Sofia's Bubble - Unconditional Truth - part 8

- Don't stand here. What did I tell you? Move! Cry somewhere else, I don't want to see your face.

- Pyrasiet! that is what she is, she is good for nothing just like her mother.

Sofia was standing close to the window, watching the backyard, as memories from a long time ago overwhelmed her. As she was seeing those images from the past, tears started fleeing her eyes. And very quietly she whispered: quiet, quiet, you can do this, you are strong Sofia, you can handle this.

- What are you doing Damian asked, as he entered the room.

- Nothing, just watching the clouds, She said, as she quickly dried up her tears.

Damian walked towards the window.

- Why are you crying then?

- I am not crying, just let it be.

- Why are you always hiding it Sofia? It's not healthy you know.

- I am not hiding anything, I just want to be alone.

- Why? So you can jump out of the window?

- Don't be ridiculous Damian!

- Well first they cry then they jump, that's how suicide works.

- I am fine, Sofia whispered as she left the room.

Damian stood there, wondering why his sister did what she did and what was causing it. He did not understand why Sofia was behaving like that and it was bugging him.

In the living room Sofia saw Alexandra reading a book. She slowly joined Alexandra on the couch.

-Hi dear, something wrong? Alexandra asked.

- No, everything is fine, just want to spend some time with you.

- How thoughtful of you.

- I will be quite, you can read your book, Sofia said.

- No, tell me what's up? Alexandra asked

- Nothing!

- Come on, what happened?

- Really nothing, I was just looking out of the window in my room, when some memories crushed on me.

-  What kind of memories?

- Nothing serious, just some stuff from the time when Damian and I lived at grands house, but I am really tired I will go to bed, Sofia said as she went to the stairs.

- Wait, just remember, you can tell me anything, I will always support you, Alexandra said.

- Yes, I know mom, Sofia said, as she went upstairs.

As Alexandra was sitting on that couch, a lot went through her mind. She couldn't read the book anymore. She had to find out what made Sofia upset. She stood up and called Damian.

- Damian! Come down for a second.

- What is it mom? Damian asked as he went down the stairs.

- Something is bothering Sofia, do you know what it is?

- Nah, I asked her, she wouldn't tell me.

- Well she said it's about what happened at grands house when you lived there for a few years.

- Grands house, is she referring to how grandma treated us ?

- How did she treat you then?

- Well she called us names, bad names and always shouted and even hit Sofia a few times. Is that what's bothering her? That was soo long time ago.

- Why haven't you told me before? Alexandra asked, as she sat down.

- Why would we? You had already enough suffering, knowing that we were unhappy would make you only suffer more.

- Well I could have done something, taken you somewhere else.

- Mom, there was nothing you could do about it. Just please don't go all emotional on me now. One Annabel is already enough.

- What do you expect me to do, to hear this and be fine? How could I, I am your mother.

- We are fine now, everything that doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Sofia will be okay tomorrow, you will see.

- Okay, just go to bed Damian then, Alexandra said.

-Oke, good night!

Damian went back upstairs.

Alexandra sat on that couch all night, thinking about what Damian said. How could she hate them so much, her own grandchildren, she wondered. That night was the longest night in a long time for Alexandra. She thought of all the suffering her poor children had been through and even more she realised how much pain they kept a secret all this time. Alexandra did her best to make them strong and prepare them for life, but as she heard Annabel’s cries and saw Sofia’s hidden pain, all she could do was to blame the one that was truly responsible for all of it. The one that shaped them all.

Annabel's Curse - Unconditional Truth - part 7

They don't remember him, they don't know who he was and how much he meant for me. Annabel wondered. She thought that as years  will pass she will eventually stop hoping, but every year his absence still managed to keep disappointing her.

- Don't you miss him? She asked.

- Miss who? Damian asked back.

- You know who I mean.

- I don't miss him at all. It's very hard to miss someone you don't remember isn't it ?

- Well didn't  you ever want to have a father then?

- Hmm, good question. Well I think it's better the way it is now. One parent is one authority. Two parents would be two authorities and I personally prefer to keep the amount of authorities in my life at minimum.

- Haha, oh Damian you are always the same, but don't you remember anything about Nukuso?

- All I remember of Nukuso are the very hot summers. I remember walking on asphalt barefoot, I remember how soft it felt, it was smelting.

- Yes, in front of our grands house in Nukuso.

- The thing is I don't need to remember Nukuso, there is nothing left there for me.

- Don't you ever wanted to know at least what he looked like?

- Well probably nothing shocking, since we are his children aren't we. He probably looks a lot like you Annabel, since you don't look like mom, then you must look like him, right?

- Yes, you are probably right, Annabel said, as she looked at the map that was hanging on the wall.

1000 km away from her birthplace, she still felt the connection and she was the only one that still did.
- Dinner time, Alexandra yelled from downstairs.

As Damian and Annabel came downstairs they saw Alexandra putting a big fish on the table.

- What's the occasion, Damian asked?

- Well I read about how important it is to have fish in our diet, so from now on we gonna have fish at least once a week.

- hmm okay, Damian replied.

Sofia entered the living room from the backyard.

- Hey everyone!

- Hi, join us, your timing is perfect, Alexandra said.

During  the dinner thoughts about his father occupied Damian's mind. He never thoughts as much about him as he did now. It was Annabel to blame with her nostalgic topic about Nukuso and everything that was left there, which included their father.

- Mom, you have never told us why you left our father, Damian asked.

- Why this topic out of nothing? Alexandra asked

- Nothing, I was just wondering. Well there is this ideal of a perfect life that is being strongly promoted since like ever. Basically society wants us to want the same things like husband/wife, big house, a car, stable job and stuff, but then like if that is the perfect life, then why did you throw it away? There must be a reason, did he abuse you etc?

- Well, I guess you are all old enough to understand now. Gabriel was a great man. We were in love and we hoped to build a great future together. But after some time being married we discovered that we want different things and so we had to go our own separate ways.

- If he was such a great man, why would he abandon his own children? Perhaps, he was a coward, afraid of responsibilities so he ran away, Sofia said loudly.

- Sofia calm down, Divorce was  a very complicated matter, it's still hard for you to understand I see, but you will one day. Alexandra said.

- What is there to understand mom? If he wanted us, he would visit us, call us, try anything, Damian said.

- Well, I am tired of this conversation, Alexandra said as she left the table.

Annabel, Sofia and Damian remained in the living room.

- Why is she defending him? If he was that great then she would never leave him, Sofia said.

- I don't know what exactly happened, but I know one thing, I don't want to know him. Even if he comes tomorrow knocking on our door. I want nothing to do with him Damian said.

As Annabel sat there, listening to how her siblings didn't want him in their life at all, she could only wonder about where he was now and if he ever missed her. Being the oldest one meant that she knew Gabriel better than they did. She still loved her father, but she could not speak out, because the truth was, the only man she ever loved did indeed abandon her, erased her out of his life. Nonetheless cursing Annabel with a memory of him.

Damian's Deception - Unconditional Truth - part 6

‘Paths, life is just a collection of paths. It never takes us anywhere, it only offers us the possibilities. Often we feel forced, enslaved into following a certain path, but that is a lie as life never would truly care enough to intervene in our affairs. Who am I to myself and who am I to the world. It's a big difference isn't it? Now think about what I mean to the Universe? If you are bright enough now you realise that not only I but you also are not essential. It is a very depressing idea, but it is the answer all of you will need to finally, truly be happy one day’, Damian said, as he stood there in front of 28 pupils. He expected a reaction, he expected something at least, but all he got from those 28 pupils was nothing. Most of them didn't pay attention and those that did simply didn't understand what he meant.

-Well, hmm good job Damian! Quite interesting, but did someone help you to write that?

- No, I wrote it myself.

- Hmm well if you say so, but where did you read that idea?

- I didn't read it anywhere, it just crossed my mind while I was peeing in a toilet at school.

Kids laughed.

-Well, okay you can sit down now, Next is...., mrs Clarks continued.

Though not many have actually heard what Damian said, majority was laughing. For most of them it was natural to imitate their fellow peers’ laughing and those who didn't were seen as outcasts that didn't quite fit in. Though Damian felt alone when it came to a deeper understanding of things, he also played the game everybody at school was playing.  All he ever wanted was to be the best at everything he did and rarely he failed to achieve that. The key was that he never was in a fight he couldn't win. That's why he was remembered as a winner. The thing about Damien was  that from a young age he had great mind for manipulation, selling his own truth.

The bell rang and class was dismissed.

- Finally i can go home, Dilay said.

- Lol, what exactly is waiting for you in your  lonely room? Damian asked.

- Well, don't you ever feel like, sometimes you just need some time alone?

- Haha, I do, but trust me for completely different reasons than you would think.

- lol, you are such a pervert Damian!

- What are you talking about? Shame on you, you have such a dirty mind. I was talking about self   

 exploration obviously, hehe.

- haha, aww, you  trapped me again.

- Yeah, the funny thing is you always fall into that trap.

- Who knows Damian, maybe I just like to pretend.

- Yeah, sure, as a girl its good to start practising pretending as soon as possible,  hehe.

- haha, now I am not gonna fall into your trap again.

- Ohh, i am shocked, Damian said.

- Well I have to go, so see you tomorrow in class?

- Yeah, if I don't catch a flu tomorrow morning, I will definitely come.

- Just be there okay? You have been skipping a lot of classes lately.

- Well, you know a man needs some time to spend by himself, haha.

- haha, okay bye bye!

- Bye!

He walked through the hallway with a smile on his face. Familiar faces, greetings, everybody had to see Damian happy. It was important to him, because nothing sells better than happiness and as long as everybody thought he was happy, as long he succeeded into fooling them, there was a chance he would start to believe the lie he was so desperately selling.

What's Written In Blood - Unconditional Truth - part 5

The next morning Sofia woke up hearing noises.

-  It's you!! You did it! Ryan, yelled. You sick psycho!!

- What's going on guys? Sofia asked.

- Ryan thinks it was Aiden, Angelica said.

- Aiden what?

Then Sofia saw the bloody writing on the ground: Ryan's soul will rot in hell.

- I didn't do it, okay, why would I?

-  Because you are fucking sick Aiden! Ryan yelled.

- Is that even a real blood, Damian asked.

- It sure smells real, Annabel replied.

- Calm down Ryan, think about it where would he get the blood to write such a thing? Maybe it was an outsider? Sofia asked.

- He doesn't need to get blood anywhere, that sick psycho cut his own skin for it.

-  Here watch, I didn't, I have no wounds anywhere, Aiden said as he undressing himself. It's funny as hell though, Aiden laughed.

-  I am out of here, Damian said.

- Wait I will join you, Sofia, yelled as she ran after Damian.

- Are you thinking what I am thinking, Damian asked.

- Do you think the monster did it, Sofia asked back.

- Well it could be the case, but why would monster bother to scare off Ryan?

-  Maybe because he didn't believe in the monster?

-  Well it could be, I really don't know, Damian replied.

As they were walking away from the camp, they heard Angelica screaming for help.

- What happened now,Sofia asked.

-  let's find out, Damian said.

Damian Sofia and a few other ran towards Angelica that was standing alone near a bush.

- What is it? Why are you screaming?

- Look it's there, under the bush.

- What is there,  Damian asked, as he bend over he saw a dead animal covered with blood.  

- There is a dead dog in here.

- Gawd sick things just never stop happening do they, Sofia commented.

-  No it's not a dog , more of a fox or something? Well it looks like it's been killed not soo long ago, the blood is still not dried up, Aiden said.

- Do you think there is a link between this animal and what happened to Ryan? Sofia asked.

- Well it can't be just a coincidence can it? Demian replied.

- Anyways lets get out of here, it's depressing, Damian said.

As they were walking away from the dead animal, Sofia said:

- I want to go home, i am tired of all this.

-  Yeah, me too, Damian said.

At the camp they saw Annabel.

- Hey guys!

- Hi, we are leaving.

- You are leaving, come on not because of Ryan, forget him, he is just stupid, Annabel said.

- No, no, we are just tired of everything, we found a dead animal.

-  A dead animal, what's so crazy about that, we are in the woods, animals kill each other.

-  It wasn't killed by an animal. It was cut open, clearly , like with a knife, Damian said.

Sofia nodded.

- Well I am not letting you leave alone, mom would kill me if i did.

- So lets pack then.

As Damian was packing his stuff, he noticed that one of his shirts had blood drops on it. He did not know how they got there, but everybody would suspect him if he told anyone, so he hid it away.

- Oke Guys I am almost set, Damian said.

- Wait where are you going Aiden asked.

- We are going home.

- Come on dude why out nothing?

- Out of nothing, you saw what happened, today dead animals tommorow dead us, this is not safe. I just want to go home, Damian said.

- Guys Solems are leaving, Aiden, yelled.

- Woot, like all of them? Ryan, asked.

- Yeah, maybe we should go back home as well? Rayan said.

- Yeah I want to leave too Angelica said.

- Okay guys wait, everybody is leaving as well, so lets go together, oke? Aiden said.

- Oke Annabel answered. As three of them stood a bit further from the rest Annabel whispered, I think it's Aiden, he had done some sick stuff in the past.

- Seriously, you were friends with Aiden? Sofia asked.

- He doesn't look crazy, Damian said.

- Nah we weren't friends and he is not crazy, he just has a weird humor, you know his mother being all way messed up and stuff.

- Ryan told me something like that about his past, Sofia said. He has been very unfortunate when he was little.

- Well so have we all, but none of us turned into animal cutting psycho’s did we? Damian asked.

- Oke tss they are coming Sofia whispered.

- Well we are set, lets leave this god forgotten place, Ryan said.

On their way home they wondered about what exactly had happened, and who it was who did it. Every single one of them suspected someone of them. Most of them thought it was Aiden who did  it, only Damian suspected himself. He could not explain drops of the blood on his T-shirt. Am I crazy, do I walk asleep, maybe I have two personalities that live parallel to each other? How come not even a littlest part of me remembered doing any of it, he wondered. The evidence pointed at him, more doubtful than ever before, Damian walked never  looking back at the camping spot, as his heart  hoped to forever forget what he might have done back there.

The Circle Around The Fire - Unconditional Truth - part 4

The summer arrived and with it did the summer vocation. Damian and Sofia  begged Alexandra to let her go camping with her friends. Alexandra decided to let Sofia go only if all three of them would go together. For Damian and Sofia  it meant a very interesting adventure, so they were happy to go. Annabel on the other hand was less excited, she never had been camping before and was a bit scared of what was awaiting her in the woods. Only the idea that she wouldn't be there all alone calmed her mind. They left their home to camp the whole weekend.  On their way to woods they met their friends Ryan, Angelica and Aiden. Together they build a camp and set fire.

As sun set down they gathered around the fire.

- You know what they usually do in such situations, Aiden started.

-  What do they do? Angelica asked.

- They tell scary  stuff.

- Well let's do it then Rayan said.

Gathered around the fire they told each other many stories,  all of them were scary, but only one was  truly terrifying, terrifying not because it was so brutal and horrible, terrifying because it was true.

- I heard a story about a boy. Every night when he went to bed, he felt that somebody was watching him, waiting for him to close his eyes. The boy ignored it at first, but when he closed his eyes, the monster would strike, driving him crazy mad, terrifying that boy so greatly, he would wake up screaming and crying, exhausting him. He would sit there hitting himself to stay awake all night and only as he met the sunlight would he dare to fall asleep again”. Damian told.

- Was it just a nightmare? Angelica asked.

- Yes it was a nightmare, but the monster was real. He caused the nightmares.

- Haha, lol Everybody knows monsters don't exist, Rayan said.

- Well they actually do, Sofia said. We seen things he done.

- Lol so that boy is your little brother? hahaha Ryan laughed.

Damian looked away.

- What kind of things did he do Angelica asked.

- He cut my doll open and throw it in our backyard.

- There is nothing mysterious about that, anyone could have done that, Aiden said.

- Have you ever been woken up by a smell of rotten flesh? Damian asked. You would stand up and search where the smell was coming from, and when you finally decided to look under your bed, you would find a dead cat with millions of worms eating it.

- Damian stop it, Sofia said, as she left the circle around the fire.

- Where are you going? Aiden asked, but Sofia responded with silence.

-  It was her cat that been lost for a few weeks, Annabel said.

- She doesn't like to express her emotions around others Damian said.

- Who would do such a sick thing, Angelica asked? Like it had to be someone who could come in your house, right?

-  it was the monster, Annabel said. it punished us for disobeying our mother. it always does stuff when we don't listen to her.  - Maybe it was your mother then, Aiden said, because monsters  and anything like that don't exist. Science can prove all that is real, monsters can't be proven, so they can't exist.

- You can say whatever you want Aiden, but I know what I saw, Damian said. I seen it's face, I seen it smile as  I suffered. It's a creation of  the devil if not the devils himself, it feeds on your fears.

- Bullshit, you are all bullshitting, I ain't believe in fairytales Ryan said.

- BOEEH!

-  Fuck you Aiden, wtf is wrong with you! Rayan said and left the fire circle.

- Where are you going? Aiden asked.

-  I am off to sleep, he replied.

- You know guys I actually got shivers on my skin after Demians story, Angelica  said.

- It's because you can sense it's true. If any of you seen and experienced what we have year after year then none of you would doubt it, the monster is real, Damian said.

-  Ok, guys lets talk about something else, I am sick of this topic, Aiden said.

It was the longest night for many of them. Real or not real, the  monster was in their minds, it was poisoning their thoughts, making the moonless night even darker. As fear was contagious, it spread fast. In each other's eyes they saw reflections of their own fears, so empowering, feeding the monster that would from that day become a part of all their life’s.

Controlled By Fear - Unconditional Truth - part 3

It was a morning in Willemtown, as Damian woke up, he saw Sofia, looking out of the window.

-  What are you gazing at?, he asked.

- Have you seen my favourite doll Tiffany?

- Yeah, what's up with it ? he replied.

- She was ripped open last night and thrown outside, she is still laying out there on the grass, look.

Damian stood up from his bed and walked towards the window.

-  it's cuz you didn't want to go with mom to the doctor, Annabel said, as she was still laying in her bed.

-  Maybe, if all it wants is us to obey our mother, then it's not evil, is it? Sofia asked.

- It's not what something wants is what makes it evil, it's what it does  to get what it wants that makes it evil. Damian replied.

- I don't get it, why do u always make everything so complicated, Annabel said.

-  It's not complicated, just learn to understand sentences that are a bit longer than the usually baby talk. Don't call me a baby!  Annabel said.

- Whatever, but anyways what I meant is. The monster does horrible things, if it was good it would approach us differently.

- Now it wants us to listen to our mother, tomorrow it will want us to do something else. What if it will want us to do sick stuff too.

- Stop it Damian, why do u always make things up. Sofia said.

-  I am not, all I am saying is. We really need to do something about it, I am sick and tired of it, he said.

- What can we do? Annabel asked.

- We need to find out where the monster lives and kill it, he said.

- We should not anger him, maybe he will do worse things to us if we do, Sofia said. Promise me you won't do anything stupid? - Come on it's your doll that's laying disemboweled there on the grass. Don't you feel anything?, you must feel something Sofia? Damian, asked.

-  It's just a doll, she replied, as she walked away from the window towards the door. Just promise me you won't  do anything stupid, oke? She asked again.

- Oke oke, I won't, Damian replied.  

Annabel and Sofia went downstairs while Damian remained near the window.

- Well perfect timing girls, the breakfast is ready, Alexandra said. as she saw her daughters coming down the window.

- Why isn't Damian with you, did he have nightmares again?

- No, he just needs a moment, he will be down soon, Annabel said.

-  Where are you going Sofia? Alexandra asked.

-  I just need to get my doll Tiffany, she is outside.

- The Monster disemboweled her doll, Annabel said.

- How many times do I have to say this, monsters don't exist. She probably forgot her doll outside and some wild animal ripped it open. I will not tolerate nonsense talking on my table.

- Oke, mom forget all about it, let's pretend everything is normal and fine, Annabel said.

-  Just eat your breakfast, you will be late for school.

- You know what  I don't feel hungry, Annabel replied as she stood up and left the table.

- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day Annabel, come back and eat your breakfast.

- But... Annabel said. Sit and eat, Alexandra yelled.

Annabel kept her eyes down as she sat back behind the table.

- You gonna finish your breakfast and then  put some nice cloth on, also brush your hair before leaving to school. You are 14  years old, don't expect me to do it for you, do you understand? Alexandra asked.

- Yes, I do, Annabel replied.

-  Look me in the eye, when I  talk to you! What is the problem with you Annabel? Why are you acting like this? Is it that hard to take care of yourself properly?  Tell me! Don't you see it yourself Annabel, for god sake.

- It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter how brushed my hair, or how pretty my dress is, I am ugly, Annabel cried.  I know it mom, I am ugly and no dress will change it. Stop pretending like it's not the truth. Annabel cried harder.

- You are not ugly Annabel, who ever told you doesn't know what beauty is, Alexandra said.

- Everybody at school says I must have been adopted, because you are so pretty and Sofia and Damian they look like you, but I look nothing like you, Annabel replied.

- Annabel, my dear, it hurts me so to see you like this, and not  just because you are my daughter, but because when I was your age I felt exactly the same. Do you remember grandma Rozalia?

Annabel nodded.

- She was the most beautiful woman in whole of Nukuso and people would tell me, how come such a beautiful woman gave birth to someone like me. Yes it was very painful, but I know now what could only hope for back then. In our family women are like flowers, it takes time for them to blossom. And you will too be the  most beautiful girl in whole Willemtown, just wait a little more and your flower will also blossom.

- Mom you just saying this because you are my mother, Annabel said.

- Nooo, of course not, if it was not the truth I would just have told you to work on your personality, Alexandra replied.

They both laughed. What is taking Damian and Sofia so long, she wondered.

It were not the nightmares what Damian truly feared, it was what was happening at night when he was asleep. Tiffany was not the first victim. Something out there was destroying  everything they so dearly loved, stealing their childhood's innocence  and that something was way more real than  any of the  most darkest nightmares.

Damian stood there for a while, watching the doll laying there on the grass and Sofia standing close to it, crying.  Why couldn't she just tell us, he wondered, why did she choose to hide her pain.

The truth is that the monster spread fear among them, fear that limited their actions, kept them in line, fear that controlled them.