Prologue

November 11, 1991

Slums

/Catalina

I sat down at our scrap-made house holding my first prize medal and a 500pesos I won at today's math competition. At age 8, I had an understanding that my intellect was above--way above normalcy. Since my first day of school, I have been mentored by my school to compete and win any sort of academic awards.

My teachers regarded me as 'the poor genius.' They thought it best fit me and my situation. Born in the most crowded, poorest slums, and being taken care of by an illiterate mother.

My mother, Corazon Perez, was a beautiful, skinny woman. Despite being poor, my mother had a pull; she was tall, fair-skinned, and gorgeous. Mom's eyes, like mine, were hazel, atypical to her ethnicity- our ethnicity.

My mother had told me that my father was a secret agent, working undercover amongst mafias, drugs, and the black market. 'He was the kindest, most generous, and most loving human I have ever known,' my mom would say as she caresses the only photograph of her and my father.

I had never met him; per my mother, he was close to discovering a drug lab- the biggest among mafias. My righteous father led a buy-bust operation against the most elite and feared drug lords. My mother told me he promised to quit his job after the operation, only to go M.I.A., and never to be heard again.

Ever since, my mother raised me all by herself. She could have gone home to the province where her family lived, but she assured me that our life here - in this dirty, stinky dump, was better than the provincial life.

I fisted my pocket where my money was hiding. I grinned as I imagined my mother's face, delighted by the sum of money I had won.

Today was her birthday. That is why I have been more enthusiastic than usual. When I won first place, all I could think of was having a hearty meal with my mom.

"Catalina, I'm home." My mom said as if I couldn't hear the rumbles of her footsteps. "Sorry I was late, my boss had told me to deliver a letter to his cousin." She continued as she entered our 120-square-foot house.

"Mom, I won a math competition today." I beamed and held my medal up to the sky. My face was full of pride and joy.

"Oh, Catalina," mother said as she cupped my 8-year-old face into her callous hands. "You are gonna do wonders in this world. I can already see it." She pulled me closer to offer me her warm embrace.

"I won some money, too. And since it's your birthday, I wanted to treat you to a good dinner."

"My little Catalina, you are too young to worry about this trivial matter. My birthday comes every year. Why don't we save that money for your school essentials? I do not need a good meal; all I need is a meal with my precious daughter."

I scoffed. "But mom, just this once. We don't have to spend all of it, Just a quarter, maybe even less." I pleaded until mom surrendered and agreed to go to the nearby food market.

"Go change quick. We don't want to come home late at night." Mom softly pushed me towards our 3-tier plastic drawer filled with clothes. I grinned; mom and I rarely go places together.

I was about to walk toward mom when two men barged into our door. A bald man in a sleeveless shirt scanned our home. When he saw my mother, he seized her by the collar of her shirt, almost choking her.

"Mom!" I threw myself at the giant man and grabbed whatever part of his body my mouth could reach. "This little rat," the man slammed my mom by the wall and slapped me as hard as he could. I fell back and heard a ringing in my ear.

"Gio, hold that little shit while I interrogate this bitch." Mr. Bald Man commanded another man- skinnier and younger. I tried to run, but this man's long tattooed arm pinned me down to the floor.

"What did the letter say," the evil bald giant grasped mom's neck, lifting her in the air. My mom's face turned red; she was struggling.

"What was that bitch?"

"I don't know," my mom trying to speak. "I didn't read it, and even if I did, I do not know how to read or write." My mom's voice was hoarse.

I wiggled my body as I tried to escape and ask for help, but the man pinning me dragged and threw me by the concrete wall. Facing our tin ceiling, the man put his body on top of me, his knee right next to my throat.

"No one will come to rescue you even if you scream, child. Do you really think your neighbors will care? The police? HAHAHAHA." His evil laugh echoed, "Sorry, Cinderella, but no one cares about bums like you and I." He continued.

"Do you really think I would believe you, you little slut," the bald man punched my mom in the gut. I trembled at the sight. My mom groaned as the demon bastard punched my frail mother two more times.

'Ugh,' my mother moaned and spat blood. "I swear, ask everyone I work with; they would know. I have not learned how to read; I only know how to," another punch hit my mom, this time by the jaw.

My mom fell unconscious while the bald, muscular man spat at her lifeless body. "What a useless dim-witted bitch," he groaned.

"Samuel, you are not to kill the target. Boss Chen needs to interrogate her further." Gio, the man, pinning me down with his knee, loosened his stance and looked at the bald man's direction.

Occupied with his conversation with Mr. Bald Guy, I gathered the last bit of my strength and grabbed the gun hanging around his waist. 'Everyone will die on this pigsty tonight.'

I shot aimlessly at the man on top of me. He fell off the floor, lifeless, and I pointed the gun at the evil man in front of me in a matter of seconds.

I had never held a gun before but had never felt so happy to welcome one in my hand this very second, watching the man in front of me turn pale.

"Easy there, little girl," He said as he raised his hands.

I chuckled. An enormous amount of euphoria chilled my skin. At that moment, I didn't care what would happen to me; all I knew was I wanted to kill the man who had just murdered my mother.

"Let me go, and I..."

Bang.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

What he was saying didn't matter to me. His life didn't either. I shot him until the bullets in my gun ran out.

I looked at his lifeless body, then at the man's dead carcass behind me.

"Mom," I whispered, not sure if a voice had actually left my mouth.

I looked at my beautiful mom's bloody face. Even in death, she looked lovely. The most attractive woman to have graced earth.

I closed my eyes. I imagined my now meaningless life and swore that I would destroy whoever ordered to kill the only important person in my life on the day of her birthday.

My life was not mine any longer. These bastards took it away from me. I looked down at my lifeless mother and wondered, had I taught her how to read, she might still be alive. It's my fault. I clenched my fist until my nails dug into my skin.

I skimmed through the bastard's dead bodies trying to gather as much information. I pledged to remember every inch and crevasse of their useless bodies.

Then I lay next to my mother; I tried to cry, but tears had not shown up. I lay next to my mother, remembering her warm hands when she cupped my face earlier. I wrapped myself in my mom's lifeless body like a chick under her mother hen's bum.

I woke up shivering as I unwrapped myself away from my mom's cold and lifeless body. The bastard was right; no one came. No one cares about bums like us.

I turned around my home and realized that all that was in it were trash but one- I grabbed the photo of my dead parents and read the address on the back.

My dad had written the address in the photo for my mother. 'Your dad told me to go there if I haven't heard from him. I went out to scout the area, but it was too bone-chilling, so I never went again.'

I wiped my mom's body with a clean wet cloth. Bruises from last night's torture arose. I couldn't let anyone see my mom like this, so I changed her clothes into her favorite flower dress, combed her hair, and put her rigid arms on her abdomen.

I kissed my mom goodbye for the last time and walked out of the life given to me. I am no one.