Chapter Two (Part 2)
1049 Words
Chapter Twenty Two (Part 2)
I just nod at him.
"Just open the gate, will ya?" I boredly ordered.
"R-Roger, miss!" He gestured the other guard and they both opened the gate.
I saw their foolish shocked looks as we entered inside the subdivision. They are lucky I am not in the mood to fire people off their job.
Yeah, my family owns various subdivisions and other real estate property. We own this subdivision, even the one in Pampanga where our current house is located. It is the family business of my grandfather and he passed it to his only child who happened to be my mom. However, my mom's dream is to be a Chemist so she pursued it. My grandfather can't do anything about it so he just supported her. Well, my mom is so freaking smart, anyway. She was still able to manage their family business while flourishing her career as a Chemist. While managing their real estate business, she decided to work under the Luna Pharmaceutical which happened to be a company owned by my dad. That is the place where they met and eventually became a couple. After a year, they got married and have me. It was almost a perfect story if not only because of that incident.
Manong Ronald finally parked the car in front of a rusty gate. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I saw the Andino insignia carved in it. Manong Ronald went out of the car to open my door.
I gracefully slid out of the car and fished the keys of the house inside my pocket. I silently walk in front of the gate to open it while Manong Ronald went back to the car to wake my sleeping nanny.
I heaved a sigh before inserting the key into the key hole of the gate and it rightfully fitted inside. The eerie rusty sound reverberated as I pushed the the other half of the gate opened.
My mouth gape opened when I saw the magnificent view of our huge mansion. The thick vines are already covering the seemingly haunted and lonely house. The pool area where I used to swim is now as dry as a dessert and the grand fountain where my dad used to chased me is now enveloped with moss.
The warm house where I used to live is now nothing but a cold and lifeless mansion.
"Arylle! Oh, I'm sorry I fell asleep," Nanang' high-pitch voice severed my reminiscence.
"Yeah it's alright. Can you just help me to open the other part of the gate, please?" I asked.
"Okay!" She enthusiastically helped me to do the job while Manong Ronald is back in the car again, waiting to get the cat inside the parking lot of the mansion.
"Nanang, I will go first. I need to open the main door, anyway," I showed her the keys in my palm.
"Oh, okay! I'm just gonna follow you after this," she said, still pushing the rusty gate.
I just nod at her before proceeding to walk inside the gate.
The moment I stepped inside, it was as if I entered a new world. I felt like I am the only person there. I can clearly hear the crunchy sounds of every dried leaves that I stepped into. The distant sound of the birds created a a profound harmony that matches the gloomy atmosphere of the house.
After a few moment if silently walking, I finally reached the main door of our house. I raised the keys once again and picked the right one to open the enormous wooden door.
I immediately pushed the door open after I inserted the right key. The huge door created a creaking sound as I pushed it open. It revealed the interior of our old house. All of the furniture are covered with with fabrics and from here, I can already see the cobwebs weaved in the staircases and even in every corner of th house. This whole place basically looks like a house from a horror movie. It is very far from the home that I remember, this feels so foreign to me.
Well I guess what I need is to go the parts of this house that will remind me more of the days where I used to call this home.
I stride towards the kitchen and the former organize and almost glossy appearance of it is now reduced into a dusty and dirty version. All the utensils and equipment that my mom used to make my favourite foods are now gone. What's left is a remnant of a broken past.
I balled my fist as I walked towards sink before kneeling. I softly caressed the dusty surface of the floor and there I felt the secret passage to the basement.
I removed the huge tile that covered and it revealed the hidden door beneath it. Without wasting any more time, I slid inside the narrow hole that will lead me to the hallway inside. The hallway is connected into another door where the basement is officially located.
I covered my nose when I smelled the suffocating metallic and and dusty scent all around me. I carefully slid down using the metal ladder.
After that, I gracefully landed in the metal floor of the hallway. I used my phone's flashlight to illuminate my surroundings since the automatic wall lamps will not activate because the power supply here has been cut off years ago.
The hallway extended for a few more meters before I reached the metal door. I pointed my phone'a flashlight in the keys that I am holding in order to pick the right one and when I did, I hurriedly inserted it to the key hole and then twisted it.
After that, I immediately pushed the door to open it but my eyebrows creased when... it did not budged.
I tried to twist the key and push the door again but it still would not open.
I smash the metal door using my fist but it still did not moved... at all. It only created an ear-splitting sound that echoed all throughout the hallways.
What the hell? The key fits perfectly inside the key hole so why can't I open it?
-C. N. Haven-
- Writer
