"EMILIO" Short story by Jezziela Comabig & Keziah de Asis

EMILIO Short story by Jezziela Comabig & Keziah de Asis

                               "EMILIO"

                                                        

"Hey!" I called Emilio with a furious voice, I couldn’t contain this anger anymore, so I decided to confront my twin brother. "I'm mad at you! I'm upset! Why are you so different?! You've been like this for years since we were kids! Why can't your madness disappear from my sight?" He looked at me with wicked eyes as if he is about to kill. Fear suddenly flashed before me, which made me take a step back. But he drew closer and said, "Oh, shut up! Say, who do you think you are? Are you saying I'm Ireful?!" He pointed his fingers at me as if I am on the wrong side, but no, I knew that I'm stating the truth. I gathered my strength and said, "Sickness had sharpened your mind so much that you forgot how you ruined my life!" I am taken aback when he suddenly laughed like I said something funny. "Yes, darkness indeed folds my heart, but hearing those words from you?! Stop being ridiculous!" He grinned and tapped my shoulder as he whispered, "I am not the only one to blame here, remember what happened?" I force myself not to listen as he tries to bring up what happened in the past, yet the image of myself crying in my room every night while everyone is sleeping comes to mind. I suddenly heard a voice, a hurtful frame, as I felt the venomous pain that seemed to be invisible. A poison hiding in a silhouette, that I, myself, can't even see...the next thing I know, memories began to flash in my mind.

I was drinking my medicine when our kitchen door made a creaking sound as if it was made in the 1800s. I couldn’t change it or repair it because Emilio—my twin brother—doesn't want me to. The entrance showed the almost gray-colored hair of a 46-year-old woman. She's trying to pull her sleeves down as if she's trying to cover something while she walks towards the dining table. "Mom" I called her with a grieving voice. She smiled weakly, trying to assure me, but I walked towards her and pulled her sleeve up to her arm. Purple-colored bruises were suddenly revealed, making me clench my jaw in a mixture of fear and anger. Seeing my ireful face, my beloved mother reached her hands and cupped my face as she slowly caressed it and said, "I'm fine Kyle". “But Mom, he hurt you again!” I creased my eyebrows in worry “Shhh, I said I’m fine. Don’t hate your brother, he’s a part of you and I love both of you”. Anger fully filled my heart as I saw her weak and tired eyes. I removed her hands from my face and lashed out from the kitchen. With heaviness in each step, I took the path to my brother's room, and without hesitation, I entered his dark and cold den. I gathered my strength and said, "When did you do it?" A silhouette of a man appeared from the darkness. "Well, of course, when you were not here." He answered with a menacing voice that sent shivers down my spine. I suddenly felt the fear I was trying to suppress. But no, I really need to speak out. 

“H-How could you? How could you do that to your own mother? I was quiet when you first hit her because you said you didn't mean to, but when you do it multiple times?! I won't sit still anymore!" Tears started to form in my eyes, not just because I'm angry but because I'm scared. He has engraved fear in me since we were kids, and I know I can't escape from this feeling anymore. "I do the things I want to do, and even if you threaten me, I know you can do nothing but watch as you shiver with your cold feet." He's right. All this time, I couldn't do anything but watch his madness. "You can't tame me no matter how hard you try." He turned his back on me and picked something up from his table. He showed a sharp metal and traced it with his fingers: "Just be thankful I didn't kill her, but if you get on my way..." He turned to me and smirked, “I’ll kill your ‘sweetest-oh-so-loving’ Hannah”. He will kill her. My heart raced in fear. No. I can’t lose her, not her. “Now choose, you’ll let things be and I’ll stay away from that girl? Or you’ll get in my way, and I’ll behead her?” he asked me with a threatening voice. I answered him with silence unable to speak about my decision in humiliation. "Well, I guess I already know the answer. You’re pathetic as ever” He laughed and tapped my shoulder “Now scram" I hurriedly go out and hide in my room. As soon as I entered my room, I hurriedly sat on my bed contemplating my decision. He wouldn't kill my mother, wouldn't he? He only said I shouldn’t get in his way. He never said he'd kill her, didn't he? I bit my nails and shivered. If I get in his way, he will kill Hannah. I can't let him do that. While I'm devoured by my thoughts, a sweet melodious voice caught my attention.

 "What's that noise?" I mumbled as I walked towards the window. When I opened it, I realized that the noise came from my neighbor’s house. Beyond the room's window in Infront of mine, I saw the girl that I’d been trying to protect singing her favorite song. Her beguiling voice makes me smile as if it's soothing me from what happened earlier. I can't even explain what I felt, it's like all those worries earlier disappeared. In loneliness and sadness, she's been there for me since we were kids. I felt so lucky to have her with me. I stared at her as she brushed her hair in front of an antique mirror. Upon seeing my reflection in the mirror, she caught me watching her. With wide eyes in shock, she turned to me and said, "Hey! What are you doing? Why are you watching me?!" she angrily said with peach-colored cheeks, tainted with embarrassment and irritation. I laughed upon witnessing her reaction "I'm not watching you; I don't waste my time with your unpleasing voice" I teased while grinning from ear to ear. Her face became red as a tomato and pursed her lips in frustration. She began to look for something below her and that's when I realized she was about to throw something at me. I quickly closed my window and saw a crumpled paper hit it. I laughed loudly. She's really annoyed! I opened it again when I saw that she was about to say something. "I don't care!" She shouted irritatedly and rolled her eyes like she usually does. "Chill, I'm just kidding why are you so serious?" I laughed as she rolled her eyes again. 

"In fact, your voice is as comforting as ever" It was too late before I realized that I unconsciously said my thoughts out loud. Oh no! Why did I say that to her?! I felt my heartbeat twice in nervousness about what she would reply. "Thanks, I-I guess?" she quickly diverted her eyes after saying that. An awkward silence engulfed the both of us so that we could literally hear the cricket's sound. She drew closer to her room's window, now we were both looking outside while the cold breeze of the night touched our skin. "B-By the way, you look like you were unwell earlier; are you okay? Tell me, Kyle, what's the problem?" she finally decided to break the uncomfortable silence. "No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." I showed her my wide smile, trying to convince her that everything was all right. But knowing her? She wouldn't believe me even if I faked everything. "You're lying, I know your face when you lie, so don't fool me, Kyle." She narrowed her eyes as if she were trying to see through me. "What face? This face?" I jokingly touched my chin and made a face making her react with disgust "Stop joking around! I'm serious!" She stomped her feet in frustration. She's acting like a spoiled child again. "Okay, fine, fine. I'll tell you" I chuckled. I heaved a sigh and continued talking. "I'm just tired of my brother..." I share with her all the pain that I felt that day except the part where my brother used her to threaten me. She listened, opened her ears to me, and made me feel more comfortable with her than usual. She gave me pieces of advice and made me smile with her words. She never failed to make me smile. With the atmosphere of the serene night that's been lit up by the luminous moon, my heart suddenly beat faster for her, twice what she usually made it beat. I stare at her while she gets angry and sad on my behalf like she's in my shoes after she heard about my complaints, not noticing that it made me happy. She knew it all, she knew how I hate my brother even though she never saw him, not even once since he never left the house ever since our father died. The moon’s enchantment tells my hidden feelings to reveal themselves. My hesitation suddenly disappeared together with my what-ifs. I didn’t care if she would reject me after, I just felt the need to tell her what I really felt. "Kyle, Kyle? Hey!" I didn't realize I was preoccupied again. "Ahh, sorry, I just remembered something." I apologized. She looked at her clock and smiled at me, letting me know that it was time for us to stop. "So, it's already late... Maybe we can continue this tomorrow?" She spoke. "All right then, take care Hannah" I replied with disappointment "You too, bye." 

She was about to close her window when I called her, making her stop in mid-air. I couldn't be bothered to say this, so whatever happens, I need to tell her what I truly feel. "What?" she asked. "I have something to tell you" I replied and gathered my strength "What is it? It's already time Kyle, I badly need to go, tomorrow I will talk to you so just say it tomorrow. Bye" Ever since I met her, she only appears between 6 pm and 10 pm, maybe because she has a lot of things to do? I couldn't prevent her from closing the window, so I just decided to call her number, I'm tapping my foot on the floor while listening to my phone ringing, and seconds later, she answered it "Kyle, I'm a bit busy today. Can you call me again tomorrow? Just say it tomorrow," she replied. "I can't take this tomorrow. Can you give me 5 minutes to tell you all of this?" I spoke. "5 minutes? Okay, I will open my ears to you. I think it's important. Just hurry" I feel nervous, but I need to tell her how I feel. “I just want to say thank you for always being there for me. I'm thankful that I have a friend like you. Yes, a friend like you, but…” I heaved a sigh before continuing, “I guess what you said is true, men surely are greedy” I chuckled. “I… I never knew how deep love should be. If it’s deeper than friendship? Or deeper than obsession? All I know is that I would do anything and take a risk to swim its depth with you” There, I finally said it. I paused and sighed before I decided to continue after hearing nothing from the other line. "You've been there for me since before, and I can’t see myself without you anymore. The longer I suppress these feelings inside, the stronger it becomes. Promise, I tried my hardest to keep it, divert it, and ignore it, because I don’t want to ruin what we have. But… these eyes… these eyes couldn’t see the same phase of the moon that I always witness in your eyes shining in somebody else’s iris” I paused and laughed jokingly “It’s kinda bit cheesy I know. I'm not asking for your answer, all I want is to let you know.”

 Wait, I still have 2 minutes left. I will not waste these minutes telling her why I like her. "I like you not just because you're beautiful inside and out. Not just because your smile makes my day complete; or your voice makes me smile, or hearing you sing became my favorite part; But because I like you for being who you are. You're the best part of me. You’re my resting place when everything’s in chaos.” I looked at her closed window and whispered, “You’re my blue”. A long silence followed so I decided to end it “I know your time is very important, and I'm here saying this nonsense. Thank you for giving me 5 minutes to tell you all of this.” I was about to end the call when she muttered, "I...” I didn’t hear her reply because I suddenly dropped the call. I felt confused about what she wanted to say. My phone lit up and notified me that someone texted me. Hannah texted me to open the window. I was confused but I did it anyway. I saw her writing something. She raised her paper above the window, and I tried to read the letters written on it. It said ‘yes’. "What? Yes?" I texted her. She put down the paper and wrote another one, and when she raised the other paper, suddenly my heart leaped twice, upon realizing that she liked me too. 

She quickly closed her window in embarrassment and all I could do is laugh. But the joy I felt suddenly disappeared when I heard my mom crying in pain again. I know she's trying to muffle a cry, but I can totally hear her. Funny how my life revolves. One minute I feel happiness, and terror in another. It's like a rollercoaster that has no finite end. I curled myself to sleep and covered my ears in fear and regret. Regrets of not being able to do anything. Regrets of being a coward and useless son. The next day, our house became quiet again. No signs of Emilio, but oddly, I couldn't see Mom. So, I stopped looking for her and continued to clean the fish I was about to cook. I was about to put its intestines inside the trash bag when I heard a groan. I tried to listen and locate where it is coming from. I slowly walked towards the bathroom since I assumed that the voice came from there. With nervousness I called "Mom? Are you there?". 

No one answered so I rushed and opened the bathroom door only to see my mom lying on the floor, bathed in her own blood. Her belly was opened and some of her organs were on the floor. I fell to my knees in shock, not able to process what I saw. "M-ma" I couldn't speak nor utter a word, all I remember was I hurriedly looked for my phone and called the police. The next thing I knew is that there are two officers interrogating me inside our house while my mom's dead body was being investigated with caution tapes plastered in our bathroom. The one in front of me looked at me intently and at my hands "We found a knife in the kitchen covered with blood, the same blood bathed with the victim's body, and the same blood that is on your hands. How can you be innocent?" He asked me while taking a sip of his cigarettes. I trembled upon hearing his voice. I’m still in shock and the scene I witnessed earlier still can’t be processed in my mind. I couldn’t believe what I saw. "What do you mean? I-I was cleaning the fish for our lunch, of course, my hands would be covered with its blood! And a-and where's my brother?! I'm sure he's the one responsible for this!" I spoke. They need to find Emilio, he needs to be punished for what he did! Anger has finally woken up my senses. I couldn’t believe that he would reach this point! I remembered our last interaction. He never mentioned that he’d do this! If he did, I would have… I would have… “I would have chosen her” I cried in regret and in pain.

 He was about to open his mouth when another officer appeared holding a bunch of papers. "I already have the information of the victim. She's 46 years old in a family of three, her husband died in an unknown case, no other relatives other than her ONE AND ONLY son" a police officer said while holding a compilation of papers in his hands. Then he looked at me "The son, Kyle Suarez 23 years of age, is diagnosed on March 23, 2013." He took a long pause and said, "...with Multiple Personality Disorder. Said to be involved in hallucinations, delusions, and psychotic behavior." Then I heard a long tinnitus. Taking me back to the present. The present where I face bars every day. "I'm not the only one to blame, am I? We both killed your mother. It's my consciousness who stabbed her, but it is still your body" He leaned on me and whispered. Right, we were arguing before he made me remember all those hideous things. "Shut up! Shut up! I didn't kill her! I'm not—I'm not a criminal!" I covered my ears trying to not listen. He flew above my head and drew his mouth close to my ears. "Yes, you are, because I am a criminal, and I am inside you Kyle, I am who you are, stop denying that fact because you and I are one" He wickedly laughed, mocking me.

"Remember the girl you chose over your mom?" Those words caught my attention. My Hannah! My sweet Hannah! I miss her so much! I have never seen her since then "What about her? You promised not to lay your hands on her! What did you do to her?!" I panicked. "The girl that you’ve tried to protect… doesn't exist." He laughed when my face went pale. No! No! It can't be true! "Shut up! She exists! She's true! I saw her, I even talked to her!" I grabbed my hair in frustration as tears began to flow from my eyes. No! She’s not only a delusion, but she’s also true! "You're awful, you chose an inexistent girl over your own beloved mother" He continued mocking me until his voice became louder and louder until multiplied into multiple voices in my head. I cried loudly and banged my head on the wall trying to silence him. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut uppppp!!" "Give him a midazolam injection! Hurry!" I can feel the nurses in my psychiatric ward pull me from the wall. When the needle touched my skin, I suddenly remembered all the horrible things I did. I killed my mom when she endured everything for me and told me I shouldn’t hate myself because she loved even ‘that’ side of me. Then the darkness started to devour me. As it completely consumed every piece of my mind, I laughed without humor. I’ve always hated Emilio, not knowing that the only one that scares and makes me angry every time, was myself. …Because I and Emilio are one.