Chapter 7: Why?
1371 Words
Coming home was never supposed to be a thing that hurts, but the emotions were something Ariel wasn't prepared for.
The closer she gets to the building that she once called home, the heavier her legs feel.
Every time anyone passed by her, she'd quickly hide her face with her hair. Afraid anyone would see her.
Afraid anyone would recognize her.
As the ex-convict.
As the girl who murdered her classmate cause of jealousy.
With her heart pounding so hard against her chest, she glanced back at the people who had just passed by, to see if they were looking at her suspiciously.
But they're not.
She sighed in relief and turned back to the building.
' Do they still live here?' she asked in her mind as she stared at the building.
Just then, their laughter tore out of the building.
Her body froze instantly.
The moment she heard it, her father and mother's laughter and giggles from the house, her body stilled.
They're laughing?
They're living their lives while she was rotting away in prison?
They're laughing while she had to fight to struggle to survive?
After they ruined her life?
She chuckled at the absurdity, her fist clenched deeply her knuckles turned white. Her teary eyes burned with rage.
She breathed heavily, every feeling turning numb as she approached the house. Her knock on the door wasn't gentle, nor harsh, as if she intended to haunt them with her knock.
And after some seconds, her mother's face appeared.
Her jaw ticked.
Her eyes stared back at Sonia's shocked face.
" Wh-what are you doing here?" Sonia asked. Her eyes widened. Her hands are trembling.
Ariel gave no response. Her eyes scanned her dressing, so elegant and beautiful. Then back at her face with makeup.
" Hort. Honey!" She called her husband.
" What's it?" Hort asked from behind her and froze the instant his eyes landed on her.
" Hey, Dad?" Ariel tilted her head, with a smirk that says 'surprise!'
" What are you doing here?" He asked the same question.
Ariel scoffed and chuckled. Her heart dropped further into her chest, heavy and aching.
Hort grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her inside before quickly closing the door.
" What are you doing here? Did you escape from the prison, Oh my God, we're doomed." Hort voiced with anger.
Ariel heaved a huge sigh of relief. For some reason, she was glad.
Glad they ain't the one who fight for her release.
Glad she wouldn't have to be indebted or grateful. And above all, she can resent them for the rest of her life.
" Did anyone see you? Did anyone see you coming here?" Sonia asked anxiously.
Their reaction wasn't surprising, but deep down, her heart won't stop aching, bleeding, and shattering.
" I didn't run." Her voice cracked. " I was released.
" Bullshit! You were sentenced to life imprisonment." Hort pointed angrily.
" Well, tada! I'm back."
Sonia quickly turned to the television, grabbed the remote, and began changing channels anxiously, afraid she'd see any news about the prison break.
" You don't seem excited to see me, Dad?" Ariel asked, staring at Hort with her head tilted to one side.
Hort eyed her, inhaling shakily. " There's nothing to be excited about escaping prison, do you have idea what that could do to this family? Do you want to tarnish this family name?"
Ariel scoffed. Her trembling fingers clenched. Her eyes dropped to the ground.
A bitter smile curled at the corner of her lips.
" You've brought nothing but shame and disgrace to this family, haven't you done enough?" He yelled.
Just then, they heard someone coming from the backyard, quickly grabbed Ariel, and dragged her to a room.
" What are you doing?" She asked in confusion.
" You better not make a sound," Sonia warned sternly before closing the door and locking it.
Ariel gritted her teeth.' They're afraid people will see me?' she chuckled bitterly in her mind before turning around to realize this was her room.
The painting and stickers on the wall were still there.
Just that, now it's no longer her room. Or a bedroom at all.
There are cartons everywhere, stuffed with things that should be in the storeroom.
She moved closer to open some cartons, and inside were her stuff. Her uniform, her books, her medals, her awards.
Dusty. Tangled with cobwebs.
Her heart thrashed against her chest.
Her trembling hand picked up a medal. She could remember vividly the debate she won this from.
[ Once I get into college, I'm going to create a dating app, one that'll be so much fun with an anonymous website]
She remembered what she told her friends when she returned to school with that medal. Her excitement. Her determination. Her dreams.
Rage boiled through her veins.
They destroyed it. They destroyed it all.
She turned back at the door, raised her hand to bang her fist against the door when she heard it.
Her laughter. Her voice.
Ava's.
But it wasn't hers alone.
" We won't stay long." She heard Mantis' voice say from the sitting room.
Mantis?
Her heart began racing. " What's he doing here?" She mumbled to herself, slowly stepping back.
His facial expression at the court flashed across her face.
She gulped hard. Swallowed every sound.
She can't let him see her, she can't stand whatever expression that'll be on his face.
Her throat burned. Her eyes blur with tears.
She heard her parents bidding Ava and Mantis before coming back to unlock the door.
" We should call the cops." Her mother said the moment she opened the door.
But before her father would grab the phone, she shoved her released letter to their face, which they took reluctantly.
Of course, they didn't look pleased. Their face says it all as they finished reading.
" So you're...released..just like that?" Hort asked, his tone laced with doubt.
" The stamp is there." She replied coldly.
" That.. is ..good." Sonia nodded, more like a question than a statement.
" I want to ask you." Ariel began, her eyes staring at the ground before them. Tears brimmed. Her throat dries up. Her voice is cracking. " Why?"
Tears dropped across her cheeks. " Why didn't you do it?"
Hort and Sonia swallowed in discomfort.
Ariella shook her hand like she was pointing. " I stayed up late at night, asking myself, what did I do wrong. What was my offense? Dad, what did I do to you? I spent nights asking myself. Was it because I studied? Was it because of the awards? Was I not obedient enough?"
Her throat tightened, burning as tears pooled out of her eyes. " I've seen the way chickens fight for it's babies." She said looking at Sonia. " I've seen mothers turned to anything, just to protect their children."
Then at her father. " I've seen the way Daddies love their baby girls. I've seen the way Dads show affection. But you never showed me anything. You never even come visiting, not even once."
" Ariel." He called sternly.
" I couldn't take it off my mind." She didn't let him speak. " The way you dropped my letter in her hand. Framing me without even blinking an eye."
" Ariella.."
" Why?" Her yell cut him short. " Why did you do that to me? Why did you ruin my life?"
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Her breath shook along with her body.
Her yells made Sonia flinch a little, but she quickly pulled herself together.
" We did what was best at the moment." She voiced.
Ariel chuckled. " The best? Framing me for my sister's crime is the best?"
" Yes, we did it for you, and soon you'll understand," Hort said plainly.
"For me? For..for me?" She burst into laughter. One so loud as if it'd anchor her from the pain and rage that threa
tened to consume her.
But it didn't stop.
Her knees buckled and she went down squatting.
Laughing so loud that it turned into cries. Till what tore harshly out of her were screams of pain.
- Writer
