Seven

Chapter 1

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of blood ; only used for creative narration. Read at your own risk.

Chapter 1: Lady Evergreen

"Would you run away with me?"

Tiredness might have reflected in her hazel brown eyes but determination blend with them vividly. With her remaining strength, she extended her hands just to give me an invitation–to be with her.

The warm sunlight peeked through the opened glass window. Umihip nang banayad ang hangin, and that makes her brown hair dance softly.

She then smiled to me–iyong ngiti na hindi umaabot sa mata ang kasiyahan. There's no hint of extreme happiness. Just longing, hoping and wondering.

I felt my heart flinched for a second.

Of course, I will. And I would always be.

Hindi ko na hinantay pang lumipas ang ilang minuto kung kaya't humakbang na ako. I can see how weak she is as I come closer to her. And when I'm close enough to her, I hold her right hand.

"You should not come here in the first place, Ely."

Ang mga mata niyang nagsusumamo kanina ay napalitan ng tingin ng tila galit at pagkadismaya.

Naging malakas ang ihip ng hangin na kanina'y banayad lamang ang paggalaw.

Natabunan din bigla ang sikat ng araw ng mga makakapal na ulap at napalitan ng kadiliman.

And when I turned to her, she was gone. Her hand that I was holding a while ago has turned into a baseball bat with blood splattered in its surface, around the room, and in my hands. Even the ceiling started to be covered with flowing blood and it falls slowly in the four corners of the room.

My heart hammered, and I felt my hands tremble that the baseball bat fell on the floor.

What's going on...

"Will you look for me, Ely?"

Her voice echoed once again in the empty room where she left me.

I woke up with tears rolling down in my cheeks.

My heart beating fast and my fingertips also trembling. It's the same dream again. And the horror I felt never changed.

They say time heals the wound, but why does mine just bleed more as the time passes by?

It's already five years ago.
Pakiramdam ko'y nakatayo pa rin ako sa parehong pwestong iniwan ko noong panahong iyon. Hindi makausad. Hindi makagalaw. Hindi makaalis. Nararamdaman ko pa rin ang kaparehong pangungulila na mayroon ako ilan mang panahon ang lumilipas. I am still bearing the same grudge I have.

Panahon nga lang talaga siguro ang lumilipas. Hindi ang sugat, alaala, at damdamin.

"How could I ever find something that left me no trace to follow through?"

I asked, facing the ceiling with my right hand trying to reach it as if it's her hands in my dreams.

I sighed. Tiningnan ko ang orasan malapit sa kama ko. It's 5:30 in the morning. May trabaho na nga pala akong kailangang pagtuunan ng pansin. I should let the past push me forward, the same way I allow it to pull myself into its abyss.