UNDERGROUND: Deck of Cards

DOC 07

|DOC 07: CLIFF|

|AQUA LAVERDA|

×××××

Morning came, I was already done taking care of my daily routine preparing for a breakfast with my parents.

It was already winter season that was why I was wearing thick sweaters underneath my usual clothes. I also wore my dark gray beanie over my blonde long hair.

I was fixing my shoelaces when I sensed my Dad's presence.

"How's life so far, honey?" 

From combing my hair, I looked at my Dad who was leaning on the frame of my door in my room. 

"It was fun, Daddy! I got to meet a lot of kids around the village!" 

I excitedly told him about what happened to me the moment I met Clove and Morrigan who became my friends. Even that girl, Aqui who seemed to have bad blood towards me together with her twin. 

Loco, who always ignore me and just fixed his glasses all the time. His brother, Uno talked a lot with Clove like they were in their separate world where they were just the two of them. And Morrigan who keeps nagging and being sarcastic to me. 

"I'm glad you're doing fine. I'm happy that I can see colors in your eyes, honey..., I couldn't imagine that one day, it'll turn darker that way it was before, " I was cut off from my sentence when I heard what my Dad said to himself. 

"What do you mean, Dad?" I asked out of curiosity. 

"Nothing, honey. Are you hungry? Your mom is already preparing your breakfast," when I heard the word breakfast, I instantly forgot what I heard from him. 

Even if I know, there was something on that behind my perception. 

--

"Morri!" I shouted her name when I saw her outside of our gate. 

"We're not in the mountain for you to shout to that extent, Aqua," my brows then furrow when she started me with her annoying remarks. 

"Easy, Morri! Did you eat chili pancit canton for you to be that 'bitchy' first thing in the morning?" I retorted.

"Whatever," I watched her turn her back on me as she walked towards the direction of our neighbor's Mansion which was Clove's. 

"Tsk," I clicked my tongue and didn't have a choice but to follow her. 

We decided to bring our bicycle because Clove planned for us yesterday that we need to see the famous and breathtaking cliff outside the village. 

"Clove!" Morri and I shouted before we pressed their doorbell nonstop, acting like a madman person. 

We didn't stop pressing their doorbell until we heard a door opening, which means Clove was already coming. 

When we sensed that she was near their gate, we hurriedly ran back towards our bicycle we put at the side of their house and acted like we didn't play on their doorbell just minutes ago. 

"What's your problem with our doorbell?! You almost break it!" 

Morri looked into my eyes at the same time I glanced at her. Not a second later, we found ourselves laughing our asses out. 

"You moved like a turtle, Clove! We got bored!" I nodded my head in agreement with what Morri reasoned out. 

"You can just get it fixed, you know. What's the purpose of your parent's money?" I seconded. 

I know, I sounded like a spoiled brat but I don't mean any harm to that. I was just kidding about it. Nothing serious to be clear. 

"Whatever. I don't even know why did the two of you become my friends?! I must be crazy that time," she sneered like there's no tomorrow. 

Her brows were in an arc, eyes were glaring that causing us to just laugh at her to make fun of her until she'll explode like a bomb. 

"When did you ever get normal? You're already crazy to begin with, Clo. So, don't ask. Alright?" 

Morrigan as she was, her sharp tongue fuels her more. 

"Let's just go? The sun's already near to its peak!" I asked them and made my way out of the village.

We were happily talking about our trip last season to the abandoned park at Thorne's residence. We were with just the three of us because as usual, Aqui and the others refused to go with us. 

We did uh, accepted that they weren't just that outgoing type of persons.

"I remembered Aqua doing acrobatic moves at the swing that caused her to fall on the ground. That must really painful!" Clove as she is, teased me about getting a bruise on my nose that time because my face was really the first one to hit the ground, not my back.

I remember, I cried a lot when I got home, and instead of getting sympathy from my parents, they just laughed at me. See how cruel they can be?

What great parents, yea?

"Hey! I told you to forget that one!" I whined as we paddled our bicycles towards our destination.

"We can't do that!" Morri said that caused me to shoot her a glare.

Both of them were in front of me. That means I was just tailing them at the back in case something happens, I was ready for it.

I accidentally slip a step when I paddled my right foot that was why I stopped for a bit and looked at my foot. There was nothing so I decided to follow the two who were already a bit far from me.

"Hey-," I was a bit stunned when I saw a girl my age at the side of the huge gate at the entrance of the village. She was with her bicycle also and seemed like she was alone. 

She was wearing a hoodie, a hood's resting on her back a black shorts. She was wearing black boots on her feet which wondered me, where would she go with that outfit? 

I bet the two didn't see her because they were already outside of the gate. I was hesitant to call her because there was something off with her stares at my friends'. I don't know who exactly she was looking at. Her eyes, it was dark and sharp.

I was a bit taken aback when she abruptly look at me. Maybe she noticed she was being stared at by me.

Her eyes were jet-black. Has a small pointed nose and her brows were thick in a perfect way. Her hazel brown long hair that reached her waist was wavy. 

"H-Hi!" I reluctantly greeted her but she just looked away and stared at the two girls who seemed not to notice my absence at their back.

When I sensed that she didn't want to talk, I paddled my bicycle and chased my friends.

I shrugged my shoulders when I remembered how she looked. 

"That was a bit chilly," I muttered before calling my friends to wait for me.

"Who were you talking to?" Morri asked me as soon as I was able to keep our pace at the same pace.

"You didn't see her? There was a girl at the entrance gate earlier. She seemed alone and I approached her," I told her while we continued paddling our way. 

When we reached the intersection between the main road and the way to the famous cliff around the village, our sweat paid off.

"I'm so excited!" I heard Clo say while were busy looking at our left side where we can see the blue-crystal water below. There was a barricade on the side to avoid accidents and we were just a bit far from the side, taking precautions.

"It looks peaceful," I told Morri who was just staring at the blue sea water below. 

Soon, after a long way, we reached the spot where it was safe for us to rest from riding our way here.

"Look at this, Aqua...," I looked at Morri when I heard that she called me. 

She was already out of her bicycle and she bravely lean forward at the railings around the barricade.

"Hey! That's dangerous!" I shouted and hurriedly got down from my bike and set it at the side.

I ran my way to her as I held her arms.

"What were you thinking? You knew how dangerous this place was. And really? Casually leaning at the barricade? You're crazy," I nagged at her.

She just rolled her eyes at me and I was thankful she already moved away from the barricade of the cliff and settled herself beside me, a bit distance away from the dangerous area.

"It looks ethereal...," I heard her whisper to herself. 

I smiled and closed my eyes shut when the wind blows hit my face.

"What's taking Clo to be here?" That's when I realize, Clo was not with us for a while.

As we looked back to where we left our bicycles, we saw how Clo was having a hard time getting down from her bike because the hem of her dress got stuck at one of the wheels of her bike.

"Clo! Come here!" I shouted and wave my hand.

"Wait! I can't pull my dress! Just enjoy the view first. I'll be there in a minute!" 

Morri and I looked at each other's eyes before we nodded. We then walked towards Clo to help her with her dress. 

"How did your dress even get stuck?" Morri asked when we reached her place. I was just crossing my arms over my chest and watching Morri help Clo. I know, I did say that we'd help her together but then I grew lazy.

"Just help me with this!" I laughed at them.

They were always the one's bickering. They seemed like tom and jerry. They always fight about a lot of things. I've got to the point that I asked them how did the two of them become friends?

I unconsciously looked behind them. My brows furrowed when I noticed that the barricade over there was a bit shaky. Did that got destroyed by a car? 

I asked myself. 

I shrugged my shoulder with that thought.

"Is that okay already?" I asked them while squinting my eyes because of the sun rays hitting my eyes. I used my right hand to cover my vision from the sunlight as I watched Morri already pulling Clo's dress, not minding she was already ruining it.

"Your dress is ruined!" I happily said to Clo. 

I was just teasing her because that was her favorite dress from her Mom.

"Shut up! Can't you just move your ass and help us here?" Morri, as always.

"Tsk," I exclaimed and walked towards them. 

I helped Morri to pull the dress out of the wheels while Clo was just standing beside her bicycle, controlling it not to fall to the ground.

"One, two, three!" 

We chanted as we pull the dress with force until we accidentally slipped and fall together with Clo's bicycle. Clo on the other side was pulled down with us. We just found ourselves laughing at what happened.

Clo was the first one to get up from the ground. She pulled her bike with her as Morri and I helped ourselves to get up.

"That's too painful!" I whined and dusted off the dirt from my pants.

"Let's go! I can't wait to see the view there!" Clo shouted in glee.

She was behind us as I walked with Morri in front.

It happened so fast and I just found myself underneath Clo's bicycle on the ground. Her bike was on top of my left leg causing me not to be able to move. 

"Aqua!" I heard Morri's voice. I lifted my head to find her only to be shocked.

"Morri!" I shouted and tried to crawl onto the ground to attend to her situation even though there was something heavy that was slowing me down from coming to her. I felt numb on my left leg already. It was too painful to even move  once but Morri was on the brink of death.

She was hardly hanging at the broken barrier of the cliff that I noticed earlier. 

It was the time I knew, we were all doomed. 

×××××