The Dauntless

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Compel

    "What?" Hindi maintindihan ni Storm ang tinutukoy ni Gretel. "Sinong tinutukoy mo, Septima?" Hinarap ni Gretel ang  kapatid. She looked worried.
   
    "Kuya, nakita ko yung lalaki," sagot niya at humakbang papunta sa gazebo. Then Storm understand what she means.
   
    "Where did he go?" He followed her sister.
   
    "Basta, nakita ko siyang nakaupo sa gazebo and then he - he just vanished!" Gretel looked like she can't explain what she saw.
   
    "Wait, saan kayo pupunta?" Dark pulled Gretel's arm. She was annoyed.
   
    "Malapit na tayo sa main hall, it's just ahead of us. Gramps is waiting," giit ni Gray. Claud, Night and Sun looked confused. Lumapit si Storm at bahagyang yumuko, lumapit rin ang mga kapatid niya sa kaniya para makinig.
   
    "Gray, I'm here to find that man. At kung sakaling hindi siya na compel ni Septima at alam pa rin niya ang tinatagong sekreto natin , our family will be executed," he said in a lower tone. Tumango na lamang si Gray nang malaman ang tinutukoy ni Gretel at Storm, the same goes to his brothers.
   
    "Kuya, we have to hurry!" Nauna nang tumakbo si Gretel patungo sa gazebo para hanapin ang lalaking iyon.
   
    "Don't tell Gramps about this." Matalim na tiningnan ni Storm ang kanyang mga kapatid.
   
    "Kami na ang bahala kuya. But you have to come back as soon as possible," Night assured him. Tumango lamang si Storm at kaagad na sinundan si Gretel. Sina Dark, Gray, Sun, Night at Claud naman ay pumunta sa main hall. They need to go to the main hall because they must give respect and greet their Grandfather before doing something inside the campus of the Roxwell Academy. Isa itong tradisyon ng mga Velasquez na matagal ng kina - uugalian ng kanilang mga ninuno.
   
    "Are you sure you saw him vanished?" Kumunot ang noo ni Storm. He then looked around. Maraming estudyante at mga trainees ang nakapaligid sa kanila. Hindi siya sigurado kung nakita ba talaga ni Gretel ang lalaking iyon.
   
    "It's not like, literally vanished in thin air. Basta, hindi na siya nasundan ng mga mata ko dahil sa rami ng bampira rito." Padabog niyang sinuntok ang parang lamesa ng gazebo na gawa sa semento. The tiles cracked and the girl beside her jumped out of shock.
   
    "Ugh! Where are your manners?" Pumeywang ang babae at matalim na tiningnan si Gretel. Gretel slowly faced at the back where the girl is standing and then she glared at her. Like telling her to shut her mouth or else she'll die.
   
    Lahat napatingin sa babae, mukha siyang nahiya at nagpasyang umalis sa gazebo. She avoided Gretel's glare.
   
    "Don't cause trouble here," babala ni Storm sa kanyang kapatid. Bumuntong hininga na lang si Gretel para mailabas ang kaniyang irita.
   
    Napa isip si Gretel kung saan pumunta ang lalaking iyon. It's mid 12 in the noon so he might be going to the cafeteria or canteen. She remembered that he's wearing the same black soldier uniform.
   
    "Kuya, malapit lang ba dito ang cafeteria?" She then looked around to find the man. .
   
    "I know where it is, just follow me." Alam na kaagad ng kanyang kuya ang gagawin ni Gretel. He walked fast to go to the cafeteria. It was just beside the white and 2 story building and it is wide. Ang cafeteria naman ay kulay abo na may dalawang palapag.
   
    "Kuya! Teka lang." Gretel almost lost him. Storm stopped for a while.
   
    "Ang bagal mo." He sniggered. He held her sister's hand so that he will not lost her. Hindi pa nakita ni Gretel ang mapa ng campus ng Roxwell. Baka kung anong mangyari sa kapatid niya kapag naligaw siya sa loob ng campus and he will not forgive his self if that happens.
   
    When they entered the cafeteria, some students looked at the them. Gretel feel weird. Nagbubulungan ang mga babae sa tuwing napadaan sila sa kanila.
   
    "Isn't that Storm Velasquez?"
   
    "Hawak niya ang kamay ng babae oh."
   
    "Who's that girl?"
   
    Dirty tongue and dirty minds seems a good match these days, huh. She just ignored them and avoided their gazes. Lumingon lingon siya sa paligid para hanapin ang lalaki.
   
    Pumunta sila sa ikalawang palapag para makita ang buong cafeteria. Gretel look down to find him. Velasquez have sharp eyes like an Eagle. Kaya kapag nasa mataas na lugar sila nakatayo, madali nilang makita o mahanap ang target nila.
   
    Pinagmasdan ni Storm ang kanyang kapatid na abala sa paghahanap sa lalaking iyon. He can tell that she's worried and scared. Takot na malaman ng lahat ang sikreto ng pamilya nila kapag hindi nahanap ni Gretel ang lalaking iyon. And the worry for their family also.
   
    After a while, napag isipan niya na ang lalaking hinahanap nila ay naka alis na sa cafetería. He knows that the man was here. Storm's senses and instincts are strong enough to conclude it. It's one of his abilities as the first born of their family.
   
    "He's not here. He must be in the main hall, Séptima." Sasagot na sana si Gretel pero nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang makita niya ang lalaki na papalabas ng cafeteria.
   
    Got you!
   
    "Kuya, papalabas na siya ng cafetería." She ran downstairs immediately to catch up to him, Storm immediately followed her. Students and soldiers are looking at them.
   
    "Hoy!" Gretel just ignored the boy that bumped into her. Hindi kumibo ang lalaking nabangga nito kahit na wala na si Gretel sa harap niya. Nag blush pa nga siya eh. Eh, hindi nga nagsalita si Gretel.
   
    Huminto si Storm at lumingon sa lalaki. He glared at him. "Don't you dare to touch her." That boy was known as a playboy.
   
    Nang makalabas sila sa cafeteria ay huminto si Gretel. Lumingon siya sa kaliwa.
   
    "Can you at least tell me what he's wearing?" Storm looked annoyed. Bumuntong hininga si Gretel bago  siya sumagot sa kanyang kapatid.
   
    "He's wearing black soldier uniform and - basta! Kulay pula ang buhok niya tapos may dala siyang tatlong paper bag-"
   
    "Nakita ko na siya. Follow me." They didn't run so that others wouldn't notice them. They just walked fast as they followed the man.
   
    "That boy is going to that building." Storm pointed the black and big building that is just ahead of them. Malayo ang building dahil parang nasa tuktok ng bundok ito. Tumingala siya para tingnan ang building.
   
    "Ang layo naman. Paano mo nalaman na papunta siya roon?"
   
    "He's a Dauntless, Séptima." Gretel furrowed her brows. She remembered that her brother - Storm was one of the Dauntless noong nag t-train siya sa Roxwell Academy. Time flies so fast. Hindi na niya tinanong  ang kanyang kapatid.
   
    "So what is the plan?" They continued walking and following him, they only distanced for less than 4 meters para hindi sila mapansin. The road they're walking to is very crowded, para nasa palengke sila at wala sila sa Roxwell ngayon.
   
    "Do you see those trees there?" Gretel looked at the forest. Ilang metro ang layo sa kinaroroonan nila, nasa gilid lang siya ng road.
   
    There are two pathways, ang isa ay patungo sa isang Stadium and the pathway is surrounded by flat grasses  while the other pathway ay patungo sa kulay itim na building na tinutukoy kanina ni Storm. Ang pathway patungo doon ay napapaligiran ng mga puno.
   
    "Yes."
   
    "Kapag nasa pathway na tayo, I'll drag him into the trees as fast as I can, then after that check if anyone saw it before following me. Kuha mo?"
   
    "Yes, kuya." She nodded. Yumuko siya nang bahagyang lumingon ang lalaki sa likod. Yumuko rin si Storm, he sniggered. 
   
    Medyo nagulat lang si Gretel nang lahat ng mga estudyante o mga trainees ay dumeretso sa pathway na patungo sa stadium. Silang tatlo lamang ang naglalakad sa pathway na patungo sa itim na gusali. The atmosphere is heavy, and there's only silence.
   
    Storm and Gretel looked at each other when the man is walking fast. Bumilis rin ang paglakad ng dalawa. At nabigla na lang sila nang kaagad na tumakbo ng mabilis ang lalaki.
   
    "Huy!"
   
    "La myerda!" the two shouted. Bumilis ang takbo ng lalaki. He's really fast like the last time he chased her.
   
    "This is going to be fun, kuya." Storm smirked then both of them ran using their super speed abilities. The man ran as quickly as he could. Sa isang iglap ay nasa unahan na si Storm at nasa huli naman si Gretel not that she's slow but she's planning something to stop the man from running.
   
    Habang tumatakbo ng mabilis ay lumapit siya sa lalaki, just beside him. Lumingon ang lalaki kay Gretel at nagulat siya nang makita muli ang babaeng muntik na siyang patayin.
   
    Oh my Lord! It's her!
   
    And she pushed him towards Storm and he immediately dragged him into the trees. He pushed the man towards the tall tree just behind the man.
   
    "Urgh! Not again." He dropped on the ground. Natandaan niyang ganoon rin ang ginawa ng babae sa kaniya kahapon. Which is Gretel. Ang laman ng dala niyang paperbags ay nagkalat sa lupa. Nanghihina siya pero kinaya niyang umupo.
   
    Meanwhile, Gretel looked around to check if someone's out there. Pagkatapos ay sinundan niya ang kanyang kapatid.
   
    "Sabi ko na nga ba. Isa kang Velasquez," giit ng lalaki nang bumungad si Gretel sa harap niya. Katabi niya si Storm. The man leaned on the tree, hirap huminga ang lalaki.
   
    "You demons!"
   
    "We are not demons you-"
   
    "Séptima!" Storm pulled her back. Muntik na niyang atakihin ang lalaki.
   
    "Hah! You almost controlled my mind. Buti nalang natandaan ko ang nangyari kahapon nang makita ko ang mukha mo ngayon. You compelled me! I didn't know that a mere 20 year old like me can compel." Storm was kinda shocked when the man revealed that Gretel completely compelled him that day. But it didn't last.
   
    Rejo really did his job hah. Hindi na makapagsalita pa si Gretel. She stepped back and Storm looked at her. She asked him to do the rest. That is to compel him again.
   
    "Huwag kang lalapit!" Storm didn't listen to his words. He squatted and stared at the man's eyes.
   
    "I won't let you compel me again!" He shut his eyes tightly. Umigting ang panga ni Gretel. Hindi na niya mapigilan ang kanyang sarili kaya agad niyang sinakal ang lalaki. The man went up from sitting on the ground.
   
    "Urghhh!" Mas idiniin ni Gretel ang pagsakal sa lalaki. The only thing on her mind is her family's survival. The man opened his eyes. He gritted his teeth as he forced to stop Gretel by twisting her wrist.
   
    "Kuya... " Storm nodded. Gretel avoided the man's eyes. She feels a little bit of pity. Kaya, umiwas siya ng tingin.
   
    "Kuukk---kuh-" The man can't breathe any longer. "Make it fast," she said gruffly. The man shut his eyes tightly.
   
    "He won't open his eyes." Gretel was annoyed. She gulped and looked at the man's face. She gritted her teeth and tightened her hand on his neck.

    "I'm sorry," she whispered and pushed her nails inside his neck. He then opened his eyes because of pain.

    "Urgh—s-stop." Nanghihina ang lalaki. His muscles and arms trembled, his eyelids fluttered shut no matter he tried to stay awake. He looked at Storm, he's giving up.

    "Listen to me boy. Forget about what happened yesterday. Forget about her. Live your day like how you always do. And forget what we did to you."
   
    Agad na binitawan ni Gretel ang lalaki at nahimatay ito. He  dropped his body facing the ground. She looked at her nails covered with blood.
   
    "Who the hell are you!" Parang naestatwa ang magkapatid nang marinig nila ang boses mula sa likod. They slowly turned back. Nanlaki ang mga mata ng dalawang lakaki na kaharap ng magkapatid ngayon. They looked down behind Gretel and they were shocked and trembled when they recognized the man on the ground.

    We're dead meat.