THE SEVEN HEAVENLY CHILDREN

3RD ACT: A DEMON'S CHILD

"DON'T LOOK AT THEM." A familiar voice warned.

Briel opened her eyes to a poorly lit room. She winced upon feeling the rough, rocky surface of the ground beneath her skin. "Where am I?" Her eyes roamed the area around her and she found herself inside a dark cave. "Is this a dream?"

As far as she could remember, she was sleeping inside her mother's room in the hospital. There was absolutely no way that she'll end up in such a place.

"Is any body here?" She shouted but only her own echo answered back aside from the frequent pitter-patter of the water dripping from the stalactites above. She could see that just a few meters from her was sea water. She normally wouldn't fear such as sight but at that moment, something tells her that keeping her distance from the water was better.

"Do you hear me, Briel?", a voice asked. "Do not look at them."

She gasped. Briel's eyes at the watered as with thrembling lips she confirmed, ""Mom? I-is that you?"

She can hear her mom's voice echoing on the glistening limestones walls around her. Briel started to walk the cave as she tried to follow the voice.

What is this place? Where is she?

As Briel continue to roam the cave, she started to notice the glowing scriptures engraved on the limestones of the cave. She reached for the walls and was startled when she felt the sandstone beat beneath her touch. It was as if it were alive.

"Briel, listen to me." Her mom shouted, drawing Briel's attention away from the walls. Briel tried to look for her mom but she was nowhere in sight. "Promise me, you can't let them know." Yelena was obviously panicking. Her voice was full of terror.

What is she saying? Her own thoughts yelled at her. "Mom, where are you?"

"Don't let anyone find you, my baby." Her mother cried. "Mommy's going to find her way back."

Briel was in tears. "What are you saying?" She couldn't understand whatever her mother was trying to tell her. Fear grabbed her heart at the thought of her mom suffering somewhere.

"Mom, I'm right here!" She cried back. Her voice resounding through the chambers of the cave.

"Briel!"

"Mom! Please-" Briel froze upon feeling an eerie presence behind her. The ground began to tremble again, then a deafening roar thundered the cave. It was one powerful roar that pushed her back meters away from where she stood before. Her back hit the rocky surface.

She coughed in pain. Everything felt hazy. And when she looked up, Briel saw a part of the ceiling about to collapse. She picked herself up and swiftly went out of harm's way. Saving herself from getting pierced by the stalactites above her. Then, another cruel shot of pain attacked her body.

She sobbed. Her body was filled with bruises and scratches. That was when a figure approached her. It was her mom. Briel whimpered in relief. Her mom was there. "Mom-"

She was abruptly stopped by Yelena. Her mother was gripping her hand so tight it hurt her. "Briel, listen to me." Her mom mumbled frantically. "Whatever happens, you need to avoid them." Yelena paused and looked around them. It was as if anytime something or someone is going to come for them. Her mother's mouth was trembling with so much fear.

"Mom! What's happening? Where are we?!"

"It doesn't matter now." Yelena insisted she listened to every word. "Something is coming for you." Tears were starting to fill her eyes. "And I'm very sorry I wouldn't be there to protect you."

Briel got really frustrated. Her mom kept on warning her but never explaining anything enough for her to understand. "Mom, you got to explain what's happening here!"

"Briel, promise me." Her mom practically begged her. "Don't look at them. Never, ever look into their eyes for you will see who they are and they will know who you are."

"Mom! Tell me-" Before Briel could ask her mom again, something in the shadows grabbed and pulled her mom away from her. All the while Briel could only call out for her mom as a malevolent being dragged Yelena away. "No! Mom!"

That was when she opened her eyes. Her body was shaking and sweating all over. She then stood up and immediately went to her mother's side, checking on the monitor if she was still there. She quickly grabbed her mom's hand. It was lifeless but the warmth was still there.

She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her mother breathing. Then, Yelena's words in her dream echoed inside her mind.

"Something is coming for you."

"Don't look at them. Never, ever look into their eyes for you will see who they are, and they will know who you are."

What kind of dream was that? Does it have any real meaning? If it does, that only meant she was in danger. She gently squeezed Yelena's hand. Tears welling in her eyes. "Mom, please wake up. I need you here."

Briel's heart was in so much pain. The nightmares were all getting more twisted and sinister. "Mom, I can't do this without you."

She was so scared. The world was too vast and too crowded. She can't stand the thought of being alone in such a world.

Ever since that incident five years ago, two years after they lost her twin brother. Briel had started to distrust anyone besides her mom. She and her mom had to flee from that place just to avoid any more rumors about her being a demon's child.

They lived separately from others as what her mom preferred. Briel's mom, Yelena was a very beautiful woman. Wherever she goes, people, especially men, gawked at her beauty. That was when the women in town started to spread bad rumors about her mom. People were starting to accuse them of witchery and people who perform dark magic. Creating stories that they were monsters who curse people to death.

The stories were endless and foolish for Briel. They never did anything wrong to anyone. No one wanted to be near them. Children won't play with her. At first, Briel believed it had something to do with how she looked. She looked nowhere near like the kids in their town. She had very pale skin and her eyes glowed like gold that looked very unnatural to others.

Her mom had told her. "It's because you had a foreigner as a father. Don't listen to those people."

As her mom instructed, Briel avoided any close relationship with other people. She stayed quiet and avoided interaction as much as possible, and tried to stay out from anyone's way. For her, studying is all that mattered. However, conflict was always around the corner.

She was labeled as a demon's child by the people who knew that incident. An incident that opened her eyes on how the world was harsh on those who were born different. She was bullied because of how she looked. It all started out as a series of harmless prank that escalated in traumatizing bouts of torture inflicted by her very own classmates.

She was inside the girl's comfort room when three girls locked themselves in.

At first, Briel wasn't sure if she was supposed to be there. So, she immediately excused herself out. But the girls did not let her.

"Don't you dare ignore us!" One girl blocked her way and glared down at her. Briel was a lot shorter compared to other girls at her age. That is why they easily towered over her.

Two of the girl held her each of her arms. Briel panicked. She could not break free.

That was when she noticed that the girls belonged to her class. Briel is not yet familiar with their names for she was still new at the school.

That was when the other girl brought out her scissors from her skirt pocket. She was laughing sinisterly. "You know, I always hated you. Pretending to be all weak and girly. Getting everyone's attention because you think you know everything.", said as she played on the scissors. "You think you're better than us? Why? You are basically no one! There is nothing special about you.", the girl muttered mockingly.

"I don't know what you're saying," Briel muttered in fear.

She had done everything not to stand out. Where was the girl coming from?

"Please let go of me. If I ever did something that offended you, I'm sorry."

But the girls didn't listen. Something was very, very wrong. They all seemed to be not themselves.

"Shut up!" The girl holding the scissor demanded. "I hate you. I hate you! I hate you!" Her eyes looked very feral. Briel trembled in fear.

"Please, stop this.", she begged them.

"Silence!" One girl had punched Briel's stomach hard. She immediately went on to her knees. The other two girls were still holding her down. And the angle of how they were holding her arms were hurting her very bad.

She cried in pain.

"Let's see if you can still brag after this." One of the girls had twisted her hand, she heard her bones cracked. Briel shrieked in pain. "You like painting, huh?" The girl mocked. "Can you still paint with this?" The girl twisted her injured hand even more.

"No!" Briel screamed in pain. She was panting hard due to the immense pain shooting from her injury. "Stop this, please!" It was her dominant hand. She loved painting and drawing things. To think these people would go so far just to hurt her.

The girls just laughed mockingly. It was as if Briel could no longer see them as humans. They were monsters. But the girl holding the scissors was not done yet.

"Your hand is still not enough." She said with a grin full of malice. "I will make sure you never be able to draw or see anything ever again!"

Briel's eyes widen as dread realization filled her mind. The girl was going to stab her eyes.

"No!"

Somebody, help me. Please!

That was when she blacked out. By the time she woke to her senses, she saw blood everywhere. Two girls were on the floor, their arms twisted in different angles. And the girl who previously tried to stab her eyes was pinned on the wall, one hand stabbed by the scissors.

Briel's supposed-to-be injured hand was already healed up. Whatever happened when she blocked out, scared her. Her knees gave out rendering her helpless on the floor.

That was the situation by the time help arrived. Briel thought that she was going to be blamed for it, but no. Two of the janitors told the school officials that they saw a crazy man who went in with them and locked them inside.

However, even if the janitors cleaned her name, some people were convinced that she was part of it. Even if they lacked evidence, they all blamed Briel. Some even spread rumors that the man was a demon employed by Briel to torture the girls.

"No. It's not like that!" She defended. "I would never hurt anyone."

"Shut up, demon! Get away from us."

The bullying got from bad to worse. She got isolated. Her desk would always have notes written on chalk saying, "You're the devil's child!" or "Get away from us, you demon!" Sometimes they played dirty pranks on her like hiding her things or bag, only to find it buried in the school's garden. Some would throw things at her when their teachers are not around.

She couldn't tell anyone. She was afraid her mom might get worried even more. Yelena was already having a hard time providing for both of them. She can't afford to bring more problems with her mom. Besides, what if she was really a demon's child? She can't remember anything when she passed out. What if she was the one who did those terrible things?

However, no matter how Briel had tried to hide every bullying, it was just a matter of time before her mother discovers it. One day after school, Yelena went to fetch her daughter so they can go home together. That was when she saw her daughter crying helplessly on the ground while children throw pebbles at her.

She looked around but no adult seemed to bother helping her daughter. She quickly went to her daughter's side. Stopping the other children from hurting her Briel. The poor child was already bleeding at that time. "Mama." Briel whimpered upon seeing her.

She gently hugged her daughter. She glared daggers at those around them.

Humans. How vile had some of them become?

After they had dinner that night, Yelena decided to treat her daughter's wounds. Briel was still not speaking. Her eyes shone of sadness and pain. It was only then that Yelena spoke too. Her mom cried while she treated her wounds. "Baby, why didn't you tell me?"

Briel's tears were immediately triggered upon hearing her mom's question. All those times that she held her words back. All those times she felt she couldn't talk to anyone. "I'm sorry, mom."

Yelena hugged her daughter very tightly. She promised that she would never let anyone harm her daughter again. She had decided to leave that town and go to another province. It was also after they move that Yelena had decided to train Briel on how to protect herself.

However, the trauma never left Briel. She couldn't go to school for quite sometime, so Yelena had decided to teach her daughter at home. Not only in basic subjects but also in self-defense. This way, she can always protect herself. She learned hunting and other survival skills. And for Briel, it was better than going somewhere traumatizing. She had learned everything she needs, except living without her mother.

That is why she had to stand up for both of them. "Mom, I promise. I will do everything to help you." She was going to do everything she can just to keep her mom alive. Even if it means she has to approach other people for it.

"Something is coming for you."

"Don't look at them. Never, ever look into their eyes for you will see who they are, and they will know who you are."