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[cayleyshortstories]

The Final Hour

Written by Aleina Bañez & Illustrated by Brian Golez

A faint beeping noise, fainter and less invasive than that of a car alarm, filled my ears as a blinding light came upon my vision. I don’t know where I am, nor how I came about this place, but the scent of daffodils and the feeling of small buds of flowers carried by the wind onto my skin enveloped me. As I slowly came into consciousness, I saw the sun set, tinting the vast fields of greenery before me orange and red. The feeling of this place seemed all too familiar, as if I’ve read it from a novel before. That was very far from impossible, having stacks and stacks of books in the library I spent most my days in, although where exactly that library was, I was unsure of.

Drifting into sanity just a bit more, I heard a warm and familiar voice call out my name. “Clara…” I heard it call, though it dawned upon me that it was a him. Despite how serene I felt hearing my name from that voice, I still failed to make out who it was. Was it my father? But such shivers and somersaults my heart felt as I heard him couldn’t possibly imply that. “How have you been, dearest?” I heard him say, digging deeper into my brain, rummaging for memories and thoughts that matched how I felt. “I’ve been waiting for you…” he added. Slowly, despite the thunderstorm in my head, all the pieces started coming together. It mattered not who this man was, how he knew my name, and why I felt such bold thoughts as he called upon me. Walking closer to where the voice came from, I see the man in a dashing suit that screamed class look towards my direction. As his eyes settled upon me, his face instantly seemed relieved. Why, and how come I felt the same the moment I saw him? “It’s been ages, my love,” he said as he sat a bit more straight, gesturing that I sit on the part of the picnic mat beside him, “... it feels like a century, even.” My head was sent into a frenzy as I once again tried to remember who this dashing, charismatic gentleman was. Mindlessly submitting to his gesture, my heartbeat tripled but I felt safe. “How are you?” he asked, “I’ve paced miles and miles around this place, I think I can run and come back to you even with my eyes closed!” He rambled more about what he remembered during the good ol’ days, although I never knew what he meant by that. The whole time he went on talking, my mind never ceased trying to remember him. I felt a kind of concern. Had he been waiting for me in whatever this place is for so long that I simply forgot about him? How had I never even thought about him before this encounter? I tried to recall parts of my life, but it was too hard, my head started to ache. “... and, oh! Do you remember the time I came home after being deployed? You cooked your scrumptious lasagna the whole street knew about. ‘What a keeper I have,’ I thought,” he said, forcing me to pull the brakes on my train of thought. “Why yes,” I said, “I do! Oh, how I’ve missed you so. My days were filled with thoughts of only you when you were away. Why, I almost hopped on a plane and tried to run after you!” The words came so naturally, I caught myself questioning how they even rolled so smoothly on my tongue. “I’ve missed you too, Clara, too much…” the man said as his hand slowly crawled into mine. His touch felt too familiar, as if the lines of his palm matched with mine. Every crevice, every callous felt as if I’ve woken up from a comforting yet distant dream. I looked at his hand briefly and saw a ring on his finger--one that announced not wealth nor class, but a symbolic tie. How I’ve longed to feel this still and serene for so long, it is as if I have lived my whole life only to arrive at this exact moment.

Time slowly warped, and the orange sun that glistened upon his dewy skin had set and faded between the mountaintops that bordered the fields of flowers and trees. The stars slowly revealed themselves, and the gentle light of the moon replaced the sun. As the day shifted into night, so did my soul. The same beeping noise I heard as I woke up to this place sounded again, and I felt as though my mind was drifting away. No, I thought, I refuse to fade away. This man, though remaining unknown, had just awoken a part of me that seemed to slumber for what he said felt like a century. But the stars started to shine brighter, too bright for the night. The wind gushed and blew against my body, almost carrying me with it. “I’ll wait for you here, Clara,” the man said, which left me with so many questions. His grasp slowly loosened, but I wanted to stay. I wanted to say more, but all I could say was “Abe…” as I drifted slowly into a vast void.

The beeping sound slowly became clearer, and a light far different from the sun I just saw shone harshly into my eyes. I squinted as I tried to push myself out of the bed I was on, but I felt too heavy. Catching my breath, I noticed a photograph of a familiar man on the table beside my bed, and beside the beeping contraption that just now made its identity known. I covered my mouth in shock as the remnants of the experience I had just moments ago came rushing through my mind. I covered my mouth, utterly in awe with what laid before me, but I noticed something on my finger.

A ring--one that looked like the man’s.

I felt my heart beat faster upon the realization as I laid back onto the bed. Soon, a group of people in white barged in through the door as they said so much gibberish and fiddled with devices that looked like the beeping box. Nevermind them, I thought.

“Wait for me, Abe…”

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ILLUSTRATION EXPLANATION:

In creating the still image, Brian Golez (the illustrator) focused on the story's themes of memory, nostalgia, and the perplexities of encountering a near-death experience. Accordingly, he tried to utilize a surreal approach to better illuminate the story's vivid prose narrative. As presented above, the sunset field in the backdrop depicts the setting of the protagonist's dreams which are evocative of fictional milieus and sceneries. Apart from the visible backdrop, another point of focus is the significant figures in the story, namely the floating woman (Clara) surrounded by the man in fancy garb (Abe) at the bottom and the figure in white (Nurse) situated at the top. In a dynamic falling position, Clara lays atop the dark void, Abe poised to grasp her into the afterlife. Contrastingly, the nurse figure appears to lose his grip on the protagonist as she descends into oblivion, representing Clara's demise from the real world. Apart from the stated figures, other elements have their underlying meanings derived from the narrative of the story. First is the dark void in which Clara lays atop, a clear manifestation of disorientation, a boundary between the real and elated worlds. Next is the sun adjacent to the oblivion, representing the protagonist's passing reminiscent of the setting sun. The red sun further represents her twilight years, nearing the decline of her radiant life. Lastly, the clocks in the illustration portray the rapid passing of time in the face of death. These stated elements provide the illustration with dreamlike and surreal characteristics which accurately depict the writer's skill in crafting a visual narrative.

[cayleyshortstories]

The Oculus

Written by Joshua Tesoro & Illustrated by Bastin Agustines

Itadori Zoldyck spends his weekends in a small apartment playing video games all day. He can make his life "better," but he does not have the opportunity to demonstrate it. He excels at coding and technology in general. He made tons of inventions when he was still a kid and his parents always supported him, but he felt hopeless when they died. He lost both of his parents when he was very young, and he had to work a variety of jobs just to keep up with the bills and provide shelter for himself. Except for his goofy best friend Feitan Portor, he doesn't really have anyone. Despite his circumstance, he idolized Franklin Stark, the brilliant billionaire and CEO of the well-known tech firm Stark Industries. His friend invited him to a Stark Industries tech expo one day, and when Itadori learned that Franklin would be there, he agreed right away. Normally, he would refuse to attend any events, but this time, his idol, Franklin Stark, had approved it.

Itadori and Feitan were astounded by the technology and inventions they saw on the day of the expo. Jetpacks and flying cars were among the inventions that were being developed. The entire area has a futuristic vibe to it. Itadori was curious if he could make similar inventions, or if he could improve them. “You can make inventions like this, you know; I know you can because you're a genius in this field,” Feitan said suddenly to Itadori. “It's all this computer nerd stuff.” “Do you really believe that?” Itadori asked. I don't know how long it's been since my parents died; I've lost faith in myself and haven't had the chance to demonstrate my abilities to anyone.” “Well, you can begin by doing something you think is fantastic, and never forget to believe in yourself. You know how proud your parents were of you and all the things you've created.” Feitan remarked. Itadori smiled, knowing that his friend was always joking around, but he would always be there for him.

They were walking around the tech expo when Itadori realized he couldn't find his friend Feitan. He immediately dialed his phone number, but no one answered. He was searching for his friend when he noticed him passing through the restricted area. It was a small room with a large door in the center. He pursued him in an attempt to stop his friend. “What are you doing?” he exclaimed. You'll be discovered, and we'll be kicked out of the expo. You know how much I've wanted to meet Franklin for a long time.” “I'm sorry, I was just curious, you know, what kind of technology they were developing in this area,” she explained. Feitan replied. Aren't you a little intrigued? Let's take a quick look and then get out of here.” Feitan knew from Itadori's expression that he wasn't convinced and that his friend would drag them out, but then the big door opened and someone came running in the opposite direction. They had no choice but to enter the restricted area.

When they walked into the room, they noticed a large white circular portal. There were a lot of people watching and taking notes. What was that for, Itadori wondered. Itadori knew the portal was a portal to somewhere when it suddenly released a large blue energy and became active, but he didn't know where. He suspected it led to another dimension, but he wasn't sure if it was possible with today's technology. They were simply observing the scientists present when the portal abruptly shut down, sending a small shockwave through the room that knocked them to the ground. Itadori and Fetitan were also knocked out, and when they awoke, they were surrounded by guards with guns drawn. “What are you doing here?!,” one of the guards exclaimed. Aren't you aware that this is a restricted area? This is a government-approved top-secret experiment. You are not permitted to enter. Both of you should be arrested right now!” Itadori was taken aback and apprehensive at the same time. He was under pressure to figure out a way to get out of this situation, or he and his friend would be arrested and imprisoned, or worse, killed by one of the guards. He suddenly came up with a plan to save himself and his friend. The only way to save Feitan in his mind is for him to say, "I know how to fix the portal you're working on here. I am the best in my school and I also have a masters in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering." Suddenly, a well-dressed young man enters the room and says, “Let's give this boy a chance, shall we? He’ll be imprisoned if he’s bluffing.” Because of this young man, the rest of the room fell silent. Franklin Stark, the CEO of Stark Industries, was the one who made the announcement.

Itadori was so shocked and happy when he saw his idol. So shocked that he couldn’t move for a second. “So, show us what you got, kid. To help you, I’ll explain what we're doing here. That portal leads to another dimension, not to mention an advanced one. It’s so advanced that the technology there can either destroy our world or lead it into a new era. We tried so many tests, but the problem was not activating the portal, but rather sustaining it while someone was still inside. There has been a test where one of our employees was stuck there. Her name is Lucy Smith. She was our lead scientist and as I’ve mentioned our problem is to make the portal stay open long enough for us to get in and out safely. We tried everything to save the scientist but as you can see, we have no way of contacting her and we can’t go through the portal because of the problem.”, said Franklin. “So, kid, show me what you've got. “Assist us in saving this man and possibly dozens of others who could benefit from the technology from another dimension,” he added. Itadori was under pressure because he didn't know what to do at first, but now that he knew about the portal, he knew what to do. Using his technological skills and knowledge. He created a program to handle the massive amounts of energy and a power source to keep the portal running long enough for them to enter and exit to the other dimension. Franklin was blown away by Itadori's abilities. He was so taken aback that he told him, "Not bad, kid." Do you want to be a part of my team? You have a lot of potential to follow in my footsteps as a successful inventor.” Itadori felt relieved when he heard those words because he had accomplished his goal. He was the one who did it. Franklin's words had a similar effect on him. “All right, let's put it to the test, shall we?” Franklin said, "You two are going to the other dimension with me." When they heard what Franklin said, both of the teenagers were taken aback. “What are you saying?” Itadori exclaimed. We're just regular teenagers, you know. We are unable to travel to another dimension. “Don't you have anyone to help you with this?” “Look, kid, you've got a gift. Don't settle for anything less than the best. You have tremendous potential, and I want to take you to the other dimension with me so that we can develop technologies that will benefit humanity. Furthermore, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Franklin responded, "Would you really waste it?" Feitan eventually persuaded his friend to travel to the other dimension. Franklin put together a team that included himself, Feitan, and Itadori. They'll have two more people monitoring the portal to see how much time they have before the power source needs to be recharged. “See you on the other side, my friend,” Feitan said as he entered the portal. Itadori grinned and greeted Feitan with a smile. They saw a large white light after entering the portal and were astounded by what they saw. It was truly a futuristic metropolis. There are flying cars everywhere, and even the trains are floating. Humanoid robots were seen casually assisting the people around them. They ventured deeper into the city in the hopes of uncovering information about Lucy's whereabouts. So far, they've relied solely on advanced technologies to locate Lucy. There is a device that allows you to view the security cameras installed throughout the building. You can even identify the individual who was caught on camera. However, after receiving the device, Itadori noticed a mysterious woman staring at them. She fled after attempting to confront the woman. They were chasing the woman down a small alley when they were suddenly approached by some evil humanoid robots who attempted to hit them. They were about to be cornered when the woman they were chasing suddenly assisted them in stopping the humanoid robot by temporarily disabling it.

Itadori then inquired as to the identity of the woman, to which she replied, "I am Lucy Smith, and I thought you were one of the guys chasing me." When I saw Mr. Franklin here, I immediately returned.” “We've come to gather some data to aid in the development of technology for our world, and, of course, to save you,” Franklin explained. Lucy explained that she is attempting to hide from the people present because they are aware that he is from another dimension. Lucy added, "They call themselves the Eternals." Lucy explained that they live in an advanced civilization where there are no wars or suffering, and only one government. She didn't say anything about stealing a valuable piece of technology from them, the Oculus. The Oculus is a cube of pure energy capable of destroying an entire world. Lucy isn't really a bad guy; she wants to use the cube to generate an infinite amount of energy that will benefit the entire world. Many people in the other dimension will suffer, however, because when the oculus leaves the other dimension, it will unleash a powerful shock wave that will destroy the entire dimension and its inhabitants. When they were about to leave the other dimension, Itadori noticed a glowing blue light from the bag. He immediately approached Lucy and asked what it was. Lucy, having been exposed, tried to talk it out but Feitan was skeptical about it. He told Itadori and Franklin that she was up to no good. After hearing this, Franklin approached Lucy and asked her to give her the bag. She refused. After that, Franklin became suspicious of Lucy as well and tried to take the bag from her. When Lucy noticed Franklin was becoming suspicious, she dashed to the portal. The three of them chased her down, but just as Itadori was about to catch up to her, she threw a grenade at him, knocking him down. When Feitan realized what had happened, he immediately called Franklin and told him to save Itadori and enter the portal. He intended to take Lucy on by himself. Someone grabbed Lucy's feet as she approached the portal, preventing her from passing through. Feitan was the culprit. Feitan tried everything he could to keep Lucy away from the portal so Franklin could get Itadori to safety. Franklin was well aware that Feitan would put his life on the line for his best friend. That was crystal clear to him. Franklin entered the portal just as it was about to close. Lucy escaped Feitan's clutches and kicked him away, allowing her to pass through the portal as well. The other dimension, along with Feitan and his companions, exploded when the cube exited the other dimension. After the three of them escaped through the portal, Franklin confronted Lucy and asked what had happened. The other dimension was destroyed as a result of the cube, Lucy explained. She continued, "When the cube exits the other dimension, it will unleash a massive shock wave that will destroy everything in its path." Franklin couldn't believe Feitan, along with the other inhabitants of the alternate dimension, had died. Feitan was supposed to be trapped in another dimension, but he is actually dead. He was concerned about Itadori's reaction to his best friend's death. He had no idea Itadori had heard everything; he was unable to move due to the grenade's damage. He was furious with himself because he believed it was his fault that Feitan had to make the sacrifice. Franklin questioned Lucy about why she had done it. “It was for our world,” Lucy explained, “because this cube has unlimited energy and can develop futuristic technologies.” Even if it means killing dozens of people in the process, I would gladly do it. There can be no victory without sacrifice.” Itadori was enraged when he learned of this. What Lucy said disgusted him greatly. “Don't you dare make my best friend's life seem insignificant!” he exclaimed. Not to mention the billions of people you've murdered!” Given his circumstances, Franklin was surprised to learn that Itadori can communicate. Lucy smirked and giggled as she heard Itadori's words. Itadori used all of his remaining strength to stand

up when he heard her laugh. He inquired about Lucy's plans. “Fine, I'll tell you about my cube plans,” she replied. I'll construct a power container to store the cube's energy and use it to develop technologies that will make me one of the world's greatest scientists, capable of assisting dozens of people all over the world. Don't you see what I'm talking about? This cube is going to save the world! Itadori and Franklin attempted to fight her, but she possesses a device that allows her to easily knock people out. She was able to flee. Itadori and Franklin stood up and talked about what had happened. Itadori told Franklin about how much of a good friend Feitan was. He was furious with himself for being so frail in the other dimension. Franklin cheered him up by telling him that he was not to blame. He also needs to stop Lucy if he doesn't want his friend's death to be in vain. It was Itadori's mission to stop Lucy when he realized this. He was the only one with the knowledge to stop Lucy’s plan so Franklin went to him for help. He went to Stark Industries right away and used their technology to find Lucy. They eventually found Lucy after hours of searching and devised a strategy to apprehend her. Because they don't know much about the Oculus and only know that it's dangerous, Itadori devised a strategy to prevent Lucy from using it. Lucy was in a Stark Industries facility that had been abandoned, but some of the technology and cameras were still operational. Itadori first devised a method of hacking into the facility so that Lucy would be unaware of their presence. Franklin and Itadori discussed what they would do to Lucy once they had stopped her on their way to her. For a while, Itadori remained silent. “As much as I hate her for killing my friend, I can't kill her,” he said suddenly. I don't want to do it. Perhaps there is still a way to persuade her that what she is doing is wrong. So, Mr. Franklin, here's the deal. When we arrive at the facility, I'd like you to leave me alone with her. Stay in the plane and keep an eye on us. If everything else fails, press this button. When Lucy said she was going to build a power container for the Oculus, I knew I had to do something about it, so I built this device that can hack into any device. It will be able to stop Lucy's plan once you press that button.” Franklin was surprised to learn that Itadori had already devised a plan to stop Lucy, but he was determined to persuade her. Franklin stayed on the plane after arriving at the facility, as Itadori had requested.

Itadori and Lucy finally confronted each other. Lucy was taken aback when she saw Itadori approaching her from across the hall. Lucy stated, "You've got skills kid, I'll give you that." “Are you here to put a stop to it? I could kill you right now, but I've decided against it because you have potential. I don't want to squander it. As a result, I'll make you an offer. Join me, and together we can make a difference in the world. “Are you sure you don't want that?” “Lucy, I know we haven't spent much time together, but from what I've seen of you in the short time we've interacted, I know you are a good person,” Itadori replied. You want to help others, but your methods are ineffective. It is not worth it to put other people's lives on the line for the sake of progress. You have the ability to change the world, but this isn't the way to do it.” Lucy was taken aback by Itadori's continued attempts to save her. She immediately remembered her past, recalling how she had been bullied as a child, but that someone had helped her and believed in her. “Don't worry about them; they're just envious of your abilities,” said the person. Don't let anyone put you down because you have the ability to change the world.” She realized all the mistakes she had made after recalling this. “You're right, Itadori, what have I done?” she exclaimed. All I wanted was for the good of the world because I want to make it a better place. When I was a kid, someone believed in me, but will he be proud of me now that he knows what I've accomplished?” After saying this, a massive explosion erupted from the cube. “It is not too late to save other people,” Itadori told her. “Assist me in putting a stop to this.” Lucy knew there was no stopping the cube now, and the power container couldn't handle it, which Itadori didn't know. There was only one thing she could think of as a solution. She instructed Itadori to hack into the Stark Industries mainframe. She only said that so Itadori could flee for his life. She intends to make a self-sacrifice in order to stop the cube and undo everything she has done. She then called Franklin to warn him to stay away from the facility and to offer her body to be mixed with the cube. She can control the cube to some extent with this. Then there was a massive blue explosion. Itadori and Franklin had escaped harm's way. Itadori tried to go to Lucy's location after realizing what had happened, but his wounds from the grenade were still present, and he was knocked out due to the shock. Itadori awakens in a white room where Franklin has been waiting for him. Itadori tried to stand up because he remembered what had happened and felt guilty for not being able to help Lucy. “It wasn't your fault, Itadori; in fact, you were the one who made Lucy realize what she had done and she changed her ways,” Franklin said. She gave up her life for the sake of humanity.” Lucy's need to sacrifice herself made Itadori a little sad. “You fool, stop moping around. “After you're completely healed, you've got a lot of things to do,” a rambunctious adolescent said. When Itadori heard the teenager's voice, he was both pleased and surprised. Feitan was the culprit. Everything Lucy had done had been restored. Everyone in the alternate dimension was also alive. The reason why the other dimension exploded when the Oculus left the dimension is because they needed the energy to keep the balance. When Lucy mixed her DNA with the cube, she had restored the other dimension along with all the people that were killed because of the cube. When she was in the other dimension, she saw Feitan and at first, Feitan didn't remember what happened. He tried to fight Lucy but when Lucy explained everything to him, he immediately helped her to bring the Oculus back to its original place. They encountered the authorities in the other dimension, and Feitan tried to explain Lucy’s side and what had happened. After this, the authorities took the cube and Lucy was still punished because she stole the cube from the other dimension. She had already accepted this and was ready to

sacrifice herself for the peace of everyone. Feitan helped the people in the other dimension to restore what had been lost. In return, they taught Feitan their technology and how to utilize it. Following that, Franklin sought the help of Itadori and Feitan to study the cube and develop other technologies that would benefit the world.

____________________________________________________

ILLUSTRATION EXPLANATION:

This is the analysis and appreciation for the short story titled "The Oculus". It shows two people in front of a portal looking at a futuristic city with floating cars, trains, buildings, and a large tower with a blue light-emitting from it. The two people near the portal are the two main characters Itadori and Feitan. This image shows the scene in which they traveled to the other dimension in search of the assistant of Mr. Stark which is Lucy Smith. She is hinted from the many digital screens with the silhouette of a wanted person who came from another dimension. The illustration also shows that the dimension they traveled to is more advanced than theirs and that it has many technological advancements that they could learn from. The tower at the back is where the oculus is kept. It can be a kind of foreshadowing because the thing inside that tower is crucial to the progression of the story. This image shows the characters, setting, and the main plot points of the story whilst not revealing the plot itself.

[cayleyshortstories]

A Heart of Gold

Written by Dennis Vergara & Illustrated by Allysa De Leon

The sun dawns over the once darkened plains adjacent to the perfectly coned volcano. Alongside the grandeur of this scenery, an unpresuming hut cabin can be observed situated at the foot of the rolling mounds — where the Delgado family humbly resides. The early morning sees Anton and his wife Celeste wake up as they begin their day in meek preparation, both occupied with the tedious task of completing the morning chores for their children.

To keep a steady income, the couple earnestly spends every minute of the day toiling in productive labor. The family patriarch, middle-aged yet robust and able-bodied, sets his day directed in tilling the Bicolandian fields and harvesting rice crops.

As the sun came into its zenith, Celeste came home and began cooking for the three of her children. Once done, she began to summon her children to come for lunch — Greg and Danica sprawling into the kitchen table. Along with the playful murmurs, an infant’s rowdy sobbing can be heard from across the room. Celeste heard this and came to his room. She picked the little boy up and shushed him back to sleep. Once back, she saw Anton and her children waiting for her to sit down to start eating together. Every time they finished praying and started getting their food, Anton would be the last to get their food and smiled as he saw the beauty of the family he established. After the meal, both Greg and Danica cleaned themselves up as well.

Gregorio, or as he goes by the nickname Greg, is the eldest of the three children. Youthful and ecstatic, the first-born has been determined to finish his elementary schooling where he had already set himself on the path to become the family’s breadwinner. Yet the truth of the matter for the young lad was upsetting — another farmer’s son was to sacrifice his years’ worth of education to lift the burdens off of his impoverished family. Despite this, he continues to be of great use to his father in tilling the barren fields and tending the needs of his younger siblings. His younger sister, Danica, is the sole student in the family. She was a light of hope for the family, capable of thrusting the marvel of scholarship education into the heft of their suffering. The youngest is the juvenile infant named Elijah whose smiles were capable of bringing momentary joy to the family.

After clearing the kitchen table, Celeste proceeded to dress her daughter for school.

“Did you forget anything?”, Celeste asked her daughter.

“No ‘Nay, I am ready,” Danica responded.

“All right, we’re going. Greg, please take care of your father.”

Greg nods.

Kisses and goodbyes were exchanged as they went their separate ways. En route to the ramshackle school campus, Celeste held Danica’s hand and grasped the infant Eli on the other as they strolled in a path where the wayside brimmed with rice paddies. Anton and Greg, on the other hand, rode the grizzled carabao on the way to work. The family lived a tranquil life, despite the daily sojourn of trials and challenges. Moreover, they loved each other so much that there was an account of how loving this family truly was.

On one peculiar day, there would stand a challenge. A small, but important lesson for the family. Anton woke up seeing that Celeste wasn’t there and that she was already cooking for breakfast. Anton felt like something was wrong. He stood up and it felt a nauseating pain like he was ready to come crashing back down. But his legs refused to cave in and he regained his balance. He went and ate with his family but it felt so heavy for him that he couldn’t even finish his usual intake.

“What’s wrong?” Celeste asked

“Nothing. I just couldn’t eat today” Anton answered

“Maybe he’s thinking of the harvest today”, Greg answered with a smile

Anton returned the smile

“I mean it is that time of the year ” Danica said

The two siblings then subdued their noise and continued with their meal. Although breakfast was quiet, Celeste couldn’t think of a reason why her husband wouldn’t eat all of a sudden.

“Are you sure?” Celeste asked

“Maybe my appetite is off today, but I might recover it later,” Anton said in a frail voice

Celeste didn’t ask again, but she did keep an eye on him, worried that something was wrong with him. He would always be eating a lot before going out to the field, as it was a lot of work and it was stressful. Thoughts had continued to grapple her mind as she continued washing the dishes.

“Greg, come here”, she commanded

“Yes?” He asked as he came to his mother

“Check on your father when you go out in the fields.”

“But what happens after lunchtime? I couldn’t leave Eli alone for very long”

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll go home earlier than usual to take care of him. You just go and watch your father.”

Greg nods

As they bid farewell to each other, Celeste gave her son a look that reassured him as he went about to do his duty. Greg didn’t do a lot on the field, as he would always listen to his father and help him whenever he needed to. As they went to the fields, Greg and his father were dead silent, which was not common for the pair. After saying their goodbyes to both Celeste and Danica, they would almost immediately talk about something, like how the harvest was, what the expected weather was for today, and sometimes even advice. But now, the only one talking was the wind. Greg was instructed to look out for his father and it already seems that something was wrong. Anton didn’t want to spend the hours in idle reticence, so he quickly came up with a topic to talk about.

“So, how are you today?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to go back to school to continue studying”

“Why? Aren't you having fun in the fields?”

“I mean, I don't want to stay stuck here forever in repetitive work. I want to go out into the city to study and maybe have a little fun.”

“Don't worry, when you grow older, you'll appreciate all of this and -”

"No, I won't!"

Greg raised his voice over this but quickly came to his senses, pulling off a rapid yet reserved apology to his father.

“It’s all right, I’m sorry that I didn't know you liked the city that much”

Greg was shocked. He expected his father to fume out at his vexations. He didn’t. His voice wasn’t loud and the tone was forgiving. Greg repeated his apology and continued talking. Anton seemed like he was doing well. But he didn’t want to scold his son while silently ailing in pain. As they continued walking, he pondered to himself, “Should I let them know? How will I feed them?” and these questions would motivate him to keep going with his job. He may not have a lot of strength, but his resolve was as firm as ever. So, they went their way and into the field. He was then greeted by his fellow farmers and then continued on with his day as if nothing had happened.

Greg helped his father move the crops and plant in the fields as he usually does. Anton continues to work diligently and meticulously, but by that day, his body lost its vigor. Earlier that morning, he already felt dizzy and as time went on, it worsened. His thin and limp legs lost their balance and were nearly exhausted by the heaviness of each bag of rice. A sense of discomfort in both arms triggered him while he was working. Tiredness struck him and he seemed to be catching his breath. He was experiencing excruciating pain on the left side of his chest as he leaned towards the plant. But despite all that feeling, he did not mind and kept working hard.

On a lunch break, he let Greg come home and look after Eli.

“I don’t want to go home yet,” Greg said

“Why?” his father asked

“Well, I-uh couldn’t think of a way to punish my wrongdoings and maybe-uh that I’ll just stay here and keep working.”

“What about Eli?”

“Well, I can check on him after the lunch break.”

“No, check on him now!”

Anton knew it was very unusual for his son not to come home. With each rebuttal that Greg throws, he becomes angrier and angrier, as that is the first time Greg has spoken to him in that tone of voice.

“I don’t want to! He’s safe in our home.”

With that, Anton snapped.

“Go home now! You didn’t do a lot here and you always want to sleep, so why don’t you go and take care of yourself and Eli instead!”

Other busy farmers who were eating and having a conversation refrain from talking. They instead focus their attention on Anton and his son. Greg was offended and hurt by the words his father had left him, but knowing that other farmers had heard him, aggravated the pain. Rather than fight his father, he turned his head and left the field. Anton felt that he went too far with what he told his son. He has already regretted what he said, but instead of apologizing immediately, he would do so upon returning home. However, this does not appear to be the case. His body, in what was already in a weakened state, just got weaker. His head that already felt like getting spun was spinning even harder. Then all of a sudden, after a few steps, he suddenly stopped, felt his heart but then fell to his knees, and consciousness was gone.

He dreamed of the dearly beloved family he built. The birth of his children and the moments of joy they had together flashed back in his memory. They might not be the wealthiest family in the world, but finding happiness by the people who are with him for the rest of his life has been enough for him. Soon after, he regained consciousness. He felt something heavy on his left arm. He saw a long narrow tube filled with fluids inside that was dextrose. But on the other hand, he can’t move his arm at all. Not because he couldn't feel it, but because someone was sleeping on it.

“Danica?” Anton saw Danica still in school uniform as she slowly woke up from her short nap.

“Tay?”

She breathed a sigh and smiled at him. She then went outside the room and informed the rest of the family that his father was already awake and was feeling well. Anton saw his son, having an unpleasant odor as he was soaked in sweat. But it didn’t matter, as he was glad just to see his face

“Tay, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that you were sick, you felt fine while we were walking but I-”

“It’s okay Gregorio, I’m sorry I scolded you in front of other people, I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.”

When he had finished talking, Celeste went into the room.

“Kids, go and take care of your brother outside. I would like to talk to him.”

They wanted more moments with their father, but they understood the situation. They kissed their father upon the forehead and came out of the room. Celeste glanced at Anton but quickly averted her eyes as she started speaking.

“I talked to the doctors. They informed me that you suffered from a heart attack. Luckily, you were saved before it was too late, as the other farmers helped you get here. The doctor also recommended that you should take a rest from now on"

“Bu-but I can’t do it! All of you would starve if I don’t work! If only I could take this illness away, then I would be able to work harder for all of you. How long will I –“

Teardrops rolled down Celeste's face as he paused

“Anton, please, next time, if you don’t feel well, you can tell me what’s wrong. I don’t want to lose you. What would we do without you?”

She looked back at him with her face full of tears. Anton looked at her face and just saw the pain and grief in her eyes. He no longer wanted to argue and instead reflected on what she had said. He could not help it but break down as well.

“I’m sorry, I just- I can’t just take a-a break. We need income to feed you and the children and for Danica to go to the school of her dreams. I just can’t stop and contemplate taking a break.” Anton said in a soft and calm voice.

“I just don’t want to lose you. I love you. The children love you. We will do anything to compensate for the work you have done previously.”

Celeste cried, as well as Anton, and they started embracing each other. After calming down and telling the reason why Greg was making up excuses as to why he didn't want to come home, they wiped their faces, Celeste called the two kids and explained the matter at hand.

“Well, what are we going to do while your father is here?” Celeste asked the kids

“I’ll work even harder so that father wouldn’t worry about staying here for a long time. Also, since I’m going to work a lot starting now, who would take care of Eli?” Greg said

“I’ll do it,” Danica said

“But what about your studies? ‘Tay worked hard for you to study” Greg rebutted

“I’ll bring Eli to the market instead, that way, you could continue to study and we can have a steady income” Celeste suggested

Danica nodded

“Also, every weekend, we visit ‘Tay here and see how he is doing” Celeste added

All qualms were set aside as the children willingly agreed to the situation. Anton heard all of this and shed a tear. This was the family he had always dreamt of. It felt like home once again for him.

A period of time had passed by. Anton has been discharged from the hospital and is now in a convalescent state. He still works in the fields but not as much as Greg who had already assumed the position of the latter in tilling the fields. Celeste also returns in selling fresh goods in the market, all the while tending to the needs of both Eli and Danica. The ordeal had permanently altered the family bond for the years to come. Yet along with the rapid tides of tribulations withstood the familial custom of bringing home pasalubong as dusk loomed over the tinted skies above the volcano. The family would continue to spend the tranquil nights at the dinner table, with conversations and laughter basked in unadorned yet beguiling joy. Anton would then exchange tender goodnight kisses to his children, ending the day and starting anew as the dawn shines light once again over the rice crop fields.

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ILLUSTRATION EXPLANATION:

The theme portrayed in the story is family love. Five people are depicted in this illustration. The story unfolded in the Philippines and the Filipino culture is proof of that. The perfectly cone-shaped volcano can be associated with the Mayon Volcano in Albay, Bicol. Banana trees, palay, bilao, salakot, etc are additional elements to effectively set the story. The one holding a bunch of palay or cereal grain is the breadwinner of the family, Anton. The girl in uniform that has a bag on her back is Danica. The guy in yellow is Greg who holds Eli for he's the one who takes care of him after he helped his father on the fields. The lady who wears a purple dress and apron is the mother, Celeste.

Various symbols can be drawn within the image. The heart there symbolizes unity. It unites their family as their hearts grow with one another. They become cohesive with one another, which creates a stronger bond that nothing can break. As each day progresses and they grow closer to one another, their relationship strengthens particularly in the latter part when they know that Anton has heart disease. Raising his right hand as he holds palay symbolizes hard work. This shows that no matter how hard it is for him, especially that he has a serious problem, he will endure all of it just to see the smiles on his family's faces in exchange for all his work. A smile on his face is visible for his sole joy is the happiness of his family. Since he already has a fragile heart, the hand of his wife serves as his support. This simply implies that no matter what the struggles he goes through, his wife will always be by his side who will support and help him despite all the challenges they face. They both used their farming and selling works to raise their family and make a living. The hands of their son and daughter also touched their hands to signify that they are willing to help their parents even at a young age in order to ease their burden.

In conclusion, this story simply means that regardless of the difficulties they face, they are always there for one another. Problems would never arise and they would never allow these barriers to destroy the bond between them. Also, they might not be the richest family, might not have professional work, a mansion, and they do lack money, despite all of these, they are full and rich of love for each other. They don't have any material thing a wealthy family possesses, but they do have their greatest treasure, the love each of them shares and binds their family together.

[cayleyshortstories]

Lucid

Written by Janry Deoduco & Illustrated by Kiefer Tayawa

They say that family is the only joy you’ll ever need in life, and if there would be a perfect embodiment of that, the Santiago Family would be a good candidate. On a peaceful evening, the Santiagos decided to play a game of Monopoly as they waited for their pizza dinner--just like any normal happy family. “You landed on my property, Dad! Where’s my 200?” said the Santiagos’ only child, Lucy, lightly bossing her father out. “Okay, fine! But…” replied Daniel, “aha!” He exclaimed as he threw a card down looking very proud of himself. ‘Once you land on your opponent’s property, the fee will revert to the owner,’ the card said. “Come on, Dad!” dismayed, Lucy fell to a defeated kneel as she handed the 200 creds she owed her father. After a while, the doorbell interrupted their heated, exciting match of Monopoly. “Oh, finally! That must be the food,” almost jumping out of her seat, Daniel’s wife, Sandra Marie hurried towards the door to pay. The two left at the coffee table right in the middle of their living room looked relieved, both from the heat of the game and their rumbling stomachs. “Here, babe,” Sandra handed Lucy a slice of her favorite shrimp pizza from her favorite pizza place, Maximus’ Pizza. The child thanked her and retreated happily back to the coffee table, analyzing the board as if it were a chess match.

The night started with a warm and comforting vibe, but as it grew past its youth, an eerie gust of wind blew leaves from trees, as if devouring the harmony and peace the young night gave its inhabitants.

“Lucy! Time for bed baby girl,” said Sandra. Their game of Monopoly ended with Daniel losing. It had been a weekly tradition for the Santiagos, as they played Monopoly in their living room and ordered the same pizza from the same place at exactly 7:00 in the evening every Sunday. “Already? I’m not yet sleepy, Mom.” Lucy replied, though her tired eyes and relaxed gestures seemed to contradict that. “Did you forget? We’re going to the park tomorrow,” Sandra said as she carried the sleepy Lucy from the living room floor and started walking up a few steps. “Really? Yehey! Well, I guess it’s time for bed, Dumdum,” the young girl said to her stuffed animal, gently resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. As the night grew out of its youth, the cryptic whistles of the wind blew harder, that even the tree branches outside the Santiagos’ home lightly tapped onto their windows, almost as if the elements outside were luring them out. Though the circumstances did not stop the three from their slumber, something else seemed to stop Daniel’s.

He heard and saw people screaming and being tortured, and then he screamed of fear until he awoke at 3:07 am and walked downstairs to get a drink of cold water. After that, huge lightning flashes, and a strong wind blows while he felt something strange crawling on his body but couldn’t find out what it really is. Suddenly, he touches his body because of his weird feeling and then he finally notices that he can see everything differently. He noticed that something looked upside-down and the places started to change and change due to an unexplained situation so he finally realized that something weird was happening. He is questioning himself “Am I seeing these things normally?” “Are these things the things I saw yesterday?”

People being tortured, bloody scenes of utter violence, and complete chaos appeared in Daniel’s vision as he came slowly into a distorted state of consciousness. At the sight of these, he screamed and wailed, completely overwhelmed and terrified at the same time. Daniel tried to walk away, but his feet seemed to be glued onto the floor. A beastly being suddenly roared and broke from inside the ground to the surface, adding to the raging fear and panic Daniel was experiencing. “Help! Get me out of here, I can’t move!” He screamed repeatedly until he could barely speak. After all that took place, the hell he woke up to disappeared as if a switch had activated it. Shocked, he felt for his own skin, somehow examining the reality he’s in.

After so many questions that came to his mind, he finally realized that he was still dreaming and was thinking of everything that can make his house back to normal. “Oh my! I can control everything. What if I think of something interesting. How about some new shoes hmm. It worked!” He is finally getting interested in his dream called the Lucid Dream. “Dad, what are you doing late at night?” Lucy said while going downstairs. “Oh, you’re awake! I think Lucy will love this. Hey Lucy, come. Here’s your new plush toy.” “Wow! Dad, you have some awesome and cool superpowers.” Lucy ran upstairs and called Sandra to show Daniel’s new unexplained power. “Mom! Wake up, look at Dad, he is a superhero.” “What is it my darling?” said Sandra. “I was a masked magician and will give you some lovely roses. Give some three claps and the roses are yours.” Sandra clapped three times and then she suddenly noticed that she was already holding sweet-scented roses. “Unbelievable Daniel! I think this is very interesting.” said Sandra while smelling Daniel’s lovely roses. “Let’s see what more can I do.” Daniel thought of a big mansion. “Wow! My dreams came true. Can I fly?” Daniel started to fly together with his family having their fun while laughing. “Gimme a cape and a talking DUMDUM Dad!” Daniel gives all he can give to fulfill his family’s dream. After they enjoyed their fun Moments together, they started to rest while Daniel saw a huge dusty mirror and wiped it with his own hands. He saw nothing until he heard a huge scream from his family. Lucy is screaming of fear while Sandra is crying and then he saw the mirror again and suddenly saw a reflection of himself as an old man staring at him. “WAKE UP!!!” said the old man and suddenly pulled him inside the mirror. He lost his consciousness for a minute until he woke up in a blank space with a strange atmosphere and said, “Where am I?! Why did you bring me to this kind of worthless place?” He tried to run fast because he thought it was the only way to escape but nothing happened. He is like running out of nowhere and hoping for nothing. He tried to close his eyes but nothing new happened. It was like closing his eyes, but his eyes won’t really close. After a second, he stopped for a bit and heard some whispering uncleared voices and he said, “Who are you?” Different kinds of voices started to shout at him with random languages until it became so annoying and made Daniel suffer. “Stop! Why can't I control this thing?” said Daniel. The noise started to grow and grow until he finally heard his family screaming and crying of fear. “Dad! Help us! Please look for us. We’re scared Dad.” said Lucy while Sandra said, “Daniel, do something! Stop this kind of suffering!” After that, the whole place started to burn and Daniel heard all the suffering of every person he encountered. “IT HURTS!” said the woman. Daniel said, “Why can't I feel anything? Why can’t I do something about it?” After minutes of suffering, flashes of people suffering from torture went to Daniel's eyes. “Stop it! Don’t hurt us! We’re innocent people. We don’t deserve this kind of thing.” Daniel suddenly looked at the man crying until it looked at him with reddish creepy eyes and said, “It’s your fault! STOP THINKING ABOUT US!!!” “But I can’t control myself! I don’t know why but I can’t stop thinking about all of this.” The crying man started to move his feet up and tried to stab him; however, he suddenly pushed the guy very hard and felt the anger crawling at his back. “I can’t control my emotions! AM I CRAZY?! Is this really a Lucid Dream wherein I can make things I want to become a reality? Why do I can’t control myself thinking of this kind of image over and over? I just wanted to play with my family and have fun together seeing my daughter and wife’s smiles. I want to go back to our past wherein we are spending our time playing Monopoly and eating pizza together. I missed the time wherein I can kiss my wife over and over again like there is no tomorrow. I want to go back. I just wanted to get them back!”

“I missed them. I love them. I cared for them. Give me back my family...” The nurses were shocked and started looking at a 95-year-old guy who has suffered from critical mental illness complications for the past many years. He is one of those innocent victims who survived in a War whose families are tortured and killed by those heartless foreign soldiers. He suffered from a deep trauma since the death of his family which makes him unconscious and dream of his memorable pasts. “It is the first time that Mr. Santiago talked like that.” “I think It is a miracle for him to speak.“ “Wait, let me talk to him.” said the nurse while looking at Daniel cautiously. “What is it, sir? May we help you?” said the nurse. Daniel looked at the nurse directly into their eyes for the first time and said, “Sandra? Lucy? I finally realized that you’re all fine now.” He laughed quietly until he passed out smiling since he finally realized that the true peace in life is to accept reality and let go of the past.

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ILLUSTRATION EXPLANATION:

The whole theme of the short story is about lucid dreaming and love for family. In this still image, the eyes directly looking at the family represent Daniel’s love for his family. The mood of this still image looks dreamy and dark, yet full of colors because it is about lucid dreaming in general which is very pensive. Ever since Daniel lost his family, he can never forget about the memories he and his family have shared, and that caused Daniel to reminisce it over and over again.