Regret and guilt proceeded to surround Alejandro's mind, his conscious yelling at him in utter disbelief and in vain. His eyes were wide open. His body locked in a trance like state while he thought. What had he done? Why had he done it?
A little time had passed since that fateful day. His heart had been beating painfully slow since that incident; it felt so hollow and heavy…so empty, so useless. He sighed, continuing to sit where he was: in an arctic, colorless room filled with nothing but sorrow. The smell of germicide hovered in the air, the stinging scent reminding Alejandro of a few fond memories.
"Hehe…" he laughed quietly, unheard by anyone, "Mum always used that disinfectant to clean our toys…she was so worried we might end up sick…or worse…right, sis?" He gulped, "…right?"
Angelina's fragile body didn't motion, it lay there stock-stiff, placed neatly onto a bed in the St. Mary's Hospital.
Alejandro stared at his sibling, hoping, being around just in case. He wanted to say sorry, apologize, but would it be enough? Remembering what he had done, he wasn't so sure anymore. Tears slowly crept into his hazel orbs, another wash of fear covering his senses.
The younger brother stood up, walking towards his sister, taking tiny steps as he did so. A weird sensation filled his stomach before he stood next to her and when Alejandro put his hand on top of hers another emotion appeared bitterness, but to himself. Each waking hour he had worried about making that deal…with that she-devil…why had he done so?
"Angelina," Alejandro whispered thoughtfully.
"Will you ever wake up? Will you ever forgive me?" Those quiet thoughts turned the soft, blurring liquid into large drops of tears, the salty water crashing down onto the face of his beloved sister. But even the falling droplets staining her peaceful face didn't make her wake up. Her calm breathing haunted his current reality.
"Sis…..I'm so very sorry…" he continued to shed many tears, "…so sorry…just come back!" Alejandro's hair covered his face, a soft wince escaping his mouth.
He bit his lip hard, suppressing a yelp; he did not want to cry anymore…no, he wanted to be brave, braver for her. He just had to be! His mother passed through the open doors, glancing at her son and suffocated her own wince when she saw him in his distress.
"Honey…" she couldn't think of anything wise or helpful, her own sadness engulfing her emotions, "oh, Alejandro…my little boy…."
She wept with him, bringing him into a hug. Alejandro sobbed harder, knowing so much more than his weeping mother. It was his entire fault. He made the deal with her. Dear Lord why? Did he really want his sister gone so badly? Only so he could be the star in his family, the gifted child? Why did this make him so blind? Why had he been such a selfish bastard?
'Yes….'he thought bitterly, 'why…'. A quiet chuckle got by the background, Ms. Mitsuwa watched the grieving family members contently. The scene unfolding in front of her made her smile. Her work was almost complete.
The confusing reality I lived in now excited me. The far distance between my first awakening here and the 'Now' I lived in. It started to make sense, a little; I managed to cope with the new environment very well. The people I am surrounded by have taught me plenty. I learned most things from Rika and her mother, about this new planet, this whole new World. They own a restaurant and live exactly above it.
The island was strange, in a word. The marine base was just a few meters away from where they lived. Money is in berries? And I always thought our currency sounded weird…Marines? Pirates? Everything here was so different. I questioned myself if this was my dream or my worst nightmare. It seemed so real. These wounds were real. My dreams with the pale, lone man never came back to me anymore. I always wondered what happened to me and why.
"Mommy!" Rika rushed past me.
"Can me and Angel, go to the market, please, please, pretty please!" Rika questioned loudly, pulling on her white apron in a bashful manner. I watched, smiling brightly.
Rika was a cute child, very playful, yet so well mannered. I sighed, putting down a few chairs, getting everything sorted for our daily lunch break. This morning had been very uneventful, only our neighbor, Chiyo, came in for some pancakes and that was as exciting as it had gotten.
"No." The smell of maple syrup still lingered. Ririka shook her head as she cleaned the glass cups.
"You know how dangerous it is," Ririka said, glancing at her daughter, "if you aren't careful, even for a split second, you might end up died, or worse."
I blinked at her words and looked outside the kitchen window, wondering how dangerous this place could be with even a marine base stationed here. Weren't they here to protect the civilians?
"But…" Rika pouted and crossed her arms, making her look super cute. I giggled at this temper of hers. With her childish personality, she reminded me of Lisa.
"Please mama, we will be extra careful, I promise," Rika begged, literally, on her knees.
"I will even double check every street before we walk into it!" Ririka expression was not promising; she looked rather annoyed from her daughter's behavior. I would too. Ririka always put her first. She reminded me of my mother.
'Ma…' I looked away and stared outside. The weather was beautiful, so very warm and the cool breeze managed to harmony wonderfully with it. I really wanted to go outside, to breathe the air, to stretch these legs of mine, and more importantly to get out of the job.
"I can take care of her, Ririka-san," I intruded, "I'm sure we can manage." I would try to get out of this house, even if it would make me seem selfish. I just needed a little time off, time to think, time just for me.
"Also, if there is any trouble, fights started, things getting thrown around. We'll come straight here," I added, smiling sweetly. Ririka thought about it for a bit and sighed in defeat.
"Fine, you can go," she said, massaging her forehead, "but no dangerous enquiries, do you hear?" I nodded.
"Good," and with that she went to fetch some herbs from the larder.
"Yes!" Rika threw her fist up as a sign of victory.
"But remember," Ririka called to us, "first sign of trouble straight here!" she appeared again, pointing at Rika and me in a warning, yet hilarious way. Then she disappeared once more.
"Yes mother," Rika chirped and quickly grabbed me by the wrist.
"We'll be very careful!" I called out my 'goodbye' and walked out of the door with her daughter.
"Come this way!" she said without hesitation, running down the street and dragging me all the way with her. It took us only a few moments to get there, but for my arm it felt like hours had passed.
"This is my favorite place of all time," Rika cheered, "take a look!"
It was the plain candy shop at first glimpse; white and red. When I took a look through the window I saw that they had lain and sorted out all the little treats that were on sale. There were rainbow lollipops, hard candy, bags of all sorts, Juyaka and other stuff. My eyes never left the juyaka. It was very interesting, at least for me. It was a bag of fruit-shaped, soft candy, but it had a mix of sours, sweets, and anything in-between.
"Angel, do you want some candy?" Rika tauntingly asked me 'after' she had bought herself a lollipop. She looked at me with those innocent yet cheeky eyes, as if she had known on instinct. I nodded slightly.
"Yes, I would really fancy that bag of juyaka." I stated, pointing towards the red bag of candy. At that she gave me some sort of weirdly colored paper, the reddish tint on the beli reminding me of a Euro Note I had seen before. I examined it more closely. It was, in fact, a darker red and it read "5" on the top corner. "Weird…" I turned to find the merchant looking at me.
"May I have one juyaka, please?" I said politely, not risking an argument here and there. The grumpy-looking merchant did not say a word, but leaned forwards and snatched the 5 beli from my hands. The bitter scent of his perfume he was wearing made me gag a little. It wasn't very pleasant. Then he took another few steps away, grabbed the red package and threw the light bag towards me.
I almost dropped it in shock. Rika and I stared at the awkward male for a bit, a few crickets chirping in the background. I felt a light tuck at my blouse before she motioned for me to move. We slowly scurried away from him and started to go home.
I sighed in relief, seizing the opportunity to open the bag and pop one candy into my mouth. Oh, the explosion of flavors! How can such a crude man sell such good things…the sweet made my mouth go wild…I loved it!
"This is so good," I mumbled to myself.
"Let's go back home," Rika said, "Mum will be waiting." I nodded, following her up the street. After a few minutes, we arrived at our destination and we headed straight inside where Ririka was not too happy to see us.
"Where have you been for so long?" she asked demandingly, having her hands on her hips in mother style.
"Mama…" before Rika could utter another whine her mother had grabbed her right arm and lead her to the end of the rows of some stools.
"Angel," she turned round to me, "you're being a waitress today," Ririka announced, handing me an apron.
"I am sure you will do a good job, just do not disappoint me this time," I sighed, not glad being the one to serve once more. I remember the last time I had been doing that, I was hit on by guys left and right, especially by the bastard's son, Helmeppo or whatever his name was. The git needed to grow some ba- …I mean courage.
"Yes ma'am, I'll do what I can," I replied maturely, putting on the worn out apron. I took a deep breath and walked around the tiny bar, inspecting its current condition.
'The chairs seem scattered and some might need replacing,' I thought inwardly, 'and the tables are all wrong, I will need to move them around a little.' Setting the chairs and tables into their rightful positions I started to scan the bar corner.
"Angel," someone piped quietly, "why did she make you come out here this time?" the voice added a little bit quieter. I quickly turned around and observed the bar intently. No one was here…except of course for the little lady that had hidden behind the nearest table, Rika.
"Do you have to work again?" I just smiled. Suddenly the pub door opened and a man taller than me came in and he seated himself onto a bar stool. I gulped, giving him another few glances before I went around the counter to do my job. I slowly consumed his appearance. His boots were black and worn-out. His pants looked quite strained themselves as well and they were extremely dirty to boot.
I flinched a little inwardly, getting scared for a bit as I saw not only one sword, but three long sharp weapons caressing his hip. The stranger's shirt reminded me of one that Captain Jack Sparrow had in the Movie, but it hadn't been that tattered. He had three golden earrings on his left ear and only one thought popped up in my mind: 'Is he gay?' I giggled a little as I walked in front of him, the question repeating itself in my head.
"What would you like to order?" I asked him with some courage, still feeling a little iffy.
"Just some beef and beer," he replied instantly, taking off his bandana and allowing me to get a glimpse of his green hair. The man's voice sounded rugged and rough.
"Yes, sir," I stated carefully, walking towards the kitchen. First I tried to gain some distance from the foreigner, but when I saw Rika standing at the bottom of the bar I slowed down to a stroll. I playfully messed with her hair as I passed by, gaining a giggle.
"Annngeell!" she whined happily, laughing a little. I smiled a bit, wanting her to feel safe. I continued to my destination and saw Ririka at the stove.
"A couple of beef pieces with beer please," I announced to her gently, earning a nod. The mother grabbed a few slices of meat and put it in the pan to cook.
"Thanks," I added swiftly and went back to the main area of the pub. When I entered though I couldn't believe my eyes! I saw Rika talking to the stranger, quite happily, quite normally, maybe a little too excited. He might not be that bad,at least it seemed like it. Rika giggled and smiled, talking to him openly. I walked up to them.
"What's so funny then?" I questioned them playfully, placing a broad smile on my face. The man glanced upwards and looked at me, instantly smirking. Rika on the other hand shone with happiness, the conversation she had with the male seemingly joyful.
"Angel, this is Zoro, a pirate hunter," she presented proudly, stars practically shining in her orbs. I had never believed in pirates, but I thought there was a possibility since there were Marines.
"It's nice to meet you, Zoro…" I trailed off, forgetting what I had wanted to say. His name was just too different, but it did remind me a little of a few books I use to read as a child. It felt funny so to speak.
"So Angel is your real name?" Zoro propped up his elbow on the counter, "sounds rather nostalgic,"
The poor man seemed bored out of his skull, assuming by his face and position, but the greened haired fellow seemed like a likeable guy in my opinion.
"Nope, my real name is Angelina P-" I was cut off by Ririka, who had called my name before I could properly introduce myself. I apologized abruptly and went to the back.
"Yes, Ririka?" I questioned before I went into the hot, stuffy kitchen. Ririka gave me a short peek before she handed me three large beef cuts stacked on top of each other in one hand and the other an ice-cold glass of beer. The aroma, the good scent of freshly cooked meat got me drooling. Somewhat I envied that man out there. I quickly said thank you and almost rushed to Zoro, the jolly Rika still standing at his side. I stopped in front of him.
"Here you go, Zoro, enjoy," I stated happily and looked at Rika.
"Come on," I uttered sternly, "I don't want you bothering the nice man while he eats," I smirked a little.
"Go on! Off you go!" I drilled further, shooing her away.
"You are so mean, Angel!" she called out to me, sticking her tongue out. She gave me another stare before obliging to my order and leaving to color some sort of picture. Grabbing a knife and fork and handing it to Zoro, I started to check the other seats and tables around us. Nobody else seemed to be around yet. Zoro, on the other hand, looked at his food before beginning to eat like a dog with no manners.
I scoffed, wondering how it was even possible to 'feed one self' like that, awkward. Not being able to stand his eating habits I toddled over towards where Rika drew and distracted her a bit. Then I cleaned the cherry wood tables. Next thing I knew of was Zoro getting up and wiping his mouth with one of his arms.
"Thanks, was a great meal," he stated plainly and left the money on the table. In one fast movement he had tied his bandana around his forehead and then proceeded to leave.
"Bye, bye Zoro," Rika called after him, "until next time!" Smiling brightly she went back to her coloring, managing a fairly good job.
"Have a nice day," I spoke correctly, continuing to clean a little more. After doing so, I went to grab the plate and the money he left. I placed the money into the apron pocket and brought the plates to the kitchen to be washed. When I opened the closed door, a slight breeze swished past me and I suddenly heard Rika call out,
"My pictures, come back!"
I smiled at her words, so innocent and childlike. Oh the good old days… I sighed and placed the plates inside the sink. Ririka was making a pot of soup when we both heard a high-pitched child scream.
"Rika!" Ririka yelled and bolted out of the kitchen with me behind her. We went outside where the scream had been heard and I have to say the scene before us was not pretty.
There was a dog, presumably dead, lying on the street floor. Helmeppo was crying, yelling, and ordering at the same time to the marines he considered to be his bodyguards.
"You seem to like attacking the weaker," the voice belonged to Zoro, "but a real man fights the stronger."
The marines jumped forwards and arrested Zoro, the infamous pirate hunter, and Rika was behind him, weeping on the ground. I was very confused at this. This world was making my head hurt.
I feared for my life, yet there was something different that made me like this place. As they dragged Zoro away, Ririka held her daughter and took her inside. I shook my head; slowly turning around to go inside…that was…until someone called my name.
"Angelina, I see you are fine."
That voice sparked fire in my soul. I whipped around immediately to look at the speaker.
"Ms. Mitsuwa!" I was baffled, almost in shock. I never expected her to be here! How did she get here in the first place?
Days had passed…Alejandro, Lisa, and John sat in silence as they looked at Angelina. It had been three weeks since her fateful collapse and it didn't look all too good for her yet.
Doctors had explained that it was due to the head injury on the back, that she did not awaken. It had caused her coma and it didn't seem like she was going to wake up any time soon. Why? Why had that blow been so fatal? Alejandro sighed and left with John following. Lisa stayed, wanting some alone time with her best friend. As the doors closed, she burst out crying and mumbled why.
"Angelina," she said as she took her hand.
"You have to wake up! This is your senior year and you're going to miss it." Lisa wept quietly. There was no answer, only a beeping noise from the heart monitor echoed in the room.
"Please wake up…" she began again and hugged Angelina's frame, "if not now, please do me a favor and wake up soon…"
Lisa restrained herself a little and proceeded to walk out. When she had passed the door frame she burst into tears in the hallway where John waited to comfort her.
Alejandro looked at his sister through the doorway. He sighed quietly in defeat. "What kind of price is that…I would rather have my sister back than the fame I so fell for…" and with that bitter thought he walked down a lonely hallway back home.
…a home that was pure hell.