Acceptance

The Eyes of a Stranger

 Episode 2

I woke up on such a nauseous dim area that is only lit up by a flickering light bulb. And the sound of water drops from the ceiling.

“Hello my sweet beauty ” a strange accent spoke from nowhere

Then a man wearing a black tuxedo and a black panama hat appeared from the darker side of the room. only then I realized I am inside a cell.  I can hardly distinguish the man ’s appearance but somehow I can see his holding some kind of baton behind him.  

 “who are you? What do you want from me?” It tried to stand up, but my excessive clothing makes it difficult to do so. Apparently, I am not only imprisoned inside a dark cell but dressed as if a captured princess. Everything is surreal. I am like in dream, playing someone else’s character. Did this guy mistook me for someone?   

 “Isn’t it lovely? Seeing you wearing such a comely frock? Oh! Can you believe it? I chose it myself for you to look more gorgeous, and it suits you more than I imagined” he supposed while looking  strangely enticed by what he is seeing. 

His expression. The whole place. Everything...Everything in this freakish nightmare is scaring me. I decided I must wake up, but, am I asleep? is this all really just a dream? I remained still, till a boisterous commotion from outside the doorway gave me a little hope, and save me from such aggravating situation when the mysterious man seemed anxious, realizing that the place was being attacked by another group.

“Oh” his tone of disappointment lessened my worries.   

“This is only the beginning of our fate my dear...I’ll let you go this time, but I’ll make sure that we will see each other again, and by that time on, I expect you to know who I am and who you are”

He draw backward and vanished into the dark. I step all the confusions aside and take hold of  the opportunity to ask for help 

“Mother? Father?... Aaron? Ari-an? Where are you? Where are you? Somebody help me....” I shout and sob at the same time, trying to free myself from the metal bars. While in my desperation, a sound of foot steps is approaching my location. I don’t know why I feel unsafe, but my mind wont stop thinking irrational thoughts.   What if a person finds me here being locked up, will they believe I am a captive? that I am a victim? how will I be able to save my family? 

Unfortunately a soldier already reached my location. Not too far He stopped, and took off his helmet which covers his head and started walking closer to where I am. I crawl rearward until I felt the wall. As if it is pushing me back towards the metal bars. As if there is an understanding between the wall and the soldier to bring me to him. To surrender. He stopped right before those bars. I am so nervous and scared, that the person is just in front of me. How can he move so quickly? I cleared my throat and give a gaze on him. Surely, I notice his fascinating appearance. The person I was afraid to find me, that could capture and kill me, was  just a boy at my age, and is extremely alluring. I started feeling more nervous and panting, and that it feels like the time stopped between us, akin to enchanted.

“Are you alright Miss?” he uttered, and it took me a few seconds before I get to answer his question

 “I am, wi-will you he-help me out?”

“Of course, let me just...” he geared his gun up and shoot the doorway. Quickly after the door opened,  I ran out from the cell  as fast as I could. Away from the soldier boy, to escape all my assumptions about what is going to happen after they catch me. I am so confident with my ability to run. not only because I am usually chased by the street dogs in our village, but I was a gifted athlete with a bunch of medals from elementary to high-school. Believing that the soldier couldn't catch up on me, I turned to confirm I am no longer followed. 

“Oh grief!”

Darn, the boy is running only a few meters away from me. and is yelling something I refuse to listen. 

I focused myself on escaping, till for the goodness of my own stupidity, I stumbled unto something and lost my balance, caused me to break my ankle. for all the time to fail, I failed gravely in such a despairing situation. Funny how my intelligence is limited in school and an actual dumb in everything else. 

 The boy stood right next to me and just carry me on his arms

 “I told you to wait up! See?!” he smiled and brought me outside to where their helicopter is stationed, as well as some of their troupes, which is above the meadows away from the abandoned building  where we came from.

“Who is that girl?” A teenage black American went down from the steady helicopter. I am embarrass by the fact that he’s still carrying me while talking to the girl. I signaled for him to put me down despite of my unhealed injury “Are you sure?” Abashed from his sudden inquiry, I felt my cheeks heated up and my lips numbed from any response. 

“Oh  I see.....You like this girl don’t you?”

“Stop it! I don’t even know her name yet” the boy glance at me, and I only smirk in return.

I parried my attention away from the charming boy to the older soldiers coming out from the building with  unsatisfied faces. A huge American guy called the boy ‘Dan’ and told him to come with’em. They were obviously mentioning me during their discussion since the huge man’s eye won’t cease to guard me while I was humbling myself around.

“So are you?” he asked, after sometime he bought with dan, he then came to interrogate me

“I---I am, A—Acia sir, A commoner from Philippines. I was abducted by a strange man sir, not knowing why” I responded,

“Ok then ” he walk away just like that. He did not even asked me If I have any idea who kidn*pped me or whom I met before this dan came rescued me

 “sir, I don’t know where my parents and my sibling are, and--- and I am pretty sure they were being kidn*pped too, sir, please if you can help me find them” I begged. The man continue to ignore my persistence

 “can’t you see? You are not even part of this operation, helping you out there is all we can do for you, so scram!” He uttered scornfully. It sounded insulting how a civilian like me is being ignored and treated so unimportant, I know that this might not be the kind of soldiers that would help people, but what is that uniform for? if not helping people then what? are they just going to focus on their mission and ignore the victims? this soldiers are plainly not making sense to me. I was about to turn back when dan spoke against the man,

“Sir, I may not in the position to say this but, she is a citizen, and we are ought to protect her and her family. isn’t our duty to protect not to reject?”

“Dan, I am very much impress by your actions, with such young age you are outstanding,  and I would gladly give you a favour, but, this situation is different, you know about it right?” the man make certain his words reach's dan by patting his hand to Dan’s shoulder, but Dan for an unknown reason choose to take my.

“Sir, I cannot agree with you. I am not convinced that the current situation can stop our principles of helping people regardless of their nationality”  he called out firmly

“Well then Mr. Thorne, I am giving you the responsibility ” by the moment I was listening to them, I figured, why can’t I be the one to look for them myself,  am I that coward enough to ask other people to reach my family’s hand? No, at-least I have to find something to prove myself

“I want to join you-----Sir!” I suddenly interrupted

“What now?” the man as well as Dan became speechless

“I am not sure where they are, and—and I want to find them myself, so...”

“Are you insane?” the man added, and for me it is not a question but a beginning of a confirmation for me to be qualified,

My perseverance helped me to reach the Man’s permit, as their leader, he holds a big power to do that, and so with dan’s supporting words, he came up with the greatest Idea of letting me in

“You talk to your grandfather about this dan, I may allow it but, make sure that the General will somehow tolerate your nonsense without putting the whole team in trouble”

“Yes sir!” he saluted and thanked him with me. Due to excitement, I reacted stupidly and embraced dan.  the most awkward and embarrassing thing I did next to throwing up in the stage in front of many students while doing our intermission number back in High School.

I braced myself as we flew up to the sky. It is my first time riding a helicopter so I couldn’t stop myself from feeling nervous--thinking what if this thing suddenly crash down or what if I fall down? I would be dead meat. I hold my breath in order not to vomit. It could be another embarrassment if I do so. But in the bright side, I experience how wonderful to see the ground so tiny from above the sky. The tiny houses and the tiny people around it, and yes it is a wonderful view, together with a beautiful  boy sitting right in front of me. Along with the sunset behind him, making every moment somewhat fated.