Cogency Duology 1: Her Desired Effects | Completed ✔

CHAPTER 21

'HER'

ALTHYS TREÑAS

HABANG naglalakad kami papunta sa clinic kuno ng Valmonte ay may nadaanan kaming isang white room na may initials na VPL, may mga naka white coat na estudyanteng lumalabas doon.

"Don't look at that room, tara na" ani Evander na agad ko namang sinagot ng tango

It feels like that room is a private room for some reasons, it also says that only Mr.N's students can enter that room.Naalala ko nanaman tuloy ang papa ko, I missed him.. sana napatawad n'ya na ako kahit wala naman talaga akong ginawang kasalanan.

"Ito na pala ang clinic eh" ani Art at kinatok katok pa ang pinto kaya umirap ako

Tamo talaga 'to.

Pumasok kami sa loob at sakto namang may aircon doon kaya medyo natuwa ako dahil grabe talaga ang init sa labas kahit maaga pa, walang nurses doon na ipinagtataka ko.

"Wala bang nurse dito?" tanong ko kay Evander

"Nasa Valmonte hospital sila ngayon, they're helping the other janitors there to clean the hospital and re-stock some medicine incase the event became bloody" napanganga naman ako sa sinabi niya

Alam kong may katagalan na ako sa Altadeo pero I didn't expect that things are getting more serious here in Valmonte, i'm not afraid to die but the fact that I haven't seen my whole family in a while — I want to assure my self that they're safe.

Many things already happened, itinakwil na nila ako't lahat pero mahal kopa din sila, mabigat ang pinasang kasalanan saakin ni Ctholly kaya naiintindihan ko ang galit nila.Ayon ang mahirap kapag maayos ang mindset mo, hindi mo magawang magalit kasi naiintindihan mo 'yung sitwasyon.

"Hindi naman pala nakikinig si Althys" ani Ceylon na nagpa-gising sa diwa ko

"Ha?Sorry may naalala lang" I smiled at them

Inabutan naman ako ni Evander ng first aid kit, dahan dahan ko namang ginamot ang iba pang sugat ni Ceylon.Tuyo naman na ang iba dahil siguro matagal na 'yon pero kailangan pa ring malagyan ng gamot para hindi mag-iwan ng marka hangga't bago pa.

"Ngayon ko lang napansin, maganda pala talaga si Althys sa malapitan kung tititigan mo" napa-iling iling naman ako sa sinabi ni Ceylon at medyo lumayo sakanya ng kaunti

"Tumigil ka r'yan baka bigyan kita ng bagong sugat" sabi ko na ikinatawa nila

Natahimik naman kami nang may marinig kaming tunog ng bumukas na kurtina at halos hindi na makakalma ang kalamnan ko nang makita ko kung sino ang nag-bukas non.

"You killed your brother and now you're seducing his opponents and friends, what a good slut Althys" si Ctholly

What is she doing here?

Na-alarma naman sila Art at agad na nilingon si Ctholly, I admit — she's very pretty like those type of popular girls.She's not kind but she's smart and pretty.

"Who are you?" tanong ni Evander dito

"I'm Ctholly, her cousin — alam mo bang mamamatay tao 'yang kasama niyo?She killed her brother — Alcyone" I glared at her

"I didn't kill him!Liar!" I shouted

"Napaka-defensive mo naman, I saw you — you pushed him" she flipped her hair

I can already feel my hands shaking, this is what i'm feeling when I am near Ctholly — panic attack.

"I didn't, you lied to my parents!You ruined everything!" I shouted again

She sprayed a small amount of perfume on her wrist and walk towards us, I covered my nose because I hate perfumes — I really do and I think Evander, Art and Ceylon knows that.

Nanlaki naman ang mata ko nang simula akong layuan nila Ceylon, kinunutan ko sila ng noo pero pumunta lang sila sa likod ni Ctholly.They're giving me this disgusting look, like i'm a disgusting thing to them.

"You're a killer Althys, you killed your brother" diin niya pa saakin habang dinuduro ako

Out of panicking, I ran outside the clinic.May narinig pa akong basag ng bintana pero hindi na ako lumingon pa, then I saw Megan and Xiera together.

"What's wrong?" tanong ni Xiera at akmang lalapit pero pinigilan ko siya habang umiiling

"I don't want to hurt anyone" pa-tango tango kong sabi at tumakbo sa kung saan

Mabuti at may mapunong parte ang Valmonte, tumakbo ako doon hanggang sa makalayo ako sa ingay na nagaganap sa eskwelahang 'yon, napa-upo nalang ako at napasandal sa puno habang pinipiga ang braso ko.

May narinig pa akong kaluskos pero hindi na ako nag-abalang mangamba, para saan pa nga ba?Wala naman sigurong taong maaabutan ako, I inhale then exhale to calm myself.May parte talaga saakin na parang uma-agree sa sinasabi ni Ctholly, pero wala talaga akong ginawa.

Wala talaga akong tinulak at pinatay, I'm not crazy and i'm not too broken to kill somebody out of love and hatred.

"Kuya.. nasaan kana ba kasi?Alam ko namang buhay kapa, magpakita kana napapagod na ako" napayuko naman ako sa mga braso ko "Alam mo bang ang hirap umaktong ayos lang ako kahit wala ka?Sabi mo mahilig ka sa pusa, may nuebe ka pang buhay pero bakit nagtatago ka saakin?I'd give up my soul just to see you again"

Dinama ko lang ang tahimik na paligid at preskong simoy ng hangi, tanging huni lang ng mga ibon at mga dahong pakalat kalat ang ingay na naririnig ko.After all the things that happened to me, kala ko hindi kona mararanasan 'to.

Someone pat my head, I was about to look at that person pero hinila niya kaagad ako at niyakap.No words came out from his mouth, I rest in his chest while both of my eyes are closed.I never knew I'll be needing this simple hug and silent comfort.

"You'll be fine"

That familiar voice, a lone tear fell from my eyes, I heard someone sigh from a mile but I didn't bother to look.Dama kona ngayon ang mga matang nakatitig saamin pero hindi kona 'yon pinansin pa, i'll appreciate this once in a blue moon scenario.

"Pagod ako, pagod na pagod na po" saad ko tila batang nagsu-sumbong sa nakakatanda

"Mag-pahinga ka"

"Hindi kona alam ang susunod kong gagawin pag-tapos nito" isang hikbi ang kumawala saakin

Hinagod niya ang likod ko, I heard him took a deep breathe and feel the wind as we hug each other.Pair of eyes around us, trees covering the sunlight and birds making sweet noises, how much do I need to spend just to stay like this for hours?

"Just go with the flow" bilin nito saakin

"Only dead fish go with the flow.." pabulong kong sagot

"Are you dead?" prangka nitong tanong

"No.." sagot ko sa mahinang tono

"Then you know what to do next" he kissed my forehead

Then I felt a sharp small thing in my arms, it feels like an injection — I expected this.Bago pa mawala ang diwa ko ay hinigpitan kona ang yakap sakanya, am I crazy for thinking this is real?

Malilimutan ko nanaman ba ang lahat at aakalaing panaginip lang 'to?Handa akong mabaliw maging masaya lang ulit, kung wala lang akong kailangang i-ligtas ginawa kona 'yan.