by Yuriko Hime
In show business, rest was a privilege. When the cameras start rolling, you wouldn't know what time you'd get to sleep. The shooting for the movie that my girls were starring in has officially began. We found ourselves in an endless loop of takes, chatting in between sets, being fuzzed over by makeup artists and wardrobe crews, or talking to the director. Who needed sleep when there was art in the making?
But of course that wasn't always the case. Sometimes we were allowed to spend as much as two to three days off. When the director was feeling good, she'd call the whole team and announce, "Mama is generous today. You can go back to your hotels and rest." Don't ask me why she calls herself that way. I didn't know. What we did understand about her was she had a French suitor, and when the French suitor would visit, Mama would free her schedule, including ours.
My girls and I would use that time to catch up on our search for the past. Unlocking the mystery of Holy Angels institution would eventually lead us to our own forgotten memories. Unfortunately, our search always went to a dead end. There were no write-ups about the adoption center. Gerald and Simone didn't know any other employees aside from my mom. Whatever information it was she kept, she brought it with her to the grave.
I didn't glance at the workshop door when it opened. I was too busy sending a reply to my client, Mr. Prestuso. We have been emailing back and forth since he told me that he got a warehouse for his clothing business. Recently, he recounted that he has bought units of sewing machines and big equipments, and all he needed was my take on some designs to get things rolling. Mr. Prestuso, from what I could tell, was concerned with the smallest details. He wanted perfection, thus he was requiring my presence on the warehouse as soon as possible.
Blaze placed a cup of coffee on my desk. The inviting aroma made its way to my nose. She leaned down so she could check at the email I was composing. "Why are you declining his offer to meet?" she asked, referring to Prestuso. "We have a few days off. Go and do what you want."
I hit send and swiveled my chair to look at her. "Exactly, we only have a few days off. We should use that time doing our research about Holy Angels than meeting with my client." I took the cup of coffee and inhaled. "Thanks," I said. "I thought you hated this?"
She quickly kissed my forehead before straightening. "I do, but you don't. Besides, you do everything for me while we're on location. You have to give me the chance to return the favor when we're on break." She grinned and wagged her finger. I finished sipping my coffee so I wouldn't accidentally spit it out if she made me laugh. "I don't want to be called a nasty girlfriend," she said.
"You're not," I assured. She turned around and flipped her hair cockily, staring at me over her shoulder. I pinched her butt. "If your fans see you like this, they'd think you've been drinking."
She faced me. "What happens in my house, stays in my house. And for the record, I only drink milk and water."
"I noticed. By the way, are you ready for today?" I checked the time on my laptop. It was two in the afternoon, almost time for Carter to arrive.
"Yeah, it's great for him to help us again." Blaze put a hand on her chin. "He said that being your girlfriend qualifies me as his sister. I've never had a brother before. It feels weird." She scrunched her nose.
I put my laptop on sleep mode and stood from the chair. "Carter is cool," I said. "He takes his job as a brother seriously, so expect over protectiveness from time to time. The perk is we get free milk tea."
Blaze's face brightened. The mention of the words free and milk were enough to make her happy. "What does he have in mind?" she asked.
"Carter said that he knows a person who can get us inside Holy Angels." I shrugged. "We need all the help we can get Blaze. We're running out of time. In a month we're going to shoot in a remote location for the movie. It will be hard to research there." She nodded glumly. I've told her over again that it was best if we solved the mystery while we were still in the city. "And I've called Doctor Sanders to see if she can find out who the counselor was for Holy Angels. Institutions like those always have a counselor."
"Good thinking," Blaze said, looking guiltily at me. "And while you're doing all of that, here I am and this potato." She buried her hand in her front pocket and retrieved a small potato.
I cracked a smile. "What are you doing with that?"
She tossed it to me. "Trying to mash them so we can eat them. It's about time I learn how to cook properly for you. Bacon and eggs won't do anymore." She pointed her head to the doorway. "There's braised beef and potatoes in the kitchen waiting for us now. You forgot to prepare lunch."
"Oops," I said, walking quickly past her. "Let's eat before Carter gets here."
After eating, Blaze and I walked hand in hand towards the front gate. Carter offered to give us a ride in his car. We gave ourselves plenty of time to relax until his arrival. It was always cool and scenic here. The trees offered plenty of shade, while the dried leaves, grass, and pebbles provided texture underneath our boots. "What are you doing?" I said as Blaze let go of my hand. She jumped on the brownish leaves that have collected underneath the tree.
"Crunch, crunch," she said. Blaze stepped on the pile, giggling as she went. My heart became as mushy as the potato we've eaten. She was twenty-one, an adult, yet she wasn't afraid to have fun like this.
"Do you know?" Blaze said. She went beside me and clasped my hand again. "All of us are children inside. Sure there are bills to pay and bigger problems to solve, but if you find that one special person to play with, you'll never lose the kid in you. So thank you Riri." We approached the metal gate. "I don't often say I love you, but I really do. I've found my playmate in you." A warm feeling spread inside me. She didn't have to tell me really. She made me feel that every single day.
The thing about Carter was he was there when I needed him. Most of the time. At three o'clock, he came for us on the front gate. "We need to drop by to the tea shop first," he said as we accelerated from the property. "My source and I agreed to meet there."
"Your source?" I asked. "I told you not to get an investigator. It will be hard to hide my girlfriend's condition that way."
He adjusted the rearview mirror so he could look me in the eye. "Don't worry. The source is not an investigator. She can help us get inside Holy Angels." He turned to Blaze who was riding shotgun beside him. "Did Simone and Gerald tell you the address?" Blaze took a piece of paper from her back pocket. She gave it to Carter after unfolding it. "Cool," he said.
We listened to disco songs on the way to his sister's shop. His radio was broken, and that was the only station that was able to play. I concentrated on the buildings and establishments outside instead of listening to the music. It sounded like something the people from the 70's would play, along with the crazy colorful clothes.
"Here we are," Carter said as we turned the corner towards their building. "She's waiting in front of the shop. We'll stop and go."
I caught sight of Bianca, standing on the sidewalk with her black scarf concealing her face. Blaze took a sharp breath. "Turn the car around," I demanded. Carter stepped on the gas. Oh no you don't. I yanked his hair from behind. He yelped but continued driving. "I said turn it around!" I grabbed a fistful this time and tugged harder.
"You want to die?!" he screamed. Carter drove faster until we screeched in front of the shop. Bianca opened the door and slid next to me just in time for me to release her boyfriend's curly hair. Like a well practiced criminal, Carter shifted the gear and accelerated the car.
"I hate you Carter," I huffed. Blaze covered her face. I didn't know what she was thinking. We haven't talked about Bianca in a while. They haven't had scenes alone during the shoot either. We were careful not to get in each other's way.
"You can't hate family," he said confidently. I gave him a dirty glare in the mirror when he looked. He knew that I was willing to talk to Bianca alone- in a controlled environment, preferably where she couldn't touch me. But here in this car, not only was Blaze present, Bianca was within punching distance from me too. Y
es I said punching distance. The sprained ankle has just healed, if you know what I mean. She might punch me this time.
"She's been getting treatment," Carter assured. "Aren't you, babe?"
Bianca cleared her throat. "Yes I have. I'm doing better, I swear." Her hands shook while she was speaking. She rummaged through her purse and took out a small pill bottle.
"What the f—" I said, grabbing the bottle from her hand. I opened the window and tossed it outside.
"Hey!" Bianca protested. "That's my chewing gum."
"Jesus Riri," Carter said at the same time. "Stop littering."
"Gum?" I asked, bewildered. Bianca nodded sincerely. Without a second thought, I removed her scarf so I could look at her face better. She didn't have makeup on. Though her lips were devoid of lipstick, it didn't look pale or chapped. Even her green eyes were vibrant and focused. "You look younger," I observed. "You followed my advice?"
"She has," Carter answered for her. He shook his head amusedly. "The first night she came to the treatment center, they had her puking and writhing on the floor. Give her credit okay? She's been clean for more than a month. Haven't you noticed when you're on set?"
My eyes darted to Blaze. She has removed her hand from her face and was listening quietly. "I haven't been looking," I said to Carter.
"I'm really sorry," Bianca blurted. She hung her head in shame. "I was in desperate need for help. I didn't know what I was doing." She looked pleadingly at me. "That wasn't me at all. If I could redo everything, I would have done it already."
I glanced uncertainly at Blaze. "I don't want to put my girlfriend on the spot, but for her sake and Carter's, if she forgives you, then I forgive you," I said to Bianca.
We waited anxiously for Blaze's answer. The car felt unreasonably small and stuffy while she deliberated. Finally, she sighed and said, "We forgive you. I know how hard it is to lose track of yourself and do something that you didn't want to in the first place." Blaze shifted on her seat so she could cast a steely gaze at Bianca behind her. "But if you hurt Riri one more time, I will break your neck and poke your eyes with a barbecue stick. Deal?"
"No need to be violent," Carter murmured under his breath.
"Deal," Bianca said. They shook hands. We smiled at each other until we were all grinning at each other through the mirror. We looked like fools. "I almost forgot," Bianca said. She took a round keychain from her purse and handed it to me. "My aunt's new husband works at the police department. According to them, when Holy Angels was closed down, nobody claimed the land or the building where it stood. My aunt asked her husband to borrow the key for a while."
"Is that legal?" I asked curiously.
She shrugged. "It's an abandoned building. Having the key is better than breaking and entering. We'd look very suspicious that way."
"I'd rather not know about the legality of it," Carter said. "Let's just pretend we're hooligans."
"Or misfits," Blaze said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Or law abiding citizens who just want to uncover a part of ourselves," I clarified. "Who says something about being hooligans and misfits?" I gave them disapproving glares on their backs.
"Lighten up," Bianca said. She too looked excited. I knew when I was beaten.
Holy Angels was located in the city outskirts. It was a two-story building that looked as big as a high school. There were no signs outside or any indication that would tell us about its name, but basing from its chipping paint, abandoned nature, and rotting roof, we've come to the right place. It hasn't been used or occupied for years.
"Ring a bell?" I asked Blaze when we were all outside the car. She shook her head, staring at the building. "Me too," I said. "It doesn't look familiar at all." I dangled the keys in the air. "Maybe it will, once we're inside."
The first thing that hit me when I unlocked the front doors was the smell. It was moldy and dusty, like air hasn't passed through for a while. I glanced at the long stretch of hallway in front of us. It was dark and foreboding, almost as if it didn't want us to be there. Goosebumps appeared on my arms. I've never entered an abandoned building before. I felt like a character in a horror film.
"We should have brought flashlights," Carter said. He squinted through the darkness, trying to see past the hallway. "God, I hope there are no ghosts here. Have you watched Casper?" He grabbed Bianca's hand and pulled her beside him.
"Dude, he's a friendly ghost," I said. I fished my phone out and used the light from it. "This is the reason why we have technology," I told them. "Surprise, surprise, your thousand dollar phones are flashlights too."
The others quickly followed suit. Blaze was unusually serious. She became more determined once we set foot outside the car. "Let's go," she instructed. "It will be nice to split up and cover more area but—"
"But?" Bianca asked.
Blaze rolled her eyes. "But haven't you learned anything from slasher films? They always die when they get separated." I groaned. I thought she has become serious for this task. "We stick together," Blaze said. "Come on." We found each other's hands when we went inside. Hers was sweaty like mine. I had to wipe my hand on my jeans several times while we walked.
"Ratatouille at 9'oclock," Blaze announced. I jumped to her side as a mouse as big as a kitten darted past us.
"Check out that The Ring type hole above us," Carter whispered. All four of us glanced at the ceiling as he shone his light up. There was a hole the size of a person.
"And eww!" Bianca complained. "It's dripping off a thingy."
"Can you please stop name dropping movies?" I said. They looked at me in surprise. I lowered my voice. "It's better if we don't speak. The hills have eyes you know."
"That's my girl," Blaze said proudly as we moved on.
After a while, Bianca murmured, "Is that what I think it is?" Without waiting for our answer, she jogged to a wall not far from us and retrieved a dusty frame attached to a nail. The girl dropped it on the ground and stepped on the glass.
"Wait," Carter said with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"
Bianca tilted the frame. The shattered pieces of glass slid to the floor. She took the paper behind it and showed it to us. "I think this is the layout of the building," she said. We huddled closer to her. She pointed to the straight lines and boxes on the paper. "See? There's the stairs."
Blaze patted her back. "That's great work. I always forget that you've been trained for that adventure movie before, where you acted like an explorer. What was it again?"
"The dark forest and hidden waterfalls," Bianca answered. "It's a long name, but it was a really good movie." She handed the map to me. "It's yours now." I nodded and looked at it. The answer was right inside this building. I could feel it.
Chapter 33. Further
Studying the map was a cinch for Carter who loved to play computer games that involved layouts. "Leave it to me," he said cockily, taking the piece of paper from my hand. We left him to his thoughts while we trained our lights to the other hallways. When Bianca ran earlier to retrieve the building plan, we ended in a sort of intersection. Hallways were on either side of us, plus front and back.
Though there were a couple of windows, most of them were boarded shut or were too dusty too see through. The minimal light came from small holes and cracks from the board. It reminded of me of high school, minus the lockers and lively chatter of the students. I squinted into the darkness, trying to envision the hallway with small children. I might have walked these halls once, but the memory has faded together with the cracking walls and ceiling that looked like it was about to cave in at any moment.
"I got it," Carter said. We went to his side and paid attention as he explained the layout. "This is an octagon shaped building right?" He pointed to the middle. "That is the playground or some kind of activity center for the people here. Before you get in the middle, there are two layers you have to pass. We're currently in the outer layer. This is where most of the rooms are, as well as the stairs leading to the second floor. In the inner
layer are the offices."
"What are we waiting for?" Bianca asked.
Blaze put a hand on Bianca's shoulder. "Not so fast," she said. "There's more."
"Damn right there's more," Carter agreed. He tapped a small box on the map that I wasn't paying attention to. "A basement can be accessed from the inner layer too. If the people here used to keep documents that can possibly help us, it must be kept there."
"He's right," I said. We've barely begun but I sounded tired already. The mental stress this was causing was overwhelming. I wonder how Blaze was faring. "But I don't want to go there unless absolutely necessary," I said. "Do you know the dangers that could be waiting for us in the basement?"
The three of them glanced at me inquiringly. It confused me why they were suddenly looking like they were having trouble breathing, especially Bianca. "Are you suggesting that there's a serial killer down there like in the movies?" Bianca said. "Because I've starred in a lot, and I know how it goes." It still surprised me how sometimes I forgot that they were a big deal to the outside world. She and my girls.
"Huh? No." I frowned. "What I meant to say was there's probably a rat infestation there. This building hasn't been used for years."
"Oh," she said, breathing in relief. "Gotcha."
"We won't touch anything," Blaze said. "Unless it's a drawer or a table. Even then all of us have to be careful." A small v formed on her forehead. "If you want to stay here and rest, it's fine with me too. You don't have to trouble yourself on my account."
I took her hand and squeezed. "I'll come with you," I said. "We're partners remember?" I nudged her on the ribs. "Don't take all the glory."
Carter patted Blaze's head. "Uno won't like that," Blaze warned.
He retrieved his hand quickly. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just wanted to say that I can't leave the two of you alone. I'm the man in this household. What I lack with muscles, I have to make up with guts."
We all stared at Bianca. She grinned impishly at us, her green eyes alight with excitement. "Where he goes, I go." She leaned to Carter, and despite whispering next to his ear, I still heard her say, "I thought we've agreed that I'm the muscles in this relationship? Stop being a sexist." Instead of arguing, Carter shook his head in a defeated manner and slouched as he lead the way.