Wounded Ride of the Heart's Corral

Simula

Simula

The sun barely broke through the thick, grey clouds that shrouded the world in a perpetual gloom. Each morning, the harsh reality of my existence struck me like a hammer, leaving me breathless and yearning for relief. The streets, once bustling with life, now echoed with the hollow sounds of survival, a haunting reminder of the life I used to know.

"Ysa!"

My heart thundered within my chest, threatening to burst forth from the cage of my ribs with each panicked beat. I trembled at the sound of his voice, each syllable of my name a piercing cry that reverberated through the walls of our home. Gusto kong magtago, gusto kong tumakbo palabas ng bahay na ito, kahit saan basta malayo sa kanya.

But I remained frozen in place, paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. His footsteps grew closer, the heavy tread echoing ominously in the stillness of the room. I could feel the bile rising in my throat, the familiar taste of dread coating my tongue. Each breath felt like a struggle, as if the very air around me had turned thick and suffocating. And then, as if on cue, he burst through the door, his eyes ablaze with fury and accusation.

"Punyeta ka!" sigaw niya, kasabay ng isang malakas na sampal na nagpatilapon sa mga luha ko. His voice echoed in my ears, reverberating through my mind like a nightmare I couldn't escape from. Hinawakan niya ang aking mga pisngi, at ramdam ko ang pagbaon ng kanyang mga kuko sa aking balat, leaving deep, burning imprints. Napakasakit, parang pinupunit ang aking kaluluwa at lahat ng natitirang lakas ko.

But escape was a distant dream, an illusion that danced on the fringes of my consciousness, always just out of reach. For I was bound to him by chains of fear and desperation, shackled to a life of torment and uncertainty. And so, I remained trapped in this suffocating reality, my spirit battered and bruised, yet still clinging to the fragile hope that someday, somehow, I would find the strength to break free.

My tears started to fall, as if a dam inside me had finally burst, releasing all the pain and fear I had tried so hard to keep inside. Each tear felt like a drop of my very essence slipping away, leaving me emptier with every second.

Parang ulan na walang tigil ang aking mga luha. My vision blurred, and my knees weakened, nangangatog ang aking mga tuhod, hindi malaman kung saan kukuha ng lakas. I could barely stand, feeling as if the ground beneath me was about to swallow me whole.

"K-Kael," halos pabulong kong sambit, umaasang magising siya sa galit na bumabalot sa kanya, umaasang matigil na 'to. My voice cracked, barely a whisper, a desperate plea for mercy. "Please, Kael," I begged, my voice trembling.

But his eyes were wild, filled with a fury that seemed unquenchable. His grip tightened, and I could feel his breath, hot and erratic, against my skin. There was a moment, a fleeting second, where I thought I saw something in his eyes – regret, perhaps? – but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a cold, unfeeling stare.

Every part of me wanted to flee, to escape this nightmare, but I was paralyzed, trapped by fear and the hope that somehow, the man I once knew was still in there, somewhere, buried beneath the anger.

His eyes were burned with anger, and anytime I could feel that he would kill me.

In that moment, the fear that had been building inside me reached a fever pitch. Each second felt like an eternity as I stared into his eyes, desperately searching for any sign of the man I once loved. The room around me blurred, my vision clouded by the tears that streamed down my face. The once-familiar surroundings now felt like the walls of a prison, closing in on me with every heartbeat. I could barely breathe, my chest tight with the terror of what might come next.

"Kael, please," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper, hoping against hope that my words might pierce through his rage. But his grip only tightened, his face contorted with fury. The pain in my cheeks was nothing compared to the agony in my heart, knowing that the person who stood before me, so consumed by anger, was the same one who once promised to protect me. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to escape, but my body refused to obey. Paralyzed by fear, I could do nothing but brace myself for the next blow, praying silently for the strength to survive.

"Nakipagkita ka na naman sa kaniya?" he asked and slapped me again.

Umiiyak ako, halos hindi na makahinga sa sakit at takot. Wala akong ibang hiniling kundi sana mawala na lang sa mundong ito. Ganito siya palagi. He was always like this, he would constantly ask me if I met my ex-boyfriend and even though I would answer truthfully na hindi ako nakipagkita, he still beat me up. Walang pinipiling oras o lugar, basta na lang sasaktan ako, wala akong magawa kundi tiisin.

"N-No, h-hindi, Kael," I mourned, my voice barely audible, shaking with fear and desperation.

"Sinungaling!" he aggressively said before he punched my stomach, sending waves of excruciating pain through my body.

Nanghina ako at natumba, my legs giving out from under me. I could feel the world spinning, my vision blurring as I struggled to stay conscious. The room seemed to close in on me, every corner darkening, swallowing me whole. Everything went black, but before it happened, I wished I would die. In that moment of utter despair, I silently pleaded for an end to the suffering, for a release from the endless cycle of pain and fear.

The darkness was a brief solace from the relentless pain and fear that had become my reality. But amidst the decay and despair, there lingered a faint glimmer of hope. It was a small ember, easily overlooked in the darkness, but it refused to be extinguished. It whispered of better days ahead, of a future where the sun would shine once again, and the streets would be filled with laughter instead of fear. And though it seemed impossible at times, I clung to that flicker of hope, knowing that it was the only thing keeping me going in this harsh, unforgiving world.