Shein Pereña, the front desk receptionist of the Wiles Research Institute was busy answering calls and queries while multi-tasking some computer tasks. It had been 20 years since her mother died. She thought of it but cut her thoughts instantly realizing that it might have ruined her career. The deceased must be forgotten from some point of view, but for close loved ones, the memories of their lives were unforgettable. They forever stayed in her.
She was busy typing on the computer keyboard while throwing glances on the computer monitor screen when an email popped out. It messaged to her standardized working email which was provided by the institute to every employee and crew inside. It was a secured and private email that couldn’t be accessed by anyone not having a connection to the institute.
After the incident, Dr. Edmund Wiles had learned his lesson. The incident lectured him to be vigilant and secure. So, the institute became highly secured, innovative, and technologically equipped. No in-lined institutes could beat the rating of their workplace. Hence, she was surprised to receive an unknown email.
One of the norms was they should not accept any stranger emails. They must be blocked as soon as they could. It wasn’t the first time that the institute received a threat, but she felt different this time. She felt the urge to read the anonymous email from the anonymous person. She ignored it.
She was about to click it when a woman appeared in front of her. She was pretty-appealing, wearing a short white dress perfectly suited to her flowing long wavy hair. Her face was unrecognizable, but she would bet on her attractive face beneath the black eyeglasses.
The woman removed her glasses. Her nose was pointed; her face was in a perfect oval shape; her lips were Cupid painted in dark red lipstick; her eyes were double up, and upturned. She eyed Shein with straight-looking eyebrows and angelic glances. She smiled at the presence of the woman.
“Good morning ma’am, how may I help you?”
The woman flashed an innocent smile.
“Can I talk on Dr. Edmund Wiles?”
Shein eyed the time on the desktop of her computer.
“My apology ma’am, but Dr. Edmund Wiles is not taking any visitor at this hour.”
“Ohh.”
The woman frowned.
“So when will he be available?”
“You can come back tomorrow at 10 in the morning ma’am. I’ll tell the secretary to book you an appointment with him.”
“Oh sure, thanks.”
The woman left a brimming smile before she strolled her stilettoes away. While Shein smiled looking at her fading picture.
After the woman left, several important personnel came by, next to next with each other until the duty hours were ended. The loaded day eventually made her forget about the strange email.
***
Jasmine unleashed a heavy breath while traveling her eyes to the black windowpane without changing her position— silently seated, head resting on the passenger seat. The crescent dull moon peered through the glass window. It was almost white sprayed with yellowish vibrant. The engine resumed as the astral figurine of the moon followed behind them as if trying to witness everything going on, and not taking its eyes— without giving a blink at a quick juncture. The environment was dimly flickered with the moonlight radiance.
She never averted her gaze. The gloomy quiet street was deliberately replaced by a picture of a little girl wearing a plain black princess dress with braided long hair, sitting on top of a black foamy bed. She quietly sat on the side of the bed which displays a thick black blanket in the center, snaking. Both of her bare arms were crossed resting on the window frame.
The window curtains adjacent to each other were buckled on the sides of the window, enabling the broad sky with flickering millions of lights along with the full moon to chirp on her large wide organized room. She painted an unrestrained smile— a nostalgia and unexplainable happiness, as the moon steadily danced along with millions of bright glittering lanterns in the colossal heavens.
A few seconds swam away, she started having a dialogue with the moon taking it as an alive being. She believed in the existence of the elegant moon goddess— Dianna, thus, making her spend most of her night talking to the moon goddess as she held a fairytale book in hand that took hours yarning away.
Then, a thin slender woman clothed in a casual night dress knocked at the wooden door of her room. The little girl failed to notice the knock, so the woman entered without saying a thing. She wore a graceful smile approaching her little darling. As soon as she neared the child, she told her to lie in a deep slumber of the tranquil night. The little girl insisted on not closing the window that Dianna might be able to see her sleeping. The woman followed her child’s request. Then, she guided her to sleep leaving a gentle kiss on the forehead as she headed outside.
Where is that innocent little girl? She thought drawing a halfway bitter smile produced by the itching heart. How she wished everything was the same as yesterday.
As we grew older, we’ll realize that life wasn’t a happy-ending fairytale, but a melancholic epic saga. Naïve young innocent kids pertained to fairy tales as an ideal place to live in wherein glittering magic and eye-popping superficial powers exist together with wowing genies and fascinating incredible fairies as well as all other alluring beings. Fairytale had all the luxury— gold, silver, diamonds, gems, treasures, ornaments, tiaras, crowns, palaces, etc., a naïve child could ever want.
However, maturity slapped us face to face that fairytale conveyed the painful and cruel saga of life. Glorious glowing magic, intriguing powers, wistful genies, etc. depict a real meaning behind its back. Not an alluring princess in a long magnificent gown, but we were all dressed in a wardrobe of pain. Fairytale was engraved not only intended for entertainment on children but for them to realize in their adulthood the sad and cruel life.
Everything seen in there was emblems of truth. The princess was isolated, so we were. There was always a knight in the shining armor brave handsome prince who rescued the poor princess from the disasters of life. The princess only glamour when the prince wedded her. In reality, a man overpowered a woman.
Have you ever encountered a fairytale wherein the prince has no wealth? That he became in power because of the princess? No. It was factual that men have more rights than women. Women were seen below men, even in choosing jobs, there was gender inequality.
Discrimination is laid within society. The story is told on the dependency of women on men. Yet, readers chose to ignore the metaphor behind this and let be persuaded by the magic and change.
Fantasies hissed the most painful certainty. Equality unexist. Greed is planted in everyone’s heart. You couldn’t merely throw your trust everywhere. Beauty was a deception. Its heart desired to poison.
Seconds passed, they went through a series of trees with heavy snaky branches and large dull leaves standing to align beside the silent inactive tired street. The moon was still there, lurking behind the tall shady trees. She thought of the moon goddess Dianna. Maybe she’s just meant to watch over her to guarantee her safety.