Chapter 11: Familiar
Everything was just a delusion. Hindi ko alam kung kailan ako nahulog sa panlilinlang ni Brienne o kung ilang oras akong nakakulong sa loob, pero ramdam ko ang sobrang panghihina ng katawan ngayong nasa huwisyo na ako.
I was too exhausted, and maybe even too overwhelmed, to talk to Brienne. So I did nothing but stare at her for a couple of minutes. She tried to explain to me what really happened and the purpose of that. However, my mind was still somehow stuck in the haze of delusion. I couldn't understand a thing.
"You should take some rest for now," she sniffed, and I noticed how unusually red her nose was. As if she cried.
I heard someone grunt. Mula sa lapag ng kama ay bumangon si Callum na nag-inat pa ng katawan. Saka ko lang napagtanto na nakahiga ako sa kama at wala sa kwarto ko.
"I think I had a dream after a long time." Callum frowned while shaking his head. "Minsan na nga lang ako managinip tapos bibitayin pa ako."
Katulad ko ay parang wala pa rin siya sa sarili. Nung mapatingin siya sa akin ay natikom ang kanyang nakaawang na mga labi. Nagpalipat-lipat sa aming dalawa ni Brienne ang kanyang nalilitong mga mata.
"Nananaginip pa rin ba ako?" tanong niya na may kaunting sindak. He took a few steps backward as terror began to cross his face. "Shit. I think I am still dreaming."
Lumabas ng silid si Brienne. Nanatili akong nakahiga at tila hindi maigalaw ang katawan. Si Callum naman ay nakatayo at sinasampal ang sarili.
"I don't want to dream anymore. Wake up. Wake up!"
Bahagyang lumakas ang sampal niya sa sarili habang pilit na ginigising ang sarili. "Get me out of here!"
"You are not dreaming anymore, Mr. Callum Valencia."
I though what I had said could ease his worries, but he just got even more frantic. Tumalon siya sa kama at hinawakan ang dalawa kong mga balikat. Madiin niya akong tinitigan sa mga mata.
"Why did you betray me?" he asked.
He moved his face even closer to mine. He was too close that I could see the veins bulging around his neck and crawling up to the temples of his furious face. I've never seen his eyes this intense before.
"Why do you betray everyone?" he questioned again as his fangs protruded behind his lips.
He squeezed my shoulders, and I could feel his sharp nails slowly penetrating my skin. It should have hurt me, but I couldn't feel anything. It felt like I was paralyzed.
"Am I still dreaming?" he asked.
So I was not alone in the haze of delusion all this time. Callum was there as well. He knew everything that had occurred, and I couldn't bring myself to blame him for loathing me this much.
Biglang nawala sa ibabaw ko si Callum. Tumalsik siya sa pader. Dumikit ang katawan niya roon habang ang mga kamay ay nakataas. There was a strong force holding him against the wall.
"Your dream is not real," stated Brienne, who had just returned. Nung binaba niya ang kanyang isang kamay ay bumagsak sa sahig si Callum.
"Fuck!" Callum growled.
"You need to drink this." Inabutan ako ni Brienne ng isang baso na may inumin. Nagawa kong makaupo para tanggapin 'yon. Nung malanghap ang sariwang dugo roon ay hindi ako nagdalawang-isip na simutin 'yon.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Brienne approach Callum. Yumuko siya para bigyan din ito ng inumin. "Drink this. It will help you regain your strength."
"Regain my strength?" he asked, perplexed.
