“Why is there limited information about the wonders?” I asked. We are almost at the border of Pocahontas and Tiana. “Let’s just say that the seven wonders are just a myth. People talk about it but they have never encountered a person who finished all the seven places, so they aren’t really sure if it’s true or not.” I keep on nodding. “Few records are found about it and also the people who know the seven wonders, sila lang ang nagdeklara ng mga iyon. Basically, the people who know about the wonders are relatives or close friends of the seven people that shared their experiences and marked these places as the seven wonders.” So seven people, seven places, resulting in seven wonders – as what they called it. It was refreshing to talk to people without thinking about the stress, what has to come, and the burden you keep on carrying. I really miss my father, the features of Adam is what made me think of him and not the conversation like this. Because we never had a chance to talk this
Surely we all have our own traumas. Some of which we had at such a young age, some traumas we grow up into, and some that we just recently acquired. Growing up is crucial in every aspect. Everything that is happening around you is something that you can easily adapt with. In a family with violent behaviors, a child would grow up thinking it's alright or grow up full of fear to adapt to such a negative attitude. The thing is, these traumas will either consume you or you can live with it. I believe that these traumas do not leave you – they live with you. It just depends upon how you will handle it. Sometimes on quiet nights, it visits you. Sometimes when the day is all sunny and the birds are singing, it would visit you bringing dark skies and heavy rain. They all just appear all of a sudden. Sometimes it’s a friend, most of the time it’s a foe. But as time goes by, the longer you have it, the more you will realize that in almost everything, it is the only one that does not leave yo
The fall hurt. Chris cannot move, his feet were sprained while my back was hurt due to the sudden fall. At this point I want to be ashamed of myself and shout at Chris at the same time. If he did not intervene once again, this would never happen. I want to be ashamed of myself because I got carried away by his words. I want to shout at Chris because he stopped me – again – making him hurt himself. The water is getting close to us. Adam immediately put down his bag and went to rescue us. I told him to get Chris first and just let me stay here but Chris was adamant. Adam figured this drama won’t be over not until he secured me first so that Chris would shut up and we would all be safe. He carried me like a bride. He’s unbelievably strong for his age, I weigh around 50 kilograms but he carried me effortlessly. Selene asked if my back hurts. I was tempted to say, “obviously not,” but I said, “yes.” If she’s really thinking, that question is clearly stupid. Of course my back hurts! I
The words we’re told directly in front of me. Eye-to-eye. It was told with a soft, concerning voice that would instantly make a girl’s heart melt. My heart did not melt. As a matter of fact it just left me dumbfounded, angry, and confused. “You won’t risk your life for a random stranger!” I yelled at him. My voice echoed, making Adam and Selene curious about what is happening between Chris and I, knowing that it is a kind of serious matter, they just let us. I am staring at Chris who is still holding my hands, looking up to me, maintaining eye contact. Hindi ko mabawi ang mga kamay ko sa pagkakahawak niya, halatang sinadya niya ang mahigpit na pagkakahawak dahil ayaw niyang pakawalan ito. “What if I do?” His voice is still calm. Normally, people would risk their lives for someone dear to them. In some cases that have nothing to do with family and romance, it happens only when you think you are a hero and saving someone’s life is your duty. But Chris is not a hero, not a relat
Adam’s first love was of course – a hiker just like him. They met in a clean and green project by their organization. Elvira was from the Belle chapter of Acto Group while Adam was from the Tiana chapter of the same organization. A joint activity was then held, making it a reason for them to cross paths. “It was the most magical moment of my life, kapag naalala ko ay kinikilig pa din ako.” I smiled. My parents did not have a chance to meet that way. Their marriage is arranged, when their parents announced it they obediently followed. For the first time they met was through a family dinner where both of their families talked about the wedding that is about to happen. Hindi nga sila ang nag-asikaso ng lahat, basta ikinasal na lamang. “My heart was calmed the first time we met, hindi ko pinalagpas ‘yung pagkakataon na kausapin siya pagkatapos namin magtanim ng mga puno ng mahogany.” She was the kindest, softest, and the most beautiful girl he had met in his entire life. Well, that’s w
We ate the breakfast that Adam cooked and set ourselves to leave the cave. The calvary then happened again. Binabanas na ako, gusto ko ng maligo. Not to mention that I am still on my period. Although it’ We started going out and walked through the narrow passages. The water subsided, it looked exactly just like the way we first saw it. We walked at a slower pace since Adam is helping Chris to walk. Selene is still quiet, she touches every single corner of the cave that we are passing through as if when she did that, she’ll be able to gather all the memories that she lost. The glowworms are still there, and just like the first time, it still amuses me. I can say that I get to enjoy this second wonder more than the first. The first wonder at Chip is where we started to talk about this trip. It was the first time that I got a chance to have a long conversation with Chris who tirelessly keeps on convincing me with this trip. Last night was still a question. He spoke words that I cann
Selene showed me their pictures. They look really in love in those images. Selfies, family pictures with Selene and Maure’s relatives, portraits, and pictures in the house owned and bought by them. Ang dami niyang kinuwento sa akin na halos hindi ko na naunawaan lahat. I just stood there and let her talk and talk. All I know is that from what she told me and the pictures that she showed, they really have a romantic relationship. We do not know what Maure and Chris talked about. When they went inside the camper van after their conversation, Selene and Maure left right away. Maure thanked us for everything that we did from helping her at the Island of Regain to keeping her safe by accompanying her and letting her join us even for a short period of time. Selene gave us her contact number and address so that if there would be a time that we needed help and we wanted to see Maure, we could visit them any time. It was a moment where I felt like I lost another significant person in my
I finished three bowls of rice. Probably because of the hunger that I am feeling since a lot of things happened early in the morning. Or because I just simply missed this food. It’s nostalgic, bringing me back to Ariel – to home. It feels like a very long time since I had thought about home. Most of the time I don’t consider Ariel as home because it does not feel like it. But I cannot think of anything as home except Ariel. Home is a place where I live with my parents, with the people I grew up with – by that I meant all the people at our house including the guards and the maids. Basically that’s home. But home is more than that – more than a concrete wall. More than the parts of an infrastructure. Because most of the time, home are people. I have been longing for home for a long time. The warmth love that it gives on a cold night that you are doubting everything, even yourself. The words of encouragement that you can only seek at the shelter you always run at when everything ha
Congratulations if you come to this point! You reached the end but this is also a new beginning of something wonderful that is yet to come! Written below is the list of the links where I got some of the information, trivia, and concepts that are part of the book. GLOWWORMS: > https://www.realnz.com/en/blog/glow-worms-facts/ CORPSE BRIDE: >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpse_Bride LITERS OF LIGHT: > https://www.instructables.com/Day-and-Night-Time-Lighting-for-Developing-Communi/ > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQCHvO2H0_0 ABOUT ECLIPSES: > https://www.space.com/15584-solar-eclipses.html > https://www.britannica.com/science/eclipse/The-frequency-of-solar-and-lunar-eclipses BUTTERFLY EFFECT: >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect STRAWBERRY FACTS: > https://blog.aghires.com/25-strawberry-fun-facts/ > https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/faq/what-are-differences-between-different-types-strawberries WEAVING: >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8qvz93B_2c ABO
This trip is getting more weird, exciting, and mysterious. Starting from when we reached the village at Cinderella and the time that we reached Auradon. It’s just that Chris and I kept tracing the mystery people who have the same names as us. Another thing is the pictures that we’re at the village in Cinderella. Those old photos that almost faded, they said that it is someone named Leira and Chris who traveled there along with volunteers who used to help them. Leira told them about the liters of light which they still use until now. There is one photo that caught my attention, the one who resembles Chris a lot which was named Chris too. The man is shirtless and he is holding an axe. According to them they were all shocked when they saw us. They thought that it was too impossible for us to retain our young features that well and there is no such thing as incantations and magic that could do that. “Chris? What do you think about all these coincidences? The names of those two travele
My plan after graduating is to look for a job while working at the cafe that Patricia and I started. It would be as simple as that. If given a chance, I would want to come to my mom’s medical missions in the remote areas of Disney Republic, to help her and the residents that we would encounter with the degree that I’ve finished. Probably propose efficient interior house designs and then coordinate with different engineers and architects, find a funder for the project, and implement it. Mom and Dad loved the idea. But it was a too generalized plan and I have to narrow it down. I have to blend in with the locals and make sure they would love the design that I would propose as it is still a reflection of their culture. But for now, I will be away for a month. “You okay?” Chris asked as he held my hand and gently squeezed it. “Yeah. A bit excited actually.” I told him. Today is the first day that we will travel. He asked for my parents permission even after graduation, that’s why they
The days passed by quickly. And just like how our lives move at a fast-pace, Chris has been hitting on me expeditiously. It’s seems like yesterday since he thought that I was going to kill myself at the pumpkin bridge but it was already three weeks ago. And that three weeks had been eventful. Of course I consulted my best friend by that time and I’ve got Chris’ note on my note app. I screamed so loud that night and muffled it all by hugging my pillow since I don’t want to wake up my parents. Patricia was screaming with me. She said that I should just wait a bit – like for an hour before responding to Chris, “so that you won’t be too obvious!” She reasoned out. And I followed her because she’s my best friend and she’s my great advisor when it comes to theses things But this one is really different. Surely I had crushes and the feelings got reciprocated but I don’t go any further than that. It’s like I am looking for something else and I am waiting for it to come, for it to be found on
Chris chuckled at me, he said that his mom loves old and odd names that’s why his name is Crisostomo and his sister is named Odessa. “It’s not that weird though. My name is just the backwards spelling of Ariel, since my mom and dad met there.” I explained with a smile. After I was born at Ariel my mom and dad decided to live here in Cinderella. I grew up here with my neighbor and best friend Patricia. I had the best life with my caring parents, understanding friends, and living my life to the fullest ever since. I didn’t know what I did to deserve this kind of life but I am grateful for the life I have now. I believe my parents made me become who I am right now and all these are the product of my everyday choices in life. Chris stopped walking when we got near Octavius Subdivision, “you’re living near here?” I nodded, “then we’re just one subdivision away! I just moved here recently.” He was surprised and even told me that he’s happy he chose that subdivision. My brows raised, “you’
I walked straight to my favorite eatery that resides at the end of the pumpkin bridge. Gosh! Tita Q must have been waiting for me. I had to go to Patricia to bring her the gifts from our family outing. And there I spend a little too much time at Patricia’s house. Patricia was so happy, contemplating how the hell am I able to go out on an outing when it is our final week and we would be graduating in less than a month from now. I went inside the eatery. Like usual, there were lots of people that were eating and everyone was enjoying their meals. Tita Q greeted me with a tight hug, “saan ka ba nanggaling na bata ka?” She held my hand and pulled me to a seat. “I prepared your take-outs na. Hindi ka ba kakain muna dito?” Tita Q is one of the best women I know, aside from Patricia and my mother. She has two kids which she raises alone but she’s great at doing that. She focuses on her children and hands-on with them even when she has to handle the eatery alone. When it is my free-time –
Leira is the kindest girl I have ever known. Although she says otherwise, I could see her heart that isn’t selfish. By the time we were at the village, I felt that it was the real her. She had become her true self. She teaches children, she lets me court her, she communicates with us, and shares her life. I was able to see her carefree self again and swear, everytime she let people in her life and connect with them – I feel more so happy. I haven’t felt this happy and proud just because of someone’s happiness. Then we had to leave and face the problem we left. I had a bad feeling because of the storm. I didn’t wanna leave the village and if possible that we could just stay there – we would. But I know Leira, as kind as she is – she wanted to face the mess that the other Chris had made. The storm intensified my bad feeling. More when we have to find Dr. Carval and Levy only to find Dr. Carval and his lab alone. She even did a great sacrifice of pushing me away to burn down the lab.
Seeing her in this situation has brought so much emotion to me. It was more than just a dream. She’s here. In the middle of darkness was her soul, standing in front of me. I don’t know what to say. My tongue got tied. As I let go of the hug, I didn’t know why she told me to just forget her. Unlike me, she doesn’t seem happy. She just stood in front of me. She wore the same dress on the day she died. Her body is glowing – emitting a blinding light – but I don’t care as long as I can see her. “Leira?” With a confused look, I asked her. I wanted to get near her again but she didn’t let me. Although her body appears like a soul, I was able to touch her. It feels like a dream to see her – the real her. “Let me go, Chris.” She’s pleading. Her voice had become that sweet voice that I could hear of everytime we would have an argument and she would use that mellifluous voice in order to deceive me and get whatever she wanted. I looked at her, wanting to talk with her. Like how she is,
Fvck him! I don’t need saving but he’s proving to me that I do – that I just cannot admit it to myself but everything about me screams for a six feet under help. “Are you listening?” He told me about his plan. My father contacted him a while ago. He’s now with Dr. Carval and Andrei. They were trying to see if the other Chris was gone. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you?” I shook my head as if he could see me. “Leira…” His voice is pleading for me to answer. “Yes.” From all the shouting and what I told my father, I felt like my throat was now dry and I couldn’t speak anymore. My father wanted to meet Chris so he could exchange my freedom for Dr. Carval. I said no to Chris. That Dr. Carval’s life is more important than mine. But he told me that life is equally important for all, I wanted to rebut and told him that our case is different. “Hush. Just listen to me. Everything will be alright. You’d be free – the freedom you wanted. And I would witness that.’’ I felt him smiling at me