People think I'm strong but really, underneath this shell lies two very different personalities. Ever wondered why you could never figure me out? That's because you're not seeing the two personalities as being separate from each other. One of them is tough, bitter, disillusioned, swears, and doesn't want anything to do with insufferable bloody idiots; The other one is innocent, forever hopeful, idealistic, loves fairytales and looks forward to finding the perfect man. Both of them know that the perfect man is: 1) NOT an idiot. 2) Enjoys and appreciates their sense of humour. 3) Can handle her mood swings. 4) Able to keep up with her or, better yet, be one step ahead of her sometimes.

Ben_Romans Kellie Bao_Ling Agnes Pei_Shi Joakim Jayne Zine Lee_Peng Spelling June Xi_Xi Jessica Min_Shen Lippy Jun_Yin

*ta-daa* Here comes the next part of my story!!
I know. I won’t. I thought-sent my reply back.
I didn’t have an alternative choice. This was it: my one chance to get to Qqootax, my one chance to take revenge on Woalap, the woman who stole everything I owned away from me three years ago, including Zartrias, my husband-to-be.
Surrounding me were people who seemed more like monsters than men. Most of them suffered horrible disfigurements. A great number of them were emaciated and obviously diseased; some had amputated limbs. I watched a woman “walk” past on her hands, her legs being mere stumps. She looked ancient at first sight but on closer inspection, it was possible to tell that she was only a little over twenty. By the looks of her strong, muscular arms that contrasted painfully with the rest of her wasted body, she had either been born a handicap or rendered one from youth. Two meters away from me, a man was struggling to board the train. He looked hardly fit enough to bear the weight of himself and the small ragged suitcase in his hand but, in the end, he managed to get onto the train platform.
Despite having my own internal demons to battle, I was aware that many of the tormented people were staring at me curiously and intensely. The stares began after the rumors that I was going to bring Woalap the Ultimate Power down and whispers of the story of my journey westward spread.
Board the train now, insisted the voice impatiently. There isn’t much time left.
After one last look at the sunlight shining into the train station, I stepped onto the platform and went in search of my seat, advancing with a sure and steady step. Something happened in less than five minutes afterwards.
“Valentia!” A haggard-looking young mother threw herself at my feet. She wrapped her arms around my legs. “I beg you. Please take me to Qqootax with you! My husband has been imprisoned there, I need to get him back and… my child needs his father…” She broke off and wept hysterically. “Please help me… please… I really need your help…”
I looked at her with pity. “I’m sorry. You can’t travel to Qqootax with me,” I didn’t lie that it wasn’t Qqootax that I was headed for; she deserved at least honesty from me. “You’re not fit enough to make the trip and, besides, your child needs you,” I said as gently as I could.
“But…but… my husband…” she sobbed.
“Take care of yourself and the child. Your husband would not want to see you neglecting your health and your baby.” I gently removed her arms from my legs.
“Valentia!” The banshee-like wailing penetrated deep into my heart. I wanted to tell her to come with me to Qqootax to save her husband but to do so would mean endangering another innocent life - two, if you counted the child – and too many innocent lives have been lost already.
No, I had to do this alone no matter how much I hated it. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, too softly for anyone but me to hear.
I found my compartment easily. It was cramped and emitted a rank odor but it was far better than what I had to contend with for the past months. I closed the compartment door and locked it after I was sure that no one was hanging around near my compartment and acting suspiciously. After all, I did not live for so long by being careless.
I set my dirt-brown luggage that sometimes doubled as my pillow when I had to spend the night outdoors on the flooring and sat down on one of the seats.
You should rest now, Valentia. Conserve your energy for you’ll need it soon. The calm and melodious voice soothed my ravaged soul.
“Yes, I know that, Taniccia,” I preferred to speak aloud to Taniccia, the spirit who resided in my mind. “Hard to believe that by this time tomorrow, I’ll have reached the city. It has been a long journey, to say the least.”
Yes. At times it seemed to me as if it would never end but it has to end and it will.
I didn’t know why but her words sent an odd chill down my spine. There was a ring of finality to them that I didn’t like.
“Taniccia…” I hesitated. “You never told me why you ended up as a spirit, trapped on this earth and couldn’t move on to the next realm.”
The breeze-like voice sighed in my head. Yes, it is time you knew. Then there was a long pause before she went on again. Many years ago, I was a young girl, just like you. Or perhaps, not entirely like you, for I did not have your courage, your desire for justice and your strong will. People told me I was intelligent and said I was pretty. I was vain; I wanted to retain my youth for as long as I could. I found out that there was a way to do so but…
“Please, Taniccia, go on,” I said softly, already drawn into this evidently sad tale.
*to be continued*