Dancing with Fire

CHAPTER 34 - Is This the END?

CHAPTER 34

Pagkatapos ng klase ay tinawagan ni Sandra si Alcide sa kanyang cellphone pero hindi ito sumasagot. She was thinking of an acceptable reason para mapa-oo ito sa kanyang munting hiling noong isang araw. Hindi ito pumasok sa Biology class nila ngayong umaga.

Naabutan naman niya ang isa sa mga kaklase at malapit na kaibigan nito.

"Hey Garrett, have you seen Alcide?" Tanong ni Sandra sa binata.

He's a Californian guy with bright, blue eyes at katulad ni Alcide ay may matikas rin na pangangatawan, but a little slender which is fairly utilized  by his unfazed agility. Si Garrett ay lumalaban rin tulad ng binata, pero naglie-low ito nang matalo siya isang beses sa isang beterano from St. Vincent.

"Long time no see Marion! Haven't seen him since this morning though." Ngiti naman nito sa kanya.

"He didn't show up?"

"Nope, didn't see him coming in. You're already in your  third year? Time flies so fast, eh?" He remarked.

"Yeah, sort of." Sagot naman ng dalaga. "Do you know where he is? He's not answering my calls."

"Maybe he's in..." And trailed off.

"In what?"

"Nevermind."

Sandra wasn't convinced at all.

Garrett gave him a crackling laugh, "Marion..."

"Take me to him please." Pulling his arm, persuading him.

"Marion..."

"Not me Garrett. Like I don't know what both of you are doing in your pastime ..."

They walked across the football field until they reach the line which marks the end of the field. They walked past tall trees which was already shedding their dead leaves due to the upcoming winter season. They were already walking through the forest.

"What are we doing here?" She asked while truggling to walk past the undergrowths.

Tumawa naman si Garrett sa tanong niya. "You want me to take you to him, right? That's what I'm doing."

"Are you sure it's here?"

"Of course! We always hang out here when the class gets so tedious as hell."

Nakita naman ni Garrett ang paghihirap nito sa pagsunod at madalas na pagkatapilok kaya mas lalo pa itong tumawa.

"Yeah, thanks for making this easy for me." Scowling at him.

Bumalik naman si Garrett at kinuha ang kamay nito. "Let me help you."

Nang marating nila ang kalagitnaan ng kagubatan ay unti-unting lumiwanag at nabawasan ang mga nakapaligid na puno. Bumulaga sa kanya ang isang malaking espasyo na napapaligiran ng damo. Malamig ang paligid, but bearable and cool in a way.

"This way." He pointed, pulling her hand. Nang lumagpas na sila sa madamong bahagi ay pumasok uli sila sa parteng natatakpan ng mga puno, but just walked a few more meters to find a small cottage house built there.

"We built that a year ago together with Alistair and Seth. What do you think?" Garrett bragged.

Namangha naman si Sandra sa lokasyon nito. The cottage was built in the riverside kung saan ay may mahabang talon na inaagusan ng tubig for about a hundred feet tall. "This is... Beyond beautiful."

"I figured that out too." He smiled confidently. "I used to bring Anna here always when we go out, she loves the tranquility. Shall we?"

Alcide's mouth almost gaped open when he saw Sandra on the front door. Agad-agad namang niyang tinitigan si Garrett.

"Man, she's very persistent." Sabay taas ng kanyang dalawang kamay in submission.

Alcide stared sternly at her. "Ano na naman to?"

"Hi." She smiled nervously.

"You haven't answered my question."

Akma namang aalis si Garrett, avoiding the tension emanating between the two. "Guess I'll leave you both. Anna's calling." At lumakad na nga ito pabalik ng campus.

Alcide didn't take his eyes off Sandra, clearly waiting for a response.

"Hindi ko namang inaakala na dito pala ako dadalhin ni Garrett. I don't know you have a secret cult here of some sort." She replied with a feign smirk.

Alcide turned his back on her and went to the backyard, not saying anything. Nag-alala naman si Sandra dahil baka naiinis na naman ito sa kanya. "Huy, galit ka ba saken? Look, I'm sorry for the nth time, I didn't mean to interfere so much." She went on to follow him. "I was just wondering if you could teach me how to fight like what you do."

"Don't be ridiculous, you don't know what you're talking about." Alcide said behind his back.

"Alam ko kaya! I searched it on the net. MMA is an acronym for mixed martial arts which consists of different-" She was cut short when she slipped and fell straight to the river. She came paddling using her hands, but the water's too deep for her to handle.

The forceful surge of water is constantly pushing her in the middle of the river.

Ang masaklap pa nito ay hindi siya marunong lumangoy at napapalayo na siya sa riverside.

I'm going to die.