~Little Miss Nerdy~

Five years later...

The woman appeared again, only that she wasn't burning. This time her lips moved but no words proceeded out of it. Dolores stepped closer to reach out to her but the woman stepped back, slowly shaking her head.

She watched as the woman's eyes went from a display of forlornness into one of horror and pain. She banged continuously on a thin shard of glass as if seeking a means of escape. The effect had her hands peeling open as crimson liquid trailed down to her elbows.

Dolores found herself stuck and unable to break free from the invisible strings holding her bound. She struggled to pull her feet out of what seemed like quicksand but it appeared that the more she moved, she quicker she sank.

"Forget about me." The woman suddenly said audibly to Dolores. In that moment, a veil was torn away and Dolores could see who the person really was. Even though her once perfect skin was tainted with dirt, the startling recognition couldn't be ignored.

"I can't, mom." She replied with torrents of tears flowing down her face. More than ever, she felt more alive than she had ever felt to go and save her. They needed to get back home to her father safely. "I need you."

In another instant, Dolores watched in horror as her mother's face peeled off layer after layer like it caught up in flames. The fire began from below licking every inch of her until it got to her face and shoulders. There was barely any flesh left to be seen.

"I need you, please."

"This is my journey, not yours. You just have to stay strong without me." Then the fire consumed every part of her.

An earsplitting scream tore through Dolore as she jolted awake. She looked around, realizing she was still in her house. She curled back up in a foetal position on the bed, sobbing silently and rocking herself back and forth.

It had been only but a dream- one that refused to unhand her mind.

Luckily, her father, Damian Huerta who heard her scream, came rushing down to meet her. He opened the door as quietly as he could, slid in and proceeded to where she laid.

"Dolores, honey." Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her up to a sitting position. "Amor, what happened again? Don't tell me it's that nightmare."

She nodded against her father's chest without giving it another thought if she was going to get slobber all over him. She just needed to be calm. He didn't seem to mind either.

"It's painful enough that you've not had a fitful sleep for years because of this recurring nightmare. This isn't supposed to be happening to my angel. We need to get help from someone who has vast knowledge about this."

She let out a dry, humourless laugh. "You think?"

"Now, this isn't time to play sarcastic, amor and you know it. We could get help from--"

"A medium?"

Damian laughed at his daughter's suggestions. He would never take her to see a medium. "Not that. Have you tried thinking happy thoughts? Why don't you try to stop thinking about your Mom?"

She pulled away totally from his hold. "How can you ask that? You and I well know that it's the only closeness I can be able to feel with her since I can't see her anymore."

His eyes bored into hers with sadness in them. "So you can cause more harm than good to yourself? Do you think it's easy for me watching you in pains all in the name of seeking closure from your mom? Come on, it's hurting to know that those nightmares have not left and have now printed its psychological scar on you. I can't deal with it."

She remained quiet. He was right afterall but she wished it were all that easy. To forget the velvety timbre of her mother's voice while she sang her to bed, her soft hands when they swept through her hair, her ever welcoming bosom that offered nothing but soothing comfort. It was tough enough to have her ripped away forcefully, but it was worse to stop having thoughts of her.

"I'll try. It's not going to be easy but I'll try to think of her less." She assured nonetheless, a sad smile tugging at her lips.

"I was going to say to not think of her at all and then I remembered that everyone should be allowed to mourn. Just remember that you're all I have." He pulled her back into his arms and pressed a kiss in the middle of her head. "Be fine for me."

"I'll try my best, Dad. I need to be alone please." She said, moving back to her original position on the bed.

Tugging the duvet over her body, she watched her Dad walk out after making sure she was going to be fine by herself. Afterwards, she tried to fall asleep by closing her eyes, it wasn't working. She reached for her alarm clock, realizing it wouldn't take long before the sun emerged from behind the dusky skies already bathed in a light purple hue.

Her thoughts went back to the first year of her mom's demise. She had hallucinations every time she was alone. As a result, her dad had taken her to a therapist who in turn replied that she was showing signs of the aftermath of a traumatic event. When asked what the event was, her father replied that his wife had just passed away in an accident.

When the therapist looked at her, it was with extreme pity and sadness for her. She hated how small and insecure it made her feel. She didn't like the emotions it evoked so she never returned after that day.

"Well, no one has to do it now. I'm fine by myself." She said aloud but even she sounded fake to her own hearing.

After trying unsuccessfully to fall back asleep, she trudged with slow steps to the bathroom to have her bath and prepare for school; her latest regret.

She wasn't exactly a lazy bum or an unintelligible person. She just hated the mean treatments she kept getting from Nicolas, a guy in her class. She had been getting little teases from him since kindergarten, until a greater bully joined him and everything changed. She would have reported the matter to her father who would of course have gotten them both sent out of school but she didn't want to mess up their educational ambitions. Especially when they were in their senior year in highschool.

As slowly as she could, she dressed up for school and went downstairs for breakfast. Left to her, breakfast was her only means of solace now. No one seemed to understand her the way her breakfast did. It kept her happy yet didn't judge or ask her to put down certain habits to be happy. It was content with filling up her belly and keeping her smiling.

She met her Dad at the table already and he sent a sunny smile she didn't bother return. "Don't tell me you're going to wear that look all the way to school." He grabbed an omelette off a plate.

She didn't even look at him to reply. "Trust me, Dad, I can."

Half an hour later, she parked her car in the school's parking lot and alighted from it with several books in her arms. Her glasses were hanging dangerously off the bridge of her nose and she was praying to God for it not to slide off and crash. The moment she reached her locker, the bell went off. She was late. Again.

Just how hard could it be to get to school on time? She thought, huffing and puffing loudly.

Just as she hefted the books so she could drop them in her locker, she felt a heavy nudge from behind her. The blow sent her glasses flying off her nose as she jerked forward. The books she was trying so hard to put in her locker were now laying open on the floor and just as feared, her reading glasses laid on the ground in ruins.

"It's Little Miss Nerdy again."

Sadly, he recognized their voices but that wasn't at the top of her list at the moment. The glasses she was hoping not to break just had an accident. How else was she to read throughout the day without them?

With that question in mind she picked herself off the ground and began packing her books. She got to her english textbook but a hand appeared to be faster than hers. She looked at its owner who wore a smug smile on his face. She failed to understand what he found extremely humourous.

"Nicolas, I need my textbook." Her tone was the meekest she could manage without tearing her hair out in frustration.

"Say please." He replied her, taunting with a raised eyebrow. He would have been so cute for her to gaze upon if he was not so much of a jerk.

She had to roll her eyes. "Get ahead of yourself." She wasn't this soft, she just needed to get her textbook and head to class. Especially when English was her favorite and the first one in her timetable, she didn't want to miss it.

Someone snorted. It was Carlos. A demon sent to torment her from the very flames of hell. On days when Nicolas wanted to ignore her or let her be, he would be the one to try to encourage him to do something stupid. The rest of the guys were just plain dummies who followed Carlos' every wish.

She stretched her hand forward this time. "My textbook, please. I don't wanna be late for class."

"As you wish." Nicolas replied with a shrug. He stretched it so he could place it in her hand but someone hit the book so hard and it flew out of reach. Again, it was Carlos.

"You should go pick it yourself if you don't wanna be late." He sneered in her face then walked off with his friends following him as usual. Someone even had the guts to kick the book further than it laid.

Where o where are you when I really need you, Lina?

Her jaws locked hard in anger as she watched their retreating backs. First they ruin her glasses, then they rough handle her textbook. The urge to fling a textbook at the back of Carlos' head weighed heavily in her mind but she suppressed it. At the end, it would only be her pathetic self at the receiving end of his crude pranks.

She pushed those thoughts away then went to retrieve her textbook.

~~~{•}~~~

How did this chapter go?
This is just an expose to Dolores.
This book might definitely be slow burn but that sets the pace right.
Click on the star at the bottom of the screen if you liked this chapter.

~~Chignature~~