Reverie. | 1

ii.

I awoke to the beeping sound of a heart monitor. Walls of white surrounded me. A needle pierced through the back of my hand. I looked around, but no one was here except for my stepmom. I reached for the nurse's call button, it was so close to my fingertips, if only I could just reach-

"Dear Lucy, what are you doing?" Mom inquired.

"P-please, don't hurt m-me." I stuttered.

"What? Whatever do you mean?"

"Please, just give me the button."

"Of course, dear, whatever you need."

She reached for the button and handed it to me. I rammed my fingers onto the button, hoping the nurse would come faster than the speed of light.

"Lucillia Van Kox, what on earth are you doing?" She asked as worry filled her expression.

Someone wearing all white- A nurse, came rushing into the room. "Is everything alright?"

"PLEASE HELP ME. IT'S HER," I said, pointing my index finger at my stepmother. "SHE'S THE ONE WHO POISONED THE CAKE!"

"Okay, please calm down." The nurse said. "Call 911, we need the cops in here ASAP" The nurse said to another nurse in the hallway.

A man- my prince, came running down the hallway. His black hair dripped with sweat as he adjusted his breathing and his necktie. He rushed to my side.

"What happened?" He asked.

"It's her, Eleanor, she poisoned the cake. She was in charge of the cake. She was the one who overlooked the baking of the cake. I asked her to do so in case someone were to put something on the cake. I trusted her."

"It'll be alright, my love. SOMEONE GET THIS DERANGED WOMAN OUT OF LUCY'S BEDROOM." He commanded. "NOW!"

"Lucy? What is this? I would never-"

"Mrs. Eleanor Van Kox, freeze. Put your hands where I can see them." A cop said as he pointed a gun at my stepmother.

"This is atrocious. I would never do such a thing." Mom cried as she put her hand up in the air.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"Lucy, please, I would never do this. I love you." She begged.

I stared into her pleading eyes as she was handcuffed and taken away by the cops. My eyes brimmed with tears. I let it all out whilst my prince held me in his arms and whispered words of comfort.

"I'm sorry I left you here with Eleanor and that I wasn't here when you woke up." He apologized. "I just went out to get coffee. Then suddenly, some nurse told me something was happening in your room. I ran as fast as I could."

"It's alright, my sweet prince. I'm grateful to have you in my life." I say.

"I'm grateful to have you too." He replied.

"Fate brought us together."

He chuckled. "You're not wrong there. I mean, we both did meet once upon a dream."

"Yes we did."

And there we both were, sitting on my hospital bed as we held each other in a huge embrace, both still in the clothes of yesterday's events.

-

I was escorted into my father's hospital room. He laid down, looking so sickly, as if he were already dead. But there he was, watching the live boxing match of Manny Pacquiao, pay-per-view no doubt. He cheered on, doing boxing gestures and saying boxing terms, so lively for a man who looks like he would die from one cough.

"Hey dad."

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

"I just wanted to check up on you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine and alive. Now go back to your room and get some rest."

"Did you hear about mom?"

"Did I hear about mom? Of course, I did. It was the first thing I was told the moment I woke up by my secretary."

"Forgive me sir." The secretary apologized from the corner of the room.

I looked towards the secretary, noticing that she wasn't the only one in the room, but also the family lawyer, Atty. John, was here.

"Didn't even bother telling me the good news first." Dad complained

"I apologize for my insensitive actions, sir." She added.

"Hello Lucy." Atty. John said. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other."

"Yes, it has been quite a while." I turned to my dad. "What are you going to do with mom?"

"It's none of your business."

"It is dad. She tried to poison me and everyone else on my 18th birthday. I trusted her and yet this-"

"I trusted her too."

The room went silent aside from the sounds of the television, the ring announcer roaring that Manny Pacquiao has once again been defeated. The crowd cheered, but along with that, there were a lot of people who booed.

-

Dad and I were silently eating breakfast until Atty. John barged in the dining room.

"Sir," Atty. John said, "The trial begins in an hour."

"It's fine. We have plenty of time." Dad replied.

"Sir, please," John pleaded, "you must be forgetting the horrendous traffic of Metro Manila."

"Don't worry attorney, I have not forgotten, I have a huge window that displays the traffic of Makati alone." Dad answered, "And it seems you've forgotten the fact that I'm rich."

"I have not, but if I may ask, how will that help with the traffic, sir?"

"It's simple, Atty. John," Dad said. "We fly."