?! They will take me to an abandoned warehouse and then torture me until I confess where I put the money!

I got goosebumps because of my own thoughts.

As I got into the car, my suspicions were quickly confirmed when I felt a handkerchief being placed over my nose. Shocked, my eyes widened as I realized what was happening. I attempted to resist, but my assailant was stronger, causing the handkerchief to be pressed even harder against my nose.

Damn it! They said they wouldn’t touch me! This is ridiculous!

As I felt a gradual dizziness overcome me, my vision began to blur. The slight pain in my arm intensified as I continued to struggle. In the midst of my disorientation, I could hear faint whispers, though their meaning eluded me. Before I knew it, darkness enveloped me entirely.

"Sister..."

My forehead suddenly furrowed when I heard that familiar, small voice.

"Why did you do that?"

As I groggily regained consciousness, I recognized that familiar voice. No doubt about it, it was my sister. I quickly jumped to my feet, my heart racing as I took in the sight of her standing before me. She looked radiant in her favorite dress, paired with those adorable red doll shoes I had gotten her. Those were the good old days, before illness and suffering took hold.

"Nadine..." I whispered.

"Sister Nala..."

My tears flowed down my cheeks. I can’t believe what I am seeing. I couldn’t believe that I could see her standing up and not in pain. I couldn’t believe that she could call my name without whimpering in pain. I couldn’t believe that she was here in front of me, strong and smiling.

"My Nadine." I ran toward her and immediately hugged her.

"You are not my sister!" She said it angrily as I got close to her and pushed me, causing me to land on the black floor.

My eyes widened.

"What are you saying, Nadine? I am your sister Nala. Your only sister." I tried to smile and was about to approach her, but she pulled back, causing the smile on my lips to disappear.

"You are not my sister! My sister is kind! She is not a thief, she will not think of aggravating other people! You are not my sister! You are bad! I hate you!"

"Nadine, what are you talking about?!"

"I hope it’s not just Mama who died! I wish it was you! You are bad! You should be the one who died!"

"NADINE!" I woke up abruptly, struggling to catch my breath and clutching my chest. My heart pounded relentlessly, as if it yearned to break free from its confines.

I closed my eyes tightly, shook my head, and bit my lower lip to stop it from trembling. It was just a dream. My sister can't tell me that. I know she will understand me when she knows what I did.

"Having a nightmare?"

"Oh, shit!" A curse spontaneously came out of my mouth.

In the darkness, a familiar voice resonated, its source unknown. The only source of light in this dim space was the window, casting its rays upon the surroundings.

"W-Where are you? Show me yourself!" I said bravely, and focused my eyes on the dark part of the place. "Show yourself! Do you think I’m afraid of you?!" I said again and narrowed my eyes.

"Okay, then."

As soon as he spoke those words, I heard the unmistakable sound of his finger snapping. In an instant, the darkness that had surrounded us was banished, replaced by a brilliant, blinding light. I had to quickly shut my eyes, overwhelmed by the sudden brightness.

I heard someone tsked. "I thought you weren’t afraid of me, and you wanted to see me. Why were you closing your eyes, then?"

I snapped my eyes open as soon as I heard it. Those gunmetal blue eyes were impossible to miss. And then it hit me—the realization of who he was. My heart raced with nervousness immediately.

"You’re the son of—you?!"