“and what’s that supposed to be?” jessica asked me as i put the finishing touches on my latest sculpture. “and don’t say it’s a symbol of your feelings, or i will hurt you again.”

i rolled my eyes. jessica wanted a label for everything. though, even if i wanted to answer her, i wouldn’t have been able to. i looked at the sculpture. i had no idea what it was. i just woke up this morning and i knew i had to sculpt it.

something came over me.

though, looking at it now, i felt some sense of recognition. it was as if i had seen it before already.

but that wasn’t going to fly with jessica. so i told her, “it’s like an abstract painting. except it’s a sculpture.”

what happened next was art in itself. jessica picked up the nearest thing she could grab, my dvd copy of the dark knight, and sent it flying towards me. i bent my knees, leaned back, and grabbed the flying dvd—just as jessica was sending a rolled up magazine flying at me.

i dodged that too, but not as gracefully as i had the dvd copy of the dark knight. the magazine wouldn’t break if it hit the floor.

“i have no idea what it is, jess. happy now?”

jessica turned to the sculpture again. she was probably thinking up ways of getting rid of the monstrosity.

there. that was it. it was a sculpture of a monster. well, a monster of a man. who has limbs missing. it reminded me of something, but i couldn’t quite place it.

jessica was about to speak again, but a knock on the door distracted her.

“who is it?” i asked aloud. my door didn’t have that peephole thing where you can see who is on the other side.

”nbi po, (it’s the nbi,)” the person on the other side of the door answered. “hinahanap po namin si mark jimenez. (we are looking for a mark jimenez.)”

“speaking.” i opened the door. there were four police officers outside, but only one faced me. the rest of the squad was flanking the one who knocked on my door, rifles pointed outwards.

”sir, puwede ba kaming pumasok? (sir, can we come in?)” one of them asked. i felt jessica stand behind me.

“sure.” i motioned for the officers to come in. jessica closed the door.

”mr. jimenez, magtatanong lang po sana kami tungkol sa ama niyo. (mr. jimenez, we just wanted to ask about your father.)” something crashed on the door, startling jessica. she moved back to my side.

“what do you want to know?”

”sir, kinontak po ba kayo ng ama niyo? (sir, have you been contacted by your father?)”

“no.” i tried to stifle a laugh, but i was unsuccessful. jessica squeezed my right arm. but i couldn’t help it. the question was funny. my father wanted nothing to do with me. not after—

”nakawala po kasi ang ama niyo mula sa mga guwardiya niya. gusto lang po naming alamin kung nagpunta po siya rito para humingi ng tulong. (your father was able to escape his guards. we just wanted to know if he came here to ask for help.)”

jessica’s grip on my arm tightened. she knew what i had done.

“officer, if my father was to contact me, it would only be because he wants to kill me. i was, after all, the one responsible for his arrest.”

throughout my exchange with the one nbi officer who was talking to me, the others had been securing my windows. one remained at the door, rifle trained at it.

”pasensya na, sir, kung hindi po namin kayo paniniwalaan agad-agad. (apologies, sir, if we don’t believe you right away.)” he took out a cellular phone and dialed a number. he started pacing. and then he stopped.

he called for his comrades to shoot at something. jessica and i turned to see the four nbi officers open fire on my sculpture. and that’s when i remembered.

i was seven years old, and i was watching my father work at the cemetery. he was drawing something on the ground. something grabbed me from behind. i turned around to look at it, but before i (or the something) could do any thing, a shot rang out.

the thing fell on the ground. dead.

i turned to my father and i knew he was responsible.

and watching the nbi open fire on my sculpture—i realized what it was.

jessica still had a tight grip on my arm, so she was still attached to me when i ran for the door. and i came face-to-face with my sculpture.

except this one was undead.