Chapter 23: CHAPTER: 23

I heard the voice of an old woman who is waking me up because I need to go to school. I saw nanny Silva when I opened my eyes, that is why I immediately hugged her.

“I miss you so much” I told her

“I am just here, I never leave” She said while hugging me and tapping my back. Her warm embrace comforts me. I hope this one is real. She let me wear the dress with a teddy bear and a rooster stitched on it.

“It still fits on me” I said in amazement because I can’t believe it still fits because I remember the last time I wore this was when I was a kid.

“Yes, it still looks good on you” She said with a smile while I turned around as if I am in front of the mirror like I am doing before everytime I wear my dress.

“Come here, I will tie your hair like before” She said and I sat on the bed beside her. She held my hair and started combing it.

“Did you like it?” When her sweet voice suddenly changed into a man’s voice and I turned around to see who is holding my hair now and I saw Brother Mike and he signaled me not to make a noise. He is smiling at me and I felt scared again. He is wearing white shirt and shorts. The same exact clothes that he was wearing when I kidnapped him.

I looked around and I am no longer inside the room but I am in the playground at the back of the chapel where he abused me and is going to abuse me again.

“No,” I whispered while he keeps on touching my private part. I pushed him and I ran away from him. When I saw my mom and dad in the garden carrying a rotten baby. The worms and insects are eating their flesh and one by one falling it falls to the ground coming from their mouth, ears, nose and eyes. I ran again because I got scared by what I saw but I was hit by the red car and I fell to the ground. I saw the couple that I burned go out from the car that I burned. They are slowly walking while swaying towards me while holding a lighter and a kerosene. I know they are going to burn me like what I did to them.

I stand up even though my waist is hurting. I tried to run away from them when I bumped into John and he greeted me with a smile. Followed by the girls. Irene, Jean and Shirley. He is holding a plastic that he is going to use to suffocate me like what I did to him. Like mom and dad there are insects and worms also falling from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth and one of the worms fell into my arm that is why I immediately removed it.

“Why Helena, you don’t like what I look like now?” He asked and he held my hand. I looked at the girls and they were looking at me. Their eyes are popped out and half of their face is gone.

“No!” I screamed and I let go of my hand and ran away from them but they are following me.

“Where are you going Helena? You don’t want to be friends with us anymore?” They asked while still chasing me.

“You are all dead! you are not real!” I shouted at them while still running away from them.

I keep on running and they keep on chasing me. I tried to find a place where I can hide but I can’t see any place to hide. I saw Belinda and she was laughing at me while pointing at me. She is laughing like a demon and her eyes are full of madness. I keep on running for them not to catch me. Until I reached inside my room, then living room, then dining area, then chapel, then playground and on the street. Then inside my room again, then living room again, then dining area again, then chapel, then playground and on the street again. I keep on running in those places like a cycle. I saw Carmen still sitting on the chair and her mouth was still stitched. Her eyes full of anger staring at me made me more scared. I know she wants to shout but she cannot shout. She tried to move too but she couldn't move. Her stare is following me wherever I go.

I am gasping for breath and I am getting tired already but I don’t want to stop because they are still chasing me. I don’t want them to catch me because I am scared. I know they are going to kill me. I want to scream but there’s no voice coming from me.

I accidentally stepped on a rock and I fell on the ground and then I woke up and I am in the hospital now. The room is so quiet and the light bulb keeps on turning on and turning off. I didn’t notice the window but I am glad that I am still alive and it is all just a dream. I stood up and I tried to open the door again for the third time but it was hard to open.

When I suddenly hear a whistle and footsteps from outside. I don’t know why the whistle gave me a headache. I closed my eyes and I heard the whistle and the footsteps getting nearer and after a second someone is opening the door. I opened my eyes to see who it was and I saw a man who is about my age. Holding a flower vase is now standing in front of me. He is still whistling while slowly walking near me. He stood under the blinking light and I recognized what he was whistling now. He is whistling the “give thanks” and I recognized his face too. He is Arvin and he is my ex-boyfriend. He is wearing our school uniform and his face is already rotten but I know he is furiously looking at me. I got scared in an instant and I tried to run but he grabbed my hair and pushed me on the bed. He ripped my clothes and he tried to kiss me with worms falling down from his mouth. I feel so grossed but he is too strong and I can’t let go of myself. I tried to push him but he is hugging me tight and he is continuously kissing me. I grabbed the steel vase that he dropped beside me and I hit him hard on his head using the vase that I am holding and I ran again. I run away from him and I keep on running like it will never end. I went to my room, to the living area, dining area, playground and then chapel and then street again like a cycle again. I am running again and again. Until I am losing breath. I fall on the ground and my sight is getting blurry because of losing oxygen and I saw them getting close to me. Closer and closer until they are holding me now. John picked me up from the ground and put plastic on my head while Mike hit me with a hammer and the couple wanted to burn me.

“You like it, Helena?” John asked me. I am so scared but no one is there to rescue me. No nurse, no Doctor Castelo. I am all alone and I couldn’t save myself. I heard Belinda laughing like a demon again and I am losing my breath now while they are taking revenge on me.