Tale of the Abyss

Chapter 1

"GRANDMA, can you tell me a story? I can't sleep," a little boy asked his grandmother.

"Do you miss your parents, Justin?" his grandmother asked and brushed his hair. The boy nodded his head and grabbed his favorite pillow he used to cuddle. He was sent to his grandmother's hometown because his parents were in New York, managing their business.

"Please tell me a story, Grandma," he begged. His grandmother couldn't help but pinch his chubby cheeks.

"Well then," his grandmother said and tucked him in. "You know there's a famous story here in Isla Dela Merced?" she asked. Justin innocently shook his head, which made his grandmother smile.

"The story was about the human who fell in love with a mermaid, which happened many years ago," his grandmother started.

"A mermaid? They are not true, right Grandma?" Justin asked. His grandmother didn't answer him and gave him a knowing smile.

"This man was a fisherman, and every day, early in the morning, he goes to the sea to fish," she said.

"One day, he accidentally fell on a boat and injured his head. When the man woke up, a beautiful mermaid was beside him," his grandmother said. Justin listened intently. "He was afraid of her; he thought the mermaid would attack him, but he was wrong. The mermaid helped him get back to the land," she added.

"After that incident, the man and the mermaid would always meet at the shore where no one else knew. The mermaid would help him fish, and sooner, the man fell for her, but…."

"What happened, Grandma?" Justin eagerly asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement. Who would have thought that he would enjoy his grandmother's story?

"The townspeople found out about them. It was said that they were either banished from the Island or killed. We never know what truly happened, but it ended tragically."

--

19 years later

"A SCANDAL!"

Christopher Fernandez yelled and ran his hand through his hair frustratedly. He looked at his son with utter disappointment.

"What?! What are your reasons for punching Solomon's son in his f*****g club?!" he yelled once again.

Christopher Fernandez is a millionaire magnate who owns a series of hotel chains and restaurants.

"Dad, I only defended myself! You can check the CCTVs!" Justin argued.

"Really!? Really, Justin!?" Christopher angrily said. "Because that was not what I heard. They point their fingers at you, saying that you started the fvcking brawl with your friends. How will you explain that, huh!?" he added and threw the pictures at his son. Those pictures were taken by the media after the police cleared the place.

"I'm telling the truth, Dad! You don't believe me?" Justin asked but got no response from his Father. He scoffed and took his jacket. "That's what I thought, Dad," he added and left.

"I'm not done talking, Justin!" Christopher yelled.

"Christopher, please," his wife, Agatha, said and watched their son walk away.

"It's always like that, Agatha! He's becoming like that because you spoil him too much!" Christopher said and left the room. Agatha sat on the chair and started crying.

Justin closed the door to his room, locked it, and threw the jacket on the ground.

"Fvck this," he muttered. Suddenly, his phone rang. He took it out and answered the call from an anonymous caller.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Hey man, it's me, Lyle," the caller said. Justin heaved a sigh. He was about to hang up, but Lyle stopped him.

"Man, I'm hanging up. I'm not in the mood to talk," he said.

"Wait! I want to hear what Uncle said," Lyle said. "What did he say? Did he believe in you? Patrick and his gang started the fight," he added. Justin clenched his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth.

Patrick Alcantara, son of Solomon Alcantara, the owner of one of the clubs they frequent, started the fight when they kept harassing one of their girl friends. They tried to talk to him, but the drunk Patrick Alcantara punched Justin in the face, and that's how the brawl started. Now, he was caught up in the scandal and made it to National News because of Patrick. He slumped on the bed and closed his eyes.

Then morning came in a blink. Justin opened his eyes as the light from the sun hit his face. He groaned and grabbed a pillow to cover his eyes, but he couldn't go back to sleep.

Justin sighed and got up, annoyed. He went to the bathroom to wash and got down. The maids greeted him on his way to the kitchen. When he entered, his face turned sour when he saw his father.

"Justin, son. Come and join us," his mother, Agatha, said and smiled.

"I will eat later, Mom," Justin said. He doesn't want to be in the same space as his father.

"Sit down, young man," his father sternly said. Justin bit his lip to suppress his frustrations and sat on the empty chair near his mother.

The maids began to serve him with his meal, and the three quietly ate. It was uncomfortable for Justin. He felt suffocated.

"You'll be going to the province next week, in Isla Dela Merced," his father said. Justin dropped the utensils on the glass plate, and it created noise.

"What!?" Justin said. He couldn't believe what his father said. "You'll send me to where, Dad!?" he asked, raising his voice.

"Don't use that tone on me, Justin," his father said and wiped his face with a cloth. "You'll be staying with your Grandma for three months until the news dies out. This was not the first time you were involved in fights and scandals, Justin," he added.

"You can't do that, Dad! I have a life here!" Justin yelled. Agatha worriedly looked at her son and held his hand.

"I can! No cars, no money. You'll live there for three months until you properly learn to behave yourself! For Pete's sake, fix your life, Justin," Christopher yelled back.

"Christopher," Agatha said.

"This is ridiculous! I'm not even the one who started it! It was Patrick Alcantara!" Justin yelled with his hand clenched into a fist.

"My decision is final, Justin," Christopher said and crossed his arms. Justin banged his fist on the table and started walking away.

"If you chose to run away, I would disown you as my son," Christopher said, which made Justin stop.

"Christopher!" Agatha said and stood. Justin hurriedly left and went back to his bedroom. When he was inside, he locked the door and punched the back of it until his fist bled.

"Fvck!" he cursed. Nothing's ever going the way he wanted, and he hated it. He hates everything.