Flashback

*Pant* *Pant*

Droplets of blood fell to the ground; the rain heavily fell onto the earth.

"Dear, I'm afraid if we continue like this, none of us are going to survive." He looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. I carried his arm around my shoulder and stared back at him. "No, I won't accept losing you." Tears rolled down my eyes but I tried forcing them back up. 'We can find another way….' I gritted my teeth; resolving myself.

We were soaked in and out, and injured in so many places. I was draining every ounce of my energy just trying to help him walk. It was hopeless. "Dear," he whispered in the pouring rain. "Leave me here, I'll try buy you enough time to escape."

"But…But…."I choked on my words. He gently place a finger on my mouth; silencing me.

I kept quiet. My face was dripping with tears, but you wouldn't be able to tell since it was raining heavily. I stared brokenly at the ground. "Hey….Look at me." He placed both hands on my head and drew me closer; our foreheads touching gently. We both closed our eyes for a moment.

He smiled at me and kissed me on the forehead. I opened my eyes. "Our daughter needs to live. She possesses something that others won't stand to exist in our world. No matter where she goes, she will be condemned and a lot of people will try to destroy her. Remember, no matter what it takes, protect her....."He trailed off when suddenly his eyes glowed dark red. Something was wrong.

He looked back a distance behind. A mile away from them was someone in a long trench coat with a hoodie that covered his face. His footsteps left marks in the soft soil; he was clouded with murderous intent.

My love panicked but did his best to remain calm. "Dear, he's coming. You need to hurry." He signalled us to leave immediately. I cried and handed to him something wrapped in a blanket. "Atleast…hold her in your arms this last time."

Waaaaaah!

Something cried out from under the blanket. He opened the blanket to reveal...a baby girl. He smiled and tears could be seen rolling down his cheeks. He placed her tightly to his chest and hugged as if it would be the last time.

"Give her a name love….." I smiled sadly. He stared softly at me, rubbing his finger gently on my cheeks. He smiled as well. "Althea….." He looked up at me. "Althea Aiko Alcantara...Althea meaning, healing and wisdom, and Aiko meaning, beloved child." I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands. I just couldn't hold back my tears. I hugged him and whispered to his ears. "I love you…." I said sorrowfully. He sighed softly. "I love you too...." We interlocked our hands in each other; gripping tightly.

A tree branch in the distance could be heard being stepped on. He pushed me away and placed little Althea back into my arms. "Now hurry! He's getting close." He stood up and went on an offensive stance. "Quickly!" And with that, I choked back my tears and turned to run.

I ran and ran and ran without looking back. Loud cries could be heard in the far distance behind me. I ignored everything and continued running. After few minutes of running, I laid back on a tree. I rested for a bit and continued on my way. We were in the middle of the woods, and I was weeping while hugging her tightly.

'Where are we….' I looked around and saw a signboard. 'An orphanage?' I walked towards the orphanage. I knocked and someone opened the door moments later. "I need to leave her here." I told the lady in front of me bluntly. The lady's eyes widened and looked at the baby in my arms. "You shouldn't leave her here…" My heart was aching, of course I didn't want to leave my baby girl, but what choice did I have. "Circumstances forces me to leave her here….Please I need you to keep her here..." I said. The lady looked at me intently and saw blood marks on my clothing. I was injured. She gasped but calmed down and said stuttering, "Y-You need to treat those wound."

"No, there's no time!" I exclaimed whilst sobbing. I still didn't know if they were coming for us. The lady in front of me seemed to have seen my distress. She slowly stepped forward and motioned for me to give her my baby girl. She smiled sweetly at me and said in a whisper, "Okay…..I'll take care of her….." She was reluctant to do so but she saw that I was in a hurry.

She easily realized that it was a complicated situation.

I felt relieved. I gently placed my baby girl into her arms. Just a few moments ago I had everything, a loving husband, the most gorgeous baby girl, it was a perfect family! And now....I had to give everything up in a split second. Every inch my body was shaking, and tears fell down my face and dropped onto my baby girl's face. I gently wiped it with my hands and froze with my hand placed on her soft puffy cheeks.

All this time she was sleeping, but now her cute little eyes were slowly opening. I felt so warm. Looking at her sparkly purple eyes, I felt joy. I couldn't feel the cold rain dripping on my body anymore. I placed my forehead against hers and slowly closed my eyes, savouring the moment to its fullest.

It was one of those moments which I would've wished that time permanently stayed frozen…..

I opened my eyes to find her looking back at me. My lips curved into a smile and I kissed her tenderly on her forehead. "My baby girl, I'll come back for you so please wait for me….I love you."

"What's her name?" The lady asked. "Amanda Maya …."I whispered softly; and with that I back off slowly from the orphanage's front porch. The lady stood by the door holding my baby girl in her arms.

"She mustn't know who I am….." I took one last look and turned around and dashed off into the far distance.

Dian, the lady who was holding my baby girl in her arms; continued to watch me leave until I was out of sight.

…

I was holding a baby in my arms. I was totally confused when a lady stood behind the door of our orphanage. She had injuries all over her body and I offered to help her but she refused. I could see she was panicking and didn't want to leave her child at all. I have no authority to be doing this but I accepted anyways. I had this feeling that I should accept no matter what. She said that she would be coming back for her, so it's my duty to take care of her.

I walked back into the orphanage and closed the door. I stared into the baby girl's eyes. 'Huh? Chestnut brown? I could have sworn her eyes were a deep shade of purple a second ago…" I decided not to think too much about it. "Maybe I just saw it wrong..."

…

I was far from the orphanage. I had gone to the opposite direction and did my best to erase and traces of me ever stepping foot at that place. I was finally out of the forest and reached a cemented road. I knew I was far; far away from civilization and these roads were ones basically no one travelled through. The mountain outside the forest were quiet, I still remember how it thundered in that dark gloomy day and how the rain made my steps heavier.

I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Every step I took drained my energy enough for me to faint; but I just couldn't collapse here. I needed to survive.

Thump! I tripped on a rock and fell down. I couldn't get up. It was already hard walking and now, I just didn't seem to have any energy left to stand up. 'It's hopeless….' I thought that day. I was about to fall unconscious when I could feel the ground vibrating. A vehicle was approaching.

I lay motionless by the roadside. I felt the vibration on the ground get closer until it was only a few yards away. I was cold, but I couldn't move. I didn't have the energy to.

Finally I felt the vehicle stop nearby. I forced my eyes to open….Someone was approaching me. The only thing I could make out with my blurry vision and the distorted rain. 'Red and blue lights....?' And with that, I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. I fell unconscious....

End of flashback

It has already been 4 years and yet those memories are still freshly on my mind. I can still remember everything clearly, the warmth of each of their hands in mine till today. I still dream about them…..

I stood by the doorway of a dimly lit bedroom and rested my arm on its frame.

I sipped some of the coco in the mug I was holding. I walked silently next to a single bed in the room; only the moonlight shown inside the room. I knelt by the bedside.

'That day I had lost my husband and my precious baby girl....'I thought, reaching out my hand.

Something wriggles from underneath the covers of the bed. A small cute figure sat up on the bed and noticed me kneeling next to it. "Uhm….Is something wrong Mrs.Admon?" She asked, softly.Her sparkling purple eyes looked at me cautiously….

My baby girl's eyes are also the same…I missed her so badly for all those years..and now….she's in front of me yet It feels like a dream. I want to tell her everything. I want to tell her that there wasn't even a second where I would stop thinking about her, how much I loved her. I want to tell her why she had to spend those lonely nights without me in the orphanage…..But...…..

I shook my head and placed my hand gently on her cheek. I smiled at her and a tear fell down my eyes.

'I am finally holding on to my baby girl….but she's not allowed to know that I'm her real mother….'