The Lost Reaper

Chapter Eighteen

"Via, right?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Lumiwanag ang kanyang mukha nang tinawag ko siya sa pangalan niya.

"You remember me!"

"I only do because I remember you crying in front of me saying I am Anna."

"But you are!"

"My name is Heather Miller. Kung ano man ako noon ay hindi ko na maibabalik pa."

Her shoulders dropped. She looks disappointed but what can I do? Selfish man pakinggan pero ayaw kong ipilit yung sarili kong kilalanin yung nakaraan.

"So totoo nga'ng wala kang maaalala."

Pumikit siya nang mariin saka dumilat. When she settled her eyes on me, all I felt was her coldness. Gone was the emotional girl.

"Okay, Heather. If you want it that way then I respect you. From now on, I will treat you like how I should treat you. A reaper of a mafia. A prisoner, perharps," malamig niyang sabi. "Kung nagugutom ka na, bumaba ka lang. Handa na ang hapunan."

Tiningnan niya muna ako sa mata bago tumalikod at lumabas na nga ng silid. Nang isara na niya yung pinto ay saka na ako nakahinga nang maayos. It wasn't a meeting that I was expecting. Hindi ko akalaing makikita yung babae dito. Her cries had been haunting me all night, wondering what it was for.

I was more surprised on how she handled the gun that I pointed at her. Napatitig ako sa baril na nasa sahig. She was fast and I wasn't able to catch up. Isa ba siya sa mga reaper? Si Kenjie lang ang kilala kong maliksi. Pati din naman pala siya.

Nasapo ko ang aking noo nang maalala yung panaginip. Kenjie was there and it felt so real. Hanggang ngayon ay ramdam ko yung kamay niya sa leeg ko. Dreams have meanings pero sa panaginip na 'yun ayokong malaman kung ano ang ibig sabihin. Him choking me and pointing his gun at me is not that hard to understand.

I sighed. I screwed it already. I betrayed the mafia. Kung ano man ang gagawin nila sa akin ay dapat ko nang tanggapin. I knew the consequences, yet I still chose to be a traitor.

Umiling ako. Hindi ko dapat ito isipin ngayon. Ang dapat kong iisipin ay ang mga taong nasa bahay na ito. Lucca is trustworthy, naputanayan niya iyon. Hindi lang ako alam sa mga kasama niya.

I decided to go down kasi nakaramdam ako ng gutom. Egg omelette lang yung kinain namin kanina ni Lucca.

I opened the door slowly and peeked outside. Wala namang tao kaya tuluyan na akong lumabas. I took the stairs to go down and followed the noise. Parang may piyesta. The sala was empty. Maririnig mula dito ang ingay na nagmula sa kusina. I took small steps to the dining room.

"Nasaan yung coke?!"

"Nandito! Kunin mo na yung chicken sa oven!"

"Yung plato!"

"Ang ingay!"

I was amused by the variety of voices I heard. Mukhang may handaan nga. Dito pa lang, I can already smell the foods na kumakalam ng aking sikmura.

"Lucca, sigurado ka bang okay na siya?"

"Yes Tita. She's perfectly fine."

"I can't believe that she's alive!"

Hindi man nila sabihin kung sino ay alam kong ako yun. It's just that, do they have to prepare a lot for me?

"Heather Miller."

Napalingon ako sa aking likuran at handa na sanang atakihin yung lalaki nang makitang hindi siya nagmumukhang pumapatay.

"And you are?"