"Hindi pa rin siya nahahanap."
June's days were spent in constant anxiety.
"Hindi ko kilala ang sinasabi mo."
Every day, he felt like he was missing a part of himself.
"Cornelia? No, never heard of her."
He carry guilt around like a painter would a canvas when passing by his favorite landscape.
At sa huli, alam niyang ang tanging lead lang niya sa kasong ito ay ang tumawag sa kanya noon. Kahit na nahihiwagaan pa rin siya sa sinabi nitong kailangang mawala ni Cornelia, alam ni June na kailangan niya itong isantabi kung gusto pa niyang ma-preserve ang existence ng dalaga. At this point, he wouldn't even be surprised if he's the only one in Eastwood who remembers her.
Dahil habang tumatagal, napapansin niyang unti-unti nang nawawala sa isip ng mga tao ang mga memorya nila kay Cornelia.
"Cornelia...? Pasensya na, June, pero wala kaming anak na Cornelia ang pangalan."
Maging sa memorya sa sarili niyang mga magulang.
That was the last straw, he knew. Nang bumisita ulit siya sa bahay nila kanina, kapansin-pansing lumala ang kalagayan nila. Para bang hindi pa sila nakakatulog nang maayos---kung nakatulog na sila. Like almost everyone in Eastwood, Cornelia's parents moved lethargically, yawning and sick. Hindi niya alam kung nakaapekto ba ito sa kanilang isip, pero nang kakausapin na sana niya ang mga ito sa nahanap niya sa kwarto ni Cornelia, they reacted like it's the first time they heard the name.
And maybe that is what's happening right now.
Sleep-deprivation is slowly taking over everyone.
"Kung anuman ang nangyayari ngayon sa Eastwood, may koneksyon ito sa pagkawala ni Cornelia," June concluded and took in a deep breath before dialing the number he's been staring at on the screen for the past hour.
Maya-maya pa, sumagot na ang nasa kabilang linya.
["You want to know where she is, don't you?"]
June unconsciously curled his other hand into a fist, attempting to calm down. Kung may pag-asa pang makita niya ulit si Cornelia, kahit gaano ito kaliit, June would do anything to see her again.
To bring her back.
"Anong kapalit?" Huminga muna siya nang malalim bago nagpatuloy, "kung talagang gusto mo kaming tulungang mahanap si Cornelia, you would've already told me by now. Hindi ko alam kung sino ka, pero may pakiramdam akong hindi libre ang pagbibigay mo ng impormasyon."
["Smart. I should've never underestimated you, June. At para sagutin ang tanong mo, kailangan mo lang pumunta sa lugar at oras na sasabihin ko sa'yo..."]
Tahimik na pinakinggan ni June ang sunod nitong sinabi. All the while, his eyes remained glued to one of his drawings from the previous night.
'The girl trapped in darkness', the titled read, written in his messy penmanship.
*
She thought her body was going to explode with all the pain she felt.
'Anong nangyari?'
Hindi niya alam kung gaano katagal na siyang nakahiga. Nakalapat ang likod sa malambot na tela. Pinagpapawisan nang malamig. She tried to move, but every time she attempted to, her body felt like it was about to collapse.
Pilit niyang inaalala ang mga nangyari mula noong bumitiw siya sa hawak ni Dave, pero mahirap alalahanin dahil puro dilim lang din ang nakita niya. She didn't even have any idea when the darkness end and the unconsciousness started.
Cornelia heard a elderly man's voice.
"Makakatulong ito sa sakit. Baka makaramdam ka ng pamamanhid, pero mas mainam na 'yon kaysa magdusa ka sa kalagayan mo ngayon."
What?
Cornelia forced herself to open her eyes, even though doing so made her feel dizzy. Nang makapag-adjust na ang kanyang paningin, doon niya napagtantong may inilalapit na pala sa kanyang basong naglalaman ng umuusok na likido. Her eyes widened with fear, but the old man coaxed her to drink it.
"Hindi ito lason, 'wag kang mag-alala..."
Soon, she felt the foreign liquid entering her mouth and sliding down her throat. Wala na siyang magawa kung 'di inumin ito at ipagdasal na nagsasabi ng totoo ang matanda.
When she gulped down the last of it, Cornelia felt a numbing sensation in her limbs.
"Give it some time, child. Manunumbalik rin ang lakas mo sa mga susunod na oras."
And oddly enough, she knew that whatever this old man made her drink is helping her recovery. Nang maaninag na niya ito nang maayos, doon niya napansing may suot itong lumang balabal. It was hardly enough to conceal his white beard and wrinkled face.
'Sino naman 'to?'
As if reading her mind, the old man sat upright and answered, "Nakita kita kaninang nakahandusay sa buhangin kahapon. Mabuti na lang at naramdaman kong may pulso ka pa. It's like the sand was craddling you, so I assumed you fell off the cliff and that's how you survived. Dinala kita rito."
The sand... saved her?
Noong mga sandaling 'yon, naalala ni Cornelia ang bilin ni Dave.
'Wag kang bibitiw.
"Madalang lang may nabubuhay pagkatapos nilang bumagsak dito, hija. Madalang lang ang sinuswerte."
Maya-maya pa, sinubukan na ulit niyang kumilos. Nanghihina man, sa pagkakataong ito, nagawa niyang umupo sa kama. Err, it wasn't much of a bed in the first place---more like a bundle of mismatched rugs and old fabrics---but she was still thankful. Wala rin naman siyang naging maayos na pahinga sa ilang araw nilang paglalakbay papunta sa Black Desert.
"Salamat sa tulong."
Pero nang balingan na niya ang ermitanyo, nakalabas na pala ito ng silid. Napabuntong-hininga na lang si Cornelia at inilibot ang mga mata sa paligid. The state of the nipa hut itself wasn't in good condition. Yari sa pinagtagpi-tagping pawid at banig ang isang bahagi ng pader. May tubig pang lumulusot mula sa mga butas sa bubong. Inside, there wasn't much to see. Just the bed, a small cabinet containing weird-looking bottles and preserved herbs. May maliit na lampara sa isang sulok at plato na naglalaman ng tinapay.
'Mag-isa lang siyang nakatira dito?'
Cornelia forced her body to move and stood up, examining herself. Nakahinga siya nang maluwag nang mukhang wala namang napilay. Only a few scratches and patches of dirt on her wet abaya. Inalis niya ang tela sa kanyang katawan, thankful for the layers of (dry) clothing underneath.
Nang lumabas siya ng kubo, doon niya nakita ang ermitanyong abala sa pagsusulat sa isang libro. Nakasalampak lang ito sa ibabaw ng isang malaking batong nakadungaw sa malawak na disyerto. Sa kanyang tabi, may maliit rin itong lampara.
Cornelia noticed the large rock walls that bordered on the farthest part of the area. Nang tumingala siya, doon niya nakumpirmang ito rin ang bangin kanina, halos walang liwanag ang nakakarating dito.
"Isa ka rin ba sa mga sinuwerte?" She asked out of curiosity, hoping not to offend him.
"Depende kung anong kahulugan ng 'swerte' para sa'yo, hija."
The old man answered with a sad smile on his face before he resumed his writing.
---
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
