Danger, Danger, Mr. Stranger

#DDMS30

#DDMSComeback

#DDMS30

❦
XANTIEL

"CAUGHT YOU."

That's what I said, but . . . my brow quickly rose at the sight of the woman in front of me. Her pitch black hair is mid-length, twisting in different directions like a wolf cut. Hindi ito gaano kahaba ngunit hindi rin gaano kaiksi, lumalagpas lamang nang kaunti sa kaniyang mga balingkinitan na balikat. Her bangs full, wispy, and fringey, covering most of her forehead and some going over her straight soft-angled brows.

Her eyes . . . the same russet in the perfect middle of red and brown. Her nose still pointed, still small and cute. Her lips pouty like before, but now a little fuller and curvier.

I took a step forward, but it startled her. My hammering heart got a little confused when she took a step back.

"F-Feuille?" nag-aalinlangan kong banggit. After all, it has been five years since I last saw her.

I would have already embraced her small frame with my arms. I would have buried my face at the side of her neck in a second. I would have in a heartbeat, but . . .

Her scared confused look was telling me not to.

Her scared confused look . . . is telling me she doesn't know who I am.

I felt my head whirling.

"Is that you . . . Feuille?" I managed to ask while whincing, my chest has started to ache with my head.

"I see that you've met the stranger living in our house," sabay singit ng boses ng propesor. Naroon siya sa may pintuan at nakapamulsa.

"I have a name, professor!" hiyaw ng babae sa tapat ko. "My name's Folie!"

Folie? I recalled Feuille using that name at the love hotel where I first saved her. Folie Gustavo.

Pumasok agad si Fifteen at inakbayan si Feuille. Inalalayan niya itong makalabas sa kuwarto. "Folie, tara. Hayaan muna natin silang mag-usap ni XV."

Why are they calling her that?

Naiwan kaming dalawa ni Xildius sa loob, at pagkasara ng pintuan ay inangilan ko siya agad. "You better have a damn good explanation of what's happening, XV."

He tilted his head and rolled his left shoulder as he walked towards the single sofa across the bed. Pagkaupo ay nagdekwatro agad ang propesor, hindi inaalis ang mga kamay sa bulsa.

"Five years ago, a girl covered in wounds and tattered clothes came knocking at our mansion. She said her name was Feuille Guivellnova," umpisa ng propesor. "Tumakas siya mula sa kanila sa tulong ng katulong nila na si Flumerys. That Feuille . . . was the Feuille that lived with you in your house."

Lumunok ako't napadila sa 'king nanunuyot na labi, hinihintay na magpatuloy ang propesor. I remember the name Flumerys. It was the name engraved on the stone at the grave I visited with Feuille back then. Flumerys Zyrillia.

"When I told you back then that Feuille was like a little sister to me, that was true. Sa loob ng ilang buwan na nanirahan siya rito sa Villa Vouganville, napalapit siya nang husto sa amin nina Fift at Vougan. Naging para na rin namin siyang totoong kapamilya."

A warm, bittersweet feeling pooled inside my chest. Imagining that Feuille also resided in Villa Vouganville like the rest of us in the past . . . it made me smile for a second. This mansion has served as our sanctuary, I'm happy that it served as a sanctuary for her too.