Mari: Year One [Completed]

Chapter Zero: The Hunt

He staggered from the bar, nearly crashing into a garbage bin, before he managed to regain his equilibrium. The man chuckled to himself, proud of his sense of balance even after consuming copious amounts of alcohol.

"Tang ina, man. I still got it!" he muttered to himself as he made his way across a dark alley that led him deeper into the suburbs of Malate. The cars passed by, honking their horns and excreting their pollution. It was the usual, the City of Manila, ripe with people looking for their dreams and the others enjoying themselves in decadence, seemingly celebrating their success at having conquered a lifestyle that would prove too tedious for anyone not from the metro.

"Ay, leche." he said, as he nearly tripped over a rat that was feasting on what looked like a slice of pizza. "All these rats here, ha? The barangay officials are really letting it go!"

He descended further, the familiar road down to his apartment, Lucas Balzaga, 34 years old, simply enjoying his time off from work, found himself in a peculiar situation.

A woman was also walking through the alley way as he did, yet she remained to herself, distant and aloof, maybe even afraid?

"Hoy little miss, don't be...don't stay in the dark... okay?" Lucas slurred, his speech obviously made clumsy by the alcohol in his system, "I'll protect you from the holdapers. Don't you worry your little thing!"

The woman, who was still silhouetted, moved her head to look at him, as if on cue, a light post that seemed dead suddenly came to life, casting a spotlight on her.

Long ebony hair, brown eyes that showed innocence and a thin line for a mouth, it seems that she was hesitant as she stared at Lucas.

"Ay, you're a beautiful little lady aren't you?" Lucas commented now, taking in her beauty, striking features even if her skin was as pale as moonlight. "You should hurry home, miss. There are many masasamang loob in this place!"

The woman nodded solemnly and continued to walk at her own pace, while Lucas stumbled and nearly fell to the floor.

He instinctively grabbed hold of whatever was beside him before he could crash, it was a low chain link fence.

"Ay putang ina, I don't think I've got it anymore" he muttered to himself now, his drunkenness slowly taking over.

And in his drunken stupor, an aroma of something floral attacked Lucas' nose, filling it up and nearly making him pant for more.

"Smells good ha?" Lucas said to himself, as he took a cursory glance at his companion on the other side of the alleyway.

She disappeared it seems, maybe she hurried off, afraid of his drunkenness?

Yet the scent of lavender intensified, as Lucas picked himself up, he felt two hands grab him by the shoulders and forcibly made him stand straight up.

"Aray, putang ina, watch the back naman! I'm very old you know!" Lucas complained, as he looked at his helper, he saw that it was the same woman. Her brown eyes stared into his, the drunken haze seemed to disappear as he found himself yearning, even pining for this woman.