God's Cage | WOTG #1

twenty-two | panic

BEATRIX
Panic

—

I held my breath fearing that if I didn't they would shoot me. I stood there at gunpoint—three gunpoints—without anywhere to go. These terrorists had trapped me. Black capes with symbols I could not properly see were draped on their shoulders. Although their bodies were covered by those leathery cloths, their faces were not. 

Two men and a woman. 

Full beards covered the jaws of the men and the color of their skin was something only the sunlight from the desert could do. Middle Easterners, obviously. On the other hand, the woman's skin was as white as stale bread. A Westerner, then. 

Caught in a situation I could not escape without dying and without any other choice, I raised my arms in surrender.

Lumuhod ako habang nakatingin sa lalaki. Binato niya sa 'kin 'yong tasa pero nakailag ako kaya naman nabasag 'yon sa sahig. Kumalat 'yon na parang mga matatalim na chips.

"You dodge, huh?" he said with a thick Arabic accent. "This time you no dodge, eh?" He pointed the gun at my head.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My heart wasn't reacting wildly to the situation and my breathing was leveled as if I wasn't in a life-and-death situation.

Pinangako ko sa sarili ko na hindi ko muna 'to gagawin pero wala na akong magagawa pa. Ito na lang ang natitirang paraan.

The man lifted the gun from my head and pointed it at the woman across from us. It was as if the man's consciousness had left him and another mind had taken control of his body.

"What are you fucking doing!" she cried, panic overtaking her voice.

"Hey! Daeh 'arda, 'anzulah!" the other man screamed.

But it was too late. The man already pulled the trigger and a bullet found its home on the woman's head. Napahiga siya sa sahig na parang langang gulay. Hindi ko maiwasang mapailing na lang. Wala naman sa plano ko na magkaganito pero tulad nga ng sinabi ko: wala na akong magagawa.

"Madha yahduth lak!" I didn't know what in the world it meant but I could see the man was shaking.

Tinutok ng lalaki ang baril sa kasama niya at walang patawad na ito'y binaril. Pagkatapos naman no'n ay itinutok niya ang armas sa ulo niya at walang pag-aalinlangang pinaputukan ang sarili. I flinched at the squishy sound. I even saw his brain explode from the impact.

Unti-unti ako tumayo ay lumapit sa kaniyang walang malay na katawan. Tinitigan ko ang mukha niya, ang nakadilat niyang mga mata at ang duguan niyang sintido.

"I am sorry," I said. "I didn't dodge but you missed."

I turned around and walked outside, my conscience trying to nudge me at my stomach. I didn't heed it any attention and instead convinced myself they got what they deserved.

I was the one who did it. I was the one who took control of his mind. I was the one who killed them. But I had no choice. It was either I was the one who would die or it was them. I just did what I needed to do. And besides, this was just punishment served to them. They killed people—innocent ones and with family to get home to. They deserved what I gave them.

Sa abilidad kong 'to, kaya kong manipulahin ang isip ng tao na malapit sa 'kin. Kaya ko ring magbura at magpalit ng memorya pero hindi ko kayang magbasa ng isip ng ibang tao. Kaya kong kontrolin at ikonekta ang isip ko sa isip ng limampung tao at kapag isinagad ko ang sarili ko, kaya kong manipulahin ang isipan ng isang-daan at dalawampung tao. At syempre, kaya ko ring maka-sense ng mga taong malapit sa 'kin dahil kaya kong maramdaman ang kanilang mga brainwaves. Kapag sinasagad ko ang kapangyraihan ko, may mga parang maliliit na karayom ang tumutuhog sa aking utak at kahit anong gamot ang inumin ko ay hindi nawawala ang mga karayom na 'yon sa 'king ulo.