The Orphaned
1835 Words
...continuation...
The moment she started to play the piano, was like being sucked into her own world. In this world, she has the ability to influence all the people in it. In this case, it's her friends.
But Cellestine is too lost in her world to notice.
There were no restrictions. No form. Just pure abandon. A literal rollercoaster of emotions.
Love.
Joy.
Longing.
Gratitude.
Pain.
Anger.
Loneliness.
Grief.
Hate.
The emotions were so intense that Karmi had to raise up a spatial wall to prevent these emotions from affecting them.
"Is she an empath?" Karmi asked after she propped up the space blockade.
"No. If she was, it would have manifested long ago and I would've noticed it," Louella responded. Empaths have a way to recognize another empath, especially at a close distance. Louella and Cellestine were almost always together all these years, so she would've seen a clue or two.
"I think her mental power is just too strong. She's not actually trying to influence our emotions. Her power is trying to manipulate our minds through the music we hear.
It's different from Louella's. Because empathy can feel the other person's feelings and emotions and can influence the other's feelings and emotions as well.
Cellestine's is like an overbearing mental suggestion. Like a command but with no words. With a proper medium, she can control you," Devonne said. Looking at Cellestine with awe and concern.
"Umm, girls? Don't you think my suggestion seems to be a bad idea?" Louella hesitantly said.
Looking at where the situation is going, Cellestine's power may suddenly get out of hand and affect other students.
"I don't think that we should stop her, though. This is all her pent-up emotions manifesting. It's good for her to vent out.", Devonne disagreed.
Looking at the very emotionally unstable Cellestine, Devonne guessed that if they stopped their friend, it would be bad for her and she might suffer a backlash.
"But... I don't think I have the ability to set up another barrier around this room.", Karmi said with a slight worry on her face. Beads of sweat are appearing on her forehead indicating that she almost hit her limit.
Among the girls present, Louella has empathy, Devonne has the ability to manipulate tangible things and only Karmi has the ability to mentally manipulate space. The only thing is that her level is not that high.
They were totally not expecting Cellestine's ability to explode like this and they were not prepared. Cellestine did not show any sign of awakening her blood talent, or so they thought. This is the first time they witness her displaying her abilities and it's even in her unconscious state.
They looked at each other and saw worry in each other's eyes. They are afraid that they will not be able to handle the consequences once Hailey Cellestine gets out of control.
Just when Karmi is almost collapsing from the overdraft of using her strength, another space barrier covers them. The music room has also been surrounded by a strong space barrier.
Karmi finally had a breather and looked at the people who had just arrived. It's Earl Rye Collins and another guy they all knew about.
Luke Pereira.
Karmi nodded at Earl Rye, who came to their side.
"Thanks," Karmi said. Earl Rye is known in their circle for having a very strong mental strength, having dual abilities of mental manipulation of space and mental suggestion or hypnotism.
"Anytime." Earl's response was short and the usual smile on his face was gone.
The three girls finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued to look in Cellestine's direction and see Luke standing beside her.
Now all they have to do is wait.
***
Cellestine is the type who will try to endure things for as long as she can. She felt that each person had a problem of their own and having to help carry another person's burden was just adding to their hardships. This is especially so if the person who is venting out their problem to you is someone you care for.
That is why, no matter how hard things feel, if she can still keep it to herself, she will persist. She remembered one time when she was a little younger, her mom reprimanded her because of this character she has.
Henriette told her that there was only too much that her little brain could handle. She even compared it to a balloon. Once you keep on putting air in it, it will expand until it finally reaches its limit and eventually blows up.
The moment Cellestine's fingers touched the piano keyboard she felt like an overly expanded balloon who finally had an outlet for all the excess air that almost caused it to burst.
She let go of herself. No thoughts, just letting go of all those pent-up emotions she has in her heart.
She heard all those familiar notes and melodies ringing in her ears. The familiar touch of the piano keyboard, which she had not felt for almost a month, made her feel excited. She can clearly feel her muscles relaxed as she finds herself in a state of pure abandon.
Then a weird thing happened: she could see her past self in front of her. In her mind she can clearly see herself as if viewing her memory from another person's point of view.
She can see herself during the very last time that she played the piano. It was in front of her parents. It was the very first music score that she had created by herself, without any guidance from her mentor or from her mother.
She can clearly see her parents' smiling faces. They were holding each other's hands while looking at her proudly. It was a very happy moment for her.
She never thought that it would be the last time that she could ever play her music to her parents.
Suddenly she remembered the accident. She remembered having a very uneasy feeling that day.
As if on cue, the scene changed and she saw her family saying goodbye to her Aunt Esther and her family. They were all smiling but she saw herself. She was clearly uneasy.
"Mom, can we not go?"
"Are you not feeling well?" Henriette asked.
"Not really. But I have this gut feeling that today is not a good day."
"Is there any problem?" Charles asked when he got near his wife and daughter.
Cellestine turned towards her father. "Dad, can we not go today? Can we postpone it to tomorrow?"
"Are you having the jitters?" Charles joked. He then reached out his hand and ruffled his daughter's hair.
"Dad. Not my hair!" Cellestine complained, earning a round of laughter from the crowd.
"Do you really want to cancel our trip?" Henriette asked.
Cellestine looked to be deep in thought before answering. "You know what? Nevermind. We planned this for a long time so it makes no sense not to go."
She remembered she had this repulsive feeling when her parents asked her to enter the car. It is her gut feeling telling her that something bad will happen.
But Cellestine saw her past self still getting in the car. Her parents didn't listen to her and they still headed to the airport.
Cellestine wanted to stop them but she couldn't even speak. She wanted to close her eyes. She doesn't want to see what's going to happen next. But her brain won't listen to her.
From her point of view she can see herself trying to smile and laugh at his failed attempts to c***k a joke. Her mother is being supportive as always, laughing at her husband's antics.
She braced herself for the inevitable. Her mother looked back in her direction, trying to ask her something, but as soon as she did so, her eyes widened in shock. She shouted for her husband. Her husband saw the same thing, as he was looking in the rearview mirror.
Out of nowhere, a very huge truck came into view. She could see herself in the backseat staring wide-eyed as the truck coming from the back was about to hit her direction.
Their car just decelerated because they were nearing the red traffic light. Her father managed to swerve the car, trying to steer out of the way. But from her point of view, she could clearly see that the truck had no plan to let them go.
She could see her mom leaping from the front seat in her direction. She raised her hands to the truck's direction and horror flashed through her eyes when nothing happened. Her parents looked at each other with perseverance, love, regret, and surrender.
No.
She doesn't want to look.
Please.
Stop.
But nothing happened. It's as if her memory wanted to confront her.
The next thing she saw was her father stepping on the front brakes, using the car's momentum to swing the car so that the upcoming truck would hit the front seat instead. Then there was a loud bang. Everything went dark.
Her memory did not stop here, though. The next scenes were like a blur.
Like a movie, she could see herself from the moment she woke up in the hospital, through her parents' wake and funeral. She was so calm. Looking at herself from this angle, she felt pitiful.
She's not crying. There was no grief reflected in those eyes. They were blank, as if there were no emotions.
Deep inside she was hurting. She badly wanted to cry but she wouldn't. She doesn't want to. She doesn't want to admit the fact that she's alone now.
Maybe this is why her memory wanted to confront her.
She can still hear the sound of her own music, full of loneliness, full of emptiness. That moment, she finally cried. She could feel tears falling from her eyes for the very first time since the accident.
She always tells herself that tears will not be able to bring back the departed. But at this moment, she allowed herself to grieve.
Grief for her orphaned self.
Grief for her parents' untimely death.
Grief for their injustice.
But this is going to be the first and last time that she will grieve from her parents’ death. She promised. Although her parents are gone, she is still left with tons of precious memories. Moving forward, although a lot of things happening around her still don't make sense, she will no longer be a coward.
As she finally relaxed her mood, her music style also changed. From a very chaotic and overbearing and heart-pounding rhythm, to a smooth, soothing melody.
As her last note sounded, all her energy seemed to leave her body. Before she completely lost all consciousness, she felt strong arms catch her.
The feeling is somehow familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. But she relaxed her guard. Because somehow she has this inexplicable sense of security towards the person holding her.
- Writer
