Golden Ceremony

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Paper Planes

Mordecai Samuel is an unpredictable man.

Lahat na lang yata na hindi ko inaasahan ay nasa kanya na katulad ng mga pinaghalu-halong emosyon na nararamdaman ko para sa kanya. Ang mas hindi ko inaasahan... siya pala ang nakaraan na nais kong malimutan.

Biglang bumugso ng tubig ang loob ng kanyang glass box sa ulo. Nakangiti lamang siya sa'kin at mukhang proud pa siya sa naging desisyon niya.

With a smile plastered on his beautiful face, I screamed and punched the glass, tears falling through my cheeks. But I was so hopeless, I was trapped and barely out of his reach.

Hinampas-hampas ko ang glass. I wouldn't ever let him press that button until we figured out how he can get out but he doesn't listen. He only listens to himself.

"Mordecai!"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he just made a peace sign with his fingers.

Puno ng luhaan ang aking mga mata, nagmamaga na ang kamao ko kakahampas sa glass, halos masira na ang lalamunan ko kakasigaw, begging him to fight and survive.

Mordecai stood there without moving at all and his head filled with water. He closed his eyes, his black hair waving through the water, his lips closed, as if accepting his fate.

Gumalaw ang glass tube ko, unti-unting napapalibutan ng dilim hanggang sa nilamon ako ng pader.

***

Lothaire... Mordecai... parehas silang nakita kong nagdurusa sa game at hindi ko man lang ma-confirm kung buhay ba sila o hindi. Lothaire was pale as snow when being dragged away while I watched Mordecai drown in water.

Napatitig na lang ako sa salamin. Pulang-pula ang mata ko kakaiyak. My face and arms covered in gauze.

I don't recognize this girl anymore. You had the most widest smile wearing your toga uniform, and now this is what you look like... burnt and broken.

Napakuyom ako sa kamao ko, I could've done something, I should've tried harder. Nabigla ako sa lahat ng nasaksihan ko. The games are becoming more and more brutal and dangerous... I couldn't do anything to stop them.

I had another sleepless night just thinking about them and my family, worried sick about what happened to them. Magang-maga ang mata ko kakaiyak hanggang sa wala na kong mga luha na iiyakan.

And it's you. You're the only reason why I want to live.

Umiling-iling ako sa sarili ko nang maalala ito. Mordecai naman... bakit magbibitaw ka nang ganyan mga salita at hindi man lang pinaglaban ang buhay mo?

Hindi mo ba alam kung gaano ka kaimportante rin sa'kin na mabuhay? Bakit bigla ka na lang sumuko? May mga kailangan pa kong sabihin sa'yo pero hindi mo ko pinagbigyan, hindi mo man lang pinakinggan ang side ko...

Damn it, Mordecai!

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from sobbing.

Are they really dead?

What else could I have done? I did everything I can think of...

But when I got to the cafeteria, this confirms my suspicions.

Wala sila sa table namin. Wala rin si Enid at naiwan lang sa table ay si Gabriel na nag-iisa na kumakain. Wala rin akong gana kumain kaya diretso akong umupo sa lamesa katapat niya at hindi na kumuha ng pagkain.