The Walker’s Game

CHAPTER THREE

The hallways is full of noise from the mouth of the students after hearing the unbearable news that the Prime Minister has been assassinated. Even myself couldn’t believe what I just heard, all I ever want to do right now, is see if my mother is okay, is she hurt, if she knows, or… I don’t know what is going on with me now. Of course mom would not be okay, her husband was murdered and who would be fine from it? The expulsion from school was forgotten until Czarina and her gang, including my Step-Sister Pearl stand in front of me. They are all chewing gum, with their arms crossed, staring at me. They look like they are animated in a cartoon. Classic.

“So, how’s cheating?” Czarina asks while her gum is sticking out of her mouth while she is talking. “I don’t know what I have done, for you to hate me this much that you have to expelled me from this school.” They were all shock from the punishment that I got, but still, it only lasted for 2 seconds before Pearl opened her mouth. “Well I am pretty sure dad will have a reason to give you back to your mother now.” Everything about that word, boils me inside. How could she call my father a dad? She is not even my father’s daughter. I couldn’t even call her mother, mom, so where did she get that strength to call my father a dad? Is that how miserable her father is that she easily forgot about him? I mean, it is her choice to call my father whatever she wants, it just irritates me every time she calls him that. “Condolence by the way.” She added, pointing out about the ‘George Walker’s assassination.’ “You know what, if being expelled means I cannot see these stupid faces? Then I would be very happy to walk away myself.” I said and left the hallway so I wouldn’t deal with them anymore.

Everything about today should be about how beautiful and successful the parade was, but it was all about grief, a grief of the country when the news spread about the assassination. I have seen the raw video of George Walker’s head exploding while riding the carriage, and I couldn’t get that out of my head. My mom is also standing beside George when that gun was pulled and I am thankful enough that the bullet didn’t hit her, but witnessing her husband’s head exploding in front of her, like literal centimeter away from him, must be traumatizing. I don’t even know what to do if I am at her position.

Trisha tap my arm and sign language the word ‘Sorry for your loss’… I smiled at her and gave her the word ‘Don’t be.’ in a sign language. “You must be lucky that your mother did not get harm from that assassination. I mean, standing beside the target and not having any injuries must be lucky.” Kathryn said while she is preparing the dinner. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asks her and she face me while holding a plate. “Nothing honey.” I know that she is stating something behind those words that she let go. Kathryn always have this hidden hate to my mom, she wouldn’t say it personally, but actions speaks louder. “Seraphine, can you fix this light? I can’t seem to make it steady.” I look back and she is talking about the kitchens light that is flickering. “I don’t know how to fix it.” I said but she stared at me. “Your father gifted you a gift when it comes to technology. Why don’t you use it to help us fix the light?” Sarcastic. If only she knows that the light bulb is not a technology, but an electricity, maybe she knows that I have no knowledge about it, except for changing the bulb itself.

Or maybe she knows, she just doesn’t want things to be easy for me.

I stood on a chair to reach the light bulb; Kathryn turned the switch off to prevent an electric shock. While adjusting the bulb and trying to make sense why it is flickering, someone switched it back on, that got me electrocuted, sparks flying from the socket is the last thing I see before I screamed in surprise, losing my balance and crashing onto our dining table, breaking it in half. Everyone scream from what they witnessed, while I scream from the pain that might actually made my shoulder dislocated due to the fall. “My table!” Kathryn shouted like that was the most important thing rather than me who is in this situation because of her. “Oh god she’s crying.” I heard Pearl’s irritating voice and from the look of it, everyone is just watching me, crying from the aching pain at my back. I could still feel the electric shock but the pain from my shoulder and back is shouting that making me feel dizzy.

“oh my god what happened?!” And that was the last thing I heard from my dad before everything just went dark.