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CHAPTER XI: CHARITY
GREETING Akira’s face was a Monday morning hangover, which she expected, what with Erin drinking like a sailor and her putting up with it. That woman was made of steel, not one complaint about her newly-finished tattoo on the thigh no less, where leather seats at the bar tend to ultimately cause sweating.
It was a miracle how her best friend had driven with ease and dragged her bum up home last night, even when they both took the same number of shots and bottles.
Despite the intoxication, Akira remembered the night flawlessly, including that weird side trip to a fortune teller. Erin is a fun drunk – not that she got drunk ever – and knowing the future, no matter how unfortunate, is part of her pain-is-an-adventure thing.
“You do know that we’re about to get scammed, right?” Akira asked when Erin pulled over at the fortune teller’s shop. The woman in the dress just shook her head in disbelief.
“For someone who sees the dead all the time, i
Ma. Paula FifiFor non-Filipino readers: Anak – child; sometimes used by older people as a term of endearment for younger ones; Manong – an honorific used for an older man, usually for middle-aged to elderly non-relatives
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GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER I: ALL SOUL'S DAY
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GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER II: FREE KEITH
IF SHE wasn’t with Gian, Akira would’ve looked like she was out of her mind, getting worked up over something that no one else could see.This child appeared like – for lack of a better term – a hot mess. His hair was disheveled and his lips were dry and cracked, tiny nails the color of bark and almost-blue bags under his eyes. Overall, he just seemed like a very sleep-deprived kid.Akira held Gian’s hand as she let the boy lead them around the cemetery. Obviously, this happened a lot and Gian was used to it, but he still asked anyway.“How old is he?” Gian questioned as they make a turn. The boy held up five fingers happily.“He’s holding up five fingers,” Akira replied, and when the slightest beam from a far light post shone on them, she added, “His skin is yellow.”It was unmistakable. All strays that Akira had encountered may be translucent to the eye under illumination, bu
GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER III: MAGIC GO-AWAY STICKS
MOST people were at work on weekdays.Gian was no exception; he left for work this morning while Akira reviewed and edited a shoot from home.It started as a simple hobby, until photography became the course of education for Akira. She enjoyed it so much that she practically had to beg her parents for it (they wanted her to major in accounting), invested in it, practiced it, graduated with a degree in arts, and worked several gigs with other jobs on the side so she could move to the city and qualify for a small savings account.When she decided to begin treating photography as a serious source of income, Akira barely got booked and it was extremely difficult financially and mentally. Here she was, living in a cheap crammed dorm with nothing but a single professional camera, a laptop she had been using since college, and a constantly throbbing head thanks to her obnoxious roommates.Akira’s dream of thriving in her craft hung by a thread and she wrac
GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER IV: DEAD ROOMIE'S TALE
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GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER V: WELCOME HOME, TONYA
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GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER VI: HELLO
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GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER VII: MY NAME IS
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GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER VIII: CHESTER DANTE
HANDS over her ears, Akira had dropped the box of cigarettes and the lighter on the floor. She shook her head for a moment, and the stray stood frozen a few feet away from her in surprise. “I was just –” “I said no!” Akira shouted. “I don’t care what you need. You followed me home and invaded my personal space despite me obviously not wanting to do anything with you.” “But –” “I don’t care! I don’t want to know your name!” His expression just crumpled like a piece of paper, as if he had just witnessed Akira kick a puppy. Before pity took over, Akira decided that this man had to disappear because knowing his name might strengthen his latch onto her. She swiftly bent down to pick up the lighter and the box, opening it without a second thought. Muscle memory provided useful as her fingers moved on their own, unwrapping the pack and pulling one of the sticks out before placing it between her lips. The stray just stood there dumbstr
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- GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER XI: CHARITY
- GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER X: A FATHER AND TWO SONS
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- GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER VIII: CHESTER DANTE
- GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER VII: MY NAME IS
- GONE ASTRAY CHAPTER VI: HELLO
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