The Unexpected Truth

"Eric, wake up! You're late for school!" Abby shouted as she shook Eric, her 7 year old son. 

Eric Collins, a young but matured boy with black wavy hair just like he's dad's, brushing his forehead but still always revealing his pair of round, brown eyes and thick black brows. Eric is Abby's eldest son who was always keen and careful in protecting his beloved girls ; Abby herself and his toddler sister mostly, Tulip Collins who was born as a premature baby three years ago. Eric has to fight everyday in overcoming the fact of an weird illness of fainting whenever he gets shocks and has to accept that he lost his memories about his late dad ever since an accident when he was just four years old which was also the reason that made his 3 year old sister born as a premature baby ; his mother was pregnant during the accident. However, Abby Collins, his mother never told him or talked about his dad ever again.

"Mum, stop..." he grumbled as he slowly opened his eyes. He could see her hair brushing her shoulders, neck as she bent down to get his dirty clothes on the floor to wash. He stared at her with his eyes half-opened.

"Where is Tulip? My dear princess!" he called out, weakly and still sleepy as he scratched his head and sat up straight on his bed.

"Oh god...don't start your lovey-dovey way to your sister or else she wouldn't let you go to school today!" mumbled Abby.

"She adores me most. And you're just jealous." he chuckled and got into his bathroom.

"You're very right my man!" she whispered to herself, smiling.

It was a normal day at school for Eric. Just like how he faced life all these 3 years with no memories about how and with whom his life went about. But all he knew was to prevent himself from fainting when someone pranks him like yesterday. However, he knew he would survive with Ronnie by his side all the time; his best friend in life.

"It's just not necessary for you to be always thinking about your family till there's no time for yourself."

"I don't need time for myself..." scoffed Eric.

"They would be safe and nothing is going to hurt them. I feel that you're yearning for a chance that could prove your courage and strength in protecting them even with that special thing in you..." she shrugged.

"Maybe you're right...but my illness is nothing special at all."

"It makes you special, Prince Eric! You're trying your best to be just like your dad by protecting them at all cost." she chuckled, holding his hand.

You're a blessing for me, Ronnie!

"Hey! Look here! I got this...It's an acidic liquid. It makes anything burn even when a single drop falls on it...Isn't it amazing, Eric?" asked Ronnie, her eyes glowing in excitement.

"It's dangerous and we are just seven so who gave you this?"

"I stole it, Prince Eric! I saw our seniors using these for their experiments so I stole one from their lab...You forgot? Our lame science teacher asked us to create something unique and creative for our science creativity project on next week.." she exclaimed looking at him.

"Sure..Go ahead." he replied, sourly.

"Here! I got two for both of us. One for you and one for me..." she said, as she unzipped Eric bag from behind and chucked the small tube that had a cork on it inside his school bag.

"You're involving me in this? I'm so screwed if my mother finds out, Ronnie!"

She's the definition of madness!

Soon after school session ended, Eric went back home with his bicycle and the day was just like any other till the small happy family sat for dinner that night.

"Eric, help me with preparing dinner, please?" asked Abby as she placed Tulip in her baby cradle.

"Sure, mum. I need to ask you something but just promise me that you won't get hurt.."

Abby looked at him and nodded, smiling and caressing his forehead in a rough but loving way.

"Please tell me more about dad...At least his photo?"

"We have talked about this...So, please" said Abby, sourly.

"I'm sorry, mum...I'm just curious if I'm like dad or not." 

"Buba...buba! Come..." stuttered Tulip in her baby language.

"Hey, my princess...What is it?" he asked as he carried her from the cradle and placed her on his lap as she leaned on his chest, cozily.

"If she's your princess, what am I?" asked Abby, trying to divert the topic.

"Wonder woman..." he mumbled. "Mum, I'm sorry for reminding you about him..."

"No, actually it's my mistake. We can continue that conversation as we sit for dinner. Is that okay, my knight?"

Eric smiled and nodded as he carried Tulip and helped Abby to serve and arrange the dishes on the dinner table at the same time. As the family sat down to eat, Abby started the topic about her husband again.

"Promise me that you wouldn't get mad at me, please Eric."

Before Abby could finish, there was a knock on their front door. She looked at Eric and gestured him to continue eating as she walked towards the door. As she turned the knob and swayed the front wooden door open, there was no one standing in their porch. 

But there was a small, black gift box with a red ribbon tied around it on the doormat. Inside it was a silver ring with a blue crystal on its head and instantly Abby remembered her husband's wedding ring that she gifted him before. Abby was terrified as she locked the door and walked towards the dining table again.

"You have to go upstairs now, Eric! Bring your sister with you..."

"What's going on, mum? Why do you look scared?"

"I'll tell you all about this if we survive the situation that's going to take place now...Now you really have to act as my knight, please Eric..." she convinced him.

When her children were already upstairs, locking themselves in Eric's room, Abby rushed to her hand-phone and dialed the town's nearest prison.

"Hello, I'm Abby Collins..." she paused as she could see shadows of a person walking around her house through the windows and held a deep breath to calm herself.

"Mrs Collins! We were just trying to contact you but there was no signal...Is Mason there? Are you safe?" asked the woman on the other side of the line but Abby remained silent and scanned around the house, trying to think if she left any doors or windows open. "Hello, mam! We have sent our officers for an immediate patrol to your street, please stay on line..."

"Please, do it..."

Right then, the house went out of electricity and Abby's call was cut off before she could complete her sentence. Now, she was trembling with fear and started inspecting every doors and windows' locks. Unfortunately, it was too late when she went to check the back door lastly ; it was unlocked and there he was, standing outside and staring straight into Abby's eyes.

Abby's heart started to race and beat so fast at the moment she saw the man with his black wavy hair, brushing his forehead just like Eric's and a pair brown eyes with thick black brows. The man was no more the thin and young as Abby knew once ; now, he had grey strands and thick beard that almost covered his plum face. Abby couldn't imagine herself protecting her children and escaping from him for once more. 

Especially because her husband now looks bigger and stronger than he was initially.

Abby took a knife from the top drawer of her kitchen and pointed it at him when he turned the knob, swayed the back door of the house open and slowly walked into the kitchen. Abby took her small steps backwards but was still pointing the knife at him with her trembling fingers.

"You may cut your finger, dear...Put that down and we can talk for a new beginning." he suggested, smiling calmly, revealing his wrinkles.

"In hell you will get a new beginning! You destroyed everything...my happiness...our children!"

"Our children?!" he exclaimed, chuckling softly as he stopped walking towards Abby.

"I meant Eric...our child." Abby breathed in and out as her heart started pacing even rapidly than before.

"Tell me the truth...Did our second child survive?" he threatened and continued walking towards Abby.

Unfortunately, as Abby was focusing him and his gaze at her, she tripped the cushion's leg and fell, toppling on the armrest of the chair and dropped the knife and her body landed on the cushion. On the other hand, Mason took this opportunity and pressured her arm for her to not take the knife again. And he took his gun from his belt around his jeans and aimed it under Abby's chin.

"I said, tell me the truth..." he whispered as he pushed gun to her chin, threatening her.

"It's just me and Eric...No one else."

Eric who was upstairs with Tulip knew something was not right and he couldn't stop reminding himself that his mother is his responsibility ; in fact both the girls' safety are.

Mum, what is going on? How do I help you tonight?

"I said it's just me and Eric!!! Stop, Mason!"

Just me and Eric? Why do you need to lie about Tulip's presence, mum? Who is Mason?

Eric carried Tulip who was already sleeping now and placed her in her baby cradle. Then, he got to work. There was a tree house which Eric built a year ago with his mother and he went to it often only whenever he was grounded by Abby. So, he had a thick rope which was tied to the tree trunk on the first day he was locked up in his room as a punishment. Eric opened his windows and quickly got hold of the swaying rope that was usually placed under the window slid whenever its shut and locked so that it wouldn't slip away.

He pulled the rope in and tied it around his bed's leg so that he can bring Tulip to the tree house safely by carrying her with him as he swings from this end to the other till they reach there. 

He carried Tulip and tied her around his body with his shirt and made sure her sleep was not disturbed and she would not fall in midway of he swinging by the rope to the tree house.

Eric held a deep breathe and gripped the rope as tightly as he could. He then swayed to the tree house by holding the rope in one hand as he hugged Tulip with his another. As he almost reached tree house, he has to quickly hold on to the branches beside the house as the rope was heading down like a slide towards the trunk and they both might either hurt themselves by hitting the tree trunk or drop on the ground. Eric watched closely as he tried his best to slow down his swinging on the rope and immediately caught hold of the wooden floor of the tree house and they both were swaying to and fro as he tightly hugged Tulip, afraid that she'll fall.

Then, he climbed into the tree house and untied the shirt that was holding sleeping Tulip to his chest and placed her gently on the wooden floor as he covered her with the same shirt before returning to his room. He looked at Tulip from below the tree house, holding it's wooden floor for him to hang on it from falling.

Then, he looked at the rope that was a few centimeters below from him and he let go of the floor to just grip the nearest side of the rope to climb back into his room through the windows.

As he was back, he took the tube that Ronnie gave him at school and tiptoed down the stairs as he saw the man, Mason still threatening his mother with his gun. He slowly came down when Abby noticed him and a terrified expression came across her face no matter how much she tried to stay calm or normal. This made Mason turn and look at whatever Abby was looking at ; their son.

"Eric, go back to your..."

"Hey, there kiddo! I missed you..." said Mason, as his eyes became watery and he neared Eric to hug him.

"Stay away! Please...whoever you're. Just don't hurt us! GO!" he begged.

"Whoever? Is that what you told about me to our son, Abby? He doesn't even know my face? I'm even more pissed off than before now...Oh, Abby! You're so dead, tonight!"

"Dad? No way!" he shouted, his voice breaking and trembling. "You can never be my dad and you're not gonna hurt my mother..." he warned him.

"Oh, kid! I was the reason you lost your memories of four years and used to faint due to shocking emotions and I'm the very reason..."

"That your sister is dead..." continued Abby, interrupting Mason and signalling Eric to never tell him about Tulip.

"I don't wanna hurt you so just go..." he said, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I came here for you, Eric. For us to have a new start in a new town, obviously." he said, chuckling softly as he looked at Eric, trying to convince him.

"If you loved your kids so much...Why you did that to us?"

"You were blocking the way when I hit your mother and that caused you..."

"She was pregnant..." he sobbed quietly. "Mum, is he telling the truth because I think he's just stalling us..."

"He is, honey! He is your dad...I'm so sorry!" she cried.

"I can't digest this...why do you have to tell me now? I'm going to be unable to safe you both!" he whispered and fainted, dropping to the ground with a thud sound.

"Finally! And both? You lied, Abby!" he bellowed. He pushed her to bring him upstairs as he forced her to tell him the truth.

"Your plan was to make him faint? So that you could..."

"Kidnap him right in front of you.." he continued as he swayed open the Eric's room door that was right opposite the staircase. Then Abby was surprised to see the room empty and with no sign of Tulip.

Mason pushed Abby to lean on the wall and held the gun to her neck as he threatened her again. "Where is your daughter?" 

She was slowly losing hope that anyone would safe her especially because Eric fainted and it would take a long time before he could become unconscious. 

Suddenly, a thud was heard downstairs as though someone was walking around but when Mason peeped from the staircase, no one was in sight. And, without warning, the electricity came back on. He got down a few steps and found out Eric no more unconscious on the floor. It was all quiet until Mason entered kitchen and a door of the top shelf slowly creaked open and Mason turned quickly. Right then, Eric who was inside that top shelf, poured the liquid from the tube and Mason's face started to burn. He wailed and screamed in pain as he dropped to the floor, covering his face with both of his hands. Eric quickly noticed his gun and got it without any hesitation and ran upstairs.

A big thanks to you, Ronnie!

"Mum! You're alright...I got you!" 

"You normally don't wake up from your shock-sleep this quick..." she asked, curiously.

"I was just sad not shocked...It was a fake faint to trick him!" he smiled. 

"Tulip..." asked his mother, weakly.

"She's alright in the tree house...And I have called the cops when I switched on the electricity generator back."

"You're indeed my knight, baby!"

"Well, mum why is he so keen in killing Tulip?"

"She's the first girl in our Collins generation..." she replied, weakly. "Sons were their pride whereas daughters are their shame. But I wanted to safe her..." she sobbed.

Soon, both of them walked downstairs when the police siren were heard from nearby and they when to the kitchen and saw Mason on the floor with several burn marks on his face but he was sitting there, disappointed. 

"I just wanted my son..." he begged, looking at Abby.

"You think a girl is a shame to be born in our family? Well, you came from a woman, dad! Your whole "pride" Collins generation was created and existing till today because of women!" he shouted as tears rolled down his cheeks. "How dare you hurt a woman who gave you the boon of making you a father? Women are supposed to run to us ; men for protection from the world but they are running away to protect themselves from us...I'm ashamed to be your son..." he bellowed.

Then, a loud knock came on their front door and they could see a few cops' cars parked at their porch. And, Abby opened the door, letting the cops inside as they got hold of Mason and handcuffed him. Then, Abby was narrating the situation to the cops while Eric ran outside to his tree house. He climbed up and saw Tulip sleeping again. He smiled looking at her and carried her as he got down from the tree house with a hanging ladder.

Soon, the cops were gone and so was Mason Collins. 

"I never knew you had this much in you!" chuckled Abby, hugging Eric. "I'm so proud of you..." she sobbed, looking at him. "I'm sorry I never wanted to disappoint you by revealing what your father did..." she apologized, hugging him.

I did it..I kept them safe. Love you my Queen and Princess!