CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
I was on a familiar place from my childhood. I started to panic when I saw no one around. I walked through the sandy ground and reached for the swings. I sat there and used my legs to make it move.
"Onyx," a woman's voice called me. I looked behind me and saw a lanky lady wearing a beautiful one-shoulder dress in the colour of white. Sinubukan kong ibuka ang bibig ko para magsalita pero walang lumabas na boses.
"Why are you alone? Where's Kino?" She asked. She's not familiar to me. She's beautiful and her eyes were the colour of emerald. Pero bakit kilala niya ako? Again, I tried to respond but to no avail.
"Oh, there he is!" Tumuro siya sa likod ko kaya agad akong napalingon doon. The playground shifted into a tulip farm. Different colours of flowers lied in front of me. The kid, a familiar boy, smiled at me. He's smiling while waving his hands. I could see how the wind ruffles his hair and how his eyes blinked several times.
"Onyx! Come play with us!" Anyaya niya sa akin gamit ang masaya niyang tinig. Ngumiti ako pabalik at nagsimulang maglakad palapit sa kaniya. In every step I take, he would age. Until I reached him and he's now a grown up young lad. There are no longer smiles on his lips. His eyes no longer emerald. They were blinding green lights in the dark night. I opened my mouth and finally, a voice came out.
"Kingston," I mumbled. He stared at me but didn't say or do anything. Akmang hahawakan ko siya nang biglang may humablot sa akin palayo sa kaniya. The place swirled in a beautiful disarray of rainbow. In a blink of an eye, I am no longer on the tulip farm. Nagtatago ako sa ilalim ng isang puno habang pinakikinggan ang nangyayari sa malaking puting bahay.
"Max! Take Kingston with you!" A lady shouted in urgency. I saw six men, wearing all-black and armed, entered their abode. I stood from where I am hiding to see a clearer view. I could hear several steps, a loud bang and a muffled scream. My breathing became rapid and a tear escaped my eyes.
"You will pay for this! I will make sure that this land will fall to its true successor!" The shout was followed by another loud bang. I clasped my mouth with my hands.
"Mother!"
*****
"The time is five o'clock. Rise and prepare. The time is five o'clock. Rise and prepare. The time is five o'clock. Rise and prepare."
Napabalikwas ako mula sa pagkakahiga nang marinig ang mala-robot na boses ng isang babae mula sa intercom. Ano bang klaseng panaginip 'yon? Ang gulo.
Bumangon na ako at naghanda para sa pagpasok sa klase. No trainings today but we still need to attend our classes. I don't know what I hate the most; going to school or attending trainings. Both are torturing me. I would rather sleep.
"Good morning, my lady!" Shin greeted me when we met at the staircase. I just frowned at him. Ano kayang sikreto nito? Parang araw-araw siyang full energy eh.
