Confidential File: Dungeon of Axlberm

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Zakia

NAGISING ako dahil sa mga katok sa pintuan. Papungas-pungas akong bumangon habang ang isang kamay ko ay sinusuklay ang nagulo kong buhok. Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang wall clock dito sa kwarto at napagtantong alas onse na ng tanghali.

I overslept, geez.

Nang buksan ko ang pintuan ay bumungad sa akin ang naka-elegant black suit at black slacks na babae. May suot din ito ng itim na gloves na hanggang palapulsuhan lamang ang haba. Bumaba ang tingin ko sa paa nito at napansing nakasuot ito ng itim na leather na sapatos na halos isang pulgad lamang ang taas.

She looks like a businesswoman.

Bumalik ang tingin ko sa mukha nito nang magsalita ito.

“Handa na po ang tanghalian, Ms. Zakia.” magalang na sabi nito habang bahagyang nakayuko at tagilid na nakalagay ang kanang kamay sa kaliwang dibdib.

Tinakpan ko ang aking bibig nang hindi ko napigilang mapahikab. “Thanks. I'll just fix myself. Pakisabi bababa na rin ako.”

Isinara ko ang pinto nang makaalis ito.

Last night was a disaster and nerve-cracking. Paano ba naman, ginulat lang naman ako ng siraulong Vigor Ace Lustiro na 'yon by proposing to me to live here. And take note, he is acting weird and for me, to be honest, he's like flirting with me or more like he is treating me like his girlfriend. Kung hindi lang siya natauhan nang pitikin ko ang noo niya kagabi ay baka nasampolan ko na siya ng pagiging black belter ko sa taekwondo. That's why we slept so late because I need his proper explanation why he wants me to stay here.

That man doesn't know the concept of sequence of events.

Halos pikit pa ang mga mata ko nang maligo ako at mag-ayos nang kaunti. Pinatuyo ko ang aking hanggang baywang na buhok at inayos ang curtain bangs na minsan ko lang ayusin dahil palagi ko itong iniipit sa likod ng aking tainga.

Patayo na ako mula sa tokador nang maalala ko ang senaryo kagabi bago kami matulog.

“Alright. Let's talk about the other details tomorrow. For now, you need to sleep 'cause you need the energy to absorb all the information we will give you.” he said while going to the bed.

“Wait,” lumapit ako rito. “Are you thinking that we are sleeping together?” I asked.

He looked at me bored and tuck himself. “Yeah. This is my room after all.” he casually said.

Isn't he too naïve to think that I will agree to that?

Bumuntong hininga siya at may tinuro sa bed side table. “You can pull the string of that pod if I ever violated you. It is connected to the police station here so once it rings, they will arrest me immediately. You know, the law here is very strict when it comes to harassment and I will be beheaded if it is proven that I ever did that to someone.”

My shoulders became at ease with what he said. “It's not that I'm thinking you will do something out of my consent,” I paused while I started to walk going to the bed. “It's just, I'm wondering why do want to sleep here when you actually said that there are guest rooms here.”

It may sound too reckless to trust someone I just met but he doesn't look like a bad person.

He closed his eyes and put his arm above his forehead. “The bed was too big for one person.”