Aldeheid

Chapter 20

Visioned
——————————————————————

Callum rushed to the hospital when he found out what happened to the Gleens that night. Halos hindi na siya makahinga dahil sa kaba ng dibdib niya. He knew that something was weird about him that afternoon, but he assumed it was due to the coffee he had drunk—iyon pala ay dahil sa pag-aari niya.

He noticed Claudette, who had just exited Aldeheid's chamber. Nginisihan siya nito at may kakaibang tingin before she knocked the door for him. She chuckled at tinapik ang kaniyang balikat, "You're one crazy hoe. Kaibigan nga tayo."

Hindi niya ito pinansin at walang paalam na pumasok sa loob. Agad niyang nasilayan ang babaeng kanina niya pa gustong makita. She was hearing a hospital gown but it did not make her less beautiful. Hindi niya tuloy mapigilang isipin na kakaanak lang nito at karga ang bata.

Mabilis niyang winaksi sa isipan ang hangad niya atsaka lumapit sa walang malay na Aldeheid, habang walang pakealam sa paligid. Rios grinned and sat down, while the other two coughed to draw Callum's attention.

Doon niya lang ang mga ito napansin matapos tapikin ni Crowick ang kaniyang balikat. "I'll leave her to you, I still have two women that need me."

"I hope for their fast recovery." aniya na walang pakealam dahil alam naman nilang lahat na agad ring gagaling ang mga ito.

"Oh, natagalan ka ata?" may halong asar na tanong ni Rios.

"Had to clear what happened at the tavern." he raked his hair before repositioning the chair to face his friends while his left hand holding Alde's.

Napaangat siya ng kilay, "Anong nangyare sa'yo?" pigil na tawang tanong niya sa lalaking madilaw na bagong tupi na buhok.

Napaayos ng pagkahalukipkip si Romeo at nagtagis ng bagang sa naalala. Si Rios naman ngayon ang bumuhakhak.

"Nagbardagulan sila ng Juliet niya." turo sa pasa nito sa noo.

Napangiwi si Callum. "Juliet what?—Romeo and Juliet—pft!"

Asar man ay nanatiling tahimik lang si Romeo at napairap sa dalawa. Romeo has already had enough of Rios's teases, mabuti nalang at hindi gaanong mapang-asar si Callum sa kaniya.

Ilang sandali bago natapos ang dalawa atsaka na nila napag-usapan ang nangyare sa Gleens at kay Aldeheid.

Romeo carefully tossed documents and photos onto the table, followed by a little USB. "I personally investigated the matter and obtained as much evidence as we needed; it's clear from this photo that what happened was premeditated."

Napatitig ang dalawang magkaibigan sa tinuro ni Romeo at sabay na pumulot ng mga nakalatag sa mesa.

"This isn't the same bear outside the barrier; this may be a pet or drugged," Callum said, his brow furrowed.

Tumango naman si Rios, "Kung tatanungin niyo kung sino ang may gawa nito, si Tanda agad sa'kin!" bago sumandal sa upuan.

He could be but they knew he couldn't kasi una sa lahat, Mr. Cleo was with their alpha the whole day even the following days. In addition, the bear that attacked the Gleens and Aldeheid was different. It had a temper and was stronger than those of they have caged.

"We couldn't really accuse anyone, especially because no one else was present but the bear." ani Romeo.

Napatingin sa kaliwa si Callum nang may biglang naalala, "Hindi ba't nangyare na rin ito noon?" he leaned forward to pick a photo, "A bear also attacked a group of people, and the last time I remembered, lahat ay normal na tao."

Romeo nodded as he agreed to what Callum remembered, "Oo, apat na beses na, at ni isa sa kanila ay walang natirang buhay kaya hindi natin agad nasuri kung anong klaseng uso ang umatake."

"And it just happened that this bear that attacked your little Alde and her family carried bad luck in him, kaya imbes na pumatay, siya pa yung namatay." natawa si Rios sa gitna ng kaisipang iyon.

"I doubt that it's the same bear. Looking back to the past cases, magkaiba ang laki at kurba ng kuku nito. Pati na rin sa kulay ng balahibong natagpuan." imporma naman ni Romeo.

"Eh, paano naman yung nakita ni Claudette kanina?"

Napantig ang tenga ni Callum sa biglang singit ni Rios. Nagkrus muli sa isipan niya ang mapaglarong ngiti at makabuluhang sinabi nito bago siya nakapasok.

"Bakit, anong nakita niya?" elbows on either side of his knee as he leans closer. He expected the answer Claudette mentioned a while ago.

Nagkamot sa batok si Rios at naguguluhang tiningnan si Callum, "Teka, hindi niya sinabi sa'yo?"

Callum merely gazed at him, scarcely able to wait for a response. Natawa ng kabado si Rios nang makitang wala nang natirang pasensya ang beta nila.

"She was with our team when they arrived at the scene. She's given the permission to read the bear and clear our blues but she saw Aldeheid's awakened appearance instead."

Halos napamura si Callum doon at hindi makapaniwalang tiningnan si Romeo. Hindi niya mawari kung iyon ba ang ibig sabihin ni Claudette kanina pero ipinagsawalang bahala niya muna ito.

"I never lied, Mr Callum," he stated before a ringtone distracted them.

"I need to accept this." ani Romeo at walang paalam na lumabas.

Sa halip na makapagpahinga ay natadtad pa ng tanong ang naguguluhan ring si Rios. "Aba, ewan ko rin. Ang naintindihan ko lang sa pulang babaeng iyon ay ang ginawang paglaban ni Aldeheid mo at ang sinabi niyang jacket at mga sumbrero."

Callum had a hunch about where this bear originated from based on the clues Rios mentioned, but he was skeptical because whoever owned a millinery had departed long before Aldeheid arrived at Malcolm.

Pero hindi niya pa rin mapigilang mag-alala sa naisip. Dahil wala namang sinabing umalis ito sa Malcolm, tanging pagkawala lang ang alam nila. At kung magkataon mang ito na naman ang dahilan sa nangyare, hindi niya alam kung mapapatawad niya pa ba ito sa ikalawang pagkakataon.

He might not be able to save his mate, but he'll enter hell just to save his Alde.

——————————————————————
nyariina