25 The Truth About the Past II (2/2)

”You don't know what he wants.” She growls and lightning dances in her fingers, ice crystals suddenly appear out of nowhere and they circle her like they are in some kind of ritual. Fire joins in too, playing around her feet, the ground rattles, the wind turns cruel, almost cutting through her skin. Almost. A new storm is brewing, from the sound that it's making, it appears to be holding back. Sarah's eyes are now close, she's concentrating from the looks of it. I didn't get much look after that because at the same time she opened her eyes, I am being dragged out of the scene.

It appears that Allianah made progress at that time cause right now all seven of them are sitting around a table, seemingly in the middle of a meeting. Allianah and Sarah are at both ends of the table, Cade on the right side of Allianah, and others follow. Allianah and Sarah are sharply staring at each other. They look like they are moments away from clawing each other's eyes out. Their other friend bristles a little at the tension the two are immersing. The heavy silence that envelops the room is procuring sweat from everyone. Sarah is the one who takes the initiative to break the stillness of the room. ”All I am saying is,” she started. ”We are running out of options. The ecosystem is slowly dying, the animals are facing very serious mass extinction and the balance is slowly tilting. Soon we are going to run out of food supplies because these d*mn humans don't take considerations of birth f*ck*ng control or family planning.”

”So you are suggesting running this experiment of separating males from females to control the rapid increase in population.”

”Yes,” Sarah hisses out. ”And to sustain the balance.”

”We can't do that,” Allianah sits back.

”Why?”

”I've told you so many times, Sarah,” Allianah said through a sigh. ”This can lead to a more serious problem than losing balance in the ecosystem. This can result in human extinction.”

Sarah rolls her eyes and scoffs. ”And I told you so many times, that's why we need to be the ones manipulating this experiment so we can control properly the population instead of it resulting in our extinction. These people will listen to your speech about how we need to control our sex hormones but they won't apply it. Why? Because they are the reckless selfish son of b*tch*s who only cares about their satisfaction.” Allianah leans forward, her eyes narrowing into slits as she puts a challenging stare to Sarah.

”Do not test me, Sarah.” The edge in her voice is not hard to miss.

”I am not testing you, Ally. I am just simply laying out the facts and the probabilities of what might happen in the future if we don't take precautionary measures right now. We need to take action, Ally. Let's face it, they won't listen to your lousy speeches anymore. They need stronger guidance than that.”

”No.” It's not a suggestion but a command and I am pretty sure Sarah heard the change in tone in her voice because she glares at her before speaking again.

”You seem to keep on forgetting that we are all leaders here, not just you. And we aren't under your dictatorship. I say we vote.” The others shift uncomfortably in their seats.

”Sure. But if I win, this is the last time that this topic will be open up.”

”Yes, and If I win we will have a trial regarding this and I will be the one conducting that,” Sarah deadpan.

”Fine by me. Now let's vote.”

I hate Leo. It's official this time. He keeps on dragging me out of the scene just when the exciting part happens. Fudging cliffhanger all the time.

I land in a room. I mean, a different room. This looks more like a bedroom. The wall is surrounded by pink paint, the ceiling is covered with green stars and moon that I am sure are glow in the dark. There's small a bed with pink covers with a cute looking canopy. Curtains--which are also pink--are drape from the canopy to the bed. A small vintage color cabinet is standing on the right side with a book resting atop of it. This looks like a toddler's bedroom.

Sure enough, the door was opened with a blast, it hits the wall, it's hinges rattle at the impact and a giggling little girl came in. Her black hair was tied up in pretty pig-tails. Her large brown cognac eyes stare up at me. I should be freaking out because she is staring straight into my eyes but I didn't. Instead, I felt the weirdest thing. My heart contracts and air abandoned my lungs, everything inside me swells at the sight of the little girl who's happiness relies on the silliest thing. Then it hits me like a train wrecking my own body. That girl is me. The toddler who can bearly walk on her own and who is now crawling to me with her tiny thumb being sucked by her mouth is me. I start to walk towards her, even more, surprise that Leo is letting me walk, given that the toddler I could probably--certainly--see me. I subconsciously ruffle her very little hair and she giggles again. I tickle her sides and she gives me a high-pitch laugh that fills up the lifeless room.

”I swear, she can walk, she's only crawling because she wants to be carried.”

Someone groans. I snap my head up to see a woman standing on the doorway, watching the baby with adoration and contentment in her eyes. Another figure looms behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, kissing the side of her neck and she melts against him.

”Then we better carry her.” The guy said. He moves away from her to the baby in front of me. The baby turns to him and a giggle escapes her. She puts her hands in the air and he scoops her up in his arms.

”Daddy!” His eyes soften at the endearment and he blows a raspberry in her tummy that earns him a euphonious laugh.

”That's right, sweetie, I'm Daddy.” She claps her hands like that was the most wonderful thing to hear. Allianah came up beside him. She rests her head on his shoulder while her arm snakes around his waist. She kisses his shoulder and she watches both of them with love in her eyes. The baby reaches around her daddy to touch Allianah's face.

”Mommy!” She squeals and just like her daddy's eyes, Allianah's visibly softens at the nickname their child gave her. Allianah caught her child's hand presses a feather-like kiss on her palm.

”That's right, Recca. I'm Mommy.” I don't know but for some reason, the name sends a jolt in me that I can't quite fathom what. It seems to awaken and confuse me at the same time. But one thing's for sure, it sent my heart squeezing for air. My eyes pour with tears. What's with that name?

”Let's get you to sleep, shall we?” Cade said. He carries Recca to her bed and tucks her under the blanket.

”Read.” Recca quips. Parents. That's what Cade and Allianah are right now. They are parents. I don't know what to call them until now and I don't know how I know that word. It just pops up in my head suddenly.

Cade and Allianah are sitting on either side of Recca and Cade is reading her a book. They look like the perfect family picture. Earlier, I was almost sure that I am this kid but now especially when Cade called her Recca, I'm not anymore. But Recca looks so much like me. And I look like Allianah, pretty much. Though you can't see Cade's looks in me there sure are remnants. If they are my parents and I am Recca, where are they? Were they forced to forget me too like I was forced to forget who I am? Hell, I don't even know if I am Recca or Ellie. I don't know who I am or who I should be. Am I Ellie, the royalty where the life of so many lies or am I Recca, the forgotten and the lost?

I was pulled out again and I landed into a more sickening event. I am still in the same room with the same people but I can see and feel the change in the course of events. Cade and Allianah are both sitting on either side of Recca who is now not a toddler anymore. She is now closer to the age of six or so--an educated guess of course--and her features are closer to mine as well which confuses the hell out of me even more. She is currently sleeping peacefully unaware of the sad goodbyes her parents are giving her.

Tears are streaming down Allianah's face as well as Cade's. They are whispering things in her ear and I wonder why Recca isn't even batting an eye because they are too close to her and that she can probably hear them but she shows no movement. Even as the door burst open and bang on the wall, she didn't wake up. The open door reveals a torn Sarah who's holding a gun with a silencer in her hand.

Both Cade and Allianah snap their heads up and Allianah offers a sad smile to Sarah. Cade gives Recca one final kiss on her forehead and he joins Allianah who's heading towards Sarah. ”We're ready,” Allianah said once they reached Sarah.

”You knew?” Sarah choked on--what I can tell--her tears.

”Sarah,” Allianah reached up to touch Sarah's cheeks. ”You are my best friend. Do you think that I wouldn't know?” Sarah finally gave up on the silent war she was having to herself and she let the tears fall.

”I'm sorry,” she sobs while Allianah brushes the tears away. ”I swear I tried. I tried. But I couldn't. I was so helpless.” Her voice cracks on the last word and Allianah's arms went around her as she cries.

”No, you're not. But we can't battle with fate, can we?” Sarah leans back. ”Take care of my daughter. Please?”

”I will. I will.” She said the words more to her than to them. As if she needs reassurance in her own words.

”Let's take this somewhere else, shall we?” Allianah said. Her voice growing quiet. All Sarah did was nod. They walked out of the door and curiosity piqued my interest so I follow.

Sarah leads the way. Allianah and Cade seem to calm although Sarah is holding a gun. Once we were outside, Sarah leads us into a greenhouse. Glasses encompass the house, causing the ray of sunlight to wash over the vast species of plants. Water flows smoothly in the built-in drainage canal. It is enchanting in here. But one thing caught my most interest. It's the fountain amidst the sea of flowers.

Clear blue water flows from it and flowers bloom around it. Cade and Allianah approached it. Their back was turned to us. They are holding hands, fingers interlock with each other while Sarah is a sobbing mess beside me. She raises her gun in a trembling hand. ”What are you...” I try to say before two loud gunshots echo in this place followed by two loud thuds indicating that the bodies have already fallen to the dirt.

I couldn't look at Cade's and Allianah's corpses. I can't because I know what will happen if I look. It will break me. I don't know why, I just know that it will.

Sarah releases a loud sob then her knees buckle from underneath. She falls on her butt while tears flow down her cheeks like a waterfall. She throws the gun away and she crawls to the two bodies. That's when I look. Cade and Allianah are lying on the earth, they are facing each other, their eyes locked together but they are unmoving. Unbreathing. Their hands stay inside each other while blood continues to flow out of their heads from the two gunshot wounds Sarah made. Sarah closes Cade's eyes then Allianah's. Then she backs away from them, her jeans and body covered with her friends' blood. She crawls from them until her back hits the water fountain. She curls herself in a tiny ball, her shoulders shaking as she cries.

I just stay standing there watching. Watching as she finally stands up then clean the blood then she buries the bodies. That's all I can do. I watch. All of me feels numb all of a sudden, my blood. I can feel my blood turning cold at the sight. I almost couldn't take my eyes off of them and I didn't. Not until Sarah decided to go back.

I follow her senseless. But I snap out of it when I realize that she's rounding the corner towards Recca's room. No, no, no, no. Please have mercy with the baby.

But I was wrong. Because when she entered the room, she didn't do what I thought she would do. She didn't put a bullet in the little girl's head instead she went to her bed to scoop Recca in her arms. She held her tight to her chest, almost like she's afraid that she'll disappear any second. Recca snuggles closer and Sarah's embrace grows tighter. ”I'm sorry for what I did to your parents. I promise that I will take care of you like you are one of my own. One day, when the time was finally right, you'll understand...”

Suddenly, all things spiraled and I was being dragged out of the scene. But this time I did not fall into a new one. This time I am back, staring at the spiraling colors of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.