ABDUCTED, AGAIN

Kabanata 1

5 months later...

White smoke levitated around the gun's muzzle after I pulled the trigger. Tinanaw ko sa malayo ang taong gawa sa kahoy at walang mukha. The bullet pierced through its forehead. Kinasa kong muli ang baril at pagkatapos ay tinutok ito sa kasunod na target.

"Don't scream. Don't turn around. Close your eyes and put your hands behind your back," he whispered.

No, it wasn't his petrifying words that made me stone-hard on where I was standing. It was his horrendous yet hypnotizing voice, it was his terrifying yet hot breath slowly lingering in my ear, on my neck, on my now cold skin, sending shivers down my spine.

Tila isang robot na napasunod ako ng boses ng lalaking nasa aking likuran. I closed my eyes and gathered my hands behind my back just like what he ordered. Nanginginig ang mga kamay, pinakiramdaman ko ang init ng presensiya niya sa gahiblang layo ng katawan niya mula sa kayo ng aking suot. Pinagdadasal na alisin na niya ang init ng hininga sa aking tenga.

Hindi sinasadyang nahila ko ang gatilyo. Uminit ang aking mga mata sa biglang pagpikit dahil sa imaheng dumaan sa aking isipan. I have always dreamed of it. Katunayan, kaya nandito ako ngayon upang burahin iyon sa aking isipan dahil napanaginipan ko na naman kagabi.

It has always made me breathless when I wake up. Sometimes it stirs me in my sleep. Most of the time, I wake up to it crying.

Paulit-ulit na pangyayari, hindi nagbabagong mga salita, subalit wala itong mukha, hindi ko makita ang mukha.

I opened my eyes and found that I didn't hit the target.

Seven men were standing in front of me. Eyes fixed on me.

I impulsively pulled the trigger again, trying so hard to shrug that thought off. But I missed my target once again. Kinasa ko ulit ang baril, pinilit na itutok ito sa target, maingat na tinantiya upang hindi na pumalya. But then I noticed how my hands were slightly trembling as I tighten my grip in the gun.

Isang mainit at malaking kamay ang humawak sa nanlalamig kong palad. The rough texture of his hand almost hurt my skin. Napasinghap ako nang mas maging malinaw kung gaano kalaki ang kamay niya kumpara sa akin. Halos sakupin ng isang palad niya ang dalawang mga kamay ko.

Ngunit salungat ng kagaspangan nito ay ang pagkamaingat niya sa pagtatali sa aking palapulsuhang nasa likuran.

"Close your eyes," the man whispered again, his hot breath never getting any less hot.

Napapikit akong muli ng mga mata na tila ba kahit na tira-tira na lamang iyon ng aking panaginip ay naririnig ko pa rin siya. His voice sounded so real, his touch, the texture and warmth of his hand, they all felt so real.

"Athena."

Sa puntong ito ay napamulat ako. I saw a man's worried face gazing at me. Doon ko lamang napansin na hawak-hawak pala nito ang aking kamay, ibinaba ito kasama ang baril na aking hawak, pinapatigil ang panginginig nito.

I looked up to him again to meet his gaze. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa aking pisngi at dahan-dahan, pinunasan niya ang ilalim ng aking mga mata. That's only the time I felt the wetness on my cheeks.

"You're crying again," he said in a low voice.

Sa sinabi niyang iyon ay mabilis akong napayakap sa kaniya upang itago ang aking mukha. I hate it. I really hate it! I hate missing his touch, I hate thinking about how it'll feel to have him here with me again, I'm tired of always having him distract me in everything I do.

I just hate missing him all the time.

"Ryzel called and told me you didn't attend your class again. I knew you'd be here."

Umiling ako sa dibdib niya.

"Hindi ako papasok."

"I'm not here to force you and drag you into your university."

Hinawakan niya ako sa magkabilang braso at marahang inilayo mula sa dibdib niya. He then showed a handkerchief which put a smile on my lips the way it always does.

"I am here for this." Ngumiti siya at pinunas iyon sa aking mga pisngi at pagkatapos ay inilapat sa aking ilong.

"Oh, blow." Napabungisngis ako at malakas na suminga roon.

Lumabas ang mapuputi niyang ngipin sa pagngiti at habang nililinis niya ang ilong ko ay napangiti na rin ako. Nakatitig sa kaniya, tahimik na pinapanood siya.

"Salamat, Gavin."

Pinanatili ko pa ang tingin sa kaniya. Little sweats glistened on his forehead as we are under the sun. Bahagayang nangungunot ang noo niya dahil sa nakakasilaw na liwanag ng araw. And I remained looking up at him because staring at him just felt so right...

Or maybe it's just because he looks so much like him.

Only when he stared back did I realize that the man in my dream must have had a face, I just chose not to see it, or I just refused to remember it.

Because it's him, it's still Hendrix after all.