ONE STRANGE MAN [PART ONE]
May 19, 2021
FINN
[Finn Michael Torres | 28]
The sunlight coming from the window awakens me. I stared at the ceiling for a while before I got up and took my phone on top of the dresser. I looked at the time and saw that it was already 6:30 am. I usually wake up earlier than this because of my work.
I turned to Zack and Gab and saw that they're still sleeping deeply. I don't want to wake them up yet, but I also don't want to go downstairs without them, especially without Zack. The thought of seeing Zack's grandma again makes me uneasy. But still, I don't have anything to do here anymore.
In the end, I decided to go down to searc
THE CONTINUATION... "Happy birthday, Finn," Gabby suddenly whispered to me. I smiled at him as he immediately diverted his eyes towards Santi. "Good morning, sir. I've heard that you were such a heroic cop." Gabby greeted Santi in such a polite manner, Santi turned at him to shake hands with a big smile on his lips. "Yes son, you're right about that! As you can see our house almost got flooded by my overflowing honors and awards." Santi said without even trying to be humble, instead he accepted Gab's compliment in an egotistical way. After those mock-up greetings, Santi's mouth didn't stop as he continued to feed us lots of stories about his journey before when he was still chief of police. Even when I'm itching to get out of this room
SANTI'S WORDS OF WISDOM May 19, 2021 FINN "Chloe?" Zack muttered in disbelief upon seeing the face of her sister again. His body automatically rushed towards her and embraced her. "Z-Zackary?" "Y-Yes it's me. I'm sorry if I don’t visit you frequently." Zack said with teary eyes while caressing the cheeks of her sister. "W-wait, why do you look thinner than before? You're even much skinnier than me. Do you eat on time?" Zack asked worriedly while touching the arms of Chloe. We were all surprised when Chloe suddenly yelped in pain because of what Zack did. Zack quickly withdrew and stepped back
COMMOTION May 19, 2021 FINN "I hate him!" Jackie exclaimed the moment we set our feet in Zack's room. After Santi left we decided to talk about what happened. Santi returned earlier after he left us in the kitchen but he didn't stay long, he reasoned that he's going out to play pool with his friends. At first, he insisted on accompanying us to the public market, but Zack immediately turned him down by saying that we can reasonably go by ourselves. Maybe Zack felt that we are starting to feel uncomfortable towards his grandfather. Jackie scowled and rolled her eyes, “If you gather us here to change our minds towards your grandfather, I’m sorry but you can’t change mine.” She said to Zack.
SKELETONS IN THE CLOSETS [PART ONE] May 19, 2021 ZACK I knew I'd crossed the line and wasn't thinking rationally, but I couldn't stop myself from exploding at them. Their portrayal of my grandfather insulted me as a stinking villain. Because I know my grandfather well enough to know that he isn't the one they think he is. Yes, I accept that he sometimes speaks unpleasantly, but this is due to him being oblivious to what he is saying. Regardless of all his imperfections, he's still a respectable, good man. I restrained myself from dwelling on what my grandfather had said to me. I know he didn't mean to harm my feelings. He was simply disappointed in me because I had become a failure to them, and his remar
SKELETONS IN THEIR CLOSETS May 19, 2021 MADDY Because of my annoyance to Zack, I fell into a bad mood and made the wrong choice to stay here in this cursed cabin. I hate to admit but I'm the type of person who holds a grudge for so long whenever I feel that someone did me wrong. I sighed as I continued fixing myself in the mirror. My eyes fell on the piercing in my hands, then suddenly a little laugh came out of my mouth when I thought of an idea that will surely make Santi mad. What if I'm wearing this earlier? I'm sure that he'll insult me even more for wearing a nose ring and adding t
REASONS WHY May 19, 2021 FINN We sat under a narra tree in front of their house. When I was still in his room, we heard the ruckus, especially the screams of Chloe and his grandma. Everyone of us was alarmed so, without hesitation I rushed outside and I was startled when I found him sitting on the floor puffing as if his lungs were lacking air. And when I approached him I never thought of bringing up the commotion that happened to them. Because I know that it was out of my league. Instead, he’s here sitting beside me while absentmindedly looking on the ground, his fingers crossed, while the anxiousness is evident in his face. And I am here contemplating when and where to start the conversation between us. Since I called him and went here he never uttered a word, maybe the fortuitous whirlwind of events really
FACING FEARMay 19, 2021FINNI 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
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.