Chapter 66
1491words
My consciousness wakes up from the sound of giggling children. Their laughs and small steps filled my ears. I tried to move a finger. Why does my body feel so heavy?
I opened my eyes to see a familiar old wooden ceiling. My brows stars to curled confusedly. That huge stain is so familiar.
I tried to sit and scan the place. These wooden furnitures. The antique mirror near the door and the gray carpet. This can't be. Why am I inside my foster home?
"Golden!" a loud voice of an old woman echoed in the four corners of the room. My foster mom! "Golden wake up you lazy brat!" I flinched when the door sprung open in an instant. She entered the room with her hands on her unnoticeable waist.
She's wearing her usual polka dots dress with her hair in a clean bun. I immediately moved out of the bed and stand straight. What is going on?
"Why are you still here and sleeping like a princess. You are no princess you stupid girl. Get out of this room before I beat you up," she threatened and left.
I confusedly started at the door. Why am I here? I remember being with Damon. We were inside the cave. We were in a mission? Am I dreaming?
I walked to the door slowly. And there I saw my reflection from the antique mirror hung beside it. I gasped softly. This is my ten year old self. I remember this pink skirt so well. It was given to me by a stranger. A woman who gives me gifts.
I didn't know her name but now I do. She's Aluncina.
"Golden!"
I winced when my foster mom exploded. My feet automatically moved and exited the room immediately. I ran downstairs like I'm being chased. My hair is bouncing because of my speed. I can still hear the laughs and voices of the playing children.
They're my siblings.
The moment I stepped a foot inside the kitchen, Linda, my foster mom, throw a tomato in my face. Pain crossed my T-zone immediately. The tomato wasn't ripen yet. I looked at Linda unbelievably. How can she do that to a ten year old girl?
"Pick those in the garden before I throw you some more. You made me call you for so long. You deserved that," she growls. I gulped my courage and just walk to the opposite side of the kitchen to grab the basket.
What is happening?
Why am I back to being a ten year old girl?
She's still busy stirring whatever is inside the pot that she's cooking. It could be a spaghetti? She has a lot of children to feed. She seemed to like keeping children and treat them badly.
I walked out of the house to see my younger siblings playing. They were all so small and tiny. Linda can't give them errands yet. I smiled. At least, they don't experience what I get to experience yet.
I remember being adopted. The first time I saw Linda, I knew immediately that I wasn't in good hands. But the thought of being adopted blinded my suspicion. I let her adopt me. She was a good parent for like two years. But things start to change when I became much older. She treats me like a slave.
I blew a sigh as I pick the ripen tomatoes. They are all so red and big. My nose still hurts because of what Linda did to me but I'm kind ot getting used to it already. What else can I do? I'm nothing without her. She feeds me. Give me clothes. Give me shelter. That's enough for me to stay.
Picking tomatoes didn't take long. I know that I'll get in trouble once I stay a bit longer. She would literally come here just to smack with a spatula. She does that when I'm being a slowpoke. Which happens all the time anyway.
"Put those on the counter. Jessa made a mess in the living room. Go and clean that. Make sure to give your siblings a bath before I finish cooking this or you will not have dinner. Understand?!" she orders. I just nodded. It's not like I have a choice. Being her maid makes me feel like I'm paying my stay here.
She's not a parent. She's a boss that I have to obey.
"Jessa you shouldn't play with water. That can cause an accident," I scolded. She looks at me innocently. Jessa is only five. She's still naive and that inconvenience me all the time. I'm the one who gets in trouble everytime she does something annoying like messing things ups here in the living room.
"Why is your name Golden?" June asked. She's nine years old. I stared at her pig tails. She never fails to amaze me with her talent in hairstyling. "Your name is unique. Imagine being called gold all the time. Hahaha!" she laughed.
"Being called Golden to be ordered around? I don't think so," I responded. She chuckled.
"Hey! You can always give me some of your tasks you know. I'm like next to the oldest after all," she says. I smiled. That's sweet but no. That will just get me in trouble.
"If you really want to help me. You can start by gathering all our siblings inside so that you can all start taking a bath," I told her. She jokingly saluted to me and walked out of the door to call our siblings. I sighed. This is so exhausting.
I wiped my sweat to continue mopping the wet floor.
Was Damon a dream? This is weird. How do I know all those stuffs? I'm quite confused. Is what happening now a dream or is it the twenty year old me? No... This is the dream. Might as well go with the flow.
I didn't waste anytime. The moment my siblings get their asses inside the house, I immediately grabbed one inside the bathroom to shower him. I've got like ten siblings. All of them are young. I'm the oldest. Must have been the reason why Linda is so hard on me. She thinks I'm tough enough to do all the household chores by myself.
I'm starting to feel hungry. I just finished showering my ten siblings including myself. We only get to used one drum of water. And believe me when I say that it's not enough.
"W—We-re done mom," I stuttered. Calling her mom is so hard for me. I hate the fact that she's my mom legally.
"Sit now children. We're going to have your favorite food," she cheerfully said and made me sit too. She acts like this when we're about to eat her food. She sucks at cooking and we're forced to say that we like it. Because if we don't that will put her into a bad mood.
I inhaled deeply when she finally put the plate in front of me. It was a normal portion for a ten year old girl like me.
"Eat it," she says. Some of my siblings started eating already. I can tell just by looking at them that they don't like what they're putting inside their mouth. But they don't have a choice.
"Why are you not eating Golden?" she asked in a low voice. My body flinched. Oh man.
"U—Uhmmm yeah."
I wasn't going to touch my food and just them finish theirs but Linda was staring at me like as if she's telling me that she's watching me and that I should eat her food before she turns to a monster.
I raised my hand to take the fork. I twisted the disgusting looking spaghetti and put it in my mouth. The salty taste of it kicks in immediately. I grabbed a glass of water and shove it in my throat to wash the food away.
"Excuse me!" I said and ran to the bathroom. That food is so gross. I swear.
I lingered inside for a few minutes before opening the door slightly to peak on the kitchen. All of them seemed busy.
I tiptoed outside the bathroom and went outside. My heart is beating so fast because of what I did. I'm sure that I'll get beat up once Linda knew that I left but I could pretend that I'm cutting the grass.
Gross.
"Golden?" a familiar voice called.
"Aluncina?" I gasped. She's wearing her soiled clothes. There's a black bag in her shoulder. I stared at it before looking back at her. "Why are you here?" I asked.
"Ten more years and you'll be home," she whispers. My brows furrowed. I glanced at Linda's house. This is my home. What is she— oh no!
"One more step in my property and I'll call the cops!" Linda screamed like an evil barracuda. I prompted her to leave.
"I'll see you," she says and left.
