Beneath The Lovely Eclipse

It was six o'clock in the morning when Coraline awakened. She did not hesitate to get up from the bed in order to get herself ready. She does something simple every time she wakes up. She would just wash her face and rinse her mouth with warm water, comb her hair and fix her little bed.

She came out of her room and went to the kitchen to cook. Her aunt and uncle might even resent her if they woke up before she could cook food for the morning.

A years ago her parents have been killed in a car accident that's why she lives with her relatives who mistreated her. They often hurt her especially when they lost in a gamble. Sometimes they would starve her, bound her and locked her in the cabinet.

Even their only daughter named Pauline, who is angry with her is hurting her too. When she was in elementary school they were classmates and she often scored higher in their class that made Pauline mad at her, that's why her personal life was at stake.

Even if she wants to leave home she cannot do it, where will she stay when she does that? So she endures their cruelty even their hurting her physically and emotionally.

She heard someone turned on the television from the living room. She heard the news, it was said that a solar eclipse would be occur today but still to find out exactly what time it will occur. She wanted to see it, but she couldn't because she is going to school.

"Hey Coraline! Will it last longer?"   Pauline asked her a question.

"I'm about to finish cooking,"   she smiles.

"Hurry up there, I'll be late for class."   Pauline added then rolled her eyeballs.

She smiled softly. Whether her cousin says it or not, she will cook faster for her to finish immediately. She doesn't want to be late for class because they have an exam for History subject, and the topic is about the year 1945 in the Philippines.

When she had finished cooking, she prepared the table immediately and joined Pauline in the meal. She stopped chewing and she winced when a hard object hit the back of her head. She was suffering from the pain caused by hitting something hard on her head. She tearfully looked at her aunt who hit her.

Her aunt glared at her.

"W-why Auntie?"   she asked in surprise.

"You're eating our food without my permission?"   her aunt fold arms.

"I'm sorry Auntie, I have an exam later and I don't want to be hungry while taking exam. But don't worry Auntie, I cooked a lot."

"Are you answering back?!"   her aunt voice echoed in the house.

"Get out of here! You're a real Japanese pest!"

She is not literally Japanese. Yes her father is Japanese but her mother is a Filipino so her race is half. But even though she didn't say it, it was noticeable that she was a half japanese because of her narrowed eyes.

She took a deep breath before getting up from the chair at the front of the table. She simply drank the water and cleaned the plate she used before saying goodbye. She would go to school with an empty stomach.

A few minutes later, she was busy walking around looking at her book. She was reading what was written in her history book, entitled 'Year 1945.' She accidentally ripped the page and carried by the wind.

"Oh, no!"   she exclaimed.

She began to chase the ripped flying paper. She came to the lake where the wind brought the teared page of her book. She was unable to undo the bag and was unable to release the book when she went down to the lake.

The water reached her waist so her shoes, socks and skirts were wet. She also reached for the torn sheet of paper. Her eyes tend at the sky being shady and her lips went dropped because of the beauty she saw. Is this what the news talking about, that there will be an eclipse?

The moon gradually blocked the sun, it's so beautiful and lovely that her lips kept wide opened and she never removed her eyes on the eclipse that was taking place today.

But what was how surprised she was when she suddenly sank into the lake. Her mind was full of confusion as she tried to get help from people that didn't notice her. How could she drown if water just reached her waist?

She was running out of breath as something seemed to drag her foot into the deeper part of the lake. Even if she wanted to ask for help she couldn't do it because she could no longer raise herself.

Her eyes widened as the numbers on the cover of the book she was holding illuminated. What surprised her even more was that she could feel the sand under the lake and gradually clear the shady sky.

She treads her feet in the sand and with her strength she goes up to the water. She was dumbfounded at the place she's staring at. She was already somewhere else when she got to the bottom of the lake.

She glanced around at the whole environment, she was shocked when she became familiar with the place where she right now. She is still in the Manila here in the Philippines, but looks very different now. Also people dress differently, as if they were not aware of modern clothing. Her mind was full of confusion as she land in the sand.

She was about to approach a very handsome man in a dashing attire and with an elegant stand  who is staring at her intently but she suddenly looked down with her hands when someone tied up her wrist using handcuff.

"What are you doing?!"   she asks a question to the authorities who just chased her.

"You still have the courage to roam into our area?! After your race has conquered our country!" one of them was angry with her.

"What are you talking about?!"   she asked.

"You are a Japanese who really have the courage to rush into a place you don't own."   they laughed as if insulting her.

She admitted that she was a half Japanese because of her father, but what does they mean about conquering? When did the Japanese dawned---she stopped when she realized what they meant.

According to her book and her professor's teaching, Japanese Imperialism invaded and occupied the commonwealth of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. She was more confused by the findings, where is she now? Why those people is being weird?

It was a long time ago when Imperialism of Japan invaded their country, her country also. Japan and Philippines are friends now and reconciled. One more thing they look so primitive people wearing 'barong and saya', a Filipino's traditional clothing.

"All right, take her to prison!"   one of them command.

"Wait! You're wrong! I'm a Filipino, too!"

"What's going on here?"   a guy with a baritone voice asked.

They all turned to a handsome man who was standing tall looking only at her. This is the man she wanted to approach earlier. She swallowed hard as her heart beats so fast and so loud as if it wanted to jump out of her chest.

When she noticed that his mesmerizing eyes was looking up to her whole body, she can't help but to bit her lower lip. This man has this deep with a color brown eyes, narrow forehead, shaggy eyebrows, pointed nose and a filmsier lips. Her heart is getting wild beating.

"Sir. Martinez, we caught this Japanese roaming around our town."   the chief answered.

"T-that's not true Sir! In fact I drowned earlier and wanted to ask for help but when I got out of the lake I was here!"   she interrupted.

"Liar! Take her to prison!"

"Take care of the lady."   strong command of the man called Sir. Martinez as if he's worried to her.

They gently dragged her to somewhere as what Sir. Martinez commanded. Before they had taken her to the old building where the prison was located, she noticed the banner posted above the building. 'Prison Institution in 1945.'  She was dumbfounded on what she had read.

Is she returned in the past?