Aristle's POV
I have a secret.
It happened when I was 20. It was one of my craziest secret. Can you keep it?
Lorelei is dead. I am now Aristle.
And Alec doesn't exist in Aristle's life. So why...
"Why are you still alive?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko kay Alec.
Kanina pa akong hindi mapakali nang magising ako sa isang pamilyar na lugar--- ang dating hideout ni Alec kung saan ko sya pinatay. Nandito kaming dalawa sa loob ng malawak nyang kwarto.
Nakaupo sya sa isang upuan sa harap ko at naninigarilyo samantalang ako naman ay nasa isang kama. Tanging isang pulang lingerie na lang ang suot ko at mahigpit na nakatali ang mga kamay ko sa likod, at ang mga paa ko.
"I thought I was you God? Gods never die, Lei. They disappear, but they never die." Makahulugang wika nya.
Hindi ko na naiwasang umirap at samaan sya ng tingin.
"Don't fuck with me and just answer my fucking question!" Inis na sigaw ko sa kanya.
"Woah, chill. Look how bold you've become within the three years I wasn't able to discipline you." Namamangha kunwaring saad nya saka muling humipak ng sigarilyo nyang may kakaibang amoy.
"How are you still alive?" Seryosong tanong ko ulit.
Panaginip o hallucination ko lang ba na pinatay ko sya three yeara ago?
Pero imposible yun. Kitang kita pa rin ang mga peklat nya sa leeg mula sa mga saksak ko kahit na natabunan na ito ng tattoo.
"You really like to rub salt on my wounds, don't you? Pinipilit mo kong alalahanin ang mga bagay na ayaw kong maalala."
"Wala akong pakialam." Nawawalan na ng pasensyang saad ko pero tumawa lang sya nang malakas.
Baliw talaga.
"What's with the haste? We have all the time in the world, Lei. But since kating-kati ka na talagang malaman, sasabihin ko na."
Sumeryoso si Alec at itinapon sa sahig ang sigarilyo bago nagsindi na naman ng panibago.
"You know what? I've never experienced pain in my life. Even if you cut me into pieces, shot or stab me several times, or choke me to death--- I'll never experience pain." Pagkukwento nya.
"I have Congenital analgesia. It means that it's impossible for me to feel any sort of physical pain. But when you killed me that day? That was the first time I ever felt pain."
I think I know where this is going.
"I didn't feel any pain here," itinuro nya ang leeg nya. "But here?" Itinuro naman nya ang tapat ng puso nya. "I did."
Hindi ako nakaimik. Dalawang taon din kaming magkasama pero hindi ko nalaman o napansin man lang na may Congenital analgesia pala sya. Hindi ko alam kung makakaramdam ba ko ng guilt o hindi.
"I cared for you more than what you thought, Lei. Kaya nasaktan ako nang gawin mo ang kung anong ginawa mo sakin nang araw na yon." Nalulungkot nyang saad.
"Pero hindi ako galit sayo. Actually, I'm quite thankful. If you didn't kill me that day, I wouldn't know that I'm still capable of feeling any pain. So, thank you." Nakangiti nya pang dagdag saka tumayo at lumapit sa harap ko.
"And this is how you thank me? Kinidnap mo ko at itinali? You're welcome ha." Sarkastiko ko namang sabi.
"Can you really blame me? I was too traumatized that I still think you're gonna stab me right now." Paawa nya namang sagot bago humipak ng sigarilyo.
BINABASA MO ANG
Her Dirty Little Secrets
Acak19 years old Aristle Emery Buenaflor has secrets, in fact she has many of them. Too many that it's so hard to keep them a secret anymore. "Walang sekreto ang hindi nabubunyag." Watch as her f*cked up life gets more f*cked up as her (dark and dirty)...
