Live

　　Darkness clouded my mind. I stared at my cat lying on the ground, lifeless and full of bruises.

　　Dahan-dahang tumulo ang mga luha mula sa aking mga mata.

　　"No. Luna, baby..." I uttered in disbelief.

　　Niyakap ko ng mahigpit ang duguang katawan ng alaga ko.

　　"Please come back to me. No! Nooooo! You are the only one who understands me. Please come back to me baby. Wake up please!"

　　Hindi ito toto, di ba? Hindi di ba!?

　　Luna was my only friend in this house. We have the same birthday. He was my mom's gift for me after birth. Eventhough my mom died after giving birth to me, she left Luna to me.

　　I closed my eyes remembering our happy moments, how he always make me feel happy and contented even after having a bad day in this house, how he snuggles in my neck when he's sleeping while purring, how he rolls in the ground wanting to be noticed by me.

　　I sobbed silently.

　　Baby, who did this to you? I swear, mananagot ang kung sino man ang may-gawa nito sa'yo.

　　"Serves him right. That cat is so annoying. Sinugatan ako ng lintik na pusang iyan. Kaya ayan tuloy, pinag-sasaksak ko."

　　Napadilat ako. I looked up and saw the face of the person I loathe the most in this world  my evil stepmom.

　　"Y-you killed Luna!?" I asked her in a low tone.

　　"Oh yes, Yukina. I killed your beloved Luna. May problema ba?" she answered in a very insulting voice.

　　I stared at her in disbelief. "You killed Luna!?" I asked again with a cold voice.

　　"Paulit-ulit? Which part of my statement did you not fucking understand? Yes, my dear stepdaughter. I killed Luna. I killed your precious cat. I killed the cat that your mom gave you. Satisfied?"

　　Parang nabingi ako. Si Luna, ang tangi kong kaibigan. Pinatay. Pinatay ng hayop na babaeng nasa harap ko.

　　Without thinking twice, I pushed her on the ground.

　　"What the fuck? You brat!"

　　She was about to grab my hair but her expression changed when he noticed someone behind me.

　　She carressed my hair instead and started sobbing "Y-yukina dear, I didn't kill your cat. I swear. Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything wrong."

　　"Yukina! What did you do to your mother!?"

　　Napatalon ako sa gulat. I looked behind me and saw my dad who is now furious.

　　I glared at him. "Mother? She's not my mom dad, and she will never be. To hell with you!"

　　Isang sampal ang sumalubong sa akin. Napahawak ako sa aking pisngi.

　　With teary eyes, I looked at my father angrily.

　　"You dare hurt me dad!? That woman killed Luna! She killed the only gift I had from my Mom! Do you hear me dad? She killed my cat! And yet here you are trying to defend her? You're going to believe her more than me, your own daughter? What kind of father are you!?"

　　"N-no honey. I swear. I didn't kill Yukina's cat. She's just trying to make you hate and leave me. Please believe me honey. I love you and Yukina so much. I don't have the courage to do that."

　　Plastic ka!

　　Galit kong tiningnan ang babaeng ipinalit ng tatay ko sa namayapa kong ina. Mangiyak-ngiyak na siya ngayon. Ang galing talagang magpanggap.

　　"Of course I believe you Ethel. Hush now. I'll discipline my daughter. Shhh. Stop crying now please," my father whispered indulgently to my evil stepmom.

　　Unbelievable! How can he be this cruel?

　　Slowly, tears started to form in my eyes again.

　　"Yukina, apologize to your mother."

　　I can't believe this. Mas pinapaniwalaan pa ni Dad ang babaeng to kaysa sa sarili niyang anak.

　　"No. I will never apologize to that bitch, Dad. She should apologize to me. She killed Luna!" I answered.

　　"Yukina! Stop calling your mother like that. Apologize to her now, or else hindi mo magugustuhan ang gagawin ko."

　　"No!"

　　"Well then, starting today, you will be locked inside the black room in the forest. You will not come out until you learn your lesson," he said with finality.

　　My stepmom smiled mockingly at me.

　　I stared at my dad with hatred. "You will regret this, Dad."

　　My dad smiled and looked at me meaningfully and said, "No, I won't."

　　I hugged my knees and silently cried. Sobrang dilim dito. Napa-igtad ako nang may dumapo sa aking kung ano. Agad ko itong pinalo, at base sa nakapa ko, isang ipis pala ang dumapo sa akin.

　　"Mommy, Luna, kunin niyo na po ako please. Ayaw ko na po dito. Please. Pagod na pagod na po ako" I silently prayed.

　　My life feels like a living hell. Nobody loves me. My dad, who's supposed to take care of me, married another woman for his own benefit. He forgot about me. He doesn't care about me. All he cares is that bitch.

　　Maybe it's better if I was never born at all. Maybe it's better if I die. No one cares about me anyway.

　　With this thoughts running in my mind, dahan-dahan kong kinapa ang aking inuupuan, naghahanap ng kung-anumang bagay na siyang tatapos sa paghihirap ko.

　　While looking for something, I saw a faint blue light. Inalis ko ang mga basurang nakapalibot sa ilaw at lumapit para tingnan kung ano iyon.

　　At nang matapat ang ilaw sa aking kaliwang mata...

　　"Access granted," sabi ng isang pang-robot na boses.

　　A part of the floor suddenly opened and formed into a staircase leading under.

　　What is this?

　　Out of curiousity, I followed where the stairs bound to. Slowly, step by step, I followed it, and when I reached the last step, the staircase then goes back to its original form, the floor.

　　Shit. Anong nangyari? Magpapanic na sana ako pero namangha ako sa aking nakita.

　　"Holy macaroni." I whispered to myself.

　　Under this black room seems very surreal. It is a large room that is full of high end computers and monitors. There's also a separate area where laboratory, gym equipments, weaponry, and even kitchen can be found.

　　I was amazed. All negative thoughts that I had earlier vanished. Ang naiisip ko na lang ngayon ay ang mag-ensayo sa loob ng lugar na ito para maging malakas at makapaghiganti.

　　A smile slowly touched my lips.

　　I will live and make those people who hurt me pay for what they have done.