BREAKFAST

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

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Adrianna pinched her bleeding nose between her fingers as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. She reached out for her cellphone on the bedside table and checked on the time.

2:16 AM

She then placed her phone beside her as she waited for a couple of minutes for the blood to stop flowing. While waiting, she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her other palm as she yawned.

After awhile, she stood up and stealthily walked outside her room to the bathroom.

As she entered the bathroom, she turned on the lights, walked over to the sink and turned on the tap. Seeing that the bleeding has stopped, she washed the blood on her nose and chin.

When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, the image of the faceless girl floated in her mind. Recalling the contorted clay like face of the girl, her heart rate suddenly accelerated.

She unconsciously had a staring contest with her reflection in the mirror until she scared herself stiff. The longer she looked in the mirror, the more it seemed like the reflection isn't her anymore. But a ghost!

She blinked her eyes and hurriedly turned off the bathroom lights and scurried back to bed.

Mirrors can sometimes be downright scary.

The moment she got inside her room, she directly dived to her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. She wasn't even aware when she fell asleep.

And the next thing she knew, she was startled awake by the chicken's crowing.

Adrianna opened her eyes groggily with scary panda eyes. She is very disturbed by her dream that she would wake up every now and then.

She groaned. She can already feel a headache coming.

When she was about to take a bath, her sight fell on her music box. She stared at it for a moment before she picked it up and shoved it inside her backpack.

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When Adrianna went down for breakfast, she saw her papa reading the newspapers but her mama was nowhere in sight.

"Morning, tata." She smiled brightly at her papa, placed her bag at a nearby couch and walked to the dining table.

Breakfast is longaniza, sunny side up eggs, fried rice and the bread roll, pandesal.

Adrianna took a sip of her milk then sat down. Next, she reached for the fluffy pandesal and eggs. She made a slice in the middle of the bread and stuffed one of the eggs in between.

Andrei raised his head from the papers he was reading and smiled fondly at Adrianna. Then his smile froze with a funny twisted look.

Adrianna's face is as white as sheet but her eyes are as black as charcoal. Such a horrifying contrast!

"Late night?"

Adrianna smiled awkwardly at her father then bent her head in an attempt to hide her face from her papa's scrutiny. She then ate her food with great gusto.

Andrei raised his brow in surprise. If he doesn't know what their breakfast is, he would think she is eating a display of luxurious delicacies.

"Where is mama?" A clear avoidance.

Andrei thinks his daughter must be embarrassed. He just smiled slightly and returned his attention to his papers.

"The Reyes killed their pigs earlier. Your mama went there to buy meat from them."

"Then it must be quite lively in there." Adrianna muttered as she reached for the platter of fried rice and longaniza.

Andrei chuckled.

"No doubt about it, there will be drinking and singing later on. The Reyes already asked a couple of men to cook the pig's blood and make sizzling sisig out of the pig's head."

Adrianna looked at her papa.

Andrei winced as he glanced at her face.

Adrianna pouted before she stuffed her mouth with rice.

"Would you be going there later?"

He folded the newspapers and placed it on the chair beside him. His eyes glinting with amusement seeing Adrianna's disgruntled look.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Adrianna nodded in comprehension. If there is no tubâ or coconut wine, his papa may not be motivated to join in the fun. Her papa has a special fondness for the spicy, sweet flavor of tubâ and its strong smell of natural fermentation.

"Papa, let's buy some blood tofu from them. Let's ask mama to make some for us." Adrianna coaxed.

Andrei just hummed as he starts to eat breakfast.

But Adrianna knows.

Tonight's menu will include blood tofu.