Ethereal Phantasm

CHAPTER XII

LAIRE'S POINT OF VIEW

Shit. I recognized that trap.

It was one of the interesting trap when I was still training in the ship. A decoy dead body. It's supposedly made to fool extraterrestrials. The smell is from a toxic gas that comes out from that body. Except that the chemical will only work if you touch the decoy body.

In short, it's a trojan.

Sooner or later, I'll lose consciousness because I made physical contact with it.

This also means one thing: A squad is here, looking at us.

Did they also see Mila? The other people? The villagers? Napalingon ako. No. They're too far from where I am right now. Madilim din at tahimik ang paligid. If the squad who put this trap will catch me now, wala na silang oras para mapansin pa ang mga villagers dahil magfofocus sila sa 'kin.

Right.

"Laire." I heard a familiar voice calling my name. As I looked back, my eyes widened.

"Jacques," I uttered. Nakita kong napatingin siya sa kung anong nasa harapan ko, saka sa kamay ko.

Bad timing.

Really, Laire. Really? After two months of not seeing together, eto pa talaga ang madadatnan niya? Napaka naman talaga.

Saka isa pa, bakit kasi siya nandito? I thought he was gone for good. Somewhere far away. Did he trick me again?

I took a deep sigh. This is not the right time to think about those things.

"You know what this means. Get away from me." I looked at Jacques who is currently looking for something in his bag of medical supplies.

Napakunot ako ng noo.

"What are you doing? I told you to get away-"

"Shh, we don't have time," he said and walks towards me. "Go to sleep, Laire. I'll handle this."

"What?" I asked, confused.

Hindi na ako nagkaroon pa ng maraming oras dahil unti-unti nang nilamon ng kemikal na iyon ang buong katawan ko. My mind went blank, my body fell. The chemical weakens my system until I only hear silence crept around me.

---

It felt like I slept for how many years when the heat of the sun touches my skin that wakes me up. Dahan-dahan kong minulat ang mga mata ko. Trees, grasses...

My eyes widened after a realization. I'm still here at the high part of the island.

Napalinga-linga ako saka inobserbahan ang sitwasyon. I am currently tied up again, unfortunately, and it felt like a part of my arms had been cut. Mahapdi pa ito kung kaya't ramdam ko. I also saw a small tent not far from the tree I was tied up.

"She's awake." A small voice of a girl startled me.

"State your name and Lieutenant, Private." A deep voice of a man stated.

Both of them look like they've been here for a while. Naka-military shirt ang isa sa kanila-an indication that they are the soldiers of the ship above. They also don't recognize me as an extraterrestrial.