God's Cage | WOTG #1

five | wide awake

CADE
Wide Awake

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Hindi naman ako naniniwala sa multo at alam ko rin namang hindi sila totoo kaya naman naguguluhan ako kakaisip kung paano nangyari 'yon? Hindi ko rin naman naramdamang lumindol nang gano'ng kalakas para bumagsak ang drawer box. Sigurado rin naman ako na gising na gising na ako para masabing hindi panaginip lang ang lahat. Nakita ko mismo sa dalawa kong mata ang ka-wierd-uhan naganap.

A faint pain had arisen to knock in my head and it beat like a drum. I tried to not pay it any attention.

I hurried into my room and hid underneath the blanket, thinking about last night's incident—the men chasing me and how they flew against the wall and cracked their heads open and the earthquake. I couldn't sleep, and even though my stomach had rumbled and complained all night, begging me to eat something, I had refused to get out of my bed. I decided I would just clean the mess tomorrow. There was no way I'd leave this room without the sunlight peeking from the windows.

Hindi na rin ako nakainom ng gamot kaya naman nanatili ang mahinang pagtibok sa utak ko. Pero mayamaya lang ay kahit papaano ay nawala na rin ang sakit.

Humiga lang ako sa ibabaw ng aking kama habang nakatunganga sa puting kisame na para bang nakatitig lang din sa akin pabalik na para bang hinihintay kung sino sa amin ang unang kukurap. Binuksan ko rin lahat ng ilaw sa kwarto ko dahil pakrimdam ko ay may kung anong anino sa dilim. Habang ako'y nakahilata ay bumalik sa akin lahat ang mga nangyari kagabi na parang isang malakas na alon na lumamon sa dalampasigan.

Wala akong inisip buong gabi at bago ko pa malaman ay nag-ring na lang ang alarm sa phone ko. Sa sobrang lalim ng mga iniisip ko hindi ko na namalayang gano'n na lang kabilis lumipas ang gabi. Pinatay ko ang alarm sa ibabaw ng nightstand bago bumangon.

I took a deep breath, stuffing my lungs with all the oxygen I could muster, and stood up. I strode to the bathroom but then I noticed the white blankets got stuck on my feet. I shook it off and opened the shower. The water glided down my skin as these unwelcoming thoughts drifted off my mind.

I slid into my clothes right after I got out of the bathroom and lumbered out into the kitchen. I sat in the same chair last night and did my whining stomach a favor: I made a hazelnut sandwich oozing with chocolate spread. Before that, I had picked up the butter knife that pointed at me last night and washed it on the sink. It had reached the farthest distance compared to others, almost a couple of feet away from where the drawer box fell. I knelt and started picking up the cutleries from the floor to dump them on the sink and turned on the faucet, letting the water wash them before putting them in the dishwasher.

Pagkatapos kong ubusin ang sandwich sa tatlong kagat at inumin ang gamot ko ay tumingin ako sa orasan. Gumawa pa ulit ako ng isa pa bago ko inilagay sa ref ang palaman.

Hindi ko agad hinugasan ang butter knife na ginamit ko. Habang tinitigan ko 'to ay ramdam ko sa aking kamay ang malamig nitong bakal at napagtanto ko na ito'y may kabigatan. Siguro gravity ang dahilan kung bakit sa lahat ng mga kutsara, tinidor, at kutsilyo ay itong butter knife na 'to ang pinakamalayo ang narating.

Pero ang gravity ay isang downward force and not a force towards you, sabi ng lohikal na parte ng aking isip.

I threw it on the sink, put the sandwich between my lips, and grabbed my bag above the couch.

I walked towards the door and it automatically opened and revealed Zike, catching him mid-knock. He put his fist down. He raised his left eyebrow when he saw me and a smirk threatened to crawl to his lips.

"Mukhang kagigising mo lang ah," sabi niya. Kinuha niya ang sandwich sa bibig ko at kumagat nang malaki. Kinuha ko ulit 'yon mula sa kaniya bago pa niya 'yon ubusin.