Queen of the Hybrids

Chapter 3

"Eating and Reading and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably."

- C.S. Lewis

CHAPTER 3

***

(Anastasia)

I took in my surroundings and remembered I slept in my parents’ bedroom to seek warmth and comfort and I’m glad it gave me what I needed.

It’s been two months since they left and believe me my nightmares are getting worse. There are times I wouldn’t sleep because I’m too afraid to dream of it.

A few months ago I heard rustling that came from outside, I was too dumb to say that the people that God knows who were gone. Every other week starting that day, I would hear screams coming from the woods, though it’s faint I’m sure what I heard are screams of a person.

I must say it doesn’t happen often but it kept me up all night. I guess you’re wondering why I didn’t call the police. I live in the middle of nowhere and besides even when I wanted to step out of the house, I couldn’t. 

I smiled when I remembered the time when I snatched a book from my parents’ bedroom. Now that I remember, I never got the book my father was supposed to give me a year ago. 

***

Flashback… 

I made my way upstairs to ask father about the book he bought for me and ask him about the picture I found in one of the pages of a book I was reading a while ago.

It was a family picture where a man stood beside a woman that looks familiar; they were standing behind two little kids, one was black-haired and the other was blonde. 

I was a few steps away from my parents’ bedroom. I was now standing in front of their door when I heard my mother’s voice from the other side of the door. 

"We need to get out of here, soon.” Her voice sounded…afraid?" 

“We can’t, we’ve done too much already. We-we’ve asked for help…” I couldn’t make out the last words my father was saying. He was speaking in a hushed tone. 

I froze when the door in front of me opened revealing my father and my mother behind him.

" I-i…uhm…I was just passing by.” I said with a crooked smile and turned my gaze to the floor beneath me.

They didn’t speak so I looked up to meet their eyes but what I saw made me from. Their eyes looked clouded but immediately turned back to their original color. They looked at me and was about to say something.

"I wasn’t eavesdropping.” I blurted. 

“Sure you did, Darling.” my mother said as she crossed her arms. 

“Whatever,” I said and dashed into my bedroom closing the door with a thud and quickly placed the picture I was holding in my hand into one of the pages of the book I stole from their bedroom years ago. 

The picture can wait, can it? 

...end of the flashback. 

***

Now that I think of it, I headed out and into my room to grab the book I was hiding beneath the floor. Well, the floor is not cemented; it’s made of wood. It was just a usual day for me when it made a squeak as I stepped on it and that is when I made it as my secret vault where I would hide things that piqued my curiosity.

The wood squeaked as I pulled it up revealing a bunch of stuff underneath it, I grabbed the book and some other things before closing it.

I sat on my bed and placed my stuff in front of me when I heard my stomach grumbled. Oh just in time! I rolled my eyes and got out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. It’s in my nature to shower before eating breakfast. I don’t know why but it’s been my habit ever since I was a child…as what I’ve remembered. Simple, I wanted to look presentable.

After taking a warm shower, I dried myself off and slipped in my clothes. I wore my sweater which I got from my mother and a silk pajama. I slipped on my character socks and into my furry slippers. Yeah, I know I look homeless but the important thing for me is to feel comfortable in whatever I wear. 

I head downstairs and into the kitchen. I grabbed the chicken I’ve marinated last night out of the fridge. My parents’ may have kept me inside for years but at least I learned how to cook just by watching them, but I am not saying I cook good, I cook food that is good enough to be eaten. 

I quickly rushed upstairs and grabbed the book before dashing into the kitchen to continue what I was doing. When the chicken turned golden brown I turned off the heat and put it on a strainer to wait for it to dry off. Lol is that even the term? Anyway, I do it to most of the food I eat that is oily. 

I place the chicken on the plate and dried it off, again, but this time with a table napkin. I grabbed the bowl of rice that I cooked last night. Well, I’m not into wasting food. 

I opened a random page and started reading it then I ate in silence.

***

I didn't notice the time until my eyes were drooping from reading. I groaned, now I feel sleepy.

I got up and walked to the sink to wash the dish. Now that I have only been reading the book for the past 5 hours, I just realized the book is not like the booms father brought home for me.

The book looked vintage, and the content of it was handwritten. One of the things I loved about the book was the effort of the author to finish it. I smiled, I guess it will be the first book I would finish.

When I was done washing the dishes I dried my hands and walked to the living room and noticed the window was open. 

I frowned. ‘That’s odd’ I thought to myself I don’t remember leaving the window open, to think it's drizzling outside. I shook my head and walked towards it, maybe I forgot I left it open. I immediately closed it as the cold breeze came through.

I sighed, damn that was cold. I grasped the curtain to cover the window so I couldn't view the forest. I froze in place when I saw something outside.

I gulped the lump in my throat that was slowly forming. I took a better look by slightly leaning to make sure what I saw wasn't a part of my imagination but there was nothing only the forest and the rain.

I let out a sigh of relief as I placed my hand on my chest. 

Suddenly there was a clap of thunder but it didn't bother me since I wasn't really afraid of those.

My body froze at the sight before me. I stumbled as I took a step back. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it.

I wanted to scream but no voice came out and that’s when I noticed tears were streaming down my face.

I covered my mouth to stop myself from making any sound.

Another thunder came and the figure is now standing in front of the window as a flash of light came that lasted for a second I saw another figure but it wasn’t a masculine one. 

It was a figure of a woman wearing a cape. Another flash of light came with a thunderous boom which caught me off-guard making me scream and cover my head with both of my arms.

My body won't move, there is now a lump in my throat. My mouth became dry and tears won't stop escaping my eyes. I waited for a few seconds for me to calm down and when I did, I lift my head only to see nothing but the empty lawn and the lonely forest.

I quickly ran upstairs and locked myself in my parents’ bedroom and let the comforter hug me and that’s when I drifted in slumber with tears rolling down my cheeks.