ColdFire -- Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Looking Backwards



IN THE DARKEST PLACE OF THE UNIVERSE, A SOUL WAS STRUGGLING TO BE SET FREE. AND THAT SOUL WAS MINE.



From the rising sun of Okinawa, Japan, we were about to transfer to New York City to find our luck. The sun was shining brightly giving a good omen to travel. I was left alone on my bedroom putting all my clothes on the luggage bag. I momentarily looked at the glass mirror that was now started to be occupied by the living dusts. I saw myself – my long, shiny, and brown hair, my dark eyes, my round face and the candy cane-shape birthmark at the right corner of my left cheek. I was about to left them all behind and start a new face all over again. As I step on the rug outside my bedroom door, I took my final glance at my used-to-be room. It was sad actually. I was going to leave those people who have been a part of me for the past year. I really don’t want to go, but what can I do? I’m just a child – fourteen turning fifteen a few more days to be exact.  Sayonara, I said to myself preparing the last word I would say to the people who made me smile all the days of that year. We rode a cab to the airport. As I saw the planes go up to the sky as if they don’t know what the future awaits them, I felt different. I was smiling yet I was crying inside. But how could I feel different? This was just the same as the last five years that quickly faded. Saying hello to another country we were about to encounter and saying goodbye to the one we were about to leave behind. Five minutes left said the clock on my left wrist until we head to the plane. My friends were crying but I just smiled at them. Their tears pierced my heart into tiny pieces and their stunning cries overflowed the water in my eyes causing a single tear to drop. “Arigato, Sayonara!” I said trying to make them strong as possible and let them face the truth that this will be the same as the day before we move to Japan. Thank you, goodbye. It was the last line that I said to them. How sad it was for me but it’s all I can do for now. We then went inside the plane and sat on the seat before the last row. I laid my head on the plane’s window as I listen to a song from my phone. The lyric of the song is quite dedicated to me. It’s a reflection of what I am experiencing today. I could almost remember how the words were penned as well as it was sung.

“This was the day

The day like yesterday

When I know you would go away

How can I ever stay?

But the memories I would left behind

Were those of what we had

I am like a migratory bird

But I promise you that I would be back”

But can I ever promise that I would be back? I hope so. As I stare from the window, I could see the scenery of the lonely place I might never see again. Tears dropped from my eyes but I wiped them dry immediately so dad could never see I was crying. I never realized that our stay here in Japan would turn out like this. A one-of-a-kind fairytale that has the most tragic ending ever. It was far worse than Shakespeare’s. Instead of thinking what could happen to the place I would leave, I just asked myself what could happen there in New York.

We traveled for about five hours – or more – yet our travel doesn’t end yet. Dad woke me up at exactly six o’ clock in the evening. I fell asleep thinking. We took and our suitcases and headed to the counter of the airport and headed to the arrival area to leave. After leaving, we faced the greatest adventure of our travel yet – starting back on our own. We went directly to a shop to get dad’s car. It was a friend’s shop. As we entered the shop, I was amazed by the great view. Everything was completely pretty. Though it was a car shop, for me it was more of a playground. Who says cars are for boys only? Then I’ll prove that they are wrong. I’ve always been passionate with cars ever since I was a child. No wonder I loved this place. An old man with bright eyeglasses approached me. He must be Uncle Jeff. Dad always tells me how they became friends.

“Robert! I never thought you would come here so early,” he said as he welcomed us.

“Jeff, don’t you remember my favorite quotation? ‘The early bird catches the early worm’,” dad replied.

“Yeah, I remember it. Is this Trixie?” he asked as he leaned forward onto me moving his spectacles up and down as if he couldn’t believe what he sees.

“She’s already a grown-up,” I heard him say “and she looks like her mother too.”

“Don’t say that in front of her,” dad whispered to Uncle Jeff loudly covering his mouth while speaking yet it was loud that I could still hear him. “I don’t want to mention her mother to her. Though she needs to know, why recall such pasts.”

I heard it alright. But I don’t want to tackle much info about her especially if I am in front of other people. I want her to say that to me – personally. Dad says that she abandoned us due to one thing. They must not be together. Dad was from a normal family and mom was from a rich family and her parents doesn’t approved of him. Though they love each other, my grandmother took mom away and they never came back – even for me.

I turned around and gazed at the beautiful scenery. I walked through one of the aisle and went directly to another as if I was on a labyrinth – but full of car machines and parts. As I walked through the last aisle, the counter welcomed me back. I went there with a great big smile for I was very happy with what I just saw. A paradise it was. But my smile turned into confusion as I saw a hooded woman on the counter, just at the back of Uncle Jeff. I don’t know if he sees her since he doesn’t pay that attention to her. I really wanted to ask dad who the woman was and why she was wearing a hooded cloak but I didn’t. I am afraid I would turn up embarrassed. Maybe this was just normal for them or maybe this was an old culture.

Dad went back to me and took a peep. He turned his neck immediately as soon as he saw me and looked at his wrist watch. “Oh, would you look at that. I better go. I have a lot to do back home. See you next time Jeff!” He took off his left arms resting on the counter facing Uncle Jeff.  Then he took the car keys from him.

“Take care, Robert! And take care of Trixie too.  And the car is parked just at the garage. And if you need help, just call me. And goodbye!”

Doesn’t he get tired of saying “And?” It’s quite irritating to my ears. It’s a good thing that we have finished our job their. Or else my ears would bleed with that word that he says every time.

After dad took the car, we headed straightly to the apartment that would be our house this year. New York City was new for me and I was amazed to enter a city of light far away from the distant silence. While sitting on the fur-coated seat of my dad’s vintage car sodden in ashen-gray tincture, I could clearly see the lights winking and smiling at me. They are like twinkling stars shining upon the dark night or like fireball flaming the vast black silk covering the city. We crossed several streets and passed numerous skyscrapers. I even saw a nice museum that’s quite catchy to the eyes. I promised that in my stay here, I would go to that museum. But for now, the same thought I had on the plane still lingers on my mind – what could happen here in New York? Well I met many people from across the globe and some are good while some are as bad as they can be. Before we lived in Japan, we were in the Philippines, Italy then Germany, Spain and Hong Kong and… I could not count it anymore. My dad used to be traveler. I really don’t like to travel since you’ll just leave the people who you just met a while ago. I don’t like goodbyes either. But I have a reason why I join him in his traveling pants. I want to search fro my mother and ask her why abandon a child of her.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed as the car put to a stop. My thoughts were utterly erased. My body moved a little bit forward. It’s a good thing I wear seatbelts though. The tire screeched as dad pulled the brakes. It was a bad thing. Dark started covering the light from the sun and the street was starting to be crowded once more. To make it worse, it happened that we were in the middle of the street I was completely disturbed. What could happen to us now? Stranded in one of the busiest street in the city – right in the middle.

“Are you all right?” he asked me through the mirror. He was totally soaked in sweat.

“What happened? And why are you sweating?”

“We have to leave now. Get out of the car,” he replied. His voice suddenly changed. The gentle voice I once knew turned into a tone that was frightened, afraid and fearful. He went out of the car and opened the door at the seat where I am in. He was scared as if someone was troubling him or more likely – chasing him.

“Dad, what are you doing? We’re in the middle of the street!” I objected. But he didn’t answer. Instead, he just looked backwards. His face was covered with fear and anxiety. I looked backwards to see what he was looking but it was just an empty street. There were no cars, no people passing by, and no people being busy.

“An empty street? Where are we?” I asked myself. This couldn’t be the street we were on just a few minutes ago. There used to be many lights here but now there is no single one left. This couldn’t be New York. It was a busy place that you couldn’t see an empty street even just for a little while.  I looked back again to see if I was just daydreaming and this time, the road was… floating? How could this be?

“What is happening dad?” I asked. But I heard no answer so I asked him again. Yet, there was no answer. It was as if he was petrified. “WHAT IS HAPPENING DAD?” I shouted at the top of my voice. Finally, he answered.

“Get out!” I was a little bit stunned by what he replied. And as he tried to look back again, his eyes widened with fright. I was really confused that I don’t know what to do next.

“GET OUT!” he shouted pulling me away from the car. My face almost hit the pavement of the street. The impact was strong enough to throw me a few steps back. He was really strong. Really strong as if he was some superman. I could hardly remember how he threw me back. His eyes were bursting into flames as if it was a ball of flame. And his hands… they were like a monster’s. My hands turned reddish as the scratches turned into wound. I turned my head as I tried to stand back to ask how could she do such thing to his own daughter. But to my surprise, everything went white. Fog dwelled the street. The car was gone like magic. I was the only one left on the street – alone and frightened. I stepped back with my face wearing a mask. A mask of fear and terror. I heard a heavy breathing nearby and as I walk one step backwards, I felt something. A raindrop dropped onto my hair then finally to my face. Lightning burst with anger. Sooner, the street was flooded with raindrops. The breathing turned louder and heavier as I took another step. Then I felt something. Something that crept from my feet. As I look down to see what it was, I saw dad. It was his hands holding my foot. He was lying on the street. His body wet with water and his face drenched in his own blood. He was trying to speak to me. I couldn’t help it but cry. Tears rolled down my face up to my chin where it dropped straight to the ground where raindrops danced gracefully.

“Tri…xie…” he muttered.

“Dad!” it was all I could say as I hug him tight lifting his body from the ground.

“Run… go… run…” He pointed somewhere yet I could not see where it was since the whole place was covered with white curtain.

“No! I won’t leave you!”

“Just go… hide somewhere…

“NO!” I shrieked and as I close my eyes, he said these last words that reverberated on my ears.

“Remem… ber… never look… back…” and his last breathe finally ended. What does he mean? I shouted “DAD” a few time yet I don’t think there’s another way of reviving him. I wiped my tears and followed what he ordered me to do. I ran as fast as I could, hoping to escape this nightmare. This labyrinth of death. A bright light shimmered from a distance that I decided to run unto it. Soon enough, I could already feel my leg being numb. As I stopped for a little while and decided to look where I was, I was happy that I could already see the cars, the people passing by, and the of course, the street again. But to my greatest astonishment, I fount out that everything was inverted. People were walking backwards. Talking backwards. Everything was backwards. Even the words were inverted too. I could not control my emotions. My head wants to burst out. I put my cold, trembling hands onto my head and sat down. I was starting to go insane. What was happening? Then, I saw a huge shadow covering my own. And when I looked backwards to see who it was, I saw the woman in the long hooded cloak in black accent while holding a gigantic stick with a curve at its end. Her face was covered in darkness and…

End of Chapter 1