Chapter 1 – I return.

“Hey wake up”

I squinted as I opened my eyes, the sun rays from the windows hitting my face.

“It’s your day Lil’ girl,” Gina said.

I sighed.

“You know, I think I’m too old for that nickname now” I blurted out.

Gina snorted out a laugh. “Yea I know sugar, take it easy. Pack up your stuffs.”

Gina have been calling me ‘Little Girl’ (or “Lil’ Girl” for short) since the first day I came in here. This place, the Harmony, is a place where they put people like me. Teenagers like me. Those with problems. Those they believed need recovery, in terms of behavior and actions. And by ‘they’ I mean, the parents. The governments. The officials.

Basically this place is the bin where they throw all the children they believed was involved with any forms of crimes: drugs, alcohols, theft, abusing children – name it. I guess this place was supposed to act as a teenage recovery facility.

But as time goes on, the programs responsible to make us better seemed to be... off track. It’s just like a detention room, where they lock you in a room with nothing to do due to your mistakes. In this case, I guess you can call it a detention house with much more longer hours.

I was issued in here 5 years ago. For what you might ask?

Easy. I killed my parents. They put me in here, thinking that I need emotional support when in fact my life was way better than most kids until that one fateful day.

On my fourteenth birthday, a maniac came into the house and massacred my parents. At some point, I escaped him, but so did he. When the police arrived, I was holding the knife I used to stab him with and he was nowhere to be seen. So I was the one to blame - However, something's quite not right.. I mean, the blood on the knife couldn't possibly match with my parents.. It's easy to prove my innocence just by analyzing the latter... The officials are clearly messed up!

And now with my parents dead, my reputation destroyed, so does my future – I mean, seriously, no one would like a person who got into a ‘teenage-recovery-facility’ for killing their own parents to work in a simple restaurant, let alone big companies like the Zero corporation. Still, life gotta move on.

I never thought I would survive being in here. It’s just too boring. No television. No games. Nothing. Just boring old white walls with very little decorations whatsoever and beds. This place lack of colour. It’s just plain old black and white, just like the old movies they used to show me in History class.

“Stop spacing out!” Gina shook me. She threw me a white towel. “Go get some shower”

Being obedient, I took the towel and head for the showers. Hmm.. No one’s inside. What time is it?I glanced at the hanging clock on the wall. Its needle indicating it’s currently 7:35 A.M. No wonder it’s too quiet. I’m the only one awake here – Well, I guess me, Gina and some other staffs. Oh well..

The shower was nice. Its warm water washed my body. It usually sting, but for today it is very comforting. It somehow reminded me of the memories of my mother…. I should stop. I don’t want to look back at my past. Those sweet memories will only hurt myself now. How I missed my parents.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, letting some bangs loose covering my forehead and got dressed up, wearing my simple austere hoodies and my skinny jeans. For the first time in a long time, I can see myself changed in the mirror. The what-used-to-be-a-happy-cheerful-girl had turned into this strong woman who seem to suffer a heartbreaking past. I have to admit. I do. I do suffer some very painful past.

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I walked out the showers, waving goodbye to the sinks and mirrors and windows which I won’t be seeing anymore. I’m leaving this place.

Gina sat on my bed when I came out. I patted her shoulder and I smiled when she turned.

“You’re ready?” she questioned.

“I guess.” I answered “Just let me bid my farewells to some … people”

“Sure, take your time”

When Gina went out to the lobby, I rummaged my bags through the clothes and took out an envelope. This is for my best friend Jenny. I made friend with her a year after I got in here. She’s very nice. She got in at the age of 15 for drinking alcohols. It’s irony. I used to hate girls like her, who seem nerdy and geeky and like to read books. But as time moved on, we got real close and she somehow influenced me to read books too. I have to say, it is kinda fun.

I knew this day would come. So I prepare the letter a week ago. A week later, this envelope would be opened and 19 year old Jenny would read the letter inside when she find this under her pillow. I run my fingers through her dark hair. Her skin so smooth, like a baby skin despite living in this hellhole. Take care, Jenny.

I sneaked outside to the lobby as I wiped the tears off my eyes. Funny. Never thought it would be this hard to leave this place.

“Hey Gina, I’m all done.” I told her.

“Okay Lil’ Girl, just wait while I fill in this paper. It’ll just take a minute” she reassured.

Gina was the only person who seem to believe my story. After I was admitted in here, I got really wild and abusive that I would hysterically attack and scream towards the workers of this place. But Gina, she managed to get through me and I really love how she would hug me during my meltdown, reiterate in my ears that everything will be alright and just fine.

“All done”

We stood there for a bit. My eyes met hers. She finally broke the silence “Huh,.. you know Lil’ Girl, sometimes you really got on my nerves. Like right now.”

I stood still. She smirked. “C’mere” and gave me hug. “Now you be careful out there Lil’ Girl. I’m gonna miss you.”

“I will, Gina”

“You better, cause if you don’t. You’ll go to jail, which is way worse than here” She laughed. And then she got the serious look on her face. “Remember, always look ahead. The past is in the past. Your future awaits”

I simply just smiled in response. She accompanied me towards the entrance door, past the silver curtains on the window and the white tiles on the floor. I took a last look at the lobby. Nothing really changed since the day I got here. The counters on the center, brown and dusty. The bookcase, perfectly arranged in an orderly manner across the room. The daffodils in a red vase on the niche in the grey walls of the lobby.

I’m leaving you, Harmony. Goodbye Jenny, Gina and all other roommates which I don’t really know.

With a deep breath, I turned away and held the door handle. After 5 years of being here, I, Eona Guillory is free. Ready to face what’s ahead. Ready for the future. Ready to face the world.

With anticipation, I opened the doors and set out to the outside world, finally moving forward with time.  

Nefarious Alike. [Chapter 1 – I Return]

-KueVanGiruet

(I hope you guys like the introduction and how the story will unfolds)