CHAPTER 1: Her Lost

Hale's POV

"The city was bombarded by the government and there is no survivors..."

My tears flowed as pain consumed me.

No... my family... my friends.

Mixed emotions swam through my veins after hearing the news. I don't know what emotions should I entertain. The sadness? The fear? The anger? The repentance? I don't know anymore.

My tears just flowed and flowed and flowed. I don't think I can survive this.

I wanna convince myself that it was just a fake news by a prankster who just want to make fun of people.

But seeing the whole city now, feeling the heat caused by the bombs, I couldn't think straight anymore.

I couldn't hold my sobs and I just myself cry.

I can hear the cars coming from this addled city. I can hear their screams of pain. I can hear their sobs. I can barely see their tears.

And then I realized... it's not just me. All people here, we are all suffering from this disaster. A disaster caused by the evilness of the toxic government.

Tears unrelentlessly flowing from my eyes as it broke the only courage I have in myself. I can feel my heart tearing apart. I felt like someone's grabbing my soul out from my body.

"Why?" I kept on sobbing. "Why me?! Why does it have to be my family?! Why?! Of all people, why us?!"

I couldn't hold my anger anymore. I am in so much pain I have no choice but to be angry.

When I finally got my strength, I hurriedly ran towards our house that seems like an abandoned building right now.

I can still feel the heat from the ground but I kust dont give a damn. I need to see my family!

My sobs becomes louder when my foot touched our front door. I felt like sorrow just ate me. My heart clenched. I felt the numerous dagger stabbing my heart again and again.

Seeing my mom almost become an ash, it kills me. My dad lying on our floor with so much blood on his whole body. And my two little twin brother hugging each other even in their death, I can't take it anymore. I just wanna be one of them.

At this point, I'm on my breaking point.

I let myself kneeled as I was looking at my family who's already lying on their on bed right now. A bed that I can no longer lie on.

"Mom, Dad, can't you see how much I need you right now? I need your hugs. I need your words. I need you but... how can I live my life now... when you're already gone?" i cried even more while saying those words.

"Now that you're gone, I felt like my life has no significance. I just wanna die. I've lost you.. and seems like I'll be losing myself too. The missing piece in my heart won't be found anymore." I heave a deep sigh.

Without any strength, I crawled towards my dad who's much closer from my direction.

With my hands shaking, I caress his bloody lifeless face. My lips trembled as I tried to hold my sobs. Dad wouldn't like it to see me weak. He always wants me to be as strong as my mom.

"But sorry dad, your princess isn't able to be strong right now. My source of strength were lost and so as my strength..."

I hugged him not minding the blood being attached to me.

"Please... don't leave me in agony..." I cried.

While looking at my lifeless family and our wrecked city, anger slowly raising in me. This is the best evilness the government can do huh?

How I wish I could strangle their neck 'till their death.

F*ck the toxic government. They have taken the important things in my life. All of it.

I am left with nothing. I've lost everything.

1 YEAR LATER...

My life after my family's death wasn't easy. It actually seems like hell. It hurts me too much I almost took my life. I tried to kill myself many times but to no avail. Seems like God wants me to suffer more.

What happened last year changed my whole life. I left the city where the evilness ruled in it. I started my life all over again at the big city in where evil government lived.

I started at nothing. I worked as a waitress, as a helper, even as a maid. There was also this times that I will find my food in a trash bin outside the malls.

And I stopped writing...

Out of hopelessness, I accepted the offer of the selfish producers to buy one of my novels just to get my lifestyle back. I am stable right now. But my heart will never be healed.

The wound in my heart will forever be bleeding.

I sighed while staring at the crystal clear river beside this park. I am currently sitting at one of the benches beside the river while sipping my beer in can.

It is still morning yet I am already drinking. My mom really hates it but she nowhere to be with right now. I will never hear her scold anymore.

As that thought entered my mind. There's this one thing I wanna do.

I grabbed my cutter in my bag and I was about to slice my wrist when suddenly, a strong hand stopped me from hurting myself.

The person groaned out of irritation before getting the cutter from my hand.

"Why do you have to hurt yourself?! Didn't you know that many sick people are fighting their illness just to be alive?!"

I suddenly stop from thinking when I heard his baritone voice full of irritation.

I slowly looked up and stared at his bluish gray eyes. "And didn't you know that many people wants to end their lives just to get rid of pain?" I asked him back.

I saw him gulped. I don't know why. Maybe he have thought that I was right.

Seconds later, he spoke again. "You want to get rid of pain by causing another pain?"

I stilled after ge said those words. Yeah, he has a point, but I just don't give a damn.

"Why do you want to die while other people wants another life?" He spoke again.

"Then give them my life! I will even grab my soul to give it to them! I don't care anymore!" and with that, I just snapped.

I can't hold my emotions any longer. This was also one of those changes in me after what happened. I sometimes have no control over my emotions.

"Would you stop being impulsive?!" he frustratedly said while messing his hair.

"And would you stop playing like a hero?! You are no hero and stop meddling with my business 'cause I don't even know you!" I snapped out of frustration towards this meddler stranger.

He sighed frustratingly and face palm. "Listen lady, I couldn't just ignore you because my conscience will be hunting me when something bad happened to you!"

I glared at him.

But then I sighed. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay, I will not hurt myself anymore."

He nodded. "Good—"

I cut him off. "But stay away from me already, stranger."

His brows creased hearing my last word. "I have a name, woman. It's Ace."

"And I don't care. Now get out of my sight."

He glared at me before walking away.

As the stranger left, I felt the pain and longing again. Every time I am alone, it never gets tired of hunting me, the sadness and loneliness.

In just a snap, I saw myself standing at the edge of the soil. One more step and the river will drown me together with my pain.

I was about to make a step when a hand rolled over my arm and was about to grabbed me but my feet just slipped, reason of the both of us falling down the river.

I heard a splash of water and coldness coated my whole body. I was about to let myself drown but a hand rolled over my waist and grabbed me up to the water.

I gasped for air when my head finally got off the water and hugged the wood beside me to remain from floating.

"The hell, woman! What do you think you're doing?!"

I stilled when I heard that baritone voice right from my ear. My eyes widened as I slowly face the person who frustratedly talked.

I gulped hard as realization hits me. It is not a wood I am hugging but a meddlesome stranger who was wet and looking at me frustratedly.

I abruptly get my arms from hugging him but I realized I don't know how to swim.

But he was fast enough to hugged me. Now, I can feel the awkwardness coating me.

"You know what, hearing you said those words and do that stupid thing, I see you as a selfish woman. Don't you think the people you will left behind will be okay when you're gone?"

"But I already have nothing left!"

And with that, I couldn't hold my tears no more. I let myself break down... in front of a stranger.