Deep Blue Eyes

CHAPTER 2

The Village of Mysteria is a place where not many people know about. It is a place for people who plan to escape and hide away. To sum it all up, it is a place for most criminals, but the difference is...

“So, I received the news that you have been chased by people in town for being… monsters?”

Ladia just sighs as he rests her arm on the open window of her cab, looking at the security guard of the village with his usual small notebook, writing all the information about the newcomers. What’s astonishing is, before they even arrive at the gate that signifies the entrance to the village, the guard already knows what happened and so, if someone lies, they will still know. They just love to ask questions to test the newcomers.

They don’t let atrocious criminals enter the village though, which is a good thing. What they accept are people who have done something wrong but have the heart to change and make something right for once. That is the direction of their life.

Another difference is, Ladia used to live there a long, long time ago. This is where she grew up. The guard definitely knows who she is now based on the way his face contorts and changes into something more familiar.

“I knew you were familiar. Welcome back? Hahahaha.”

Ladia raises her middle finger at him while the latter responds with an offended face. She then drives inside, passing through the gates with a carved, “Village of Mysteria.”

They pass through a large forest first, with a pathway enough for the size of their cab. Everything around them is green, even the fireflies’ lights seem to reflect the color of the trees. It is a very lovely sight but it gives off a little bit of a creepy vibe. Miles in the driveway, you will see cottages of different colours with people in them, doing their usual routine at home. The main job sources here are farming and fishing, but no one is complaining. They are living their best life here, away from people who cause them harm.

Ladia drives far until she spots the same old pastel-coloured cottage. It is now covered with grass and vines, probably because it has been years since the last time someone occupied the house. Its roof is coloured in pink and the walls are still shaded with blue.

She parks the cab in the little garage beside their cottage and wakes up the sleeping girl beside her.

“I’m sorry you had to go through this at a young age,” she whispered.

She remembers the first time she had discovered something unusual about the child.

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“Oh, she has blue eyes,” Ladia says.

“Yeah, glowing eyes just like her mom.”

Her eyes streak with blue and she finds it really, really pretty. She observes her face, from her straight eyebrows, long eyelashes, sharp nose and glass pink lips. Her brother is undeniably handsome, of course, but there must be something in her mom’s genes for her to be this pretty. Her parents are both good-looking after all.

The girl starts to cry and so she assumes that she craves milk. As she stirs the powder in the hot water, she sees the small container floating that scared the living s**t out of her. She turns back to ask George, her brother, about what is going on, but what she sees is his brother, smiling widely, as she watches the baby’s eyes glow more, its light beaming out in a very lovely shade of blue.

She almost fainted at the sight.

“Antonio, what in the world is this?”

Antonio just smiles at her and says, “She is just like her mom.”

“Anton, what is she? There is no human being who does that?!” she exclaims, a mix of worry and anxiousness laced in her voice.

“She is a human being, Ladia. It happens that she inherited some of her mom’s abilities.”

“Abilities?!”

That’s when Ladia realizes what he is talking about. The number of times his lover has healed their wounds, cooked them food even though she is no good in the kitchen, cleaned the whole house in less than 10 minutes and got them buckets of fish to eat. How come she did not realize it earlier that all those things were preternatural?

“Yeah.”

“What are your plans? But what if others find out? She will get harmed, Anton!”

Antonio gave her a reassuring smile in return.

“She will be okay, Ladia. El and I are here.”

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Ladia’s lips curved into a bitter smile.

“’El and I are here’ my ass.”

Nathalia wakes up from her nap and looks at her auntie in front of her, who seems to be crying because of the way she wipes her cheeks.

“Auntie, is everything okay?” she asks.

Her auntie takes a look at her and nods. “Yes, sweetie. Let’s go inside?”

Bags hand in hand, Ladia unlocks the door of their cottage and is welcomed by the same warm atmosphere of her old home. She sees her study table surrounded with shelves full of books she has written before. In the center sits a couch which is his brother’s favorite place to stay.

“Auntie, can I go upstairs?” Nathalia asked.

“Sure, just be careful.”

Nathalia cheerfully climbs up the stairs, heading to the second floor. The stairs still look the same, decorated with the same old artificial flowers his brother had made for his lover. Nathalia's mother loved flowers, so so much. The house never fails to make her feel safe. The ambiance is just perfect and very peaceful, it is just that she lost two of the people who would make this home even happier.

Ladia smiled to herself.

That’s where your mom’s room was before.

She heaves a deep breath as she whispers into the air, “Home sweet home.”