Depression Plutus (Curse #4)

CHAPTER 9 Plutus's Broken Heart

OTTILIE VIRSES POV 
 
 
 
Hapon na nang makauwi ako sa bahay. Napagod ako sa PE class namin kanina. Pinatakbo ba naman kami sa field ng tatlong beses eh ang lawak-lawak no'n. Kailangan daw namin palakasin ang katawan namin para mas matagal naming magamit ang mga gift namin. 
 
As I stepped into the living room, I saw Plutus lying comfortably on the couch, a bowl of popcorn in his hands and eyes glued to the TV screen. He didn't even spare me a glance and remained fully engrossed in whatever he was watching.
 
Too tired to care, I let my bag drop to the floor and practically slammed myself onto the couch beside him. I glanced at the TV, raising an eyebrow when I saw what he was watching.
 
Nakakagulat naman ang lalaking ito, sa lahat ng pwedeng panoorin Spirited Away pa ng Studio Ghibli. Pero sabagay, sino ba namang hindi? It's addictive, halos napanood ko na nga ata lahat ng movies ng Studio Ghibli. Parang movies lang nila ang kaya kong panoorin ng paulit-ulit pero parang first time pa din ang feeling sa tuwing pinapanood ko ito.
 
"Hindi ko alam na mahilig ka pala manood ng studio Ghibli films," I commented, a little surprised.
 
"It’s good," Plutus said, still focused on the movie. "In fact, it’s my favorite movie now."
 
"You should try Grave of the Fireflies next. Maganda din 'yon, Studio Ghibli din may gawa." Pasimple akong napangisi dahil sa sinabi ko.
 
Plutus turned his head sharply, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto mine. "Grave of the Fireflies, huh? Is it really that good?"
 
I bit back a smirk, secretly amused at how fast I’d gotten his attention. "Oo, hindi mo pagsisisihan," I said with a nod. "Lahat naman ng movies nila worth it panoorin."
 
He gave me a long, considering look, then turned back to the screen without saying anything more. I felt the tension ease for a moment and began to drift off, the weight of the day finally catching up to me. Makaka-idlip na sana ako ng marinig ko ang nakakakilabot na boses ni Plutus. Nanayo ang mga balahibo ko sa lamig ng boses nito.
 
"By the way," he said casually, though something dark lurked in his tone, "you're working on how to undo the spell, right?"
 
Every trace of fatigue vanished in an instant. I sat up straight, my heart racing as I glanced at him. His eyes were still glued to the screen, but his words were laced with the promise of violence.

A deadly threat.
 
My voice wavered as I stammered, "N-not yet... but I’m working on it."
 
Silence. 
 
The only sound in the room was the movie playing in the background. After a long pause, Plutus spoke again, his voice slow and coldblooded.
 
"You'd better figure it out soon," he warned, his voice dropping to an unsettling whisper, "or you'll end up like Chihiro's parents. Maybe worse." He paused, letting the silence stretch, his eyes still fixed on the screen. Then, with a slow, cruel smile, he added, "I could always strip the flesh from your bones and feed it to the demons. They'd love you."
 
The way he said it, it was so calm, almost casual that sent an ice-cold terror spiraling through me.

Halos maihi naman ako sa sobrang takot, major trauma na ata 'tong nararanasan ko kay Plutus. Kailangan ko ng makahanap ng paraan pala palayain siya bago pa ako bangungutin gabi-gabi.
 
"I—I promise I’ll work hard. I’ll fix it," I said, my words shaky and uncertain.
 
Plutus didn’t respond. He kept his eyes on the TV, as if the conversation was over and I was no longer worth his attention.
 
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand. My legs felt like jelly as I gathered my things and hurried upstairs, desperate to escape the suffocating tension that lingered in the room. As I climbed the stairs, his words echoed in my mind, filling me with dread.

Taragis, nakatadhana ata akong mamatay maaga sa kamay ni Plutus.
 
 
~~~
 
 
I was jolted awake by a sudden, relentless banging on my door. Someone was pounding so hard I thought it might come off its hinges. Still half asleep, I heard Plutus shouting on the other side.
 
Teka, bakit parang umiiyak ata iyon?
 
I stumbled out of bed, barely processing what was happening, and flung the door open. There stood Plutus, his usually composed face streaked with tears, sapphire eyes swollen and bloodshot. He looked a mess—more of a mess than I’d ever seen him.
 
"Napapano ka?" Takang tanong ko sa kan'ya. Nawala tuloy bigla ang antok ko.
 
"It’s your fault!" Plutus choked out, his voice wavering between fury and pain. "You!" He wiped his eyes aggressively, as if angry at himself for crying. "You said it was a good movie!"
 
Napakurap-kurap ako sa sinabi nito. Movie? Napakagat ako sa labi ko ng marealize kung ano ang tinutukoy niya, pero nagpatay malisya ako, syempre. 
 
"Ano ba'ang pinagsasabi mo?" 
 
"Grave of the fucking Fireflies!" he practically yelled, his voice cracking. "You said it was awesome! You!" He pointed an accusing finger at me, voice trembling. "You didn’t say it was... this! How could you not warn me?"
 
Hala ka... hindi ko akalain na ganito ang magiging epekto sa kan'ya ng movie. Sa tapang nito, akala ko kaya niyang panoorin ang movie na 'yon, heck, mukhang pati siya tinablan. 
 
"Those poor souls..." His voice broke, and he looked away, his breath coming in ragged sobs. "They..." He swallowed hard. "They died! Both of them! They just... they just died!" His voice rose, almost hysterical now. "And it was all so unfair! They didn’t deserve that!"
 
Sa totoo lang nag-eenjoy akong panoorin si Plutus na magbreakdown. Ang sarap pala sa feeling makaganti, pffft, ang napakagwapo niyang mukha ngayon ay punong-puno na ng luha. 
 
"The way they suffered... and the older brother... he tried so hard to protect his sister, and... and it was all for nothing!" He threw his hands in the air, his eyes wide with pain. "Why didn’t you tell me it was this kind of movie?!"
 
"S-sorry na..." I started, but he cut me off, still sobbing, his sorrow turning into pure frustration.
 
"It’s your damn fault!" he shouted again, running his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth. "You knew it would break my heart, and you still recommended it! And now..." His voice hitched. "Now I can’t stop thinking about them. I... I can’t stop seeing their faces. They deserved better!"
 
He finally stopped pacing, collapsing against the doorframe, his head hanging low, defeated. "I’m heartbroken, you evil witch... They didn’t have to die like that. Why did you do this to me?"
 
Napakadrama naman pala ng prinsipe na 'to, gusto ko siya ikutan ng mata ang kaso baka mahuli niya ako.
 
Nang humupa na ang pag-ngawa nito, bigla na lang itong tumayo at marahas na pinunasan ang mga luha niya. Napatingala tuloy ako ng wala sa oras sa tangkad ba naman nitong 6'5, halos magkasingtangkad na lang sila ng pintuan ko, sinong hindi mapapatingala? 
 
But the moment I saw him, his tear-streaked face a while ago was replaced now by something colder, more frightening. His sapphire eyes, once filled with sorrow, were now empty, completely void of emotion.
 
Nalintikan na. 
 
My heart began to race. Something wasn’t right. I could feel the shift in the air, thick with tension and danger. My stomach twisted in knots as I watched him, trying to understand what had changed. A chill ran down my spine.
 
Suddenly, Plutus growled, low and dangerous, like a predator ready to strike. "You’ll pay for this," he snarled, the words laced with venom.
 
Before I could react, before I could even think, I felt a sudden impact, sharp feeling on my neck. My vision blurred, and my knees buckled. The world around me spun violently, and darkness began to creep in at the edges of my sight.
 
I barely had time to register the pain or the fear before everything went black. For the second time, Plutus had knocked me out cold.
 
 

To be continued...