Moth to a Flame

Quarantadue| Colors

THIRD PERSON

Sachal opened her eyes when she felt the gushing of the wind coming from the open windows in her room. Inikot niya ang paningin niya at bigla siyang nakaramdam ng takot nang mapansin na hindi pamilyar sa kanya ang lugar.

Where am I?

Looking around, she noticed she was lying on a quilt-covered bed. The walls of her room were made of logs. To her left was a small side table with a cute lamp, and just a few meters away, on her right, there was an open window. Through it, she could see the shadows of the trees swaying and hear the gentle sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

And somehow, it made her calm down.

Tumayo siya upang isara ang bintana at nagtungo sa side-table upang kunin ang lampara. She was planning to find the light switch on the wall, but something caught her attention. Tinapat niya ang lamparang hawak niya sa sulok ng kwarto at napansin niyang may kung anong bagay doon na natatakpan ng mga puting tela.

When she uncovered them, she found a few canvases in an easel. She expected to see colorful paintings of objects or landscapes, but what she saw was different.

It was a sketch of a person—no, it was an animal—or maybe a monster? All she saw was an art that resembled a ghostly person. It had hollow eyes, elongated limbs, and a ripped mouth twisted in a smiling scream. Every stroke was rough and heavy, as if depicting a dark and twisted background story.

Her eyes moved to the next canvas and met a collection of haunting sketches. A child was walking in a forest, and dark hands were reaching out to him as if trying to grab him.

The other canvases were portraits of a faceless man with a shadow merging from his back—a shadow with crooked teeth that appears to be a demon whispering sweet nothings to his ears.

Her hands trembled as chills ran down her spine. She can feel the despair, torment, and agony of the artist's unspeakable past.

Nang dumapo ang paningin niya sa babang parte ng canvas ay may nakita siyang initials ng pangalan doon.

𝓛.𝓥.𝓢?

That strange. She doesn't know anyone with that initials. But the last person she remembered she was with was her husband. She may be in an unfamiliar place, but the thought that he was around made her feel safe somehow.

Surely, he won't put her in a dangerous situation.

Kaya naman nang buksan niya ang ilaw ay kaagad niyang nilibot ang paningin niya sa kabuoan ng kwarto. It was almost as if she was inside a wood logged cabin. But where exactly is she?

Paglabas niya ng kuwarto ay bumungad sa kanya ang maliit na salang mayroong mga minimalistic wooden furniture. There were a few sitting cushions and indoor plants near the door.

Akmang bubuksan niya na ang pinto upang sumilip sa labas nang makaamoy siya na para bang may nasusunog. Malalaking hakbang siyang nagtungo sa kusina at naabutan niya roon ang isang binatang nakasuot ng itim na apron.

Nakatalikod ito sa kanya at may hawak itong sandok sa kaliwang kamay samantalang ang kanang kamay naman nito nakakamot sa batok niya. Her eyes feasted on his broad shoulders and bare back where she could see a tattoo of a twin serpent on his back.

While Lovi deeply thought about what went wrong in his cooking, he suddenly remembered Leticia's lesson 'How to be a Perfect Husband 101'.

"Look here!" Hinampas ni Leticia ang hawak niyang stick sa blackboard habang may tinuturo doon. Naka-suot pa ito na parang tanyag na propesor sa isang unibersidad habang inaayos ang salamin na suot niya.