E/LENA

CHAPTER EIGHT

 Ms. Estrella was pacing back and fort, while waiting for Elena or Lena as Ms. Estrella to come home.

“Where are you Elena, or Lena…who ever you are.” Ms. Estrella whispered  as she glance on her gold wrist watch for the ninth time. 

After Lena left the clinic, Ms. Estrella followed her immediately, but when Ms. Estrella went outside Lena was already gone even Elena’s car wasn’t in the parking lot.

She even tried to reached Elena’s phone but, no to avail because Harris went to her holding Elena’s bag where she can hear a phone Elena’s phone ringing.

“Harris, what am I going to do? Elena is gone! ”Ms. Estrella said while freaking out because she didn’t able to find Elena.

“Calm down Elle…Your might your blood pressure might rose, if you didn’t calm yourself down.” Dr. Monte said in a warn yet worried tone to his friend Eleanor.

“But how, can I calm down? I don’t even know where that child went.” Ms. Estrella frustratingly said.

“Yeah, but first we should get back to the clinic and let’s talk after you calm yourself.” Dr. Monte said urging Ms. Estrella to get back to his clinic that afterwards Ms. Estrella allowed, and followed Dr. Monte to his clinic.

Ms. Estrella thought was cut when she saw a familiar vehicle from afar. After seeing that it is the person she was waiting for Ms. Estrella felt at ease, but was immediately after realizing that she must check whether she is Elena now, or still Lena.

“Elena?” Ms. Estrella said trying to see if its Elena.

“A-Aunt Elle…” Ms. Estrella heard the voice she was hoping to hear, because she can’t really decipher whether, it is Elena or Lena is the person infront of her, because it was lifelessly cold.

“Where have you been? I’m so worried about you.” Ms. Estrella said worried at the same time relief because nothing happened to Elena, she just saw a few grease on Elena’s shirt, and looking so exhausted

“I don’t know, I just woke up in middle of the rode…so I drove back here, but my car jammed in the middle of the road near University, luckily a guard from university recognized me and helped me with it.” Elena explained as they began to step towards her house.

“Aunt Elle?” Elena suddenly called to Ms. Estrella after they got inside Elena’s house and motioned her to the dining.

“Yes?” Ms. Estrella replied to Elena.

“I saw memories in my head a while  but, it was all blurred.” Elena said, staring blankly to Ms. Estrella.

Ms. Estrella smiled slightly and reached Elena’s shoulder and it.

“I know and we will talk tomorrow,” Ms. Estrella said “for now you need to take a rest, you look exhausted.”

Elena nod from Ms. Estrella had said, and took a pace towards her room to rest.

--

“Dad you called for me?” A girl said, when she entered her father’s library.

“Yeah, come here…” The man said urging his daughter to come to him that his daughter did immediately.

As the girl come near, she saw a bunch of pictures of a girl that is very familiar to her that made her brows knotted and curiously looked at his father.

“Why do you have these pictures Dad?” The girl asked, curiously to his Dad who is now took a piece of a picture and showed it her.

“Why? Do you know her?” The man asked while staring at his daughter.

A smirk plastered on his lips when he saw her daughter nod, while looking at the picture he’s holding.

“She’s in my class.” The girl replied.

“Good, so it will not be hard for you, if I will asked you to look after her.” The man said,  turning his gaze to his daughter.

“Why would I look after her?” His daughter asked curiously.

“Because I said so,” The man said annoyed by his daughter’s question.

 “Don’t you want  to save your mother?” The man asked his daughter again.

“I want to…” The man smirked as he heard his daughter replied.

“Then, do what I have said, and don’t asked anything.” The girl just nod in response from what his father said.

The girl knows that her classmate has something to do, to her father and she can feel that it is not good.

She knows her father, he is cruel and full with anger that she didn’t know where it came from.

But, a while ago she saw that anger grew on his father’s eyes while staring at her classmate’s picture.

--

The sunlight stream from her from window made Elena awake, as the sunlight was hitting her face.

She moaned as her brows knotted irritably while her eyes are close for she still want to continue her sleep.

“Elena, are you awake?” Ms. Estrella called to check if Elena is awake.

“Dr. Monte is here, Sweetie.” Ms. Estrella said when she saw Elena bulge and get up slowly.

“I’ll be out Aunt Elle.” Elena said while getting from her bed slowly.

“Okay, no need to rush. I just came here to check up you.”  Ms. Estrella said “just come out if your finished, okay?”

Elena nod in response and before Ms. Estrella left her alone inside her room. Elena immediately did her morning rituals, and her herself out of her room when she’s done.

“I’m afraid how will Elena would react if, she’ll know—” Ms. Estrella’s about to say was cut when she saw Elena walking towards the living room, where she and Dr. Monte is talking.

“You’re here!” Ms. Estrella exclaimed when Elena was just standing a few steps from them.

“Good Morning Elena!” Dr. Monte greeted to Elena.

“Good Morning Doc.” Elena also greeted.

“By the way, can I ask what are you guys talking?” Elena curiously asked while currently looking at Ms. Estrella.

“Come here Elena, Dr. Monte will tell you.”  Ms. Estrella said instead of answering Elena and urging Elena to seat beside her that Elena did.

“Have you eaten your breakfast, I have made?” Ms. Estrella asked when Elena seated, Elena nod.

Ms. Estrella smile by Elena’s response and motion Elena to look on Dr. Monte who was just seating across them in a formal position and nod to Ms. Estrella as a signal to start talking.

Elena felt the atmosphere became suddenly heavy at the same time her curiousity is eating her, because of the way Ms. Estrella seems uneasy and when the two adults seem so serious when she found them talking  a while ago.

“Elena, do you remember what happened to you yesterday?” Dr. Monte suddenly asked after the silence that filled her living room a while ago.

“Yes.” Elena replied with brows knotted for she didn’t remember anything happened to her, except founding her—Elena stopped when she can’t remember how did she got in her car when the last time she remembered was she was on her way to Dr. Monte’s clinic for her appointment.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Dr. Monte asked again, but Elena turn to him wide eye.

“I-I don’t know…” Elena said in whisper as she tried to collect the memories of what happened to her yesterday.

“All I can remember was, I-I was on my to your clinic when I bumped into a man, the told me something, but I can’t remember what is it.” Elena explain and turn her gaze to Dr. Monte who was just listening to her.

“Then, I felt my head suddenly hurt and it was unbearable, and the next thing I saw was darkness.” Elena continued.

“And the last thing I remember was, waking up in my car in the middle of the road and I don’t know how did I end up there, and why am I in the middle of the road with my car.” Elena said finishing her statement.

After hearing Elena’s statement thought that Elena must be aware of her illness specially, her multiple personality and he still need to know if what Elena’s multiple said was true. But he don’t want to rush Elena because based of what he observe, Elena was having a trouble of ending up passing out when she’s feeling an extreme anxiousness, and fear. And based on what he, heard from Elena’s statement about yesterday. He know for sure that the man who bumped Elena said something to her to make her feel an extreme anxiousness and fear, that also triggered her multiple personality, like what happened when the first time he met Elena.

“Elena…” Dr. Monte started after giving a thought on how he will tell Elena about her condition.

“Elena, you have a multiple personality we can call Dissociative Identity Disorder.” Elena heard Dr. Monte said.

“D-DID?” Elena asked to Ms. Estrella confirming what Dr. Monte said to Ms. Estrella who was just seating behind her.

Elena saw Ms. Estrella not confirming the answer of what Dr. Monte said. Elena didn’t know how to react after confirming what Dr. Monte said.

“H-How?” Elena uttered unconsciously and look at Dr. Monte like she was staring at the big question mark infront of her.

Elena never thought that she had multiple personality, and a sudden thought had popped out on her mind. Is it possib—No way! Elena whispered erasing what has popped on her head as she thought about her strange memories that keeps on entering her mind.

“No…! No!” Elena said shaking her head the idea continuously popped in her mind even how many times she erased it.

 “Is it possible?” Elena asked eyeing Dr. Monte that Dr. Monte immediately understand what she mean to ask.

“Yeah, it there is a big possibility that the memories you keep on seeing was from your multiple.” Dr. Monte said confirming Elena’s thought.

Elena felt her body became weak as she heard the confirmation on Dr. Monte’s mouth, and her eyes began to water as she thought the memories she don’t ever want to see.

The plead, the grunt, the blood, and her classmates faces, Sanya and Candice whom she saw dead in her memories and nightmares.

What on earth she have done? Elena thought as her tears pooled her eyes while she felt Ms. Estrella’s embracing her.

How did she end up having multiple personality? How long? Elena asked to herself again, but she didn’t able to find any answer to her question for herself, for even she was still have a big question mark on her.

All her life, the only memories she had was when she were still roaming in the street. She never know where she came from, or who is her parents and where are they now, and how did she end up in the street.

The memories of her childhood was gone and all she know was her name that until now she didn’t if it is really her name, for she just saw the name she’s using embodied on the handkerchief in her pocket back then.

She live on the street guessing the whole information about her. Her name, birthday and even age.

And being new to the street other street children are often picking up on her, they hurt her, snatching her food but, after she will collapse from being beaten, the children who beaten her would found dead, and the children started to avoid her and calling her calling monster.

That made Elena’s strangely liked, for no children had ever picked up on her, nor bullied her, they are all afraid of her that Elena did bother to know the reason, and Elena even thought the events where she will found food and money on the bag she use as her food bag that she find odd for those time, she never remembered putting food on her bag nor went out to collect plastic bottles, but that made her happy for she will not need to come out where she is staying to collect plastic bottles that she can exchange money to buy her a food. That was her life until she met her Mommy Dan and Daddy Alfred and eventually adopted her.

But thinking about how other children feared her and calling her a monster now, a realization hits her. She might had her multiple personality for a very long time.

After thinking her past and memories while weeping, Elena suddenly felt exhausted, and decided to separate to Ms. Estrella’s embrace.

“Aunt Elle, Dr. Monte, can I go to my room and think? I suddenly felt tired.” Elena said excusing herself to the two adults.

Elena saw worry on Ms. Estrella’s eyes, Elena just gave her a tight smile of assurance, for she knows what Ms. Estrella was worried about.

“Call me if you need me okay?” Ms. Estrella said, Elena just nod and excuse herself again and left.

Leaving Ms. Estrella and Dr. Monte surrounded by the heavy atmosphere as they  worried about how Elena will cope up.