Mirage

twenty three

Old wood flooring creaked as it's being stepped upon. The door opening like a stuck hardened rock, so heavy to move.

Each step was a burden, Mira carefully walked in the house. Shivering when she felt the breeze of inside – the home breathing a sigh of relief for finally being opened.

She wanted to take off her jacket. She wanted to hang it on the stand, to make it feel like she was home.

With a shaky breath, she exhaled and closed her eyes shut. Trying to let herself remember what happened.

"They should have kept this place burnt." She mumbled.

At a vacation house in Baguio, inside the renovated Angeles family's house. Mira stood in the living room for the first time in years.

At the compound.

Aliyah was walking gingerly towards her car when officer Manalo's car pulled up by the street.

The officer went out and called her. "Excuse me! Miss?"

She turned around with a frown. "Yes sir?"

"Nandiyan po ba si Mira Angeles? Hindi kasi siya sumasagot sa tawag ko, pwedeng matanong kung nasan siya?"

She bit her lip. That's what I wanted to know also.

It has been a day since Aliyah last heard and seen Mira. After Saturday, Mira was gone and she couldn't contact her. And for a day and counting, Aliyah was worried sick. No one heard from her, from her workplace, from Cielo, or the others. Aliyah doesn't even know if the girl had friends besides them.

Wherever she is I hope she's okay. But Aliyah would want the girl to at least text her or pick up her calls. Tell her that she's fine so Aliyah could breathe.

"Miss?"

"Uh Sorry officer. Pero hindi ko din po alam kung nasaan siya. Baka po nasa trabaho lang?"

Lied. She lied.

She was hoping that Mira was only in her workplace – oh how she wished. But she knew Mira wasn't because she already called and asked earlier this morning.

After seeing how a mess Mira was after speaking with the officer, Aliyah thought of course that something happened and based on what she heard it seemed like Mira came from somewhere involving the police. Yes, she was thinking of jail but Aliyah doesn't want to conclude things unless it came from the girl herself.

The officer nodded. "Sige po tatry ko rin tanungin sa gasolinahan." Sir Manalo sighed. "May importante talaga kaming meeting ngayon eh, pwede po ba pasabi agad sakin pag nandito na siya? Eto po calling card ko."

He gave her the calling card before saying thanks and returning to his car.

Aliyah grabbed the card and put in her pocket.

She got inside her car and drove to where her work is.

All day at work, Aliyah couldn't focus. Her mind was elsewhere and she really tried hard to finish her job for today just so she can leave early.

"Nababaliw na ako guys, hindi siya sumasagot." Aliyah was with Mayu and Joanne after work, they are dining in a restaurant. It was a sudden plan because they decided to go to Joanne and Stella's place again so all of them met up in a restaurant first.

"Hindi rin sumasagot si Sam, bat kasi bigla biglang pupunta ng Baguio yon?" Joanne frowned.

"Okay mga love sick birds, kumalma muna kayo." Mayu tried calming the two down. "Baka gusto niyo muna ng tubig, maya maya nandito na sila Stella at Guia."