Chapter 7

When I woke up and walked out of my room I was greeted by the familiar silence dominating the halls and the corners of our house.

Every morning this is the situation and I am used to it. The house only experience noise when my cousins are here and having fun.

When I've reached the dining hall I immediately felt the hunger, I can not remember when I last ate, I bet yesterday morning.

Before, Papa, Mommy and Kuya are always reminding me to eat on time and scold me if I forgot and failed to do so.

There's already food served and I think they intentionally left that for me.

"Nanny" I called her as I peeked through each hallway.

I repetitively called her until she entered, "Why?" She asked me and I answered with a smile.

I invited her to accompany me to the meal which she accepted, we talked over breakfast about random stuffs.

"Aren't you going to school, hija?" I nodded to Manang and I puckered my lips to stop myself from talking.

I might slipped the reason why I am skipping classes today, I don't want her to worry about me either.

I wiped my hands before saying goodbye to her, "I'm leaving" I bowed my head and left the kitchen.

"Be careful" I waved my hands then smiled at Manang.

"Your Mom said, if you notice something strange, call her" when I heard what Manang said, my steps haltered and my mind began wandering, what is really going on?

I turned back to her and saw her sweet smile before she walked and approached me.

"Do not trust the people around you easily. Do not let them hurt you" she continued and I also remembered what Clarenz told me last night.

"Do whatever you want to do but don't come near me when you got hurt"

Nanny hugged me tightly before she left me confused and stunned by the absence, I only came back to reality when my phone rang. I fished for my phone and answered the call right away and I didn't even bother to see who was calling.

"Hello" I greeted but no one answered, instead I heard someone's ragged breathing.

I consecutively muttered hello but still no one answered due to annoyance I looked at the screen of my phone but I've only seen a number.

Who is this?

"Hey, Cassandra, if this is you, stop it. It's not funny" my hair on my nape rise and my chest seemed to throb with intense nervousness.

These are the ones I've watched, someone calls them and then after the call those people suddenly disappear or die.

"I am not her" the caller simply muttered and then I heard the disconnected tone.

That voice. I think its familiar but I still chose to block his number to ease this uneasiness and I was shocked when it rang again.

I first looked at who was calling, it's Theo.

"Hey, why can't I contact you earlier? Anyway I'm going there to pick you up" after that he ended the call.

I was still in dazed when his words sank into my brain. I should stop imagining and thinking things, it's not good for me.

I called Theo and after two rings, he picked it up.

"Hey, I'm not going to school today, I have some errands to do so don't go here today" he just hummed as a reply so I ended the call.

I sighed before leaving the house to get in my car.

When I am settled inside my car, I started the engine and waited for some time, my mind started to ask questions again.

Why do things seem strange? Mommy. Kuya. Nanny. Daddy. And the things that are happening around me.

Past scenarios played in my mind that made me dizzy and my chest tightened. In just a minute, I was catching my breath and my eyesight was swirling.

I opened the window first before I closed my eyes and took a slow deep breath. I need to calm down so I can get away.

I spent a few minutes before I opened my eyes and when I think that I can drive, I honked thrice as a sign to open the gate.

The disturbing events were already gone from my mind when I am already driving, I am enjoying the things I see outside my window. Until I got to the hospital I remained calm and well.

"Ms. Bella, you may come in" her secretary warmly told me and when I entered my sights were focused at the dusty pink walls, so calming and peculiar.

Dr. Santiago stretched her arms offering me a hug, "Who's with you hija?" She asked before guiding me to sit on the chair just in front of her desk.

She asked me questions like how am I, what I am doing and what I am feeling. I gladly opened up to her and as she listened I felt like my energy was recuperated.

She laid her head first at her hands before talking, "You shouldn't be keeping that on yourself" she began, "you know that it is dangerous for you to accumulate thoughts" she added while I was listening, "for the past years you've been visiting, you've only been like that again today plus your headaches and the rapid beating of your heart "

Its been four years since Mommy took me to Dr. Santiago but this is the very first when I got here without anyone beside me. I was 16 years old when I started to drink medicines and to have a monthly check-up.

I know in myself that I am fine and I am not in pain but as others say, "Mother's knows best" so even so I continue to follow Mommy's advice to take the medicine given by the doctor.

"I'll prescribe you a new set of medicines and you'll drink it alongside your other medicines" she said while handing me a prescription with the names of the medicines and what time and how many times I should take them.

I uttered my thanks to her and bid goodbye to her and her secretary before I walked out from her office.

I walked back to my car, I tried to observe my surroundings as what Nanny instructed me.

I did not notice anything strange but something caught my attention, a man wearing a taupe colored shirt with a physique same as the man I've seen from the library.

Is that him?

I shook my head again and again, why would he come here? In fact, this hospital were too small compared to others. I shrugged that's impossible.