6 End Of The Line

Lyrica's mother whose lips are locked into the man's thick mouth tried to break free from his wrapped tight arms after sensing that someone is watching them.

"W-Wait!" She gasped for air after finally breaking free from the man's deep kiss.

"What's the matter?" The man frowned in confusion.

Ignoring the hefty man's question, Lyrica's mother anxiously looked around. But contrary to what she felt earlier, there's no one around the area. Yes, Lyrica is no longer where she was standing before.

"We shouldn't be doing this here." She told the man as she grabbed his fat arm. "Let's go."

"All right, then." The man replied as he let himself get dragged by Lyrica's mother toward the car near them.

"It's Mother's employer."

The man invited Lyrica's mother in his car and drifted away to somewhere that's not a supermarket. But Lyrica didn't bother taking a peek. She just stood there, behind another electric pole that kept her well hidden from her mother.

"I see, so this is how it goes, huh..." Lyrica's suppressed laughter progressively turns into a cackle, her face covered by the palm of her hand. "No wonder it never felt the same as back then."

Lyrica's laugh looked like she's the happiest person in the world until tears started leaking out from the gap between her fingers. She then gritted her teeth and clenched her other hand into a fist as her whole body began trembling in pain, sadness, and anger.

"Damn liars...!"

Her parents once told her that no matter how many hardships the world throws at them, as long as they are together as a family, they can overcome anything. But after everything Lyrica had seen and heard, she concluded that everything they said was nothing but lies.

Lyrica's parents went through a lot of trouble ever since her father lost his job and her mother's salary was cut. They persevered. But in the end, they reached the point where they thought they couldn't handle it anymore. They've had enough.

Contradicting to their own words, the two gave up and ran away from their responsibilities like a family and tried to seek their own peace of mind.

Lyrica felt betrayed and lied to by her parents. For that reason, Lyrica began despising her mother and father. And since then, the Rael family was never been the same again. Ever.

A few days later, rumors about her parents having secret love affairs started circling the town. It didn't take long for the both of them to learn the rumors. Because of that, they started fighting and arguing once again, just like when Lyrica first saw them do so. This time, however, their daughter doesn't care about their woes anymore.

Right now, what Lyrica wanted is to forget about the flower field, the tulips, their lies, her parents, everything. Lyrica waited for years to do just that. And eventually, the day she'd been waiting for eternity came, at last.

"No matter what happens between you two, it's no longer my problem."

At age 16, Lyrica severed her ties with her parents. She left the house with a bag of clothes while her mother and father are fighting one another in the dining room.

On that same day, Lyrica came to meet up with her friend, Erika.

Erika handed over a box of wireless red headphones to Lyrica. "Here. It's not high class, but it works fine just as it should."

"A headphone?" Said lyrica as she took the box out of Erika's hold.

"You like music, right? Especially the kind you hear when clearing dungeons in the game and anime most of the time."

"Erika..."

Lyrica took a swift glance at the red headphones before shifting her attention back to Erika with sincere eyes.

"Thank you. Also..."

Lyrica's face flushed red as she started fidgeting with the box of headphones in her hands.

"Um... I'm sorry... about what I said back then..."

"Eh? For what?"

Erika is bewildered. She couldn't understand why Lyrica is acting all shy and embarrassed at her all of a sudden. That's when she remembered the thing that Lyrica said to her about her parents a few years ago.

Lyrica regretted saying such harsh words towards Erika. It wouldn't be a surprise for her to see Erika hating her for it. Lyrica told herself that if her friend tells her that this is the last time they'll talk as friends, then she'll wholeheartedly respect Erika's decision.

"It's fine."

"Eh?"

However, Erika's reply is the complete opposite of what Lyrica had in mind. Lyrica paused as a genuine smile formed on Erika's face.

"I don't mind at all."

"But I said something harsh to you..."

"Oh, please, I know deep down that you didn't mean to say it." Said Erika. "We've been stuck together ever since we're little, I can tell exactly whether what you're saying is genuine or not."

"Erika..." Tears pooled on the corner of her eyes, a genuine smile of relief and happiness printed on Lyrica's face. "Thank you."

After exchanging goodbyes with one another, Lyrica went out of her way to Metro Manila.

From there, she tried to lead a new life without trouble and her parents.

From school to work, to cleaning her apartment room and spending the rest of her time listening to music through her headphones.

Lyrica's days in Metro Manila are quite ordinary and uneventful, but that's precisely what Lyrica wanted. Because unlike those days in the past where she had a lot in mind, in Metro Manila, the only thing that matters to her is herself and nothing else. And so, she's able to live her life the way she liked it.

However, it's as if the world itself turned against her, the ordinary and uneventful days of Lyrica quickly vanished.

Family problems, people having trouble finding work, and students working their butts out to get better grades in school. One day, Lyrica started hearing and seeing all the things that she and the Rael family had been through once, reminding her about her parents.

"This is a common occurrence, of course."

Lyrica tried to shake it off, she tried to act blind and deaf with everything.

However, from her neighbors in the apartment complex, the people across the streets, and the students from her high school, to her workplace. All of a sudden, people are seemingly in trouble all around Lyrica.

She's not involved with anyone in any way, but just hearing people around her complaining, screaming, crying, and surrendering from their troubles, Lyrica couldn't help but picture the faces of the two who lied and betrayed her.

"Why...?!"

It was then Lyrica realized that she hasn't forgotten about her parents at all.

She hated it. If not for her headphones, she felt like she might have gone insane already. But there's nothing she could do but to keep her chin up and put up with everything. Until weeks later, the day came where she can no longer endure it.

"That's dangerous!"

One morning, as people are marching down the sidewalk from both directions, and the road's crowded in a rush hour.

The voice of someone directed Lyrica's eyes into the pedestrian lane where an old man is trying to get across the road. That time, jeepneys, cars, and other vehicles are rushing left and right.

"If nothing's done, he might get hit by a car."

Lyrica had the urge to go and stop the old man. But then, she had a thought.

'Why do I have to be the one making the move? There are others out there who could try and stop him, but none of them are trying to step up.'

Lyrica retracted her foot that she already lifted before making a step forward.

'I swore to avoid trouble, didn't I? It's not my responsibility what happens to the old man. I don't even know him to begin with.'

She tried to put a blind eye to it like everybody else. She then walked away without looking back.

After reaching the middle of the road, the old man saw a speeding jeepney right at him. The old man closed his eyes, thinking he had reached the end of the line. That's when a young girl appeared out of nowhere, violently pulling the old man by the arm towards the sidewalk.

"How troublesome!" The young girl who appeared to be Lyrica shouted angrily.

The moment the old man fell on his butt, the people hurriedly tried to help him out of the road. And while some are tending to the old man, the others are screaming in horror as the jeepney closed in on Lyrica who crashed in the middle of the road.

"Damn it..."

Lyrica groaned in pain, trying to keep her head up while facing the incoming jeepney.

'Is this going to be it for me?' She thought.

Lyrica swore to avoid trouble. As much as possible, she would avoid doing anything that will only cause trouble for her. But when the old man came across her mind, she saw the image of her parents going on separate ways. In that instant, something within Lyrica caused her body to move on its own.

Lyrica could not figure out what drove her body to move against her will, but one thing is certain. Whatever it is that caused her body to act on its own, made Lyrica realized that she cannot avoid the world's troubles forever.

'How cruel and troublesome... This world, that is.'

Lyrica closed her eyes as she accepted the inevitable fate coming her way.

But then...

"This world sure is cruel and troublesome."

"Hm?"

A voice of a woman suddenly spoke out of nowhere.