THIS WILL BE THE LAST
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
ZACK
"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.
"Now, let’s continue." The man in a police uniform started as he took out the photos inside the brown envelope and scattered them in front of me. My eyes fluttered as a sign of dreary. I want to ask for a glass of water, but I know nothing would be enough to drain the chaotic emotions in me. Instead of looking at the gruesome photos of the people I grew up with, I turned my head around in the small plain room. It’s so cold here, and I’m tired of answering the same questions over again. Nothing seems to be enough with the detective sitting in front of me. The old man is eager to prompt me to say the answers he wants to hear from me instead of the truth. “Mr. Hernandez, for the hundredth time, can you please answer our quest
THE AQUAPHOBIC November 27, 2020 6 months ago... ZACK "Remember when I turned fourteen? I told you that I wanted to join a swimming club. I was adamant and confident in my decision and you all knew me, my dream is to be a swimmer athlete. But..." I bit my lower lip as my eyes darted on the white tile floor. A memory of what I fear the most came rushing back at me, "After I joined the swimming club, a dream of someone drowning me in a lake started visiting me at night. Since then, it has never stopped. The feeling of dreaming it is like a punishment-- I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I couldn't feel my lungs, I felt like dying in excruciating pain." I paused for a second.
THE DISGUISED INVITATION November 27, 2020 6 months ago... ZACK It was around 6 pm when we got home from the public market. We own a meat and vegetables stall and my aunt is always the one who handles our store. Sometimes after school I go straight there to help her sell. Our store is quite popular for the buyers who want lower prices and our store is remarkable when it comes to that. "Zack, I almost forgot. Your grandpa sent you a letter, I put it above the fridge, I didn't read it, don't worry." Aunt Olive joked, she's in the living room watchi
THE SHADOW May 18, 2021 PRESENT DAY ZACK "Zack, Zack, Zack." The familiar croaky voice brought my eyes to open. As my visions became clear, I realized that I am at the same place where horror always begins. The cold breeze engulfed my whole body making me shake uncontrollably, I felt the searing sensation of coldness in my bare feet. I can hear the familiar sounds of the rustling leaves, the waves of the lake, and the sm
THE REUNION May 18, 2021 ZACK “A-Aunt Olive?” I muttered under my breath. Surprisingly Aunt Olive swiftly dropped the knife on the coffee table in front of us. I just came to notice that I am lying on the sofa in the living room and not in my room. I felt the tight embrace of my aunt, “I was so scared, I thought I’m gonna lose you.” She whispered. I sighed as I let down my walls, I hugged her back while my boy continued to shake. “You dozed off and then a while later you were having a seizure, I kept on waking you up but you’re not responding, I thought -- I thought --” As aunt Olive started to hysterical, I immediate
MISSING PERSONS [PART ONE] May 18, 2021 LIZZIE [Lizzette Cruz-Lucero | 26 ] "I already told you that I'm going to my grandparent's house. Why won't you listen?" I calmly said to my husband Grey on the other line. He was already mad at me the moment I answered his call. Because of one shallow reason that I left our daughter in my parents' house. I truly don't understand, if I choose to leave Cassie with a babysitter he’ll still get mad at me. "My point is, why do you need to leave Cassie behind if you can just let her come along with you!" I heard him scoff. "You know how much I dislike your family! What if something bad happens to Cassie in your par
THE CONTINUATION... *BLAG!* I abruptly woke up when I heard thumpings from a window. Because of panic, I became sober immediately. I looked to my left and saw a woman outside the window who seemed to be in her 40s, continuously knocking to get my attention. While her other hand’s sticking a paper in the glass. When I carefully looked at the paper that is where I realized that it wasn't just a simple paper but a missing poster. I looked in front of me and found out that the driver was gone. I wandered my eyes everywhere only to find him outside eating at a local eatery store. I noticed that the sky is getting dark , I guess it's 6 in the evening now. I feel a sense of pity in her drastic situation. She seems exhausted so
IF ONLY SOUNDS CAN SPEAK May 18, 2021 MADDY [Maddison Galvez | 24] Do you know what's annoying? It's when they call a cabin just a 'house'. What I meant is, there are tons of different types and styles of houses, and I think they must know that when they are asked what kind of house they own. I know it's stupid for me to get annoyed for a small reason but I can't help it. Zack told us earlier that their house is called the ‘Lake House’. When I asked him what the style is, he just described it as a house in the middle of the lake. I rolled my eyes in annoyance because of his stupidity, he jus
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.