Paradise of Corpses (Trinity Series 3)

17: The Chosen Fear

Nanahimik kami ni Amaya. It is cold, it is a serious discovery, somehow makes us not able to talk for quite some time. For the first time, we agreed on one thing. This thing...her parallel body is not dead but just sleeping. It always has been this way since the beginning. I heaved a deep sigh and so does she.

Amazing.

"Does he know?" I asked.

"Amugay? No. I won't tell him. If I do, he'll make me leave that thing here. I don't want that."

"But you should."

"No. Yes, I should but I should not. Amugay will do everything to protect me. If he knows this thing is alive, he'll kill that now so the tiniest opportunity will never come. Hindi niya ako papayagang magdala ng posibleng papatay sa akin. You know that."

"You're so lucky he cares so much about you."

"And you're so lucky he did not fall in love with you." she smiled all of a sudden. "You would not want me as a sister-in-law. That's all I know."

Napangiti ako nang marahan. Hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong matuwa sa biro niya o hindi. If I should still believe halfly the things Amugay told me about her and her adoration towards me. It's still hard to believe that is why I really cannot decide now.

"He loves Preema." that's all I've said after all that's inside my head.

"He does. Sometimes I think Preema don't deserve him kasi hindi naman siya maganda."

Natawa ako nang bahagya. Hindi ko na napiligan. She really isn't good at words. Wala siyang preno. To talk about her brother's girlfriend like this like a joke is funny.

"But Amugay loves her, so I think she got prettier by ten percent in my eyes. Mas maganda ka nga roon, e. Walang-wala siya sa ganda mo, to be honest."

"But my beauty did not really win your brother's heart, 'no?"

"Yeah."

We both heaved a sigh. For a moment, I think we agreed for the second time on something. We're somehow both disappointed. I don't get to see this every day, but I think I will be seeing it more often tomorrow and the days that lie ahead. I really do not hate her that much, ai just hated her because she is too protective of her brother, and it sometimes got on my way. Not sometimes, but always. She did. A lot. I looked at her again. Sighed again and glanced at the bones. It is still covered with white cloth but the eyes, I can feel it still looking at me at some way. The feeling...there are eeriness on it still.

"What do you think will it do if it opens up its eyes?" seryoso kong tanong kay Amaya na ikinangiti niya.

"That's why I'll bring it to me anywhere. To know what it'll do. Magkasama naman tayo kaya okay lang."

Natawa ako sandali. "Haven't you heard that I am useless on fighting them? Sure, I know the basics. I fought some and run away from them, but I will never go on longer if you two did not save me. My prowess...I can't use it here. I will not use it."