Siren of Julio Santayana: A Dark Revenge Romance ENGLISH

Chapter 10

If only she knew how to get home without acting stupid asking everyone around, especially at this hour, Siren wouldn't have to see Miss Katty. Before she went out of the Playhouse from the entrance, she could already hear her piercing voice asking around for her name—looking for her.

Sito’s eyes widened when he got a close look of her face, so she quickly fixed her hair again and tried to make herself look decent enough. Hoping that Miss Katty won’t have that similar reaction. Unlike Angel's Night Lab, where the cleaners work with the mess before five in the morning, the Playhouse would continue to operate until all the customers leave. But tonight, the customers dramatically decrease half the usual number, and most of them left early before they got too intoxicated. It’s all because of what happened to Eileen.

There would be investigation inside the clubhouse, and someone said there’s even undercover working to reveal the clubhouse’s anomaly. If there were any because Kendra was sure she had all the legal permits to operate, but she’s worrying for the worse.

Why not, everyone believed that the mayor and everyone who worked to protect him, was rumored, to be adamant to throw the blame on anyone?

The seats in front of the platforms with the poles and in the center were usually crowded, but it was different for that night. Only thirteen of the fantasy rooms were used, and the VIP halls were not fully occupied as well.

Before she reached the parked van, Miss Katty’s hysterical voice was heard from outside. Frustrated that none of the girls were answering. She stepped out of the van and halted when she noticed Siren walking towards the vehicle. Her eyes slowly widened when her state registered on her.

Siren closed her eyes and expected her to scream. She could honestly wake the dead. The undercover, if they are still around the area, will think something has happened.

Something indeed happened. To Siren. But Miss Katty’s reaction will make everyone think she witnessed someone being stabbed to death.

“f*****g bloody b***h, Siren, what the hell happened to you?!” Her eyes widened. She was seething in anger. But Siren looked away and ignored the look on Miss Katty’s face. It exasperated the lady even more to see the indifference in her eyes. It’s as if she doesn’t care if her arms are bloodied and she looked awful for her disheveled face.

“It’s nothing,” was her brief reply, and tried again to fix her hair. She would have to spend some time in the comfort room to fix herself if only the van didn’t keep on beeping for her.

“Nothing?” Miss Katty stared at her in disbelief. She’s not sure whether which hair to grab― Siren’s, or whoever did it to her. “You’re bloodied and awful! You only got back to working here and looked at what you did!”

“It’s not my fault.” Siren sighed, her shoulders falling in exhaustion. She glanced over Miss Katty's shoulder and to the open door of the van. She watched how the girls hid themselves inside. “And it’s really nothing.”

“This is not nothing!” She held out her hands to make a point with Siren’s current state. “When will you learn to care for yourself? For Pete’s sake, Siren, see the importance of your body in your life! If you allow anyone to ruin your face, you allow them to ruin your life!”

But Siren only shook her head. Miss Katty gasped in utter disbelief. But what’s new? She glared at her for one last time and turned around to face the girls. Their silence was already a give-away, and she trembled at the audacity of these girls!

“Who the hell did this?” she screamed at them. She pushed the door wider to reveal the girls who looked away. A look of regret and annoyance on their faces. She gave them some seconds to give her an answer, but none dared to open their lips. In the end, Miss Katty grabbed her own air in frustration. She pointed a finger to her, but when she noticed Siren yawning, she pursed her lips and glared warningly at the girls.

Siren took it as a cue to step inside the van. The girls instinctively distancing themselves as if there’s somewhere inside the vehicle they can hide. She’ll have to sit beside Marinel at the back as usual, but she’s looking away. She doesn’t welcome her with her forced smile. Siren rolled her eyes to nowhere, but before she could step inside the vehicle and caught everyone’s breath, Miss Katy grabbed her arm and pulled her back on her side.

“Will take a taxi,” she told her and glared at the girls again. “I know it’s everyone’s fault. You all should start reflecting now and wait for my decision tomorrow! You're all grown-ups, dickheads! This is so childish, and I warned you all enough! Learn to calm your insecure t**s, damn it!” She slid her hand across the van’s door to close it and didn’t give a second damn if the glass breaks. She wanted to startle the girls.

“They’re mad,” Siren muttered to herself as Miss Katty continued to blabber beside her. “Eileen suffered before her death.”

“To you?” Miss Katty exclaimed. “I don’t even know if you’re familiar with Eileen. You’re not with that Mayor Sanzes! This is ridiculous. What are they thinking doing this to you? Everyone dies that similar death, but this world keeps on moving. They should join the rally against the suspects if they want justice. We all know they’re not doing this for Eileen, but because they’re insecure about you! How do they differ from those animals trying to frame someone innocent? We’re working in prostitution, people will ridicule as dying like that. They should wake up and be careful because this world will never change for us. We are all evil and we die in evil. That’s how they see us!”

She gave an apologetic look on the driver who kept glancing at them from his rearview mirror. But he doesn’t look nervous or comfortable at all. If anything, he ignored Miss Katty’s rant like he’s used to hearing profanities while driving the passengers on their way home.

For a moment, his disregard amazes Siren. If only they would only take care of their business and keep their lips shut from things that don't concern them. But then, what’s the sense of living in a democratic country if you only keep your opinion to yourself. But then again, that’s the nasty side of this country, everyone was entitled to share their opinion without anyone asking for it.

She glanced in the window when Miss Katty glared at her. The driver sure has his fair share of tolerance with this kind of situation before he learns how to ignore them well.

“Who exactly did this to you?” she asked and touched one of the long scratches on her arm, but she once at the fresh blood. She shook her head when Siren didn’t even flinch. Miss Katty experienced random fights, and she knew the pain of having someone’s claw ripped on her skin.

“It’s dark,” Siren replied. She has her eyes on the window so she didn’t see the grimace on Miss Katty’s face.

“You’re lying! What stupidity is that?” And she started her rants again, barely stopping to take a deep breath.

Siren heaved a sigh and wondered how long it would take them to reach the Walk Street and in front of the Angel’s Night Lab. She makes sure to remember the way home this time.

“If only I had other girls to replace them. I can’t fire them all at once. It’s difficult to train girls in the Angel’s to have manners and keep themselves together in facing those rich daddies in the Playhouse. But I’ll surely fire some of them. I have a feeling it’s Angie. I just have this gut feeling… Oh, she’ll lose her job for being a baby!”

“They’re mad,” Siren only repeated. And hurting. They lost a friend, and justice is futile. They must be devastated

She doesn’t want to see her wounds to Franco, so she left home a little earlier the following day, wearing a long sleeve oversized shirt to hide the wounds. The Anita’s eatery was closed and left her with no choice but to eat at the opposite store. And it’s not bad, to her amazement.

The owner is an old lady and although she has a sour look directed to Siren, she’s more civil to her and makes sure to treat her as a paying customer. She has a small convenience store next to the eatery, and she offered her some medicines to help mend her wounds. It was after she noticed the scratches on the back of her hand. It created a path-like going up to her arms, so the old lady probably assumed there’s more on her skin. Especially that she has an even more visible scratch on the side of her face and neck.

“Haters will love to see you in pain,” the old lady murmured with a frown as she handed her the plastic bag containing the cotton, Betadine, alcohol, and ointment that the old day added to her purchase. She wanted to decline to buy them because they have a medical kit in their house courtesy of Miss Katty’s generosity to keep her skin flawless. They also bought ointments in a convenience store last night. But the lady’s already putting stuff in the plastic bag before she could say anything.

She raised her brow to the lady. “I’m not in pain,” she whispered.

She went back to the stream to ten with her wounds and waited for some hours before going back to the apartment. She’s not sure if she’s allowed to go to work today. Miss Katty told her she needs to talk with the girls in private and without Siren there with them. Katty knew the girls would blame her decision on Siren just like the [previous girls who were kicked out, so it’s better if Siren’s not in the picture once they declared her decision to them.

She was close to their apartments when she heard the commotion. Their neighbors glanced at her with a strange look on their faces. It was the usual noise in their place, as well as the kind of look she received from them. But Siren felt how that day was different from her every day.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” It was Franco’s loud, manly voice echoing from inside the house. Siren frowned and stepped closer to know what’s happening. The tone in Franco's voice told her the people inside the apartment are not his colleagues. Franco won’t shout at them like that. Like he’s being threatened, and he doesn’t want the neighbors to know that.

Besides, he’d rather drink with his friends somewhere, but not in their house.

“We were told Siren leave here,” the gruff man’s voice, a stranger, was also heard from where Siren was standing. She glanced at the people crowding the narrow street. They all have a similar look of confusion on their faces. But Siren knew most of them wanted to tell the strangers she’s here the moment they heard they're looking for her.

“Who are you…?” But Franco’s voice was left in his throat, so Siren moved forward. This is not a new scene as Franco as the main cast, but different now that whoever’s threatening him is after Siren and not to demand them to pay for his debts.

“There are no photographs of her here,” another unfamiliar voice echoed. It was after Siren heard the noise from upstairs and to her small room. She gasped at the audacity of the intruders to invade her room.

The neighbors who are blocking the way to the door parted and gave her way to access the small house. She’s not here to save Franco, but she's here for her own stuff. If she can persuade the man to live with them alone, why not? That would be good.

Men who looked for Franco only wanted money. Those who looked for Siren wanted her attention. And she needs to meet these men first to know…

Her steps faltered when, from the ajar door, she saw a glimpse of a gun in the hand of one of the men. She couldn’t tell how many they were inside and threatened Franco, but she doubted they’d all fit inside.

“Where is she?” the first man demanded again.

Siren pulled the door open. She only gets to see the familiar face of one of Don Cartel’s men before she was dragged by her arm. She gasped as people behind her, who were trying to get a glimpse of what’s happening inside, fell forward to the open door. Those who were in front of the line fell on their knees.

And Siren wasn’t one of them. Whoever dragged her made sure she’s away from them. If she’s not mistaken, she thinks the people were purposely shoved forward for distraction.

She gasped every time she bumped with the people on her way. Except for the commotion in front of their apartment, she also heard a series of cries and complaints as she accidentally stepped on the foot of random people.

It was only when they successfully got past the sea of people and turned the corner that she got to see who was mercilessly dragging her. Not caring if she fell for failing to keep up with his strides, or break her arms with the way he’s been tugging on her like a rope. All of it without her permission.

Of course, it has to be him. Again.