E/LENA

CHAPTER FOUR

Ms. Estrella never left Elena’s side even until she fall asleep. She stared at Elena with full of sadness and the same time, pity.

“Why did you that Elena?” She whispered while combing Elena’s hair using her hand, staring at Elena’s knotted brows and tired sleeping face.

“You even look so sad and tired even your sleeping.” Ms. Estrella uttered letting a heavy breath to come out of her, for her chest is feeling so heavy as she look on Elena’s tired sleeping face.

Ms. Estrella knows Elena for too long and she never ever thought Elena would do something so rush of taking her own life.

Then, Ms. Estrella suddenly thought of Elena’s behavior on their class this afternoon. Elena was too cold when she asked her that even made her shiver by Elena’s voice a while ago, that made it strange, for that was the first time Elena acted like that for she was the most warmest person she had ever known.

And then Elena came to her house thanking her all of a sudden about something she didn’t do, the way Elena stilled when she informed her that she didn’t do anything like what she’s said that I did, and the way she saw Elena became anxious by what she had said and suddenly uttered goodbye and hurriedly left.

And the last thing she knows was hearing a scream coming out from Elena’s house and eventually found her holding a knife.

It pained and the same time scared her when she found Elena in that state a while ago, seems so vulnerably broken and exhausted making her questioned herself, Am I that insensitive to noticed that something was giving Elena a hard time, and the fact that she was the one whose looking after the child make her cringed in disappointment for herself.

Ms. Estrella had known Elena for years and she knows the child had been through a lot making her admire Elena so much, because even though she already went through a lot, the child Elena remained strong that the other teens on her same age can’t bare, her good personality that she like the most, and the gentle smile that brings comfort to Dan, Alfred and to her everytime.

She remembered the first time she saw Elena. Elena was just 14-years old back then, when she saw a jolly teen with an angelic face playing with Dan that time, they seems having having so much fun and eventually find herself smiling from then scene unconsciously while watching Dan chasing the teen Elena who looks like an angel wearing a plain ash gray above the knee dress running as Dan continuously chasing after her.

Who is that child? Ms. Estrella asked on her mind as curiosity strikes on her system, for this is the first time she ever saw the child.

She saw Dan and the child stopped when they seem to noticed me coming out from my house taking out the trash while looking at them, she saw the teen Elena said something to Dan making nod then the next thing she saw the teen Elena run towards her direction.

The teen Elena introduced herself sweetly to her and suddenly asked if she could help her took the trash out for it look so heavy according to the teen Elena.

That time, she found herself in awe for the child’s asking her to give her a hand to help her with the trash, and with a gentle smile Elena reaching out her hand towards the trash that Ms. Estrella was holding. At that time Elena didn’t reached only her trash bag but also her heart that Ms. Estrella herself was shocked for she never been fond to any child that easily.

After taking out her trash with Elena’s help, she invited Dan and the teen Elena for snacks, and from there her curiosity answered and she found out how Dan and Alfred meet Elena on the street and eventually decided adopted her after the accident they got into with the child.

At first, she feel pity towards the teen Elena after hearing her stories, but eventually turned into admiration because the child was so strong and the way she smile, her gentle eyes gazed settle upon us and the way she made us laugh, it seems like she never had anything that she went through.

The child, Elena managed to catch our hearts in an instant, she became our angel that brightens our day, and a child that every parents will wanting to have.

Elena often come to my house with Dan and then we will hangout, we became really close making I, myself to volunteer to also look after Elena that Dan and Alfred approves.

She is our angel, and Elena’s jolliness is the one who lifts our mood everyday, even when Dan hospitalized because of a heart attacked and was put into coma, she still remain positive that her Mommy Dan will wake up soon, that gave us hope, but eventually Dan died and Alfred came after.

She saw how Elena chose to be jolly even she herself is still mourning, telling her that she don’t want to make her Mommy Dan and Daddy Al feel sorry for leaving her all of a sudden and was thankful for adopting her.

Even until now she is still calling me Ma’am I don’t mind, for Elena insisted to call me that, she said it is a sign of her respect because she said that I will going to become her teacher and she will not going to call me Aunt until she graduate high school and that made me laugh back then because of the teen Elena’s principle.

And now, I know wherever Dan and Alfred right now. I know for sure this will also pained them knowing what is happening to our Elena.

Ms. Estrella thoughts of flashbacks was suddenly cut making her thoughts came back to present when her phone ringed, she immediately wiped the tears that she felt, fell while reminiscing.

She glance at the clock beside on Elena’s bed and it says 11:15 o’clock in the evening making her brows knotted by the late phone call.

“Who might this be?” Ms. Estrella asked to herself while reaching on her phone that she placed on Elena’s bedside table.

As she reach her phone, she saw the call was from the university phone number, and swipe the answer button on her phone screen immediately.

“Hello! This is Eleanor Estrella, how can I help you?” Ms. Estrella formally asked to the person from the other line.

“Hello Ms. Estrella, this is Officer Randy Santos from EPD (Edmonton Police Department) sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but this is really urgent, can you come over here in the University right now?” The person on the other line said making Ms. Estrella brows knotted by the sudden summon from the police officer.

“I-I’m sorry? But, can you tell me what’s the problem, Officer?” Ms. Estrella asked in confusion.

“We got Ms. Candice Montes body hanging on the tree lifeless, and just want to ask you some questions that can might help for our investigation as her homeroom adviser.” The officer said that made Ms. Estrella shock from the news.

“What!?” Ms. Estrella asked in shock but immediately minimize her voice after shifting her gaze towards the sleeping Elena.

“W-What do you mean?” She asked again.

The officer told her some of details of the incident after that made Ms. Estrella more shocked but she immediately collected herself.

“Okay officer, I’ll be on my way, thank you for calling me.” Ms. Estrella said before she hang up while looking at Elena.

She don’t want to leave Elena as much as possible afraid that something will happen again, but the call was urgent.

Candice Montes, Elena’s classmate was committing suicide. Just what in the world is happening to these kids?! Ms. Estrella thought as she readying herself to go to the university

After she finished she glance again Elena’s bedside table where the clock is placed, and it says 11:51 o’clock in the evening.

Ms. Estrella blew a deep breath and decided to fix Elena’s comforter and leave. But before Ms. Estrella left she asked their village guard to look at Elena’s house for a while. Thankfully the guard agreed without asking questions.

--

“Please spare me! Please!” She can here Sanya’s voice pleading, but she can’t see anything.

“Argh…! Ah!!!” she heard as the plead turned into scream of a two person scorching in pain while there bodies are burning, that she can even smell.

As the screamed continued she suddenly saw a blurry image of Candice choking to death and the next thing she heard was the cold voice humming the tune of scarborough fair.

Elena woke up panting while trembling from the nightmare she had, that nightmare again! Elena didn’t know why she can always smell blood and the burnt bodies everytime she had that nightmare.

Not just seeing herself killing people in her dream, but the scent of it after making her body tremble in fear, and she can’t understand why she kept having those nightmares.

Elena almost jump when she heard the knocked on her door, and as her imagination succumb her, she can saw the other copy of herself that covered in blood entering her room while her mischievous smile and cold eyes is staring at her.

“Ah!!!!!!!” Elena screamed in horror as the copy of herself slowly approaching her.

On the other hand, it was Ms. Estrella who entered Elena’s room and was shocked when Elena suddenly scream in so much horror that made her hurriedly approach Elena, but didn’t hold her.

“Elena…!” she called to Elena, but the child didn’t bulge and just continue to scream.

“Go away! P-Please g-go! Go!!!!! Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!” Elena screamed hysterically while looking at Ms. Estrella who is currently Elena see as her other self.

Ms. Estrella didn’t know what to do for as she can see Elena is not on herself as if she can see something she scared of from the way she looking at her and she even trembling.

Slowly, Ms. Estrella approach Elena who was still screaming and hugged her tightly even Elena is still bulging.

“Shh…Its me Ma’am Elena...” Ms. Estrella said trying to calm Elena who was extremely trembling.

“P-Please! Go! Go…!” She heard Elena continuously plead against her hug, but Ms. Estrella know Elena’s plead isn’t for her but for something Ms. Estrella didn’t know.

“Its Ma’am, Elena its Ma’am…” Ms. Estrella continuously said as well.

After minutes had passed, Elena came to passed out while Ms. Estrella was hugging her and Ms. Estrella put back Elena to her bed.

Honestly, Ms. Estrella just got back from the university and was just came to look for Elena on her bedroom, but that happened making Ms. Estrella’s mind filled with questions of what is happening to Elena.