"Yeah, suck your own ass, Hannah! Tell it to the manager, I don't care! I'm out of this place!" she shouted, removing her apron and throwing it to her co-worker's face.

"That's right, Tenorio. That's the best thing you could do for yourself!"

"Sipsip na Hannah," bulong pa nito. "Go to hell."

Therrie stormed out of the staff room, taking all of her stuff with her. Padabog itong tumungo sa parking lot kung nasaan ang sasakyan niya. Habang naglalakad pa ito, bigla niyang natapakan ang sintas ng kabilang sapatos dahilan upang matisod ito. She didn't mind slamming her face on the ground. Tumayo siya kaagad at bumalik sa paglalakad, pero na-realize niya na may nakasabit sa sapatos niya. That's when she found out na natanggal ang suwelas nito.

She grunted, dropping her shoulders down as if she's already over to all the bad things that's been happening to her. Tinanggal niya ang sapatos mula sa paa. Gayundin sa kabilang paa niya. Walking barefoot, tumungo si Therrie sa sasakyan niya at pinaghahagis niya sa passenger seat ang mga bitbit niyang gamit.

Umupo si Therrie sa driver's seat at idinantay ang ulo sa manibela. She slowly breathe in and out, sinusubukang pakalmahin ang sarili pero sa dulo ay hindi niya ring napigilang mapuno ng inis at galit. Pinaghahampas niya ang manibela hangga't sa mag-ingay rin ang busina nito.

Unfortunately for her, Therrie just lose the job she had for about three months now. Hindi lang iyon, she was also evicted out of her apartment for not paying her rent. She was two months late and she cannot pay the landlord anymore. She's not making enough money out of her job sa isang fast-food chain. It helps her to manage to get her own food and a place to stay.

Dahil may sasakyan din naman siya, iyon na lang ang ginawa niyang tirahan. For about two months, Therrie's been living inside her car. Most of the time, she will sneak in early to her job just to take a bath so people wouldn't know that she's been evicted out of her apartment and using their staff bathroom as her personal shower. Now that whatever she's been doing for the past few months has been discovered, it looks like Therrie has to do all of those things over again.

Pero paano niya sisimulan ang mga bagay na 'yon kung sarili niya lang din ang aasahan niya? She doesn't want to go back to their family home—she left that house back when she was 18. Because of how her parents made her feel so less and unimportant, Therrie believed she can do all things by herself... but as of this moment, Therrie started losing belief in herself.

Hindi niya alam kung paano muli magsisimula. Wala siyang plan b o kung ano man. She has no friends to crash and please them to let her stay for the mean time hangga't sa makahanap siya ng bagong trabaho at apartment. Those are only in the movies and Therrie wished it was easy as that, but this is her reality.

Mga fifteen minutes din ang nagtagal bago naisipan ni Therrie na umalis. She started the engine and before she could even left where she is, muntik pa siyang may mabunggo at agad niyang prineno ang sasakyan at itinaas ang handbreak nito.

"Ano ba!" sigaw ni Therrie sa nang ibaba ang salamin. "Can't you see na may sasakyan? Hindi tumitingin?!"

And the man apologizes for what happened. Therrie thought the man would left after that pero bigla pa itong lumapit sa direksyon kung nasaan siya at kinatok ang bintana sa gilid niya. The man wanted Therrie to slide the window down so he could talk properly to Therrie. Ibinaba naman iyon ni Therrie, but not all the way down.

Salubong ang kilay nitong tiningnan ang lalaki.

"Anong kailangan mo? Scammer ka, 'no? Tatawag ka sa insurance agent mo at idadahilan mo na nabangga nito? Tapos ano? Ipahuhuli mo ako sa pulis? Pwes, putang ina mo! Hindi kita papatulan!"

Therrie was about to roll up the window nang ipasok ng lalaki ang buhok braso niya at sumigaw ito ng, "aray!" nang maipit ni Therrie ito.

Nataranta naman si Therrie at agad na ibinaba ang bintana. "See? Scammer ka ngang hayop ka!"

The man hissed while pulling his arm off of the window. Hinimas pa nito ito pero saglit lang ay hindi na niya ito ininda. Natuon ang kanyang atensyon sa dalaga.

"First of all, hindi ako scammer," panimula nito. "Alam kong hindi ka maniniwala sa akin, but here's my identification card so you would know my name. Hindi 'yan fake. Company ID ko 'yan so that's a real deal."

Inabot ng lalaki ang ID at kinuha ni Therrie iyon saka binasa ang pangalan, "Webb, Arkin..."

"Yes, I'm Arkin!" galak nitong tugon. "If you can read the company name, it says... AU Wonders INC. You'll get to know more about it soon, kung handa kang makinig sa akin."

"Scam," pag-uulit ni Therrie. "Wala akong pambili ng products mo. Hindi mo rin ako mauuto, okay?"

Natawa ang lalaki. "Okay, first of all, hindi ako nagbebenta at hindi rin ako scammer na iniisip mo. Galing lang ako ro'n sa katabing fast food na pinanggalingan mo, nakaupo ako sa labas at nagbabasa at nakita ko kung paano—"

"Okay, hindi mo na kailangan pang i-kwento sa akin iyong nakita mo."

"Sige, sige." Hagikgik pa nito. "I think you're having a hard time..."

Pumalakpak si Therrie. "Wow. Hula mo lang ba 'yan o baka stalker kita? You know, wala akong stalker kaya naman it would be my privileged kung pangungunahan mo na ito."

Napakunot na lamang ng noo ang lalaki. "Uh... moving forward. And it seems like, you've been living on your own now." Sinilip ng lalaki ang loob ng sasakyan ni Therrie.

Sa puntong iyon, may hindi na magandang nararamdaman si Therrie. "Alam mo, aalis na ako. Humanap na lang ng ibang makauusap mo. I need to find myself a new job so please, get out of my way o tuluyan kitang sasagasaan."

Nang ini-start muli ni Therrie ang sasakyan at paalis na ito, sumigaw ang lalaki. "I can help you find a job... and maybe get a better life!"

Sa puntong din iyon ay sinipa ni Therrie ang preno ng sasakyan at sinilip mula sa side view mirror ang lalaki. He didn't seem too weird for her. Para bang normal na tao lang na may magandang loob, but she felt like everything that's coming out of the man's mouth is too good to be true. Ang hirap paniwalaan, pero may pumitik sa kanyang isipan ang gawin ang hindi niya madalas gawin.

Ang makinig sa isang estranghero.

Iniaatras ni Therrie ang sasakyan papalapit sa lalaki. "What are you really proposing to me?"

"Something that could change your life."

"Okay." Kibit balikat ni Therrie. "Tell me all about it."

"Maybe... it's better if I get you there, okay lang ba?"

Napabuntonghininga na lamang si Therrie at pinapasok sa loob ng sasakyan ang lalaki. The man looked back to the passenger seat and see how of a mess is it. Nang balikan niya ng tingin si Therrie ay nakataas ang kilay nito. The man just smiled at her and started directing her where to go.

Dahil wala namang gagawin si Therrie at wala na siyang trabaho, she thought that this could be a good thing for her. Pero hindi naman naalis sa isipin niya na baka scam nga talaga ang lalaking ito at may hindi magandang gagawin. But as soon as they've reached the place he was talking about, doon naalis ang pagdududa ni Therrie. They arrived at a tall glass building that she thought could go up to forty floors. Ipinarada ni Therrie ang kanyang sasakyan sa parking lot at saka bumaba ang lalaki. Pinasunod naman agad nito ang dalaga.

When they reached the lobby, the place was too elegant for her. Agad naman itong napaatras pero hinawakan siya ng lalaki sa braso at sinabihang, "huwag mag-alala."

At that point, hindi pa rin makapante si Therrie. She started asking a lot of questions na siyang sinasagot naman ng binata. Every people they bound to meet ay binabati ang lalaking kasama niya. She's wondering who he is, but she never got to question it when they finally got into the room wherein Arkin asked Therrie to be seated while he get all the things he needed for her.

A moment later, Arkin attended her with a few papers on his hands. Inilapag niya ito sa table habang iniisip ni Therrie kung para saan ang mga iyon.

"Ah... wait... matanong ko lang. Anong posisyon mo rito sa company? Ikaw ba ang boss nila?"

Napangisi si Arkin saka umiling. "Hindi naman. Why do you asked?"

"Well... it seems like many of those people na nakasalubong natin ay kilala ka."

"We all know everyone here, that's why," tipid nitong paliwanag. "So, I promised—but now, we, the company promised you to have a better life and a future you'll never think you'll have. For now, I just want you to fill all this form up, and then after that, you'll be going through a procedure of assessment. Medical assessments lang. Physical, mental, and emotional and if you all passed through that assessment then you'll be good. So my question is, are you scared, Therrie?

Napangisi si Therrie at saka umiling. "No! Why would I be scared? I have no fear in myself. You got the right person for whatever you think I will have to do."

"Then great! Now, you can start filling up those forms. And another question, will someone look for you? You know, while you're here, you won't be able to step out of this building. You'll have your own life here. Everything will be served for you. You don't have to work. You don't have to do anything. You just have to be you and do whatever you like to do. Does that sound good, right?"

Tumango-tango na lamang si Therrie. "Yeah... those are pretty great things for me. And to answer your question, no one would look for me. I am my own person now."

"Cool—oh, not cool that no one will look for you, but it's a good thing—" Napangiwi na lamang ang lalaki. "Anyway, I hope you understand what I'm saying."

"Yeah! Thanks..."

"Great! Now, take your time and let me know if you have any concerns or problems. I'm gonna see my colleague for a quick minute."

When Arkin left the room and Therrie started reading and filling all up the things she needed to do. Most of the things she filled up are personal information and some random questions such as... Least liked personality, most liked personality, favorite color, hobbies, and other things that Therrie answered unknowingly and whatever just popped out in her head, she's just writing it.

When she was done with all the papers, she started calling Arkin back so she can proceed to the next process of whatever she needed to do. She then noticed the silver service bell on the far right corner. With curiosity setting in her mind, she pushed the bell a few times, but still no response from Arkin until she noticed that the ventilation on the ceiling immediately opened and started producing white smoke that quickly filled in the room.

Therrie covered her face with her hand, but that was not enough tool to keep the smoke out of her. She doesn't know what was happening, but momentarily, Therrie felt getting dizzy and continue pushing the service bell to call for help.

But no one came to respond, but on the other side of the room, they are watching.

"Subject 013 is ready," Arkin announced. "Call the doctors, we're going to initiate Therrie's first thirty days cycle."