The Lost Reaper

Chapter Eight

"Reaper?"

I remember Freya saying that there are reapers with no master but are living the same goal. Yung namumuhay lang sila na may sariling paniniwala. For sure someone lead them. Yun ang hindi ko sigurado. Now I wonder if he's one of them. One of those who chased us.

"So you know us," tango niya. "Siguro alam mo na din kung ano yung kaya naming gawin."

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

Nandito ba siya para kunin si Kenjie? Kung isa man siya dun sa nga humahabol sa amin, posibleng nandito siya para dito.

"Me and my friends are exploring the haunted school that everyone had been talking about. Gusto naming makompirma kung totoo nga ba. Yung kaluskos kanina, it was suspiscious kaya nagpaiwan ako. I wasn't wrong. May tao pa pala maliban sa amin."

"Good job, kid," I chuckled. "You got me. Now, tell your friends to go home. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Hurt?" he scoffed. "I smell dirty business on this building. So totoo nga hinala ko."

He looked up, roaming his eyes across the room. Hindi ko siya kilala pero alam ko na malakas ang kanyang pakiramdam. Hindi nga siya basta-basta.

"Inuulit ko. Umalis na kayo bago may mapahamak."

"Or else what?"

Napatingala nalang ako. Matigas ang ulo ng batang 'to. He doesn't listen. Alam ko na normal na tao yung mga kasama niya. Hindi katulad niya marunong lumaban. If Kenjie finds out that there are people aside from us in the campus, paniguradong ipapatay niya ang lahat. Ayaw niyang may makakakita sa kanya bilang Bishop. I, on the other hand, will be left with no choice but to follow orders. Kahit ayaw ko pa.

Humakbang ako papalapit sa kanya at hindi naman siya kumurap. Hindi din siya umatras. Nananatili pa rin siya sa kanyang pinagtatayuan na para bang hinihintay akong makalapit sa kanya.

I grabbed him by his collar to threaten him but he chose to throw a punch. Hindi ko 'yun insahan pero buti nalang mabilis akong nakailag.

"What the fvck?!" I cursed.

"Don't touch me," walang gana niyang sabi sa akin.

Humakbang siya papalapit sa akin at nagsimulang magbato ng suntok. Ilag lang ako nang ilag. Ayokong suntukin siya pabalik. As much as possible, I don't want to hurt someone. Especially kasi bata siya. Hindi ako pumapatol sa mga bata.

"What are you doing? Scared to punch me?" tukso niya.

"I don't fight with kids."

"I am not a kid anymore. Fight back!"

Sumugod siya sa akin kaya napahiga ako sahig at agad siyang pumaibabaw sa akin. He throw a punch on my face but I easily dodged it. Ginamit ko ang buong lakas ko at ipinalit yung posisyon namin. Ngayon ay ako na naman yung nasa ibabaw niya. Hinawakan ko yung nga kamay niya para tumigil pero napakalakas niya.

Naaninag ko na yung mukha niya dahil sa liwanag mula sa bintana. Napahinto ako nang makita yung mukha niya. Sobrang bata pa. He looks like he just underwent puberty.

"Tama na!" pagpigil ko sa kanya.

"Hindi!" sigaw niya at pilit na pumigilas.

Bigla niya akong sinipa kaya napahiwalay ako sa kanya. Ngayon ay siya naman yung pumaibabaw sa akin. Napapikit ako dahil sa ilaw na mula sa bintana. At that moment, I was blind because of the light so I anticipated his punch. Pero hindi iyon dumating. Unti-unti kong inimulat ang aking mga mata. My eyes adjusted to the light and when it did, I saw him froze on top of me. He looked down at me as if he have seen a ghost.

"August?" he asked.

Kumunot ang aking noo. His eyes started to get watery as he stared at my face, happily?

We stared at each other's eyes- me trying to find the answers and he unbelievingly stared at me. What is going on?!

"Nikolai?" a high-pitched voice of a girl called. "Nikolai! Uwi na tayo! Ayaw na namin dito!"

I heard footsteps coming our direction so I pushed the kid and hid behind the door. He just stayed there, frozen, looking down at the floor. That confused me. Big time.

"Nikolai. What are you doing on the floor?"

Tumingala yung lalaki sa mga kaibigan niya na hindi pa rin nawawala yung pagkabigla nang makita ako. Napakurap siya at pilit na ngumiti.

"Are we going home?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes. Kaya tumayo ka na d'yan. Natatakot na kami."

He looked at my direction that made me pushed myself to the corner. He looked down and stood up, walking closer to his friends.

"Let's go," he said.

"Are you okay? Were you crying?"

"No. I'm fine. Tama ka. Umuwi na nga tayo."

"I think he saw a ghost."

Someone gasps. "So totoo nga yung usap-usapan? OMG! Uwi na nga tayo!"

Before I knew it I heard their footsteps walking away from the building. Nang masiguradong wala na sila ay saka lamang ako lumabas sa aking pinagtataguan. I walked out of the room and saw their group going out to the gate hanggang sa hindi ko na sila maaninag.

I leaned on the door and thought, who was that boy? Sa paraan niyang pagtingin sa akin ay parang kilala niya ako. What made me confused is that he didn't call me by the name Anna or Brion. He called me by a different name. He called me August and that made me confuse even more. Isang pag-iisipan na naman na sumasakit sa ulo ko.

Nagulat nalang ako nang biglang lumitaw sa harap ko si Kenjie. Hindi ko ito napansin dahil sa malalim na pag-iisip.

"Looks like you're in deep thought," bungad niya sa akin.

Napailing nalang ako. "How was the transaction?" pag-iba ko ng usapan.

"It went smoothly," kunot-noo niyang sagot. "What are you thinking?"

He stared at me, trying to read my mind but I kept my face as pokerface as possible. Kilala ko si Kenjie. Gusto niyang malaman lahat ng iniisip ko. For I am his. Not in a romantic way but in a master-reaper relationship. Hawak niya ako sa leeg.

"Wala 'to. Just random stuffs while waiting for you."

He doesn't seemed convinced kaya inilapit niya yung mukha niya sa akin. Making sure I was telling the truth. I didn't know where I get the talent to hide my emotions.

"It's not another man, is it?" tanong niya sa akin.

"What are you talking about?"

"I remembered Ryu having his eyes on you. Don't you dare think of him," he threatened me.

"Why would I?"

"Remember that you are mine. Akin ka lang, Heather."