ATLAS

I was swinging alone on a swing; the playground was empty. I was the only one here, that's why the place wasn't too lively. I'm here to wait for my friends, but until now, they still haven't shown up.

Night has fallen, but they're still not here. I can't help but feel sad inside as I try to tell myself that everything is alright. Maybe they forgot about our meeting. That's normal... I guess.

As if this is my first time being alone. I do this every day. I don't know why, but people always call me a freak, a monster, or a demon—especially my classmates. I get bullied, and all I can do is cry out all the pain in my chest, either on the bathroom floor or inside my cabinet where nobody can hear me. I don't understand why they do this to me. I don't know why people hate me, why they avoid me, or why they're afraid of me.

Why do they call me that?

What did I do?

I sighed tiredly as I got off the swing. I was about to leave when someone suddenly spoke—a woman, coming from behind me. I glanced at her slightly and found her sitting on the swing I had been on earlier.

"What's your name, child?" she asked, opening the conversation with a sweet smile on her lips. She had long, jet-black hair that flowed down to her waist, sharp black eyes, and high cheekbones. Her skin was a warm, light brown with a soft glow, and her dark, neatly arched eyebrows added to her intense gaze. Her nose was slender and well-defined, giving her an elegant, almost angelic appearance. Add her white dress to the mix, and all she needed was a halo over her head to look like an actual angel.

Also, she was a beautiful woman.

"Atlas," I replied. "Who are you po?"

"Maia, that's my name." She stood up and walked up to me, then knelt down and stared at me with her intense yet calm eyes. Now, our height was equal. "Why are you here alone?" she asked, her voice soft but firm.

I lowered my gaze slightly. "I'm here to meet up with my friends, but they didn't come," I said, sounding disappointed and sad. I also noticed the gradual change in her expression—the glitter in her eyes faded, and her face became blank. "I just waited for them for nothing. I wanted to meet them. I missed playing with them so much. But they aren't here."

Suddenly, she cupped both my cheeks and gently lifted my head just so I could stare back at her. Then she spoke, this time with a deep and intimidating voice. "Will you take care of my heart when I'm dead?"

I instinctively frowned. "Huh? Ano po? Pakiulit po." I actually heard what she asked, but I wanted confirmation. Her question... disturbed me.

Please, tell me she's joking.

She chuckled. "I said, do you want to play with me? No need to be scared. We'll only play here, and I'm not going to drag you along with me somewhere. I have many toys that we can play with, as well as game ideas in my mind. You wouldn't mind playing with me, hm?"

"But you're an adult... isn't that weird?" I remarked bluntly.

She looked surprised and said, "How rude!" Then she laughed. "Why are kids so blunt? Well, it doesn't mean old people can't play, right?"

I was a bit skeptical, but my curiosity made me want to know where this would go and what would happen. "O-Okay, if you want to, I'll play with you!" After all, we're just going to play as buddies! There's nothing wrong with that, I guess? She doesn't seem like a bad person. I guess it's alright.

"Thank you, child." She stood up elegantly. "Well, let's meet tomorrow. I'll bring my toys just for you, and we can play here at this playground."

"Okay po, ba-bye!" I said as I waved to her while she slowly walked away.

"See you tomorrow, Atlas!" She waved back, her sweet smile still lingering on her lips as if it were tattooed there.

She's weird.