Storm Academy: Tale of Falsities

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter 37: Vampire World

Umalis ako sa pagyakap niya at umiwas ng tingin. Hindi naman din siya umangal at pumunta na sa upuan para kunin ang bag na dala niya. I just stayed beside the door, awkwardly waiting for her. Sandali niya akong tiningnan bago naglakad palapit sa akin— sa pinto at binuksan 'yon.

Lumabas na siya kaya sumunod ako. And as I walked out of the room, the two guards stood straight and started to walk a step away from me. Umikot ang mata ko at nagsimula ng dumiretso sa pinto palabas ng restaurant na ito. Binuksan nila pareho ang pinto at naunang lumabas para buksan ang pintuan ng sasakyan.

Are they really like this? O talagang akala lang nila na tatakas ako? Pumasok na ako sa loob at sumunod naman ang dalawa. Ang driver naman ang nagtulak ng pintuan para sa nanay ko palabas. Are these men vampires too? I looked sideways and decided to touch one of them. Nagulat ang lalaki kaya hinawakan niya agad ng mahigpit ang kamay ko bago pa lumapit ang kamay ko sa katawan niya.

Yep, they're vampires. I can't see their future. May nakikita naman ako kahit papaano kapag nahahawakan ko ang ibang tao, but they were mostly good things. Just the incident this morning was the only bad thing that I saw, at least a bad thing in my case.

I've started seeing the future just after learning about it. Dahil nga hindi aware ang katawan ko sa mga ganoon, kinailangan pa nilang ituro sa akin kung paano ito paganahin. And with their help, I've managed to learn about it, hindi naman kasi kasama ang precognition sa unang training na ginawa ko. They were mostly for the rare kinds.

Pumasok na siya sa loob at sinarado ng driver ang pinto bago umikot papunta sa driver's seat. Tumingin siya sa likod at nakita ang kamay ko na hawak ng isa sa kanila. Tinignan ko rin ito at nakita kong namumuti na dahil sa kawalan ng dugo ang kamay ko.

"Stop that. If her veins pop out, you'll have a harder time resisting. At least act like you're not troubled." She scoffed and turned her back against us. Agad namang tinanggal ng alipores niya ang pagkahawak sa kamay ko. Was he trying to control himself? From drinking my blood?

Oh yeah. They've been so used to smelling their usual blood that all of these are new to their senses. Even SHE was in a tight spot a while ago. I made a mental note to not get myself in a situation with blood in my body that has been externalized. Baka maubos ang dugo ko at lalo akong mawala dito sa mundong ito. Gosh, I'm going to their territory.

Umandar na ang sasakyan at nagsimula ang mahabang katahimikan. There was no one breaking the silence. Tanging ang tunog lamang ng makina ang naririnig dito. Even the radio wasn't playing.

She sprayed alcohol through the aircon vents. Agad na nag-amoy alcohol ang buong sasakyan. Narinig ko ang pagkalma ng dalawang lalaki na nasa tabi ko, pati na rin ang driver. Were they... smelling my blood? Were they resisting too much that they stayed silent and pursed themselves to resist? I scoffed. I'm doomed then.

"Dahil ba 'to sa hindi namin pag-amoy ng kakaibang dugo for years, or is it that your blood is so special that it projects a stronger, pungent smell to our noses?" she muttered. Paulit-ulit na pag-spray ng alcohol sa buong sasakyan. Ano namang isasagot ko doon? Anong alam ko tungkol sa mga ilong nila?

Nakita ko ang pamilyar na establishment. Malapit na kami sa abandoned building, malapit na sa tunnel. The car turned to the side and went inside the familiar building. Hinigpitan ko ang paghawak ko ng bag at humiga ng malalim.

We entered the abandoned building, and in just a quick blink of the eye, it was now dark except the lights emitted from the headlights and the reflectors reflecting it. The familiar feeling got me the best. I'm heading back to this world, but not in the places I usually go to. This time, I'm going to a new place, where there's new people, and a new world.