Chapter Three: Shannon

~Shannon~

NAGISING si Shannon sa ingay ng kanyang electric fan. There are beads of sweat all over her face kahit na sobrang tutok ng hangin sa kanyang mukha. There were also dried tears in her cheeks Nagpalinga-linga siya. She was most definitely not in her own room. It was too cramped. Her belongings are all stock in a big brown boxes that are scattered in the floor. Her bed is just enough to cater her slim figure, hindi na niya kayang magpaligid-ligid gaya ng kanyang nakasanayan sa mansyon.

Then it hit her. She is no longer there. Nasa dati siyang apartment nila noon ng kanyang ina. The first time she got here, she could not help but imagine her mother coming from the kitchen, smiling at her, just like she did before whenever she comes home after class. It feels empty. All it has are memories of long forgotten days. But then, this is all she has now. Nasa ilalim ng kanyang pangalan ang apartments na iyon. Turned out, her mother has purchased the property long before.

Mag-iisang linggo na rin ng pinaalis siya ng kanyang lolo sa mansyon. All those days she could not wrap her head around it. The honor and glory she worked hard for all her life aregone in an instant. But there is something strange in all of the crazy things she had gone though. The chains that once held her back are now loose. Ewan, ngunit mas nakakahinga siya ng maluwag ngayon. Wala na ang mga tuntunin na dapat niyang sundin palagi. Wala na ang karangalan dapat niyang paghirapan. Her steps are so much lighter now eventhough she's lost in the flow of life- again.

" Shannon, you bitch!" her automatically shifted to the direction of the shrill voice. It was her one and only best friend slash confidante- Cassidy. She was standing right beside her door with a cake in her hands.

" P-paano ka nakapasok dito , Cassy?"

" You gave me your passcode remember?"

How could she remember? She can hardly remember anything that had happened this passed few days.

" Oh did I? Hindi ko maalala," aniya." At bakit may dala kang cake? Para saan yan."

" Well, I thought it will be a great way to celebrate you r independence day. Welcome, to freedom my dear old friend!" she exasperatedly said.

Napangiti naman si Shannon. If there is one thing she love s about her company it would be the fact that she is a comedic relief to her dull life.

" Anong freedom ka diyan? Malapit na ngang maubos ang laman ng bank account ko e. Lolo has frozen all my credit cards. Ang natitira ana lang sakin ay yung sarili kong ipon sa bangko. Ihave already spend almost a third of it.Turns out this apartment had not been used in the past 8 years so it need a lot of renovations. Tapos, I stayed in the hoted for three days so here I am -a broke and unwanted heiress."

Her remaining money can only last for 3 more months habang ayaw naman niyang galawin ang natitirang trust fund niya sa bangko. Afterall, pera iyon ng namayapa niyang ina. Ayaw naman iyong bawasan pa.

" Shannon dear, freedom is the only truest desire of all humans. Tapos heto ka ngayon- nagpapakamiserable. You ought to be thankful. Hindi matatawag na buhay ang dinanas mo sa puder ng lolo mo. These past few years, he never really treated you like his granddaugghter. He only sees you as an asset para mas mapalapad pa ang kanyang negosyo. Then because of those stupid pictures , he just banished you without any second thought."

She wanted to argue with her. That she did it all because she wanted to prove her worth as a heiress pero hindi na niya itinuloy. Cassidy has a point there- a great point actually.

She smiled at her friend, faintly," Oo na, tama ka na. I- i just feel so betrayed na despite ng lahat ng efforts at paghihirap ko, ganun-ganun niya lang akong ipinatapon."

" Ang aga- aga ng mundo puro kadramahan na ang inaatupag mo diyan. Bilisan mo at matutunaw na 'tong cake. And, what the hell did you do all through these days? Bakit hindi ka pa nakapag-unpacked? You do not even have any furniture or anythings that you know, makes this place 'habitable'."

" I don't want to waste my money on those stuff. Baka pulutin na ako sa kalsada kapag namili pa ako ng mga iyon."

" Alam mo ang GG mo talaga. Sa tingin mo, anong kwenta ko bilang kaibigan mo at hahayaan na lang kitang mamuhay ng ganito? Ni wala kang aircon, o ref, pati stove wala din."

Shannon shrugged her shoulders, " Uhm, you are my emotional support animal ?"

" Gaga ka talaga." pinandilatan siya ng kaibigan. It is always fun to tease her frined. " Ano ako hayop? Sa ganda kong to?"

" Aren't humans, animals too?" kunway ay painosenteng tanong niya.

" Heh! Ewan ko sayo. Bumangon ka na diyan at kumain. Nagdala ako ng adobo na luto ni Manang saka instant rice. Alam ko namang hindi ka marunong magluto kaya dinalhan na kita. Ilang araw ka na sigurong tumutunga ng fast food at cup noodles no? Bahala ka, sa susunod na magkita kayo ng bruha mong stepsis , wala ka ng lakas para sabunutan siya."

Pagkatapos nilang kumain ay inaanyayahan si Shannon ng kaibigan na mag-shopping. She refused at first as her bank account is slowly deflating pero dahil nangako itong sasagutin ang lahat ay pumayag din siya.

"Do you have anything in your head n how you will decorated your apartment?"

" Cassidy, may I remind you that I already don't have the luxury to purchase anything I wanted now?"

" Libre ko naman eh!" pagmamaktol nito." And besides you know how I love to decorate. Oo hindi ako kasinggaling mo sa academics at least I deemed myself as an artistic person."

" Well ikaw bahala. Pera mo naman yan eh"

" Yay! we will spend the rest of the week decorating your place," excited na turan nito. " Si Daddy kasi eh, ayaw niya kong umalis ng bahaya at tumira na alng sa condo. Wala daw akong alam sa gawaing bahay hindi daw ako magsusurvive doon ng isang araw man lang. Tama naman siya, mga katulong namin ang gumagawa ng gawing bahay pero matutunan ko naman yun diba?"

" You know, I adore you right? pero sa pagkakataong ito, I am afraid I will have to agree with your father. "

" Heh! Anyway, anong plano mo nagyon?"

" Plano, para saan?" naguguluhang tanong niya pabalik. Kinalabit siya nito.

" Kung paano ka mabubuhay syempre. Alangan namang magkulong at magpakamiserable ka sa apartment mo no. And besides, we are already on our last year next school year."

" I-I don't know. Parang di ko ata kayang tumapak pa sa Montgomery. After everything that happened to me. I feel so worthless at paniguradong lahat sila ay tatapak tapakan na lang ako ngayon. I am just a bastard's daughter from now on. Walang silbi na ang apelyido ko."

" What ? You are going to let them do that to you? I dont think that's your thing, Shannon. You have endured 8 years sa puder ng lolo mo, you have earned more than anyone for our age. You are worthy enough, okay? Mahalaga ka hindi dahil apo ka ng pinakamayamang negosyante sa Pilipinas, mahalaga ka kasi ikaw si Shannon."

" I am lost now at this point in my life. It feels like my dreams and hopes has been shattered for good. Buong buhay ko kasi ang tanging gusto ko lang naman ay validation galing kay Lolo. That is why I strive to be the best, pero ngayon , parang wala na kong saysay. "

" Hey, that is fine. Everyone of us feels that way whenever when things don't work for us thE way we wanted them to be. But I am sure, lilipas din yan. You will soon find your ow true calling in this life.'

Right then, she remembered her mother. The person who cherished her even for a short time. Kahit na ilang taon na ang nakalipas, malinaw pa rin asa memorya niya kung anong klaseng tao ito. As an artist, she loved being spontaneous and just doing what she love. Wala itong paki kahit na ilang beses itong mareject o ni walang kahit sinong dumadalo sa exhibits nito. Then all her hard work has been paid off. She eventually marked her name in the art industry. Despite all the fame and attention she has, she remained a warm-hearted person. Half of her earning goes to charity. Nagpapafund raising even din ito for the NGO she supported. The more she thought of her mother the more she wanted to live a life like hers- just being herself, happy and free.

Her meaningful realization in her fucked up life was cut abruptly when they pass over a crowd of people dashing to the the same directioon. Napakunot- noo si Shannon nang aksidente siyang masagi ng isa sa mga ito.

" Sorry, miss," hinging paumanhin ng nakasagi sa kanya at dali-daling umalis.

" Are you okay, Shannon?" Cassidy look so worried about her. " Gusto mo itapon ko sa labas ng building na 'to ang lalaking iyon? Pagkatapos mag-sorry eh, tumakbo na lang bigla na parang walang nangyari.

" No , I am fine. Ikaw talaga ang brutal mo masyado."

" Alam mo namang ayaw na ayaw ko na na-aagrabyado ka di ba."

" Where the hell those peole are going? May event ba ngayon?"

" As long as I can remember, wala naman. Baka may artista ? Tara sundan natin."

Bago pa siya makaumang ay hinila na siya ni Cassidy. Nakisiksik sila sa bulto ng mga taong nagkukumahog makita ang kung sino man ang naroon. Nang makarating sila sa pwesto na sapat lang ang layoupang makita ang pinagkakaguluhan ng mga tao ay natigilan si Shannon. Standing near the fountain are strange figures. Two men and one women, naka- all black outfit ang mga ito. Sobrang maputi ang balat o mas tamang sabihin na maputla ang kanilang balat na parang hindi iyon kailanman nasinagan ng araw.

" Oh god!" Cassidy gasps beside her.

She can't recognize these people. Hindi naman ito mga sikat na celebrity but everyone seems eager to snap a picture of them. The the girl in the middle smiles at the crowd and waveS her hand, revealing a pair of razor sharp fangs.

Shannon now feels the surreality of the things around her. Mataman niyang pinagmasdan ang mga bampira. They resembled a lot like those she had seen in the movies. White pale skin, looks that could literally kill and those fangs that can end someone's life. Pati na ang kanilang mabigat na presensya.

Vampires.