1 Chapter One: New Town

Cass's POV

I heard a disturbing static noise as I look at the window car while seeing places full of no life back and forth.

I look at my father in front of the car adjusting the radio signal for him to listen the same old boring news, the disturbing noise continue until it finally got the signal.

"We... are.... issue...." It keep breaking in. Look like there a bad weather where we are headed. "Kill.... happenin...at.... town" The news continue.

It got me interested. Something was happening to some town. I just hope it was the new town we are going to live.

The static continue, not understanding the words it saying. After a little bit of minutes it finally stopped.

"We are back! Did you enjoy the teaser of the new drama!!!" It made my face frowned. It was just a teaser. When did I hope something bad will happened in the place we are going to live. It not like I have the power to curse someone or something.

I look back again in the window while getting glimpse of my father driving while smiling. My father was really different, since my mother died.. he didn't stop smiling since then. I mean it was to cheer me up but, I don't want my father to force himself even if he didn't want to.

I used to live in Caloocan city. It was a nice place, I made friends, meet my relatives and I found love. But it was just one-sided. I really love my home until... That sudden happen with my father.

One week ago as I was listening to music in my room my father suddenly barged in and panting a lot as his sweat run to his brown hair to his chin. His brown eyes was shining brightly as he saw me standing there confuse.

He inhale the air and release it quickly.

"We are leaving this city!!" He smiled widely.

I never knew my father hate this city.

Since the day he told me that, I didn't have time to say goodbye to my friends especially him. I just saw my father already packed my things as well his things with tons of boxes. He was smiling.. for real this time. It made me sad the same time happy. Why does my father hate this city?? And I was happy my father finally smiled for real.

He notice me giving a glimpse at him on his rearview mirror at the upper of the car and I immediately notice that he saw me so I look back at the window again while pouting. My father laugh as he drive.

"Princess, I know you love Caloocan but it time to move on" I didn't answer him. Pretending that he didn't talk.

After a little bit of silence he talk to me again. "Princess...." My father said in a depressing tone.

My father knows how much I love Caloocan. That the place I was born, my mother birthplace, my friends, meet the guy I love, and the place where my father fell in love to my mother. It was my father favourite city... I think it was.

I gave him silence again while only the radio was talking and the face we are showing. It was really the gloomiest ride we ever been.

***

"You are my angel cass, I would never let you leave me like your mother" My father cried as he hug me tight. I couldn't understand why my father cried that day but I was sure... I can't leave my dad.

"Dad, don't cry!" I look at his face as I hold his face while wiping his tears with my tiny hand.

He look at me with sorrow and his brown eyes was full of fear. I smiled at him to make him better. His eyes widened and smiled back.

"Dad doesn't look handsome if his sad!!" I raised my hands as I pout. My father laugh and smiled at me as he pat my hair making it a mess.

"I would never be sad again" He still messing my hair "You little demon!!" He carry me suddenly as he spin me around making me annoyed.

"You said I'm an angel!!" He stopped.

"Yes you are my angel" He face was close at me as he touch his nose with mine and smiled with fullest.

I opened my eyes, still in the car seeing mg father driving without taking a break.

I remembered now. It was me who made my father smile everytime but, now I feel like regretting what I did. If only I knew my father will push himself to smile all the time, I would already made him stop... but I didn't.

Just thinking the sadness I've been going through and my father sacrificial it made me drop a tears even if I try to cover it. My father saw me again and stopped his driving. He turn around saw me trying to stop the tears coming from my yellow eyes.

He look at me like his heart crushed seeing me cry. He got panic. He was shaking, scared that something happened to me.

"A-Are you okay, princess" His hands trying not to shake while his voice was shaking the most.

I wipe my tears looking at his brown eyes with my face brave enough to handle things. "Don't call me princess" I said sternly.

My father can't handle the thing I said. Suddenly he cried... for the first time.

"Did I do something wrong princess?? If I did, let go back to Caloocan if you want" My father streaming a pool of tears.

Did I make it worse?? I would love to go back to Caloocan but if it father desire to go back, I'll be with him.

I hold his face, like I did when I was a kid "Dad..." I said. My father is a crybaby even so I still love him. I slapped his face "You are a guy for goodness sake!!"

"W-Why did you do that??" He look at me, pouting holding the the chic where I slapped him.

"Because dad, you are a man so man up! Don't cry like a kid" I scold him "And I'm not a kid anymore, so don't call me princess! You useless dad!"

Every scold at him, an arrow struck at his heart making him smaller and smaller by seconds. His presence was getting smaller.

"Now, go back driving!" I shout at him as I point his front seat.

He hurried himself going in the front seat and start preparing the car. I'm sure my father is thinking that I'm like my mother. My father was a weak guy but I'm proud that his handsome and my mother, a kind, strict and beautiful mother I have. I didn't see her but I know that she is a beautiful person. But the topic of my mother is now a taboo for my father.

The car engine finally started and father hold the steering wheel as he stomp the accelerator. The car finally moved.

I look at my father again and tears still won't stop. I hate this. Why do I have to be like this. What did I do to deserve this.

I tried anything to get rid of this tears but I still can't, as my yellow eyes saw my father happily singing while there a halo on his head that color darkness, black.

He's going to die soon.

Just thinking how moment ago, his halo was bright and yellowish kind of halo, but when I wake up I saw his halo.. blinked and blinked then, it turned black. That was another reason why I cried.

My name is Cassilia Montez, 16 years old, female and single, and can see what people can't see. I can see people who will die early and people won't.

Still looking at that halo that can't be remove at my eyes. I'm scared, my father is going to die soon and I can't stop it. My father who found me again looking dumbfounded but I smiled at him to make him ease.

I can't let my father know.

As he drive, sun still shining bright like there only two hours pass by when I was asleep. I reminisce the days that I experience when I having this kind of.. skill.

It all started when I was born. For a baby you would not notice such a thing but when I was five this strange halo appeared before me.

It was in the funeral of my grandfather, Jun. We were far away, out of the city. That the hometown of my father.

In a small house or a bahay kubo was the house of my dad. He was living a farm life. That day my father bring me with him to visit my grandfather who died of cancer.

When I saw the coffin of my grandfather, there were something strange. I stared at my grandfather thinking how can he breath inside a box?? Why do we gave him beautiful flowers?? And why is he not awake.

Suddenly a halo appeared, but it was different. It color was dull... so neutral, it was color Gray. It was weird but a kid won't think about that after she saw everybody halos appearing.

I ask my father "Are you guys angels??" Looking at my father so confused.

My father didn't think that much but for the first time I saw my grandfather dead, a halo just appeared and since then I've been living this world knowing they'll die.

"Hey princess, we are here" My father snapped back me from the reality seeing the new road I'm going to see often and a toll booth was waiting for us.

I look at the big pillar that circle around and a big name written the name of town on the center. The new town we are going to live, Grandverdan.

I don't know why my father pick a town almost a ghost town and a little bit faraway from city. Maybe because of his experiment??

We were getting closer in the ticket booth, slowly driving and stopped. My father open his window on the front seat to greet the guard.

"We are the Montez family that will start to live here" My father greet him with his annoying smiles.

"Welcome" The dull guard just gave him a voice that felt nothing alive and ticket for us to be enter.

My father is an idiot so I'm sure he will not find this strange, how it strange that a guard so.. inactive and the halo I'm seeing in that guard is pretty much close to Gray. But why do I care? It not like I know him and it better to not cause a trouble.

Father closed his window and waited for the guard to push the button for the boom gate to open, finally it started to move and let us in.

Even it was almost a ghost town, it have beautiful scenery, like fresh green trees every block we go and the housed weren't that bad. They all have second floors and the school was easy to find since it a small town.

After the tour of finding our house, father stopped looking at the house that haven't been use for twenty years still clean. Why is this town so many mysteries.

Father turned off the car if that how you say it, and he get off the car and then myself. I opened the door while wearing my small black backpack and already surprise by the hot atmosphere you can't forget when you get out a car with AC on it.

Looking at the new house I'm going to live, you can see outside a big backyard. It made me thought, how many money did my father cost for this?! It was second floor, have a backyard and it pretty much big. I was bewildered seeing how it was really cheap because this is far away from the city.

"Do you like our new home??" Father grinning at me as his hands was on his waist.

I glare at him "let me guess, you bought this in a cheap price" father suddenly sweat and his face turned to stone. I know dad for so long, and I know he can't lie so I'm right.

My father didn't answer my question and just straight going at the door to open it, leaving me behind beside the car.

Even if I was far away I can see that black halo waiting to be gray. I shouldn't kill my father like that, it still black so there chances that I might stop it.

Father opened the door and I'm right beside him now. It was very clean. It was not I expect like seeing some cobweb, some strange clothes and blood but the only thing was there was our boxes that we send and a coach.

I look at the kitchen area at the right side of the living room where the door is located to, the wall was brown matching that brown design of the drawers and table, things were complete except for some spoon and fork. I'm sure the person who live here before stole the spoon and fork that was place here.

After looking around the kitchen, I saw my father trying his best to carry my boxes to the upstairs. Father wasn't really old but he's a lazy bum so I wasn't surprise at all. He found me looking at him like I was his boss

"Your room is in the second room, upstairs" Father was trying to hold is uncontrollable breath, acting like he can carry my stuff. He should just ask and I can help him.

I sighed, a heavy sigh. "I can carry my stuff on my own, dad" I tried getting the box my father holding but he didn't let go

"I.. am.. a guy. I can do this" I look at him irritated. I shouldn't have said that.

"Then, do what you want" I left him stomping my foot heading to my room. Stupid father who can't understand every word I said.

"W-wait, princess" father tone was getting hurt for carrying something heavy but I ignored him and made my way through my room. Since he is a guy then do what ever you want!

***

I opened the door only seeing my new room and a window opened giving a spot of light. I look around and it wasn't bad, I have a bed that a single bed, a study desk, a blue and white closet, a nightstand beside my bed and a sky blue wallpaper. Everything was according to my liking, sky blue and white.

I let down my backpack on the ground, letting myself fall in the bed facing the pillow and finally I was relaxing.

"I don't like this smell" I mumble at myself

The smell was kinda like old room that been stock with foods that are spoiled but kinda. I really miss my old room smell like my mom, even though I still haven't met here.

I heard noises downstairs but it felt my body was paralysed and wasn't planning to get up so I just left my father worrying what he done. Forgetting that I was in my new town, my eyes felt tired and can't stop closing I just didn't try to force it to open and I feel asleep.

***

*ring* *ring*

I heard a faint sound of a phone ringing. I didn't try to answer it since it can be just an alarm clock. I just ignored it for few minutes and it stopped. It was really just an alarm clock

*ring* *ring*

I heard that annoying sound again. If it still an alarm clock it would be stop, then someone was calling me. I'm sure I've put it in a vibration mode, it shouldn't made a sound... That was weird.

I get up looking tired and sleepy, eyes still can't adjusted and trying to find my phone right and left. But it was more weird that it keep ringing, getting louder at every ring and I know I put my phone in my bag and it was in a vibration mode.

Could it be. The previous owner left it?? Well that was dumb.

I look everywhere in my room, finding that source of the sound until I saw it in a box that was left out with cobwebs and smelling rotten in the corner of the room.

Why would someone left something like this?? I opened the box and look upon a phone standing in the middle, keep ringing in an old phone. The one who was calling had a weird name, it name was "Reaper"

Now why would a "Reaper" call in a time like this and what is this reaper anyway?? I stare at the phone, waiting to die out of the sound but it didn't. I'm getting more nervous.

I know this is not my phone but picking up an old phone in this time, I would be already scared and throw this phone away from me... But it doesn't hurt to try to pick it up?? Curiosity can kill you.

I gulped and pick up the phone in that mysterious box. I tried myself to breath normal and not get nervous but sweat was streaming down and I can't stop but to be scared.

I press the green button sign and put it on my ear. The ringing stop making me nervous who is over in the other line. I've made the first call, I said "Um.. Hello" trying not to hesitate.