Dark Fairytale (Published under Cloak Pop Fiction)

Chapter 38: The Boy From That Night

CHAPTER 38: THE BOY FROM THAT NIGHT

It all happened so fast. One minute, the chapel was there; I was still talking with her. And then the next second, it was all gone. There was nothing left of the chapel but wreckage. And as the paramedics and rescuers took bodies out of debris, I couldn't help but think of Forest. I always think of her as the creepy girl, the weird one who was always asking if I wanted to be her friend; as if she couldn't believe that there would be someone who would treat her as one. The crazy classmate who had a tendency to harm the people around her. And despite of that, I always think of her as one of the few friendships I made in Elford High. And I wanted to think of her as someone invincible, a person who was capable of defending herself. But I saw her got shot. She was a reaper but still a human. She could bleed. And how I wished that she wasn't a human at all. I could handle all the insanity; I just didn't want her to die.

Iniabot sa akin ni Zoey ang isang botelya ng tubig. Nasa backseat kami ng sasakyan habang si Mister Alfred ay nasa labas at isinasalaysay ang nangyari. Ang sabi niya'y inihatid lang namin ang isang estudyante ng Elford High at pumasok itong mag-isa sa chapel. Aniya'y mas makabubuting hindi madamay ang pangalan ko sa trahedyang iyon. Tulad ng pagpigil niya sa akin na bumalik sa loob nito.

"Oh, God, I could have died if I went with you guys," narinig kong wika ni Zoey.

Isang matalim na sulyap ang ibinigay ko sa kaniya. How could she make this tragedy all about herself? Uminom ako ng tubig at pinanood ang nangyayari sa labas ng sasakyan. Kausap ni Principal Vasquez at ng mga school administrators ang mga pulis. May mga estudyante rin na nanunuod sa hindi kalayuan. Ilang saglit pa ay bumalik na si Mister Alfred sa sasakyan at ini-start ang kotse.

"Did they find Forest?" agad kong tanong.

"Walang estudyante ang Elford High na nagngangalang Forest. Wala rin pagkakakilanlan ang mga bangkay na nakuha mula sa guho," sagot ni Mister Alfred.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Zoey. Bakas ang kalituhan sa kaniyang mukha. This couldn't be right. Kung wala silang record ni Forest, posible rin ba na walang record sina Declan at Lev sa school?

"How could she be in Elford High if she's not a student?" bulalas ni Zoey.

Ofcourse, she didn't know everything about the Novou, the reapers, mafia, and all the darkness that surround being a Devereaux. Naiintindihan ko kung paanong naguguluhan siya ngayon. At hindi ko rin naman puwedeng sabihin sa kaniya ang mga nalalaman ko.

"Maaari po ba'ng ihatid niyo ako pabalik ng Casa Eleonor?" sa halip ay tanong ko.

Hindi nito hinintay na pahintulutan iyon ni Zoey dahil agad na siyang lumiko sa kalye na dinaraan tungo sa Casa Eleonor. Mukha rin naman na hindi tumututol si Zoey kung ang paghalukipkip lang nito at pagsandal ng ulo sa headboard ang tanging reaksiyon na kaniyang ginawa. Marahil ay iniisip niya pa rin ang misteryo ni Forest.

Nang makarating ng Casa Eleonor ay nagpasalamat ako at agad na pumasok ng bahay. Ni hindi ko na hinintay na tuluyang makaalis ang kanilang sasakyan. Narinig ko nalang ang tunog nitong papalayo habang umaakyat ako sa aking silid. Isinara ko ang pinto at yakap ang mga binting pumuwesto sa kama.

I was scared and horrified. I saw her got shot. I saw how the chapel collapsed from explosion like it was just a house of cards. The realization that I could have been inside it if Forest didn't tell me to go was etched in my mind. I could have been one of those dead bodies from the rubbles. And I didn't know how I managed to walk home without freaking out. I didn't know that I could be brave amidst the fear that was gripping me.

Matagal akong nanatili sa ganoong puwesto. Paulit-ulit na bumabalik sa aking isip ang pamamaalam ni Forest. Tinatanong ko rin sa aking sarili kung may maaari ba akong nagawa para sa kaniya? Kung hindi ba ako ganito kahina ay nakatulong ba ako sa kaniya? Kung ang mundo ko ba ay kasingdilim ng sa kanila ay makagagalaw ba ako sa gitna ng panganib nang hindi nagiging abala? Forest wanted me to go; na tila ba alam niya ang mga mangyayari at hindi makatutulong sa kaniya ang presensiya ko. At maaaring tama siya dahil hindi tulad niya ay mahina ako.