FACING FEAR
May 19, 2021
FINN
I gently clutch the doorknob of the backdoor of their house. When I turned at my back I saw him with his eyes closed while continuously breathing in and out in a heavy and rapid motion. His panic attacks him earlier than I expected.
“I’m gonna open the door now.” I gave him a head start, he didn’t open his eyes instead he nodded vigorously.
I slowly turn the doorknob while not taking my eyes off him. I watch him tenses and his anxiety even gets worse when I finally open the door wide. The wind greets us as it blows our hair and embraces our body. I saw him jittered by the touch of it.
“F-Finn, I think I’m gonna have to go to the bathroo
A PLANMay 19, 2021ZACK“She killed herself. She drowned herself in this lake.” The second secret that I unveiled to Finn.It’s such a good burst of relief and it lessens the weight that I carry in my chest once I finally let out those things to someone. But the pain of my mother’s death and secrets will forever remain in my life.They said that when you get hurt you will never forget the pain that it caused you, but instead you’ll outgrow it, you’ll learn from it. But why is it different for me? Why do I always have to suffer in the same fucking pain and the same reason -- that she left me hanging filled with questions and agony?I felt my eyes sod as I reme
THE INTRUDERMay 19, 2021ZACK“What plan?” I almost dropped my whole body on the floor as a pile of cold water flushed through my skin when Jackie appeared on the front door, sucking a lollipop with one hand carrying a grocery bag.Then seconds passed, Gabby and Lizzie followed through and stumbled to Jackie and they began bickering. But I and Finn stayed shocked and silent… I really thought that it was my grandpa.“Hey, you two! Did you just see Debbie twerked, you look ugly pale.” Gabby started as he maneuvered his way through the kitchen, not minding the fact that he was bumping us.Jackie and Lizzie stifled a laugh, “did something happen when we were out?” Jackie onc
THE CELEBRATIONMay 19, 2021MADDY"HAPPY BIRTHDAY FINN AND CHLOE!" We all shouted in glee as we blew the horns and boomed the party poppers.There are two cakes for each of the birthday celebrants that are placed in the middle of the counter. Chloe’s birthday cake is a two tiered vanilla cake with different flower designs around it. While Finn’s cake is a simple matcha cake with a cherry on top.Gabby and the others prepared so much food. There are spaghetti, pancit malabon, caldereta, chicken adobo, spring rolls, pork sisig and many more. For dessert, there’s my favorite leche flan that they just ordered, marshmallow hotdogs on sticks for Chloe, and two contain
WARNINGMay 19, 2021MADDYI jerk and I didn’t expect my body to shudder tremendously when I felt his warm breath on my nape. The photos that I saw earlier flashed in my eyes like a flowing water the moment I shut my eyes. Because of what he’s doing, the fear I thought that I will never feel for anyone anymore, came back in just one wrong move by Santi.Fear and disgust mixed together.“Maddy was just curious about you, grandpa.” I heard Zack’s voice and his shaky laugh. Then seconds later I feel Santi’s presence farther away from me when he starts to step backwards.My eyes remained shut, I was in a serious catatonic state, that only my eyes can move. Because
IMPERFECT TIMINGMay 19, 2021MADDYFifteen minutes more before the clock strikes 9pm. After our meal they started drinking beers, ignoring the fact that those were brought by Santi. When I asked them if it’s really a good idea to accept the drinks, they just told me that wasting those beers by ignoring them in front of Santi is more of a wrong move. They don’t want to add more weight to our misunderstandings with him, and since we’re all gonna leave the place later, it’s fine to just put on a mask one last time. But for me I think, they just tried to look reasonable because they wanted to get drunk.Throughout the night my mind is just flying in the theories I created about the possibility of Zack’s grandparents doing such heinous things.
UNHINGEDMay 19, 2021FINNI followed Chloe through the living room, when I noticed how she behaved anxiously in front of other people, I felt a massive amount of curiosity from her. I have also been meaning and wanting to talk to her, I want to know if there’s anything off happening in this house. Maybe it’s a wrong move to ask her, but she has been acting strange since the day we met her. And to add the fact that she’s the only trustworthy living in this house who may have witnessed something… hard to explain.I am aware that she has autism, Zack told us before. I know that people with autism tend to melt down when they are not being understood. But Chloe seems different from the others who have the same mental illness.I noticed tha
DOWN THE HOLE [PART ONE]May 19, 2021MADDYI remained sitting on the end of the bed staring at the closet in front of us. Jackie snores like a bear in a deep slumber. I couldn’t help but to sigh in defeat and slumped myself in the fleecy soft bed out of frustration. I stared at the white ceiling for almost fifteen minutes until I found myself walking towards the closet again. I convinced myself not to pry inside of it anymore but it was a tough battle between my mind and guts. At the end my body absentmindedly chose to take sides in my mind.As I held on to the handles of the wooden closet, I closed my eyes and breathed in and out again and again. When I open my eyes I suddenly step back in a moment of uncertainty. I swallowed hard, shaking my head and tightening fists.
THE CONTINUATION... I gasped for air as hard as I could and slammed closed the photo album, and threw it inside the box. I put my palm on my forehead feeling the cold sweat all over my body as the paranoia attacks me once more because of not knowing what to do next. The commotion outside still didn’t stop just like the clamoring noises inside of this closet. My head is being hammered by different thoughts and emotions and without thinking right I bolted inside of it, slammed my fists on the last box as I mustered all the courage to open it. And when I thought it wouldn’t get any worse I saw lots of stuff used by women--bloody and worn out, dresses, clothes, underwear, and different broken accessories and ornaments as if they were ruined by force. I held out a breath for a second st
THIS WILL BE THE LASTEPILOGUEONE YEAR LATERZACK"Congratulations, Zack. I’m so glad to say that this is the end of our sessions." Dr. Peterson, my psychologist, said to me as we both stood up and embraced.I couldn't believe that after a year of therapy, I was finally done. I was diagnosed with PTSD, and it took us a long time to cure the nightmares that I had been having since the night Santi was captured. I admit that lingered with me for a long time, and it's still difficult for me to this day, but it lessens; most of the time, I'm paranoid, thinking they're simply around me when they're not."I'm going to miss sitting here," I chuckled, and he agreed and laughed too.
A NEW NIGHTMAREMAY 30, 2021ZACKSeveral different colors of lights blinded me as soon as we walked out of the garage door, indicating that we were being directed to the ambulance. The general public and the media were quick to follow. I was expecting the cops to put us in handcuffs, but they didn't."Zack!" When I heard my sister's voice, I blinked and sat on the stretcher, searching among the crowd for her. As reporters fought to get a hold of us, several cameras flashed through us, but the police were quick to stop them."Chloe!" I yelled, I was going to hop out of the ambulance when the nurses stopped me, till Chloe got close to me with officers sprinting behind her back."I-I'm truly sorry!" Chloe sobbed as she climbed into the ambulance and embraced me. "
IN HELL, WE ARRIVEMAY 26, 2021ZACK"What were you thinking?!""Don't listen to him; he's brilliant at manipulating us, just like you said. So anything he says will only end up being a lie." Julius murmured, but he didn't look me in the eye."What I'm saying is true; their names are Kevin and Daisy. They were such sweet children, Zack; you should’ve met them. But sadly, they both died in the lake—Debbie killed them both," Santi stated once more. "That bitch is a badass when it comes to drowning kids."Santi laughed.When I return my gaze to Julius, he is glaring at Santi with his fists balled and quivering, as if he is angry at what Santi has said, which further adds to my skepticism.I shiv
HONEST ANSWER May 26, 2021 ZACK "Are you certain about this?" Julius asked nervously as he handed me the chainsaw. I nodded at him and looked at Santi, who was roped to the chair and had a tape across his mouth because he was still attempting to get free. "I've never been more certain," I said. While I was looking at him, Finn walked towards me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and nodded, showing his support. The notion of torturing someone has given me a thrill, and I'll confess that I'm a little anxious and a little scared. This isn't the first time I've killed someone, but it is the first time I've felt a rush in my stomach at the prospect of torturing someone. And it just so happened to be my father, and the fact that I am so thrilled is terrifying.
FILM SHOWMay 26, 2021ZACK"This will be the last," I murmured firmly as I gritted my teeth into him, my gaze fixed on his. I blinked before returning my focus to the fragments of his photograph."And these? And all of these?" I paused. "If you think you can trick me for the second time, you've failed," I sneered. As I watched the rage cross his face again, I narrowed my eyes at him. He looks like he's about to erupt at any minute.I exhaled furiously as I leaned back in my seat and messed up my hair, but I was startled when he smacked his fist with a gun on the table, forcing me to return my sight to him. I'm not sure what happened to me, but I don't feel anything. I don't feel any emotions other than fury, but all the fears I've felt toward him? They're all gone.
ALL TO BLAME MAY 20, 2021 ZACK I gritted my teeth as I pushed open the garage door, clutching the gun tightly as I walked carefully inside. Before I decided to step my foot inside here, I made sure to steady my breath and settle the panic inside me. I don't know where Chloe is, and I'm not going to stop looking for her; after I remembered that I witnessedthe filthy animal things he did to my mother at such a young age, I'm convinced that my sister is suffering in the same way that my mother did at his hands. Gabby was mistaken about my lack of familiarity with Santi. Because I do, I just forced my little old self not to remember Santi's true colors. Santi's awful crimes were kept hidden because of my cowardice. It was all because of me if I didn’t absentmindedly twisted my memories of him and choose to believe the few kindnesses he g
DREAMING OF MEMORIES MAY 20, 2021 ZACK "W-what am I doing here?" I asked myself, but as I looked up and saw my mother standing there, I pursed my lips in surprise. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as panic starts growing within me. I moved my eyes around without moving my body, and when I saw my mother's room, I got chills all over. There are many posters of various singers, bands, and celebrities on the wall, as well as many of her belongings scattered on the floor; everything is in disarray, and tears welled up in my eyes as I returned my gaze to my mother. I came back from when she was still living, and I don't like this memory; I pushed it to the back of my mind so I wouldn't think about it again, but now I'm here again. Mom is grinning at me, her hair is a tangle, and she
BURIED DEEPMay 20, 2021ZackI forced all the air out of my lungs and exhaled as forcefully as I possibly could. Any attempt to get me up only results in me dropping to my knees on the ground, where I end up wailing and sobbing all by myself. Just as I was about to close my eyes, I noticed my grandmother gently fading from my vision as she drifted away with the wave, but instead of floating, the water ate her body, sinking her.I just found myself again and stopped crying when the sunset and the light in the sky faded. I mustered the will to get back on my feet and walk briskly toward the door. My foot is still blazing in pain, as if someone had slammed a mallet into the interior, generating a searing sensation inside of my foot.With he
DRIFTED BY THE DARKNESS VAST "Your son has dissociative amnesia, a condition in which your child blocks his memory because of acute trauma or stress; it can also be hereditary." The doctor in front of them said. "Based on his testing, his condition is still not so severe, but it could become so if he continues to forget memories." Olive grasped the strap of her sling bag as she returned her gaze to Zack, who was sitting by the window, refusing to play with the toys scattered on the floor mat. Olive's eyes filled with concern, which her husband immediately noticed; Sam reached for her other hand, which was sitting on her lap, and gently squeezed it, which drew her attention. "Does it have a cure?" Olive asked Mr. Peralta; a child psychologist offered them a tight, warm smile and nodded, causing her to sigh with relief.