3 Three

"Madi! Check this out!" Tyra excitedly ran towards me, grabbing my hands and pulling me to an isle displaying shelves of 7 Outlaws albums. My eyes widen with the scene in front of me and didn't hold back my excitement as I squealed like a teenager, touching the display to check that what I'm seeing is real and not merely an illusion.

"Ow, my babies." I scanned my happy eyes at the display and noticed that all the albums throughout their six years in the industry are laid in front of me. Tears are threatening to escape my eyes because of pure joy. Finally, after six years of being a fangirl, I can now purchase a 7 Outlaws merch for myself. Back in my hometown, when I first realized that I am already a fan of the boyband, I promised myself that I will do whatever it takes to have a collection of their merch, a typical fangirl behavior. I tried saving from the allowance my aunt Isabela is giving me, but to no avail. My savings ended up being paid for my school fees, personal necessities, or sometimes, to buy food for myself when aunt Isabela decides that she is not in the mood to fund me. Well, I can say that she really can do that, since I am not her responsibility anyway, considering that we aren't even related. She isn't married to my late uncle who she had a relationship when he was 50 years old and she was 47. They kind of like have this late relationship that didn't end up in church. They also didn't have any children. She was just the one whom my uncle left his few possessions and responsibilities (which includes me) when he figured out he won't be living too long because of colon cancer. I had no other relative aside from my uncle, so he didn't really have a choice but to leave me to her. I am lucky enough that she endured me until I got my degree and passed my local licensure exam for nurses, and then she decided I am already too much of a baggage to her, and eventually kicked me out of the house, on the exact day the licensure exam results came out. I begged her to let me stay, promising that I will be working hard, now that I can apply for a job and will repay her a thousand folds for letting me stay in her home and funded me. But instead of considering my offer of repaying her, she shouted at my face, telling me that she had enough of me, and that she only endured me because that's one of the last request of my uncle before he died, three years before I graduated.

Uncle Randall was my biological uncle. My mother, who was his sister, died of suicide when I was 2 months old because of postpartum depression. As what aunt Isabela repeatedly told me when she was drunk and decided to turn all her attention to me, my mother didn't want to have me. She had attempted suicide a couple of times when she was conceiving me because she couldn't stand the talks of the people that she was an easy, gullible teenage girl who was lured by an American guy to have sex with her. But uncle Randall always reminded me that it's not that my mother didn't want me, she was just too young to understand her situation and eventually gave up. She was only 17 when she gave birth to me. Maybe that made sense? As to my father, I do not know where he is and who he is. Maybe he's an old man who wanted to mess up with young girls for whatever purpose serves him best. I dont really know. Uncle Randall didn't know either. My mother didn't gave them any information about the guy who impregnated her, aside from the fact that he is American, and has the same eye color as me. So uncle told me to study hard and then I would be able to work, earn money and travel to America to find my father. But honestly, now that I am here in the country where he is from and we could be possibly breathing the same air right now, I'm not sure if I wanted to know him. The fact that she left my mother after using her for his sexual needs, not to mention that she was a minor at that time, I dont think I am ready to face him. His strong American genes instilled in my system is enough of a reminder that my father is a terrible man who chose to leave after all the fun he had using my mother's body.

"Aren't you going to buy one of each album?" Tyra eyed me as I was still scanning with my eyes the display in front of me, having a hard time choosing what to buy first.

"Not now silly, I think I would just buy the four versions of this Chambers album," I said as I picked up the four plastic wrapped latest released album of 7 Outlaws. "Or maybe this one first." I carefully grabbed the De Facto album that was displayed at the top part of the shelf.

"Why wouldn't you just buy all of these albums?" She said tossing me the albums she picked herself, insisting that I should buy it.

"No, no, no, that would consume a month of my salary Tyra, and did you forget that I just turned one month of working?" I returned the albums to the shelf, carefully placing them down as if they are so fragile. I whispered to them "I'll be back for you, babies. Please dont be mad at me."

Tyra chuckled at what I just did and rolled her eyes to me, "You know you could borrow money from me, right?"

"What? No!" I may have said that part a little too loud because the few people who are near to where we are standing gave us questioning looks. I mouthed them sorry before I continued. "Are you drunk? Why would I borrow money from you for albums? You know I could just purchase them next time, right? This store wouldn't close for good as soon as we get out of here or maybe they'll ran out of stocks, right?" We both laughed silently at my remark. "And besides, you've already helped me a lot Tyra, I dont want to add any unnecessary debts from you."

She playfully rolled her eyes to me, "Okay whatever miss. Take your time deciding which album you would buy, I would just be right there near the entrance, I think I  saw something that I liked." She winked at me and walked her way down the isle. I continued to decide which from the albums I would buy when I felt someone or something tug my coat from below.

A pair of beautiful big blue eyes are looking up to me, belonging to a cute girl who has long brown hair, beautifully curved at the ends. She smiled at me, showing little perfectly white teeth. She pulled back her hand that tugged my coat.

"Hi. How may I help you?" I asked giving her a smile. But why do I sound like I am working here?

"Hello. May I ask you a favor?" She said, blinking her beautiful eyes to me. Why is she so adorable?

"Uh, yeah sure. What is it?" I bend down to somehow level my eyes to hers.

"Can you hand me that De Facto album from above?" She said pointing at the display of the De Facto albums, the one that I just grabbed earlier.

"Oh sure. Here." I said reaching for the album. "So, you're a fan of 7 Outlaws too?" I handed her the album which she eyed directly once it was on her hands.

"Yeah, but my mom is the superfan." She said looking up to me with twinkling eyes. "Isn't this beautiful?" She asked, turning the front part of the album so that it was facing me.

"It is beautiful. All of their albums are beautiful." I told her with a smile.

"I like Yves the most." She said while hugging the album and rocking it like she was making a baby sleep. I was confused at first to what she said, but then I realized she was talking about who she likes among the members.

"Yeah Yves is adorable, just like you." I patted her head and God, she has the softest hair I have ever touched. Her hair is softer than mine, I am embarrassed.

"How about you, who do you like?" She asked me and I was about to reply when a loud thud was heard in front of the store, followed by screams and a few muttered words I couldn't decipher. I snapped my head to the direction of the noise and figured out that I heard Tyra's voice among them. Not knowing what the commotion was all about, I told the little girl to stay while I ran down the isle to check, leaving the girl behind. Maybe someone collapsed and needs basic life support. But then my eyes widened with the scene in front of me.

Six men wearing all black, faces covered, stormed inside the store, long guns slinging on their shoulders. I dont know what you call those small guns but they also have those on their hands, pointing towards the people inside the store. I noticed the two security personnels guarding the store earlier are now lying on the ground as if they fainted or something, and two of the armored guys are now standing on their place, I figure out they were look outs. I froze in my position, not knowing what to do.

"Nobody screams and moves or else I would shoot every single one of you!" One of the guys announced as she move to the center of the store. Guns are still pointed to us and nobody dared to move. One of the guys ran towards the back and screamed to the few people back there to go to the front. I almost squealed when I felt a hand reached my hand and I look down to see the same girl earlier who is now in the brink of crying, clutching my hand so tightly. She still has the De Facto album on her other hand, hugging it to her chest.

As I feel my knees tremble in fear, I took in the scenario that just transpired. Two security personnel on the floor, an armored man is pointing a gun to the cashiers and the latter handing them the money which is probably the sales for today, people are frozen on their spots just like me. Most people are around twenties and thirties. I was surprised I didn't see a lot of teenagers here, one thing I didn't noticed earlier. I also dont see kids, only this little girl on my side. I roamed my eyes and carefully turned my head to the side to assess any threats behind me, only to have a mini heart attack when I saw a guy standing behind me but not too close, wearing all black, with a face mask and a beanie. I thought he is one of those armed guys who barged in but I relaxed myself a bit in realization that he is just a guy that probably went here to find metallic rock albums. I turned my head again in front of me to search for Tyra and there she was, as shocked as I am, near the entrance door, just behind one of the gunned man that is now guarding the store.

The armored guy at the center was searching the crowd, as if looking for someone, or something. It took him a while to eye everyone of us when another armored guy shouted at him, "Hurry up and choose! We only have a couple of seconds before people will start to notice!" And then with that cue, he snapped his head to our direction and eyed the little girl who was clutching my hand. She may have noticed that the guy was eyeing her because she hugged my thighs and trembled in fear, still clutching the De Facto album in her hands.

The guy walked faster in our direction and I held the back of the little girl, not so tightly that it may hurt her, but just enough to hold her close to me. Before I even realize what was happening, the girl was being grabbed away from me but I pulled her back for the guy not to take her, as if we are having a tug of war of the little girl's body. I heard the girl scream with the act and I tried really hard to pull her without grabbing her so tightly that it may hurt her. The De Facto album fell to the ground and made a silent thump, followed by the screams of the people.

"No! Don't take her!" I shouted at the face of the armed man, not really thinking that he can shoot me right here right now. 

"You little shit, let go of her!" The armed guy screamed back at me.

"Ellie! No! Please dont!" I heard a voice of the man shouted somewhere and I heard a loud thump and noticed someone fell to the floor.

"Daddy!" The little girl screamed as the man fell on the floor. She might have noticed it despite the position she is at the moment.

People are screaming and crying but it was silenced by a shout from the guy that was pulling the little girl, who I figured out must be Ellie. He told everyone to be quiet as another man pulled me from behind, attempting to separate me from Ellie but I refused to. Then I felt that I was freed from the hands that was pulling me from behind, so I glanced back to see the guy wearing all black with a beanie and face mask who was behind me earlier, tackling down the armored guy who was pulling me. I returned my focus to the crisis in front of me, continued pulling Ellie, not giving up in this tug of war. Even at that moment, I still thought about the injuries this little girl will gain from all the pulling we are doing to her. I am surprised why this guy hasn't taken Ellie away from my grasp yet, considering he is a man, and probably in a gang or anything. He sure must be strong enough to pull Ellie away from me in one swift move. But no he isn't. It seems like we have the same amount of strength. The strength I gained from all the lifting and logrolling of the patients that I do in the hospital.

I was too consumed with what I was doing that it was late for me to realize that I was being pushed towards the entrance, Ellie in front of me. The guy must have gave up playing tag of war with me, that he just decided to just bring me to wherever he is going to take Ellie. Hands are pushing me from behind, hastening our movement outside, towards the car that was waiting in front.  I heard Tyra screamed my name and other screams from the people echoed inside but was immediately silenced. I didn't know what the armored guys did to shut them up. As I took in the environment outside, I noticed that it's raining really hard now and there aren't too many people staying outside. Nobody seems to have noticed the commotion that just transpired inside the store. Without much thinking, I started to scream for help, only to be smacked in the head with a hard object that I suppose was a gun. I felt dizzy, and my vision started to become hazy. The last thing I know, I was shoved into the car, Ellie beside me, her mouth taped. Wait, when did they put a tape on Ellie's mouth? I didn't noticed that. And then I felt a tape being stuck on my mouth too, and a hard body being pushed beside me, hitting my head with his head. I didn't have a chance to see who's body was that so that I can punch his face for hitting my head, because the pain from being smacked earlier with a gun worsened with that head collision I just had.

And then, as I blinked, everything went to black.