How To Tame A Demon

Epilogue

Warning: explicit language and violence.

. . .

Naalimpungatan ako mula sa tulog nang marinig ang malalakas na huni ng mga ibon sa labas ng bahay. Pagmulat ng mata, naramdaman ko ang bigat ng mga nagdaang araw na parang hindi ko pa rin kayang bitawan. I glanced at the clock—4 pm. Nakatulog pala ako nang mahigit isang oras, pero pakiramdam ko, wala namang nabawas sa bigat ng dibdib ko.

Bumangon ako mula sa kama at dumiretso sa banyo. Maliligo muna ako at baka sakaling mawala kahit konti ang mga iniisip ko. Nang matapos, nagsuot ako ng simpleng t-shirt na navy blue at itim na pantalon, mabilis na sinuklay ang buhok ko, at humugot ng malalim na hininga bago bumaba.

Tahimik akong lumabas ng bahay at laking pasasalamat nang walang makasalubong. Malayo sa lahat, iyon ang gusto ko ngayon. I shut the gate behind me and started walking, not caring where my feet would take me.

I had no idea how long I had been walking, but exhaustion was creeping in. But no matter how much I tried to clear my mind, nothing made sense.

As I continued walking, I felt someone's presence nearby.

"Avery?" a familiar voice called out. I turned around, startled.

"H-Harry?" I stammered, unsure if I was seeing things. But there he was, smiling as he approached me.

"What are you doing here?" tanong ko, kahit halata namang ako ang wala sa lugar. Ngunit imbes na sumagot, binalik niya ang tanong sa akin, "I think I should be the one asking you that. What are YOU doing here?"

Napatingin ako sa paligid at napansin kong may mga tao palang nakatingin sa amin. Napahiya ako bigla. Sa sobrang lalim ng iniisip ko, hindi ko na namalayan ang mga nasa paligid ko.

"So... what's up?" he asked, still smiling but clearly concerned. Huminga ako ng malalim. Alam kong kailangan kong ilabas ang lahat ng ito.

I started telling him everything. About Travis. About Emma. About how I saw them together last night.

"Wait... so you saw Travis kissing someone? And he responded?" Harry stopped walking, disbelief written all over his face. I nodded, feeling the sting of the memory once again.

"Nakita ko... and he wasn't just kissing Emma. He pulled her closer," I whispered, my voice cracking as I tried to hold back tears.

Bigla siyang natahimik, nakatingin lang sa kawalan, as if something clicked in his mind. "Wait... Emma?"

"Bakit?"

"She has... the same name as my ex."

“Ex... mo?” gulat kong tanong, not sure if I heard it right. Tumango siya, confirming my suspicions. Napatigil ako sa paghinga.

Maybe the Emma I was talking about... is her...

"B-bakit kayo nag-break?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself. He looked at me, his expression softening.

"I broke up with her because of you," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. Napatitig ako sa kanya, speechless.

Tahimik kaming nagpatuloy sa paglalakad, at napansin kong nasa madamong lugar na kami. Wala nang mga bahay o kung ano pang mga bagay, parang kami na nga lang ang nasa gitna ng kawalan.