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Chapter One: replied in a calm tone, though I knew what was coming and I
Same Old, Same old
It was late one afternoon; I was walking home, taking the usual
scenic route. I glanced out at the widespread field in front of
me, this time of year, the trees were tainted with shades of
orange and red. A soft breeze blew and I heard the rustling of
the autumn leaves. I started my way back home, but I took
slow strides, not wanting to leave my haven, this place was
more of a home to me than my own house, nonetheless, I
knew if I didnt get back soon, Id get a scolding from my older
sister. Before I knew it, I was already wondering how many
scars I would have the next day, I probably in a daze for quite
some time because the next thing I knew, I was already
walking up the same old steps to the same old door to my
same old house. I quietly opened the door and stepped inside,
hoping not to see my older sister, apparently the world hated
me because I was greeted by the same old flaming blue eyes,
the same old flaring nostrils, the same old crossed eye-brows,
the same old pale face, and right about now, starts the same
old chastise



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ÔAnd where have you been? asks Delia, my older
sister ÔI brought home the things you asked me to buy I say,
not bothering to answer her question ÔYou didn
t answer my
question I should
ve expected her to be feisty, she was ?

Delia Collins ÔI went to the market, just like you told me to I
c
knew I wouldn
t like it ÔDon
t lie to me, It doesn
t take that long
to get from here to the market and back! She retorted ÔI
m
sorry I took so long, they were a lot of people andÔÔDon
t
give me that! You just can
t do anything right, can you? You
re
more than useless!! She interrupted, I guess if you were in
my place you
d like to rip her face off, but I got used to this,
now all I had to do was raise my arms in defense and hope the
torture doesn
t last long. HI, my name is Edward Collins, you
can call me Eddie, Im 15 years old, I have an older sister
named Delia who is 17 years old and this is the story of the
most interesting time of my life



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Chapter Two:
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
I was balled up in a corner and my forehead was
bleeding and my thighs burned. Youre dumb! You dont
deserve to live! Id rather have a donkey than have you! she
kept cursing and throwing insults at me, but I just couldnt fight
back, you see, my sister suffers from a psychological disorder
called Intermittent Explosive Disorder, I dont know the details
but I heard father talking about it with Dr. Fhaust, Delias
psychiatrist, they said that she lacks the ability to control anger
of any sorts and usually express it in explosive outbursts, I
learned that part head-on, literally, this gash on my forehead
proved it. It also didnt help how she had heart problems, I
couldnt fight her back when she was in that state, what kind of
person would I be? She was still screaming, throwing things
around, Dad was rarely home to help me through these times,
He was to busy with work, butwhen he was home he was a
hero, definitely, but I couldnt wait for Dad anymore, I had to

Chapter Three:
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get out of here. I took a deep breath and bolted towards the
door, Delia was shocked by my sudden movement but her
insipid face still held the abhorrence and rage it did five
seconds ago, I didnt want to linger on it though, once I was
out the door I was safe, Delia had always refused to leave the
house after twilight.
I ran, and I ran, never once looking back at that house
full of horrible memories. I headed towards the only place I
knew which could give me peace of mind, the field I passed
through earlier.
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Wish On a Star
It was a cold night, but I felt too aloof to care. My life
was miserable, but I couldnt find it in myself to blame anyone
else but me. I was securely in the borders of my haven, I
looked up and the stars greeted me, I quickly spotted Orion
and the Ursa Minor, watching the night sky always calmed me
down. I lay down on the grass and tried to recall the happy
moments of my life, apparently there werent many, and
instead of happy memories they were replaced by the morbid
recollection of every night since I was born. Delia had always
hated me, she always took her anger fits out on me, She was
always composed and nonchalant when father was around but
when we were left alone, she didnt miss any chance to insult
me, batter me and kick me around. I took the handkerchief I
kept in my jacket pocket and dabbed it on the gash on my
temple, it stung and the pain was excruciating, but it wasnt
anything compared to the wraths I had faced from Delia
before. With every memory, I
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had to hold in so much anger and sadness, I felt so lonely,
there was no one in this world that I could confide in, just then
I saw a flash in the sky, Y ??Y
[ I thought, and then
I made a wish, I know, its childish of me, but everybody has a
childlike side to them and this was one of mine, the first thing
that came to my mind was O   O Y 

 ?

 what is this place? I gave him a questioning look, This is
ð I stared up at the sky, swearing I had gone crazy, but just
then I heard a rustle of leaves behind me, I stood up briskly
and listened, there was something, or someone behind me, I
heard the noise again and turned around with my fists balled.
There, in front of me stood a young boy, around 12 years old
with blonde hair and green eyes. I blinked twice, he looked
dazed, confused and he had a different air around him then 3
really smart words escaped my lips What are you? 
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Chapter Four:
Alien from a Shooting Star
He seemed to snap out of his daze because he looked
me straight in the eye and asked me I beg your impudence,

2
 am I? Do I look like an object to you? I blinked, so he
talked, S-sorry, its just, you took me by surprise, I didnt
expect anyone to be out here this late. I said, not showing
any emotion on my face And yet, youre here. My name is
Prince, nice to meet you. I looked at him awkwardly, this little
guy was weird, The names Eddie I nodded at him, So,
Earth isnt it he revised, I just got more confused, then it
occurred to me, Are you some kind of alien? It was a stupid
question, but what else could you assume when someone
asked is this earth? but apparently he laughed it off, he
instead proceeded to ask more things, are you the only one on
this planet? No, there are others, I answered watching him
conscientiously I seedo they look like you? he continued,
seemingly unaffected
by my glare No, we look different I replied, who was this boy
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exactly? The more he asked questions, the more I got curious,
and it didnt help how he bombarded me with queries, I
answered them, mindful of every word I made, Why are your
trees orange? he asked Because its autumn. I replied
bluntly, Au-tumn? he looked at me, puzzled, A season of
the year when the trees shed their leaves I answered Why
do they shed their leaves? he asked To prepare themselves
for next spring, the trees fall asleep during winter win-ter?
he questioned yet again, this boy was getting on my nerves,
look, I dont have time for this, its getting really late, he
looked at me with the same questioning look, Do you have a
place to stay? I asked What is winter? I wanted to tell this
guy to shut up already, but I had lots of experience holding
back my temper Its the season after autumn, its really cold
during winter I answered briskly, then said look, if you dont
go home, itll be really late soon he looked at me for a while
and told me I cant go home yet I didnt understand what he
meant by that, but by now I realized this boy wasnt exactly
what we define as normal.
I told him to follow me, and I started in the direction of
my house. He followed, but he didnt do it quietly, thats for
sure.
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Chapter Five:
Stranger in my House
So, thats a streetlamp? he asked Yes I replied
who turns the lamp on? I thought about it, usually they just
turned on around nighttime, I never noticed when they did
though, so I just said They turn on by themselves, I guess I
shouldnt have said that But lamps arent living things, they
cant turn themselves on, unless they had a mind of their own.
Tell me, are lamps like us? Or maybe like bats, yes! Bats
sleep during the day dont they? The lamps do to! he said, so
excitedly that it almost made me not want to prove him
wrongalmost No, they arent living, they are ordered to turn
on when it gets dark, Who order them to? he asked, I
thought about itI dont know the rest of the walk home was
much like that, and with our little conversation, I realized I
knew less than I thought I did.
When I opened the door, it was quiet, but everything
was in disarray, I knew I had to clean this up soon. My father
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was there, on the couch embroidering a piece of cloth, he
looked up when he heard the door open, Eddie! There you
are, where have you been? he asked, worriedly, not like
Delia did, Out I replied indifferently, he hugged me, and
took a look at me what happened to your forehead? he
asked, I shrugged, he frowned Delia he said, I merely
nodded, I was used to this. Ill talk to her he said Like thatll
help I rolled my eyes, every time they talked she only got
madder at me, He then averted his eyes to someone at the
door, Whos this? he asked, Good evening, Sir, my name is
Prince. He greeted, I found him wandering around alone,
and he doesnt seem to have a place to stay I shrugged,
Tibong, my father, let Prince in and showed him to the guest
room. Looks like he was staying, I sighed, I asked for a best
friend, not this guy, but I guess this guy was better than Delia. looked around, there were a lot of people, I guess thats
No matter what positive thing I tried to think up, I just couldnt because this
shake the thought of a stranger in my house.
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was the town square, we lived out in this rural place far from a
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big city, but it was still filled with people, all the stores were in
the middle of town and we lived a few minutes away, but since
we didnt own a car, we had to walk. We passed a school with
Chapter Six: a playground, Prince asked about this too, apparently hed
Welcome to the Town Square never been on a swing set before, nor played soccer, I know, I
couldnt believe it either. Eventually we made it to the town
The next day, I woke up to the smell of coffee. I got up and
square; we made our way to the grocery store, and in front of
went to the kitchen; Tibong was there, sipping on his coffee
the entrance was Ms. Raynne Dullard, a self-proclaimed A-
while going through a newspaper as always, but Prince was
class performer. She was singing on a mini stage and people
there too, I had almost forgotten about him, nonetheless, I was
crowded around her, she was the drama teacher at my school,
in a good moodDelia wasnt awake yet, Good morning
she was always an arrogant, conceited snob. She finished her
Eddie they greeted me Morning I nodded. After breakfast, I
song and beamed at the crowd and bowed, the crowd clapped
had to go out again, and somehow, Tibong got me to bring
and cheered, she was good, but her arrogance threw of
Prince to show him around, hey, as long as Delia wasnt
admiration I could ever feel for her. My thoughts were
there in the morning, I was positive today was gonna be great.
interrupted by Prince Who is that Why are the people
So it started There are so many people! Why didnt you tell
cheering for her? That is Ms. Raynne Dullard, shes a
me you came in such big numbers? he looked around in awe
performer, and the people are cheering because she finished
You never askedI told you there were a lot of people like
her song. I answered, used o his questions, Then she must
me I said, but he raised his head and said No, youre wrong,
be talented to have so many people cheer for her! he looked
there is no one like you, there are merely people who look like
at her with awe, I felt nauseated, but allowed
you. He said, those words hit me like a truck, that was true,
everyone was unique, and though we didnt look alike either, I
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got the main gist of his words, he sounded like an old man. I
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 them, though there are many out there. I said, frowning at the
thought.
him to get his hopes crushed by accompanying him to meet
We continued into the store, we walked around,
her.
gathering the things we needed to buy, as we neared the cash
When we were within her field of vision she looked at
register, we came across the manager of the grocery store,
me Edward Collins? Here to compliment me? she giggled, I
Mr. Forsberg, he was at his desk beside the counter and it
swore, I couldnt vomited straight at her face right then, but
seemed he was talking to himself, So I add this, andok,
Prince cut in, That was amazing Ms. Raynne, youre really
now subtract thisWHAT?! How could I only get this much?
talented! he praised her, she bowed and Prince clapped, I
So, after that, I add this again, mm-hmm, yes, yesso all in
rolled my eyes, My, here I thought YOU were here to
all, that is 3,671,9343,671,935,3,671,937 he said, I
compliment me, looks like you brought another fan too! she
passed him and put the stuff on the counter and waited for the
was practically bouncing, I needed a bucket, A fan? What is a
clerk to finish, Prince was watching Mr. Forsberg intently,
fan? Prince asked, Raynne replied for me A fan is an
Good morning sir, what are you doing? he asked, Hello,
admirer, you know, someone who idolizes someone because
3,671,952, Im busy here, 3,671,953 he replied, not taking
they are amazing. She said that with haughtiness in her tone
his eyes of his desk, Busy with what? Prince asked, Oh,
To admire you? What does that mean? Prince asked,
3,671, 974, youre still there? 3,671,975, I thought you left,
puzzled It means to consider me the most beautiful, most
3,671, 976, Im busy counting, 3,671,977, look kid, 3,671, 978,
talented and most important person in this whole town!
could you go away? 3,671,979
Honestly, what do they teach kids these days? She alleged
with her head held high, I definitely didnt like this woman,
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Prince now held disgust in his face, I admire your talent,
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we walked away. I looked back and saw her, jaw dropped and
everything, I wouldve killed to see her
said Mr. Forsberg, but Prince was persistent, What are you
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counting? 3,671, 983coins, 3,671, 984 he answered,
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Why do you count the coins? 3,671,994, to know,
3,671,989, how richer Im getting, 3,671,990 Do you really
own all these coins? Are they all that important? Mr. Forsberg
sighed, 3,671, 997, I own all these coins, 3,671,998, theyre
pride stabbed like that everyday, but Prince looked upset, Not
important because, 3,671,999, they can buy you anything you
all grown-ups here are as conceited and egoistic as her right?
want! 3,672,000!! Im 3,672,000 coins richer!! Mr. Forsberg
he asked me, with an angry look on his face, No, not all of
was practically bouncing in his seat, but considering how he
was a fat man, it was a repulsive sight, but Prince had a mad
look on his face again, Coins, surely cannot buy you
happiness, nor can it buy you love, and you should now
material things such as coins dont last forever, with that he
walked away from Mr. Forsberg, who merely rolled his eyes
and went back to counting, I had finished paying for the
groceries, so we headed off, That man was conceited as
well he grumbled, obviously upset, No, he was just a
selfish business man, I said, thinking he was making it such a
big deal, he grunted all the way to the bookstore, but at least
his mood made him keep quiet.
We got to the bookstore without any hindrances this
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time, and when I opened the door, I was greeted by Mrs.
Hadley, the owner of the bookstore. I had always liked Mrs.
Hadley, she was 63 years old and was a really sweet old lady
Good morning Edward, she greeted me with a wrinkly smile
and I smiled back, Good Morning Mrs. Hadley, I came to
return the book I borrowed last week, I said, and handed her
the book, I was an avid reader, I didnt have many friends so I
spent most of my time reading books, Mrs. Hadley placed the
book on the table beside her and looked over my shoulder,
And who might you be, cutie? she said patting Prince on the
head, Hello Maam, my name is Prince. He said, beaming at
her, I guess he could sense that Mrs. Hadley was actually a
good grown-up, Well, its nice to meet you Prince, is there a
book youd like to borrow? she asked in a kind tone, Prince
blushed, Um, Im sorry, Ive never heard of a book before.
Mrs. Hadley stood up straight and shot me a curious look, I
gave her just-play-along-with-him look and she looked at
Prince again, she picked up a book and showed it to him This
is a book, a book can be about a story, or information you
might need, books are fun to read, do you know how to read
Prince? she asked Princes face lit up and he
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nodded, Mrs. Hadley smiled Would you like to borrow a book
Prince? Oh, that would be great Prince said, I could swear
there was a glow around him, Okay then Prince, why dont
you look around, look for a book you find interesting. Prince
nodded and was off, so was I. We looked around for a while,
and just as we were to check out the books, we found a
strange man in the corner scribbling away with piles of books
on both sides of his table, Prince, being inquisitive, went over
to him, I watched from the counter again, Good Noon, Sir!
he greeted The man looked up for a few seconds to study
Prince as if he was an alienthough he really might beand
went back to his work, without saying a word, What are you
doing? Prince asked, seemingly unaware of the fact that he
didnt want to be disturbed, the man put down his pen and
looked up at Prince, Cant you see Im busy? he snapped,
Busy with what? asked Prince I am a geographer boy! Im
busy studying the world and its physical features! We are very
important people! Prince looked at him in wonder, So that
means you have traveled all over the world! Prince said, the
Geographer stared at him in disbelief, The job of a
geographer is not to
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travel the world, just to list down the facts about it he
explained So who tell you about these facts? Prince asked,
That is what explorers are for, my boy! the geographer
exclaimed But what if the explorer s to lie to you? the
Geographer paused, thinking Then I wouldnt be able to do
my job properly he trailed off, Prince huffed up and started
Then, wouldnt whoever read your facts be thrown off? the
Geographer looked at him, amazed at the power of his words,
I was taken aback too, when did he get this mature? I know
well what a geographer does, but people like you take too
much time looking at the big picture to notice any of the little
details. And he walked away; we bade Mrs. Hadley a good
day and left. Our chores were done, so we had to had home, I
was contemplating whether to take the usual way home or
notI looked at Prince and asked him So how did you find
the town? he looked at me It was very interesting, there
were so many people, so many places, Ive never seen a
place so big before! he really looked excited. There was a
moment of silence as Prince looked around, Mommy!
Mommy! I want a balloon! we heard a little girl say to
hermom
Okay honey, here you go.
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said the girls mother as she handed the little girl an orange
balloon, Yay!! says the girl as she dashes away, even from a
distance I could see the mother smiling as she watched her
daughter play with other children. I turned my head away, I
havent been watching them fir more than 2 minutes and a
feeling of melancholy has already engulfed me, my
contemplation was broken by Prince What is a mommy,
Eddie? he asked, still looking at the mother and her child, I
thought about it, I dont know Prince, I answered him, I knew
that a mother was the one who would give birth to us and raise
us, but I didnt know what a mother really wasPrince looked
at me, I dont know what he was feeling, but I couldve sworn I
saw pity, I didnt want pity, but he was probably the only
person who could understand, this boy didnt even know what
a mother was, what are the chances of him having one? But
he didnt have sister like mine, thats when I decided I
wouldnt take the usual way home.













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Chapter Seven:
 Of Courage, Betrayal and Mangyans
When we got home, Delia locked herself in her room,
thank the heavens, I could have lunch in peace. Dad was
there too, It was one of those rare days when hed take lunch
off from the school to have lunch with us. Dads name was
Primitivo Cosme Cabreza-Collins, but everybody called him
Tibong, he teaches at the local elementary school and in his
spare time embroiders dresses, cloths and other stuff for our
neighbors, I remembering questioning his hobby at first, but
later on accepted it as something he enjoyed doing, he tended
to a little garden we had in the backyard and watches
television on his days off. He owned the grocery store in the
twon square at one point, but gave the position up to be the
town secretary, and then he chose to become a teacher. So
how were your mornings Eddie, Prince? he asked as he set
down our food on the table, It was okay, I showed Prince
around I said while munching on a piece of meat, It was very
fascinating! stated
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Prince We saw so many things, and met so many people,
and I even borrowed a book from Mrs. Hadley! he stated
proudly, It actually cheered me up how he always seemed so
captivated by everything, I see, looks like you had an exciting
day then. Do you have any plans for this afternoon? he
asked, as he took a bite of his carrot, I hadnt really thought
about thatmaybe Id show Prince around town more,
Maybe Ill take him to see Uncle Anton I said, Uncle Anton
had great stories, even at fifteen I liked listening to him, Okay
then, bring him something nice, you havent visited in a while
I nodded, and our lunch went on like that, a little small talk.
Well, Id better go, lunch break will be over soon,
exclaimed dad after putting the silverware away Take care
dad, I said and waved him off, Thank you for the meal Mr.
Collins. Said Prince, dad smiled and soon he was out the
door, Thank you for showing me around town Eddie, said
Prince No, problem Prince, okay, the truth was, the little guy
was growing on me, I couldnt decide whether he was a little
lost kid or an age old alien from another planet. After a while
we decided to leave for Uncle Antons house, So who is this
Uncle Anton? he
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asked, I could feel my eyes light up, Well, his full name is
Antonio Collins Luna, hes my dads cousin, a cousin is the kid
of your parents brother or sister, he was a general in the last
World War, that was a time when the countries fought against
each other for power, I paused to hear his opinion, but he just
nodded at me to continue, He was a brave, he trained lots of
soldiers, theyre people who fight during a war, to protect our
country, he was amazing, but you should meet him yourself to
find out, I explained, He seems like a nice grown-up, he
explained Did he ever kill anyone? he asked out of the blue,
It made me stop and think, he was a general, how could he
NOT have killed anyone, I never thought of it that way he
probably has killed someone, He possibly could have killed a
bad person, Prince thought about it, What did this person do
that made him so bad? he asked, it took me a second but I
answered He fought against our country, or maybe did
something else I trailed off, thinking about it, But werent
your Uncle and his men doing the same against the bad
persons country? he asked, I pondered about it Thats
truein that case, we were both neither good nor bad, I guess
the life and
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death of a person depends on whether it was meant to be I
agreed, something I didnt expect to do easily, this boy really
was growing on me, Maybe it was he said and he had that
far-away look he had when I first saw him.
We arrived at Uncle Antons house a few minutes later,
and he greeted me, Eddie, my boy! How long has it been?
he patted my head, Hey Uncle Anton I greeted, as I gave
him the food Dad made for me to give him, he accepted it and
placed it on his table, Uncle Antons house always seemed so
vintage, like how youd expect from a general during World
War II, but he didnt keep any weapons, just souvenirs from
his travels. He turned around and before he could ask, Prince
introduced himself Hello sir, my name is Prince he greeted,
Well, now, are you a friend of Eddies? he asked, I nodded,
we were friends, in a way, He seemed lost so were taking
him in for a while, I stated, he looked at Prince and studied
him for a while, So, Prince, where are you from? Prince
looked at him and said Where I come from, everything is
small, not like this place, its amazing here, He said, Uncle
Anton looked at me and I mouthed the words go with it and
he said, So have you ever heard any war stories
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before Prince? Uncle Anton never missed a chance to tell a
minor about his war stories, I couldnt blame him, I was one of
those children that liked his stories, That would be great!
Prince exclaimed, he looked like he could explode from
excitement, I guess Uncle Anton caught my drift from earlier
though because he chose a mellow story to tell, Okay then,
how about the story about the time I saved the Mangyans? he
asked What are Mangyans? asked Prince, Not what, who,
the Mangyans are nomads, they dont have a definite place of
living, they travel a lot, Like explorers? asked Prince Yes,
like explorers, except they stay in one place longer. They were
friendly people, but they were very timid and they dressed
differently from us, they were verytraditional people, you
might say, Prince nodded, he was obviously interested in the
rest of the story.
It all started one day, we were in going through a
training session to prepare ourselves for battle when we met
the Mangyans, they hid from us at first, but when we proved
not to be a threat, they were very hospitable people, and in no
time they felt like family. After a week of training we were
preparing to leave when we heard screams coming from the
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Mangyans village, we hurried over, to see the villagers being
cornered by enemy soldiers, Prince gasped then, Then? he
asked, We did everything we could to help the Mangyans, the
enemy soldiers burnt down their village and it took everything
we could to fight back without hurting the Mangyans, we hid
behind mounds on the hill, I remember taking on the leader of
the enemy troops in battle, we fought each other with hand-
tohand combat, I gave him a kick and he landed a punch, in
the end I managed to pin him down, it was such a rush! But,
the most unexpected thing happened, he paused and I
realized I was on the edge of my seat too, I already knew this
story, but I liked to play the scenes with vividness in my mind, I
could already imagine a young Uncle Anton landing punches
like some kind of ninja assassin! What happened next?
asked Prince, Hold on boy, Im getting to that. Well, as I said,
the next thing that happened was totally unexpectedI was
shot! he said, in a way that made Prince gasp, Thats right,
straight to the arm, I still have the scar to prove it, he raised
up his right sleeve and showed us where the bullet entered his
body, and continued But that wasnt the most shocking part,
the most shocking
part was that the one who shot me was my own soldier! It
turned out he was a spy for the enemies, and he was in on the
plan to hold the Mangyans hostage to invade our camp, so
there I was, on the ground, writhing in pain, a burning
sensation in my arm, when the Mangyans had miraculously
escaped the attention of the enemies and got away from their
captives and found shelter behind big boulders, one of my
men shouted General! The Mangyans are safe! You
shouldve seen their faces just then, they looked around them,
confused, dazed, some were running around, looking for
shelter then I shouted Attack! I ducked, got as low as I could.
The rest was a blur, I mustve passed out, because the next
thing I knew, I was in the hospital. he finished, Prince of
course wanted to know more, What happened to the
Mangyans? he asked, Well, none of them were killed, but
many were injured, they were treated at our hospitals, but a
month later they all went on their merry ways, answered
Uncle, What about the soldier who betrayed you? He was
captured and sent to prison, given a life sentence, he was, I
dont have any idea how hes doing, he replied, Wow sir,
you sure are brave, and the Mangyans were
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too, even though you say they were shy, to have escaped like
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that, I wouldve been frozen with fear! I chuckled, so did
Uncle Anton while Prince looked at us, I ended up having a
good time. Prince continued asking Uncle Anton about his
times with the military, Uncle Anton looked like he was so
happy to be able to share stories of the war days with him,
and If youre wondering, Uncle Anton is quite old, him and dad
have a big age gap, I cant tell you his age though, he forbade
me to tell anyone.
Well, you two, its getting late, you should head
home, he pat Princes head and put his hand on my shoulder,
I frowned, Uncle Anton knew about Delia, but he didnt know
to what extent she could torture someone, If she does
anything, my house is only a few minutes away Eddie, he
said, Prince looked at me questioningly, I shrugged, I guess
we should head home, Prince nodded and we bade Uncle
Anton farewell. I decided to take the scenic route, part of me
knew I was going to have to face Delia, I was just wondering
how to save Prince
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Chapter Eight:
Mothers and Grudges
³This was the first place Ive seen in this world, right?
Prince asked, we sat on the hill overlooking the field where he
first appeared, I actually couldnt believe that was yesterday
night, It feels like it had been so long, Thats right, we were
looking at the sunset, Where I come from, the sunset could
come so fast, here you have to wait so long! he said, that
really made me curious, Where exactly do you come from?
What is this small place you keep talking about? I asked, he
stayed quiet for a while, Do you believe that wishes come
true Eddie? he asked me, I was shocked by the question, I
dont know I said, So theres a part of you that believes,
thats good, with that he kept quiet, I couldnt find anything to
say, I was still lost in thought, who was this little boy, why was
he here? Question filled my mind, and again Prince interrupted
my thoughts, You told me earlier when I asked what mothers
were, that you didnt know, does that mean you dont know, or
you
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can explain? I swore then that this boy had mind-reading
abilities, You caught me, I know what a mother is shes like a
father, except shes a girl, but other than that I really dont
know what a mother isyou seeI never knew my mother
I said, with a little sorrow in my voice, I thought I had gotten
over this a long time ago but it was still a delicate topic, still
Prince let his curiosity get the best of him again, Why is that
so? he asked, Sheshe died, giving birth to me I said, my
fists clenched, Prince cast a glance at me, but continued to
look at the sunset, What does it mean, to give birth? he
asked, It means to give a person life, to let them see the
world, she gave me life and she died for it, I said, my voice
quivering, I was angry, angry at myself, and I was sad, sad
because I never knew my mother, I felt so many things, and
my mind strayed to Delia, Do you blame yourself? Prince mom? he asked, pity and curiosity in his voice, I thought I
asked, I tried to think the way he did, What does it mean, to would pummel the person who would ask me
blame? I asked, quietly he replied It means to carry every
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until your back gives in, he replied calmly, before I could reply
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a person,

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all this, but I found comfort in confiding in Prince, he didnt

judge people directly, Yeahshe blames me for what
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happened to my mother I admitted, She holds a grudge
against me because I took away the person who was most
precious to her, Delia is sickly and mother always used to take
isnt to be decided by anyone, instead wouldve been meant to care of her, when mom died giving birth to me, she lost
be, those words rung in my ears, this boy, this little boy, had someone precious to her I said, holding back tears, Are
just sympathized with me, he used my own words to comfort you sorry for her? Is she the reason why you blame yourself?
me, Thanks, Prince, he wasnt done though, Who is She he asked, I thought about it for a long time, and I answered,
he asked, Huh? I looked at him, confused, The she Yes
with that, a shooting star appeared, just like last night,
everyone talks about, the one who everyone tells you to be he looked up where the star appeared and disappeared, and I
careful around, I knew who he meant, he meant Delia, She swore I saw something there, a sort of longing, the way I felt
is Delia, my older sister, she gets mad very easily, and hurts when I thought of my mom. We were silent, until we decided to
me, but its not her fault I guess, she has aproblem and a go back to that house.
sickness, we cant do anything about her, she hates me I
said, Why does she hate you? he asked, Id rather not talk
about it, I said, I had enough of this, I didnt want to talk about
the mother who I didnt know, the sister who hated me for ?
?
reason, Its all too precarious a subject to me, Did you do
something to her? he asked, No, none that I know of, I
replied, Oh, then could it be youumtook something from
her? it struck me, I never thought of it that way, ?
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melancholy echoing in every corner of my voice, Was it your
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Chapter Nine:
Regretful Disappearing
I reached home, and just as expected, Delia was the
first to greet me, she looked at me with hard, cold eyes, and I
could swear I saw Prince cringe under her glare. Hello, Eddie,
where were you this time? And who is this? You know I dont
like visitors, she said, glaring at Prince, he hid behind me,
Ive been at Uncle Antons house and this is Prince, he
doesnt have a place to stay so dad let him stay here, I said
calmly, she intensified her glare, Dont get cocky with me,
you little runt, she snapped, I kept quiet, Just because you
say dad said it, how can I be sure? she said, her skin was
pallid, even more than
normal, and the dark circles under here
eyes were so purple they were almost black and though she
was sitting down, her breathing seemed uneven, stayed quiet,
You there! Prince recoiled at the iciness of her voice, Y-
yes? asked Prince, Leave already, you have no use here,
she ordered, Delia, he has nowhere else to go, I defended
him, she narrowed her eyes
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at me, Did you talk back to me? she asked threateningly, I
whispered to Prince, Get out of here, go get Uncle Anton, or
Dad, just run, dont come back, I told him, he nodded and left
through the door, You little, inconsiderate fool, you DARE talk
back to me? After all youve done to me, you still choose to
step on my pride? she got up and inched towards me, Ive
done nothing to you, you brought this on yourself, I said, I
didnt want to run anymore, I didnt want to let her hurt me,
what happened 15 years ago wasnt my fault, ME?! I did
NOTHING! YOU killed MY MOTHER! SHE died and YOU took
her place, a useless delinquent like you could never replace
my mother! she bellowed at me, She was my mother too! I
retorted, YOU NEVER MET HER! she threw a vase at me, I
raised my arms in defense, it hit me on the leg, the shards cut
it a little, but I kept on going, That wasnt my fault! I
screamed back, Then whose was it? WHO took my mother
from me?! I looked at her, I didnt feel the pity I always used
to feel, I felt anger, I looked at the ground and saw a creature
crawling beside my feet, YOU CAUSED ALL MY
SUFFERING! YOU! YOU MOTHER-MURDERER!! she yelled
and threw things at me, I did my best
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to evade them, but I couldnt avoid all of them, I was getting
bruised, but I fought back with words, And you have caused
all MY suffering these past few years, YOU have been selfish,
thinking about your self all the time, I clenched my fists and
bent down, YOU ALWAYS say that she was YOUR mother, I
told you already, she was OUR mother, Its not like I WANTED
her to die, DO YOU THINK I LIKE MY LIFE WITHOUT A
MOTHER IS HAPPY?! YOU SELFISH BRAT! with that I
threw the creature at her without thinking straight, it flew to her
and landed on here head, she started screaming and the next
thing I knew she was on the ground, unmoving, not breathing,
I looked at her in horrorwhat have I done? Just then the front
door burst open and I heard Uncle Anton gasp, he looked at
me then looked at Delia, It was the first time in my life that I
had felt so scaredfor DeliaShe wasdeadI looked at
the centipede beside herunmoving as well
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Chapter Ten:
Authority, Lamps and Alcohol
Delia was rushed to the hospital, she had a heart
attack because of me, she was dying, so close to death,
because of me, darn it! I didnt want this to happen! I buried
my head in my hands and Prince sat down beside me, Will
she be alright? he asked, I really, dont know was my
confident answer, I felt too miserable, when Delia was rushed
to the hospital she was in cardiac arrest, no sure chance of
surviving, and it was my fault, I knew what would happen and
yet I let my anger blind me, Dont blame yourself, Prince told
me How could I not? I asked, If it was meant to be, it was
meant to bethats what you said, I kept quiet, it had been
21 hours since Delia had her heart attack, it was sunset
outside, I refused to leave the hospital, but Prince insisted on
it, Lets go the hill with the field, he said, You like it there
dont you? I shook my head. I remembered when Dad heard
the news he rushed over here and embraced me, I couldnt
cry, I felt numb, I
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didnt know what to feel, she may have tortured me all my life,
but the cold irony was that, she was the older sister who had
blamed me for killing her mother, and the last few things I said
to her were that it wasnt my fault, even if she did live through
this, shed have more of a reason to hate me, but I didn want
her to die.
Prince pulled me up, I was forced to my feet, I want to
see the sunset, he looked at me with hard eyes, full of
determination, I gave in, Prince was trying to help me. On our
way there we saw a flickering lamp and a man attempting to fix
it, Prince stopped to look at the man, and the flickering lamp,
Good evening Sir! he said to the man, Evening, replied the
man, Are you the lighter of this lamp? asked Prince, tha man
thought about it, I guess you could say that What a
fulfilling job, said Prince, Not true, I follow a horrible
profession he continued to work on the lamp, as it turned
on and off..
As we neared the hill, a man cam up to us, he reeked of
alcohol, Hey there! You dont look to good! How about one
round on me? he was obviously drunk, Hello, good sir, what
is
about people? he asked Them too, she answered Do
they obey you completely? he asked Yes they do she
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smiled proudly, Then order your people to save my friends
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sisters life, I was taken aback by his request, but I knew it
wasnt possible, If I asked you to fly over a mountain and
you couldnt do, it would be my fault not yours, I couldnt ask
that in your hands? asked Prince, Its booze! The best something of you that couldnt be done, the same goes with
thing on the planet, You drink this stuff to forget! he raised up my men, she answered, Now if youll excuse me, I need to
his arm and he looked like he was about to fall, Ignore him leave. With that, she turned around and walked until we
Prince, I said quietly, drunkards could be dangerous, Why couldnt see even her silhouette.
do they drink to forget?
questioned Prince Because they feel
ashamed of something, I replied Ashamed of what? he
asked Who knows
We arrived at the hilltop, it was almost dark, but the sky
still had a few shades of pink. We saw a person standing
there, talking on their phone, yes; this land will be mine
soon, correct? Yes, thank you, okay, bye. With a beep the
woman ended her call and turned to look at us. Good
evening, may I help you? she greeted with a hint of
authority in her tone, Good evening maam, who might you
be? Prince asked, I am Lady Remington, This land will be
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unaffected again, What is it, to reign over? he asked,
Lady Remington answered, It means to rule over it, to hold
the highest authority, Over what do you rule? he asked,
Over anything I desire she answered, What Chapter Eleven:
Shooting Stars
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 We sat on the hill, silently, after all this I wouldnt even beluve in wishes made on shooting stars? I asked him, he
be able to have this place, my life was miserable, and I smiled, Yes, I do Eddie


caused itI looked up to see a star, a shooting star, the third Im sure what happened those days were real, but
one in 3 days, Prince spoke, Do you believe in wishes? he nobody remembered Prince, and the Queen landlord, never
asked, I dont know, I answered, Wish now, he said, I came back for her landI still go back there everyday,
thought about it, what did I want the most right now, I hoping to see a shooting star
thought about Delia, the argument we had, and I felt the
emotions wash over me, then I closed my eyes and
wishedthe one thing I wad always wished for I want to
meet my mother

and then I heard a voice from behind me, an unfamiliar
voice, soft and warm, calling my name, Eddie, I opened
my eyes, the boy that was supposedly beside me was gone,
but there was a woman standing a few feet behind me, she

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mom? I asked, she smiled, Im with you always Eddie,

with you, Delia, you

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Father, always I reached out to her, but her image only

rippled like water, I love you Eddie, dont forget that and
with that her image faded away, the beautiful face, the warm
voice, was goneand I awoke to the soft sound of someone
calling me, Eddie, wake up, Delias alive! said Dad, Dad?
Wheres Prince? he looked at me, puzzled Prince? Who
might that be? I blinked, then I understood, Dad, do you
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