HOWLINGS AND SHADOWS (Thindrel Howzit Hawthorne)

🐾XXVI. Blood🐾

Thindrel Howzit Hawthorne

"Ray, let's go!", sabi ko sa kanya but she didn't listen to me.

She shook her head and eyed me with daggers.

"You did this, right? Why did you kill everyone close to my heart, Thindrel!?", sigaw niya sa akin.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. I haven't even meet her parents and I haven't been here since.

"No!", sabay iling ko sa kanya.

"What are you talking about, Ray? You're accusing your boyfriend that this is his doing!?", one of her sister said that. I guess that's Emerald.

"YES! HE'S A MONSTER!", sigaw niya sa kapatid. "He killed my best friends!", dagdag niya kaya nanlaki ang mga mata ng kanyang mga magulang.

I look at her in surprise. Ngumisi siya sa akin na hindi ko mabasa kung anong emosyon ang nakapaloob sa kanyang mga mata. She glared daggers at me.

"He's the one who caused unexplainable deaths in our town, mom", aniya sa kanyang ina.

Her mother look at me in disgust, fear and anger. Napaatras ako.

"Thindrel, you think I'll forgive you that fast? You think I asked you to stay and act like I love you just so we'd be together again?", she raised her eyebrows at me. "You're wrong, baby", aniya sa akin at dahan-dahang lumapit. "I lured you here to kill you even if it cost my father's life".

She caresses my face at kaagad akong nakaramdam ng hapdi doon. Her hand smells like vervain. Kaagad akong lumayo ngunit may patalim na tumama sa aking likoran.

It was a silver blade kaya mabilis akong nawalan ng balanse at muntik ng mapadapa sa lupa.

Esmeray laughs at my misery. They tied my wrist with cuff made of silver and stuff my mouth with vervain and sealed my lips with duct tape.

Tears pooled in my eyes. The pain is unbearable. Ngayon ko lang naranasan ang ganitong klaseng sakit.

"I wonder what makes you guys immune to sunlight when vampire will burn even with just a small touch of sunrays?", patanong na sabi ni Esmeray.

Hindi ko masabi. Hindi ko dapat sasabihin. What they done to me now is better than getting burned in sunlight. Dahil talagang ikamamatay namin iyon.

The secret of it is our daylight ring. This makes us immune to sunlight and the moment we'll take it off, the sunlight can kill us.

"Bring him to his cellar", utos ni Esmeray dito kaya mabilis nila akong dinampot at sapilitang hinila para makasama sa kanila at dalhin sa kung saan ako gusto ipalagay ni Esmeray.

When we reach the cellar. Madilim ito at puro bakal ang naroon. From the smell of it. It's made of silver. Sa malayong bahagi ay may skeleton akong nakita.

I wonder if I'm the first vampire they brought here. I wonder if I'm the first one who'll die here.

I'm a King, they doesn't have the rights to execute me or harm me. They doesn't have the rights to lay a finger on me.

They push me on the ground. I groaned and push myself to stand up pero sinipa lamang ako ng isa sa mga ito kaya napadapa akong muli sa sahig.

I hissed in pain when blood came out from my forehead dahil sa pagkatama nito sa bakal. I can't heal immediately, they out vervain in my system kaya mahihirapan ako. With vervain, I'm like a human, immortal and powerless.

"Welcome to your new home, Your Majesty!", Esmeray said with full of disgust. Tumawa pa ito ng malakas and her voice echoed in the whole room.

Pumikit ako ng mariin. Dad's words repeated in my mind. Love it the vampires greatest weakness. Tears escaped from my eyes. Nagkatinginan kami ni Esmeray. I saw a glint of hurt and sadness in her eyes kaya kaagad akong umiwas.

Guni-guni ko lang iyon. She really did turn to heartless after I left her all by herself. I really thought she already forgave me for all I've done and accept who I am. She played her role amazingly. Napaniwala niya akong minahal, at mahal niya pa rin ako even though I murdered her friends accidentally.

Napayuko ako. Father, mother, Uncles, Aunts and cousins. I'll bid my goodbye now. Even though I'm dying away from home. My heart does belong there.

Ngumiwi ako sa sakit ng binuhusan nila ako ng malamig na tubig na may halong vervain.

Sumigaw ako sa sakit. My vampire soul is dying. Literally, hindi ko na kaya ang sakit na naramdaman ko.

I vomit blood on the ground na halos isuka ko na ang lahat ng natirang dugo sa aking katawan. Even though we're vampires, halft dead, they said. We still have blood but our blood is kind of in different texture than humans.

"Amazing how I made the King bow down to me", sabi ni Esmeray. "You can leave us", utos niya sa tauhan ng pamilya niya.

They nodded their heads on her at iniwan kaming dalawa doon but I know they are just behind those metal door.

Ngumisi si Esmeray sa akin. "Oh! Look how the tables have turned", pumalakpak pa siya. "Are you hurting somewhere, my love?", she asked coldly.

Hinuli niya ang baba ko at pilit na iharap sa kanya ang mukha ko. Ngumiwi ako at kaagad na iniwas. My long hair followed the movement of my head.

"Look at me, Thindrel!", mariin na sabi niya sa akin. "LOOK.AT.ME!", she gritted her teeth.

Napilitan akong mapatingin sa kanya. I don't want to look at her. I don't want to look at her in this kind of situation. I don't want to look at the woman I love this way. I don't want to look at the only woman I love despite of what she's done to me now. My stupid heart still beats for her.

"I'm a good actress, right? I should receive an Oscar award for my performance", she laugh. "Napaniwala kitang minahal kita ulit noong bumalik ka. Who would have thought you'd fall for my trap. Hmm, do you love me that much, huh?", she caress my blooded face. She smirks. "If you love me that much, then, I feel sorry for you, Thindrel. It's all just a lie. I'm just acting to get you here and bring you in this situation", she heartlessly said. "Bear that in mind!", aniya sa akin.

She draw her face close to my face. She kiss my cheek. Dalawang beses niyang ginawa iyon. I close my eyes tightly and remember all what I came here for. I remembered why I love her and how I love her, and even how deep my love for her.

Lahat ng iyon ay inalis ko sa aking isipan. This isn't right, I know that. You don't have to tell me what to do or what's wrong or right. All I need to do now is to survive and go home to my family. If I can't have her, my family can't lose me.