The Girl With Secrets

When she was escorted out of the hotel room, two guards wearing black suits greeted her. The two of them sported stoic faces just like Aero did. Not only that but they lead her to another car, telling her that the 'Boss' does not wish to share the same car as her. Instead she was riding in a heavily tinted car. She could barely see outside of the window.

"What a depressing view." She muttered, wanting to see more of the changes that happened when she was confined inside John George Psychiatric Institution.

She had always imagined that she'd either come out of that facility inside a casket, riding a hearse towards the nearest, nameless graveyard — masking the same depressing nameless grave.

Astrid Starling did not expect to see the growing shadow of the city of Los Angeles, California. Seeing the palm trees swaying against the calm and warm breeze made her eyes dilate in awe.

'Beautiful', she thought.

The changes are subtle in the land where she once called her home but now she barely recognizes it. On the left side of the street used to be a Macy's shopping mall. Now it's a district which holds the nightlife of those still addicted to Colifornication, as they call it.

She wondered if her favorite sushi bar, Hanabi Sushi Bar, is still open. If it's still the best hand rolled sushi there is. She wondered if PengKi Nails still stands near the hotel she used to regularly visit, for it was barely hanging by a thread when she last visited.

Astrid swallowed as she looked at the two men who were seated at the two front seats, wondering if it was appropriate — rather, if they're going to heed her request. "Uhm…" She spoke nervously, licking her lower lip. "...excuse me?"

"What?"

The guard who was seated next to the driver answered her, making Astrid flinch. His voice sounded as cold as the guards inside the Psychiatric Institution. Not only that but he sported a thick Russian accent. Not only was he tall and muscular. He was almost as big as a bear with his knees close to touching the dashboard of the tinted black car.

"What is your question?" The man asked again.

"I…" Her voice broke. "...can I roll down the windows?"

No answer.

"Please?" This time she tried to speak a little louder. "I want to see the sun, and the beach. That's all."

The two men exchanged quick glances at each other, silently exchanging vibes if they would let her.

Before answering, the guard who was on the wheels locked all the doors and rolled the window that was nearest to her. Astrid smiled at them. A genuine one.

"Thank you."

She has to admit, the sun felt amazing against her pale skin. Before she would get tanned under the strong rays of the sun. She would wear a two-piece bikini that would barely cover her private parts. And as she basks in its rays, men and women alike would ogle her being. Now she could be easily mistaken for a Vampire. Or a witch. Depends if she's wearing make-up or not.

Astrid Starling was lost in her thoughts. Her mind is wondering what happened to her assets, her riches. She wondered what happened to her beach house. And thought about her family.

Not that she cares about them. They're the ones who disowned and kicked her out. She doesn't care if they're living in a barn, sharing rooms with a pig and living on their own filth.

She was merely… curious if they were still alive and suffering. That is all.

"Astrid Starling."

The thick Russian accent of the guard who was wearing dark glasses snapped her off her musings. "Ye–yes?"

"We have arrived."

The guard slipped out of the car and opened the door for her, a clear sign for her to step out. But when she saw where they were, she was stunned… couldn't move because the place gave her such nostalgic emotions that it rendered her motionless.

As if she was stuck in the middle of a pond, feeling the ripples of the water against her skin.

This place was her home. The house where she used to live.

She got out of the car in a daze. Yes this was the place she called home but it looked so different from before.

The front door has been replaced. From a roast solid wood, it was changed to a two meter modern panel door.

Upon the memory, she remembered her old self. She remembered how happy she was. How her world was full of growth and possibilities. She remembered how she smiled at everything. From seeing a bird chirping on the oak tree from the left side of her house. From seeing a stray cat in her backyard.

She remembered her favorite dress. The white floral dress that was gifted to her by a designer. A 2012 edition of Versace's Criss Cross floral.

'What happened to you, you sweet thing?' She asked herself. Her eyes were welling with tears.

"Matthew Cullin… just what are you trying to do to me?"

"What are you standing there for?" Again the guard rudely popped her array of thoughts. "The Boss is waiting for you inside."

When Astrid did not move and just blinks continuously and stupidly at the guard, the small of the two grabbed her by the arm and dragged her towards the mansion.

"HEY —!" Astrid whined as she lost her balance.

The guard knew that she was not able to walk like a normal person, and yet he was dragging her like an animal, making her trip a few times. But as the guard continued to drag her, she kept her silence instead. Astrid did not want any kind of trouble.

She was reminded of what hell felt like. Back in the Psychiatric Hospital, if she wasn't able to walk properly, the nurses would ask the guards to drag her inside her room in any possible way — even if they drag her by holding onto her feet.

When they were a few steps away from the mansion, on her left, a small child with chubby cheeks suddenly appeared. The girl was running widely as she giggled, keeping her eyes closed as she basked under the sun.

The little girl clumsily tripped on her feet, fell on the ground and clumsily dragged Astrid down with her.

"Ah!" The little girl squealed.

And yet Astrid smiled at the flowery smell the little girl carried with her.

"I—I'm so sorry!" The little girl apologized nervously. "I didn't mean to… are you alright, Ms. Pretty?"

Astrid stared at the soft skin of the little girl, watching the little girl's stark Blue eyes blink. And when she saw her reflection on the girl's eyes, she also saw the reflection of the devil…

"A… are you." It's as if a cat got her tongue as her heart was shredded into two.

'She looks like him!'

'It's his eyes — his face!'

For this little girl was none other than the daughter of Matthew Cullin.

"Young mistress, please — stop!" A familiar voice resounded from where the little girl with blue eyes ran from. "Don't just run around here, I beg you. It's not safe! If the sire saw you running around the house, I'll definitely receive a scolding again!"

"But I want to play outside!" The little girl whined. Squeezing herself against the nook of Astrid's neck, as if it was a safe place for her to hide.

"You cannot! If you trip and fall, I'll be the one who'll get in trouble."

"But Nana —"

"No buts!"

Finally the middle aged woman managed to get herself close enough to the little girl. She was breathing heavily, obviously trying to fill her lungs with lost air as she reached for the child. She lipped both of her hands against the little girl's underarms and scooped her up, carrying and treating her like a precious cargo.

The middle aged woman looked down at Astrid who was still in a daze. She smiled, trying to hide her embarrassment. She's the one responsible for the child after all.

"I'm so sorry." She said aloud as she bounced her little girl in her arms. "This one is a wee devil…"

Astrid Starling stared at the wrinkled face of the middle aged woman. She studied the light freckles on her cheeks, her sun bleached olive skin. And the woman was obviously doing the same thing. The moment she picked up the child, she stared at the pale woman's face, noticing how their existence contrasted each other.

The middle aged woman was a little short, standing in 5'2 in height. Her figure was stocky, a bit chubby. While the woman who was sitting awkwardly on the ground had skin as white as snow, yet scars of different sizes ruined her canvases like skin.

Astrid's frame was oddly thin. She looked frail and it's as if her skin was the only thing preventing her from resembling a walking skeleton.

"You…"

Astrid's voice broke as she tried to utter the name of her dear old friend. The only woman she respected other than herself. "Are you really — is it really you?!" Tears welled on both of her eyes as she pushed herself up from the ground.

She never thought she'd see this precious human again. And now, seeing her has brought some warmth, some sunshine in her tunneled and darkened life.

The woman with beautiful olive skin gasped after hearing Astrid's voice. For how could she forget someone like Astrid Starling.