The Bad Thing

(Flashback - 9 years ago)

(Month of December - Part 1)

It was the last month of the year.

It had been 4 months since Daddy was killed in that wrecked car. Aunt Emily and I tried our best to move on. We never talked about it again and just continued our lives surviving. We were very cautious and vigilant.

Aunt Emily decided for us to settle on a secluded island where there were only a few people lived. There was no electricity and no technology.

Our identities were changed including our names and past. We were introduced as sisters. Aunt Emily started to live as Erika while I lived as Corine. She contacted her trusted friends and asked for help to process the papers. We were legally changed for good.

Aunt Emily also taught me to change my personality and behavior. It was hard at first but we did change gradually. I practiced every moment to protect the identity of Corine-- an introverted and antisocial 10-year-old girl. Aunt Emily altered her cheerful personality into a silent and strict one. We physically adapted to different persons as well. She wore plain formal clothes contrasting with her former hippy and colorful one, while I was prohibited to wear clothes that might attract attention.

I went to the community school that catered to both primary and secondary. Some social workers volunteered to teach the children on the island. My aunt worked as a resident teacher there. We lived peacefully and simply as we could.

Even though I was eventually adapting to the kind of life we had then, there were times that I still missed my Mommy and Daddy. I was forbidden to mention them and about our real family. Aunt Emily burned everything that might connect us to the past. But she was not aware that I actually saved a single photo of us. It was a family picture. The only photo that included both my parents, Aunt Emily and me. I was just 2 years old there and Mommy was still alive.

Mommy died because of a heart attack. I didn't have any memory of her aside from this photo. So, I did my best to hide this picture from Aunt Emily. We were all happy back then. We wore our best smiles in the photo. But every time I looked at it, my tears couldn't stop from falling. I missed them...I missed our family.

Aunt Emily and I rarely talked. We were just having conversations whenever she asked me about school or anything important. She did change into someone I didn't know anymore.

Everything went smoothly. We might seem not that happy but we were contented. What mattered was we were still alive.

It was a chilly afternoon when I decided to play on the seashore after school. I was busy collecting stones and shells when something flashy caught my eye. I picked it up and saw that it was a rare type of stone. It was more like a crystal. The color was just like the sea-- blue-green. I was so amazed and delighted. The rays of the setting sun were reflecting on the stone. I stared at it in awe.

"That's mine!"

I was startled at the high-pitch voice. I looked away from the stone and saw a group of 3 kids. I knew them. They were my classmates. But this particular group was not kind and friendly. I saw them bullying other children sometimes. Especially the younger ones. I believed we were of the same age.

"I said, that's mine. Give it to me," the tallest boy stretched his hand at me. He was referring to the stone I was holding in. He was the son of the leader of this village.

I knew I had to give it to him to avoid conflict. But for some reason, I had a feeling of defiance. I didn't want to obey him. In the first place, I found this precious stone.

"Can you prove that this is really yours?" I asked back instead.

His eyes squinted at me. He didn't like my answer.

"Just give it to me when I tell you so," he said arrogantly. The two boys with him smirked at me. They suddenly moved closer to me. Encircling me as if they were blocking my way if ever I would escape. I was on guard. Observing what they would do next.

"Prove it to me first and I will give it to you," I bravely answered back. I safely put the stone inside my bag. Along with other stones and shells inside.

He smiled evilly. "Grab her."

The two boys suddenly grabbed me. They were so fast that I failed to get away from them. They pinned me down on the sand.

"Let go of me!" I screamed at them.

The tallest one moved closer and aimed for my bag. I suddenly kicked him hard. He was unprepared for it and stumbled down. I continuously screamed and struggled from their grip.

When the tallest one got up, I saw how mad he was for what I did. He suddenly pinned my legs down and locked them with his knees. He was so strong that I could not move my whole body anymore. They successfully overthrew me. He opened my sling bag and got that blue-green stone. I thought he would be already satisfied with it that I didn't expect him to forcefully take my bag away from me.

Thinking he was just going to take the bag, I never expected the worst thing he would do to me. He swiftly smashed the bag on my face. I felt a sudden pain and my face went numb.

They finally freed me. I heard them laughed. I was not yet recovering from what they did. I felt my tears fell on my cheeks. I was crying from the pain and anger that swelled inside me. I stood up and tried to focus my eyes despite the tears blinding them. I stared at the boys thinking I would like to kill them one by one. My blood was rushing through my veins because of fury. The deafening voice of their laughter added fuel to the hate I felt towards them. I concentrated.

A few seconds and their laughter turned to scream. I saw how their funny faces changed into frightened one. They were all jumping, stumbling, screaming, and trying to rub out the flames on their clothes. I just stood there and stared at them.

Suddenly, people came out of nowhere and helped the boys drench their bodies with water. They used some pails to fetch water from the sea and splashed them on the burning kids. The three were already unconscious.

They all looked at me with shock and confusion. I was still dazed when someone grabbed my shoulders and shook me.

"What happened?" A woman asked me.

I snapped out of my trance. I saw the aftereffect of what I had done. I saw the burned legs of the boys when they were lifted and carried by the people towards the village. They were shouting for the healer's name.

I got scared and through an adrenaline rush, I ran away from those who were left with me at the shore. I ran as fast as I could as if someone was after me. When I arrived home, I went straight to our room and cuddled myself at the corner. I was shaking and crying.

I was so scared that I wished Aunt Emily was already here. I prayed so hard that she would come as soon as possible.

I did the bad thing again...