Episode 9: girls just want to have fun

7:00 PM. Night has slowly taken over the proud city of manila. Thousands of humans release themselves to the bondage of life called work and return to their normal processes. Men in ties and folded sleeves running to catch the remaining trains home. Buses crammed with college kids eager to return to their dormitories after a long boring school day. Random people. Human beings going around the monotony of conventional living. From the sky you could see the bustling of excitement overflowing the city completely transforming it to a being of night. Somehow these people feel connected in some way. Like theirs an invisible line connecting each one of us, directing our lives to the standards dictated by normalcy. But this could also signify how disconnected we are. For all we know, the kid next to us will be the next Philippine president. That guy waiting for the evening bus might be planning a Terrorist attack on one of the Universities nearby, or some young girl in a hospital just murdered a police officer in cold blood. If you come to think of it, this disconnection protects us. What we don’t know can’t hurt us right?

“Nice night” said the little girl as she stares into the cloudless skyline of modern day manila. She cannot hide the excitement she feels upon seeing this world. A world that is so unlike the previous one that she inhabited. Like a newborn she scans the room, eager to feel and touch this strange world filled with see through walls and weird machinery. She kneels down in front of the mangled corpse of the police officer. She looks hard, squinting her eyes as if looking for some minute particle that has caught her interest.

A letter.

The little girl removes the piece of paper that was securely tucked at the officer’s front pocket. She starts to read the letter as she sits down besides the corpse.

Lyra,

Welcome back to the world! My servant is probably dead as you already have found my letter. I am sorry I was not there when you woke up, a father must always be at her daughter's side but, due to some unforeseen circumstances I have to delay our long awaited reunion. As promised, you will commence your ascension tonight. And I will be there as the clock strikes midnight. Until that time, do as you like my child, for this world will be yours tomorrow.

A smile creeps upon young Lyra’s face. She folds the letter and throws it unto the adjacent table. She never thought that the day of her awakening would come. Her slumber has been long and frustratingly agonizing but now she shakes as if a cold draft has suddenly entered the room. She could not hide the excitement she feels during this momentous night. As she scans the room with her eyes, she caught a glimpse of her reflection on the mirror hanged at the opposite wall. Quickly, she stands up and stares with awe at the reflection standing before her. Short, skinny frame, long, straight hair reaching her knees, pale white skin, brown colored eyes.. She marvels at her own beauty, untouched by time, for 300 years. She twists her neck as if testing her ability to move it.

“Good evening”
Marissa nearly screamed in shock as she slowly turned around to see if what she heard was truly what she thought it was. To her horror she saw Lyra standing in front of her, her head slightly flexed to the left. The same position her head was in when she saw her inside the room a moment ago.
“But,, how,, that man,,” Marissa’s tears starts to fall as she forces the words out of her mouth. She was about to change the linen of Lyra’s bed when she saw that she was awake and talking to the police officer. She was about to go in to assess Lyra’s condition when the police officer suddenly grasp his left hand. And what followed was the reason why she’s still standing in that very spot. The monstrosity that has befallen the poor officer was enough for her to lose her own sanity. She can’t move, she can’t talk, all she can do was to watch. Until this very moment. In her mind she knows that this little, sweet, girl killed that poor man. What her mind cannot grasp was how – how in god’s name can a little girl murder in cold blood an armed police officer.

“Please don’t hurt me please!” pleaded Marissa as she slowly walks away from Lyra.

“Your beautiful” whispered Lyra as she puts her soft hand on Marissa’s cheek, her face as expressionless as a frozen corpse.

“Please don’t please”

“shush” gestured lyra, finger at her lips.

Suddenly Marissa starts to cough violently. She has saw this incident moments ago, and as she spit copious amounts of blood she knows what’s coming out next. In 3 seconds she’s staring at the blood spattered floor. And at a pink fleshy thing that was once her tongue.