Sweet Nightmare

02

“Arf! Arf!”

“Mreaw! Mreaw!”

A rabbit nibbled her carrot. I closed the cage of the hamster after I’ve fed it.

Sweet Nightmare*

My slippers echoed on my apartment’s tiled floor. I dumped myself to my sofa and kicked off my slippers. I closed my eyes as I randomly pushed the buttons of the remote of my TV. It kept switching channels. I sighed.

“How could I possibly do that?” I opened my eyes and looked at my palms. “I’m not that powerful no known. All I’ve done is beat a single bot when I was eight.” –well okay, maybe it’s not a single bot. but what’s the difference? Let me be humble- “It’s not like I have an unbelievable strength or something… so why me?”

I saw one…eight…no, I saw a lot of men in black attires. 

“Where am I?” I whispered but audible enough for the president to hear me. My head who’s running in circles put in focus.

“You are at the president’s private office, Ms. Xyrie.” He laughed as if he’d said a joke. “Sorry, I mean my office.” Spoke the president.

”Why am I here?” I don’t get it. What am I doing here?

“When our country is freed from the grasp of Dystopia twelve years ago… you have witnessed how dystopia ruled us and you know that it’s—“

“Bad yes, I know,” I said looking at the ground.

“Exactly, but Dystopia regained their strength and reigned again. At our country, there are six towns, Arabelle,” He put up one finger. “Sohua,” Another. “Castanue,” Another. “Gastellor,” Another. “And Dratha” He clenched his fists. “Out of that six, only Sohua, our town, was left standing And now we’re lacking with people that needs to fight to maintain the peacefulness of our town and to free the five towns too in particular.”

 “And what am I supposed to do about that?” I looked at the president.

“We want you to be one of the reinforcement.” 

“Hold on a second. Me?! I can’t do what you wanted me to do president! Yes, I do love our country, but I’m not fit for the job. And besides, there are a lot more powerful people who’re out there that can fulfill the job that I can’t fulfill!”

The president sighed.

“You’ve mentioned your sister who’s in the hospital right? We can pay for her bill and yours too. You can be financially secured.”

“I can pay for them. Not because I’m the only relative who left in Aqua’s life doesn’t mean I cannot fulfill our necessities and besides I don’t have problems with our bills.”

“Really? Well, I think you’ve forgotten about your hospital and student loans, your borrowed money is also getting high.”

“I can pay for them,” I muttered that angered the president.

“You’ve got the strength Xyrie! So if you’re worrying that my offer will just make you leave your sister behind, then you’re wrong!”

“I won’t accept any offer, so if you wouldn’t bother, please untie me, I’m still going to my last visit to my sister. Pardon my rudeness Mr. president”

The president gestured his guards and they untied Xyrie.

“Please think about our offer. You are our only resort since you are the one who took the place of Joseph and Lilibeth Amenueba”

“How do you know my parents?” the President’s back was turned yet I was so sure he was smiling.

“Well…”

Sweet Nightmare*

I looked at the white house and I smiled mischievously. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>“Let’s just say that I know something that you, my dear, don’t need to know.” The president answered.

Sweet Nightmare*

I switched off the television and dropped the remote. I drank my soda until it dried. 

“My parents are killed due to Dystopian protocols so how on earth…” My phone rang. “Hello?”

Due to what I heard on the other line, all I wanted is to just melt. I had dropped the phone to the floor and ran to the kitchen. I snatched the calling card that lies in wait at the kitchen table. I dialed the number available. “Not the best decision but the only one,” I whispered. I tapped my feet in frustration. On the third ring, third try, the receiver picked up.

“What a surprise! We just talked and now you’re calling?”

I’m out of breath when I answered. “My sister. If she doesn’t get an operation today, she’ll die. I’m taking your offer.”

The Military Jeepney kept going up and down as it crosses bumps.

“Your sister won’t die so long as you stick to the plan.”

I glanced at the woods. What am I doing exactly? The right decision Xyrie. The only decision. 

“Soldiers! We only kill robots! Nothing but robots! And as for you miss, “

I looked at our lieutenant s***h captain.

“You will be our intel. Since you’ve known how Dystopia works, it’s better if you are the one performing. We took a broken model family from the rebels. A father and a daughter. Your job miss is to pretend as a housewife. A model citizen of Castanue. You’re eighteen they say but does not look like one. Stunning yes, but sorry in my eyes you look more like twenty-five, so act like it. Since the pressures off your shoulders I can tell by now that your beauty will reflect your young age but miss, ‘you are pretty’ everybody’s pretty. Use that as a reason if ever someone doubts. Even before the two of you- your pretend husband and you- are killed, Castanue will be out of their grasp. Being a pretend mother won’t last long though.”

I sighed and played with my fingers. My sister is safe. I want to convince myself but can’t help thinking about what would happen if I die. 

“Your sister is no kid. She can already take care of herself.” I imagine my mom saying. The jeep stopped moving. Captain gave each one of us comms unit.

“Protocols, warnings, and orders. Comms unit, don’t lose it.”

I stepped down of the jeep as the first of the snow started to fall. I looked at Castanue. If I would compare the kind of Dystopia I had once been this is different. Things had changed.

“Miss Xyrie.” I looked at Captain. At his side are the people he mentioned earlier. “This is Marvin Lanky and his daughter, Robin Lanky. You are not Xyrie Amenueba, you are Mrs. Xyrie Lanky. Not eighteen, but twenty-five. You have a daughter named Robin Lanky, a husband Marvin Lanky. Your maiden name is Xyrie Laxon. Your father’s name is Ace Laxon. Mother, May Laxon. You’re in a model family, you’re a model citizen. Act. Like. It.”

I glanced at the Dystopian society once again. 

This is for Aqua.

Sweet Nightmare*

I sat cross-legged at a tree. I laughed so hard that my stomach hurts.

“A girl? Seriously? A girl my age? Ha! Humans are underestimating the machine’s capacity!” I grinned.5