"Come on, Gramps! Run! Chase me, turtle footed!" I was laughing as I look at my grandfather. He was chasing me, despite the fact that he was a knee-weak, slow, and aged dude.
In fact, by the looks of him right now, he is looking stupid. Yet, he was a fun.
"Anactoria! Come back here!" I can hear his coarse, already old voice as he called my name. I look at him again, while still keeping the pace of my run. His voice was now far, and hearing him calling me made my adrenaline rush all over me. To escape at the hands of an evil, vile grandfather—that, I think, is one of the most dangerous thing I could do.
Of course, the vile and evil thing is nothing but a work of my imagination. I love him. He loves me too. Though, yeah, when he was angry, which was surely happening right now because I broke a scene again, he can be a demon. A very dangerous, creepy demon.
When I managed to catch him with my peering eyes, I was disappointed when I saw him standing, furious, and just watching me as I continue adding distance away of him.
"Tsk. That old man is the ancestors of all kill joys," I told to myself.
I want to see him chasing his breath, while running before me, and following my long, lively strides.
Well, I just . . . I found myself really boring and now I think picking up fun to him is a good idea.
But, unluckily, I failed. Dude, I just want to play a childish game.
Instead of thinking more of him and his decision of not following me, I decided to not mind him anymore.
Instead, I hurriedly ran downtown, to go there, to my favorite place.
That place was my solace.
My hideout.
My resort whenever I wanted to escape from the suffocating atmosphere in our mansion.
I opened the glass door of a small grocery shop. The chiming bells rang as it hit the door I had opened.
Immediately, I head out to one of the section of the store, opened a freezer, and pick my favorite chocolate ice cream.
Then, I head to the counter and then paid it.
"Hi, Miss beautiful, nice meeting you again."
A man from the counter smiled and greeted me as I give one hundred peso bill to him. I heard him, yet I didn't mind his compliments.
Then, I opened my ice cream and started to indulge its rich flavor.
"Snob ever since. But still beautiful," the cashier man told, laughing.
When I finally got my change, I immediately head out of the store, and went to the place I always love to go . . . and take my rest.
As I walk, the dimmed lights of the streetlights and few cars passing by, is the only source of light I have while continuously approaching the place.
I sat on a metal swing, and looked at the whole surrounding.
It's a park.
A playground for kids.
But a nineteen-year old me always finds comfort sitting on the swing built only for the children. Only for those who doesn't care about the world, and do nothing but to seek fun. To seek happiness.
I am sitting on a dark place while still tasting the chocolate ice cream I have in my hands. Call me weird, but I love being weird. A chocolate ice cream at night is one of the best thing I would always keep on doing.
I wonder why the world seemed so peaceful soon as I started sitting on the chair of the swing. It always happens. It was as if . . . I was being drifted apart from the chaotic world. Apart from the world where death, chaos, and danger are part of the rule of the nature.
Then, unexpectedly, something hit my head. Something hard, something forceful that I thought my head would break from its compact shape.
"Ouch! Bullshit!" I exclaimed.
Then, I look at the person who had done that stupid act towards me.
Let me give this dude a real—
"Anactoria Lescer! How dare you to escape!"
My mind suddenly froze when I heard that cold yet coarse voice. He was that man I always make fun of, but was afraid whenever he's mad—just like right now.
"Shit," I heavily blurted. "Gramps."
"How many times have I told you, do not let me chase after you! What are you thinking and you provoke me to run after you, huh?!" His voice were giving me chills as it was echoing in the whole dark surrounding of the park. His being furious added a fearing entity from his coarse, shouting voice.
It was as if a demon is screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Sorry, Gramps," I told. I never imagined he would still run after me, and would be able to chase me in this place.
"What did you say? Louden it so I can hear!" His screams were making the creatures of the dark to tremble in fear.
Who would not?
Even I . . . I felt too scared, not because of the fact that he was my grandfather, but because he was shouting at me—and yes, he's furious too.
Seeing him angry is enough to make you feel the fear that my body is currently experiencing.
And yet, here I am, still open to the possibilities, and different instances of making fun of him. I guess I am being problematic here.
"I—I am sorry, Gramps," again, I told. I tried to increase the level of my voice but to no avail, it's still weak and silent. Probably because of that fear he was forcing me to feel.
"Louden it!" He demanded. I suddenly felt irritated as he hit me again at the head with the use of his own cane.
"Ouch, Gramps! I already told sorry. Again, sorry!" I snapped. I then turned my stare away of him. "Lousy."
I then stood up, and held the part of my head through which Gramps had hit.
Gramps then, sighed. "Next time, make sure you do not do it again."
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes as I made out an irritated face.
"What were you thinking and you're pressuring me to run after you?" he asked me. This time, his voice was now already calmed. He was not shouting anymore, and he was more tranquil compared to how he shouted at me awhile ago.
Gramps is always like this. He can be scary sometimes but he actually loves me and is a soft hearted old man when the name 'Anactoria' echoes in his ear.
"Uh, nothing. I just . . . uh, found it thrilling?" with uncertainty, I told.
"Anactoria." The pressure in his voice returned again. He was giving me a warning. Because of that, I just rolled my eyes. What do I have to tell him? I just said the truth!
Being irritated, and being caught by the deadly glares of him, I cannot do anything, but to look at a certain section of the park, on the part where I can see it dark. And deadly.
I creased my forehead when I observed something.
While trying to avoid my Gramps' scornful stare, my body became stiff. My skin felt tingles of cold. I saw different silhouettes hiding in the bush. They moved, swiftly, gravely dancing in the darkest pitch of the shadows.
With the glares of redness covering their eyes, that is when I recognized, someone is here.
And they were watching us.
"Let's go." Gramps whispered.
