The Empress

Kuya, are you awake?

Hush, don’t worry. I’m here. Let me be your nurse this time. Let’s just get this bag out of the way. Kuya, stop thrashing – remember when I was a little boy and I refused to take my pills, what did you do to me? I stopped acting up, I had to, I was afraid of you and I took the pills. I’m better now.

Kuya, don’t. Bad, kuya. I knew you had to beat me up only because you love me. Don’t make me do the same to you. Here take some more of these nice pills, kuya. You have to take more or else how will you get well?

Who’d play with me if you don’t get well, kuya? Are the ropes burning on your hands already? Good, it’s working. Here, take one more pill. Open the mouth, airplane, airplane landing on good boy’s mouth. Shoot! Good boy, kuya.

You’ve been unwell. Yesterday, I knocked on your door and you didn’t answer. See, I knew you were home. I saw you pass by my room. You were even holding hands with Ate Sophia. I knew she was over to play with you. I cleaned up and followed you. I wanted to play too. But you didn’t answer my knock, so I knocked again! And again! And again! And again!

Kuya, you’re trembling, are you cold? Here take some more medicine. Open wide and he shoots! Score! 3 points! Kuya, what were you and Ate Sophia I doing? What kind of game was it? Were you hurt, I heard you cry out. If you weren’t hurt, why didn’t you want to play with me? Why couldn’t you and Ate Sophia have me too?

Kuya, I’m removing your blindfold so you can look at me. Tell me the truth, I’ll know if you lie. Was Ate Sophia hurting you? She won’t anymore. She won’t get to be with you when you’re sick. I’ll take care of you, Kuya. I’m here for you. Now, open your mouth.

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CARD DRAWN:

Here begins the Tarot challenge, a 78-day writing challenge where everyday I pick out a random card from my tarot deck and write something about, against, inspired by, based on the card by the day’s end. The works can range from poetry to fiction to drama, it really depends on what I feel about the card. Right now though, I’m trying to work on my prose fiction.