Under the Moonshine

Six | Autumn Market

"This is the town of Elton," Emily started as she slowly drives her black Audi. The streets were neat, radiant, and welcoming. Not everyone could afford living in a highly developed community like that, overlooking the great Taal volcano. "They say it's the town for elites. This is Autumn Market," she pointed to her left.

After parking the car, she looked at Taren. "Is this your first time being in a market?"

He nodded, eyes wandering around. "Look, there are lots of people." His eyes were wide, following some people, letting the busy surrounding sink in.

The place was packed, variations of snacks lined out front. To the left were stalls made up of bricks, painted in different colors, making an attraction. On the right side stood the restaurants, almost every kind of cuisine were there to match the customer's hunger. Staring out the window, Taren was a bit intimidated mingling with those people.

Emily bit back her laughter at his scared reaction. "Of course, we're in the market."

"What are we doing here, anyway?"

"I think you need some clothes since my father's clothes were too small for you."

Taren let out a sigh. "I'd rather wear no shirt."

She looked at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was really damn crazy. She had an idea that this guy beside her didn't know that he could make any girl strip just by showing his body. Lucky that she wasn't just 'any' girl.

"Just come on, Taren," Emily ordered.

As they climbed out of the car, she instantly put on her hoody, slightly hiding her face. Taren did the same and followed behind her. He closed their distance, making sure he was on the right track, a bit nervous about the whole thing. Some unknown emotion started to trigger inside him, the kind of chaos he could feel in the market nagged at him bitterly.

Emily headed straight at the clothing section, buying him a week worth of clothes, a pair of shoes, and some necessities he would sure needed, including a razor. Taren hung the paper bags on his broad shoulder, as if it weighs nothing. As hunger rolled over, Emily tugged at Taren, as both of them dined at Verone Classico.

The waitress lead them to their seat, giving Taren too much sweetness that Emily started to get real irritated. They ate in silence, no one attempting a small talk.

"I need to pee," Taren whispered after a while.

She pointed at the back. "It's there, just turn right."

"Can you come with me?"

Emily wanted to refuse but thought better of it. "Sure, come on." She helped him carry some paper bags as she stood outside the men's bathroom. Taren emerged after a while, trailing behind Emily again as she led the way to the parking lot. They walked in silence, people passed by them, some were taking a good look at Taren. He tried to avoid brushing shoulders with the others, his instinct alert and a bit tensed.

Emily's steps suddenly slowed down, her brows on deep thinking. "Wait," she murmured more to herself.

Taren paused, his deep eyes focused on hers. The moonlit shined on him, the night sky clear and fresh.

She looked up to him, as if calculating. "Taren, have you notice the laptop on one of the tables in my dad's lab?"

He thought for a moment then nodded.

"I think we can get some answers from that," she told herself. "I mean, I know for sure he would record his research or experiments. We need to get that laptop."

"When you fainted," Taren started, "You kinda sway and hit the laptop by accident and it fell onto the floor." Emily's face distorted, as if she'd seen a nightmare.

Silence chirped for a moment as they continue walking toward the parking lot.

"Sebastian's compiling his videos in what he calls 'his external hard drive'."

Emily turned to him again as they waited for the traffic light's signal. "And you knew where he hid his external HD?

Taren nodded his head with enthusiasm.

"Let's go and get that."

"Okay," he replied.

Emily crossed the streets, her mind in complete excitement about her plan. She could feel that she would find some answers about the stranger guy her dad had saved and maybe through that, she could find some clues about her father's sudden death. All she needed to do is to get that external HD.

A screeching sound echoed behind her, some people gasped, horror in their eyes. Emily looked over her shoulder, only to find Taren being hit by a red car, his body colliding straight at the car's bumper. The impact sent him stumbling down, the collision was too hard not to give him enough broken bones. Everything seemed to slow down, terror sucked the air, freezing time.

"Taren!" Emily shrieked as she let go of the paper bags, letting it hit the cold ground.

The car's driver was too consumed on what had happened, his drunken state seemed to melt, kicking him back to reality. The guy stepped out of the car, his sleepy eyes in utter shock. His bumper had been deformed due to impact. He looked afraid. Too damn afraid.

Taren stood up from the ground, his face calm, as if nothing had happened. He picked up the paper bags that had fell, not even sparing a glance at the guy who had hit him. Emily rushed over to him, panicked.

"Oh-God," the guy uttered. "I- I didn't mean to... Hey, are you okay? Are you bleeding? Oh God! I'm in trouble!"

Taren ignored him and let Emily checked him for any injuries. Audience started to pool around, some were too shock to say something.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tone worried.

He cocked his head to the right and looked at her panicked face. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"But I accidentally hit you with my car!" the guy argued at the side, tone slurry. "I think I've hit you hard. I'm sorry... Don't sue me, please! I swear to- "

"Enough!" Emily cut him off, leading Taren out of the scene.

"I think I'm fine," he told her. "Should I not be fine, Em?"

"If you're fine then you're fine," she replied.

Some people started to call the authorities, alerting them of the accident. Emily just hurried to her car and started the engine, leaving them all to gossip.

- - - - -

There wasn't a single scratch on his firm legs. How did it happen? Emily had no idea.

"Why are you so worried?" Taren asked, his clear brown eyes zeroing on her.

"Because you got hit by a car," she replied, still puzzled. "But you weren't affected. Aren't you hurt?"

Max jogged towards them, sniffing Taren's legs.

"What exactly are you?"

Taren snapped his gaze away from her, his thick brows drawn together. "I'm not a what, Emily, I'm a who." He tilted his body and faced Max, envying the dog's peace and innocent world. "Be careful of your words or you're liable to hurt someone's feeling."

Surprised, Emily lowered her gaze, feeling guilty.

He just shook his head. "My stomach aches. I'm starving."

"Again?" she asked quietly.

He nodded. "I feel like I've used all my energy already."

She just let out a sigh. "What do you wanna eat?"

Max barked, his tail waggling.

Taren patted the dog's head and scratched his chest. "Well, this boy wanted some chicken and I'd like some... chicken too."

Shaking her head, Emily stood up and headed to the kitchen, leaving the two sprawled out on the cold floor.