Long Lost Print

Chapter 2

Someone's Somewhere

It has been days and Era has habitually asked me if I am okay. As much as I want to tell her I am not and spill to her these anxious feelings I have, she will not be able to understand.

I am never really the scardy-type but these days, I feel like I am turning into one. Just this morning, I find myself crying into a dream which feels very realistic. It is another version of the few, repeated dreams I usually have and this time around, a family of three. Aside from that, the goosebumps I experienced when the name reappeared again.

I decided to take a nap to at least, recover the hours I lost last night from that dream. However...

"Maia.... Ma-Maia. Umalis ka na. U-uma-l-lis ka na." Hindi ko alam kung bakit natatanaw ko na naman ang lalaking may malaking sugat sa kanyang balikat. I am only a few meters away from the three beings in front. Kahit gusto kong tulungan sila, I cannot move an inch from where I am. Lumulutang rin ako which instead of making me feel afraid mas ramdam ko na para bang pinipiga ang aking puso sa sakit na nadarama ngayon. Umiiyak rin ako sa hindi malamang kadahilanan.

May isang lalaki--nasa malayo lang sila--kasama niya ang nakaluhod na babae kaya hindi ko gaanong nakikita ang mga mukha nila.

"No. Alex. No. Hindi pwede. Please. Hwag mo akong iiwan. Tumayo ka jan. Sige na."

Blood. Lots of blood.
Nababalutan na ang lalaki ng dugo at nababahiran na rin ng dugo ang suot na puting bestida ng babae. Umiiyak ang babae which is something I am very certain.

"Maha-l ki-t-a. Iligtas mo siya. I-iligt-as mo siya. S-siya at ang sar-ili mo, Maia. Ito a-ang h-huling h-iling ko."

Humikbi ang babae at para bang binibiyak ang puso ko sa aking nakikita. Damang-dama ko ang mga hiling ng babaeng wag siyang iwan ng lalaki.

"Alex. Plea--"

"M-maia. Ma-hal k-ko kayong... d-dala-wa. Wag.. wag m-mong kalimu-tan yan ha."

"Alex. Please. Wag, wag kang pumikit!"

Ngumiti lamang ang lalaki at tinignan ang babae. Kitang-kita ko ang dalawang butil ng luha na galing sa mata ng lalaki.

"Ma-malapit na... sila. Ingatan.. i-ingatan m-mo siya... si Gaia. Patawad at w-wala man lamang a-akong .. nag..aw.. a."

Pagkatapos nun ay ang siyang pagpakawala ng huling hininga ng lalaki. Hagulhol na lang ang tanging narinig ko sa babaeng naiwan, kasama ang isang sanggol na umiiyak na din.

"Hermi."

"Hermi."

I woke up from Era's calling my name. I can also feel that she has been wiping my excessive sweat for some time now, due to the fully soaked towel in her hands.

I can feel my heart aching, even my tears are evident in my cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Nag-aalalang tanong niya. Nararamdaman ko ring malapit na din siyang umiyak. When I looked around and saw how my classmates are looking at me, I  simply nodded and smiled at Era to reassure her. Although, I caught of Xya frowning thenafter, rolling her eyes.

While I decided to excuse myself, go home and rest, the circumstance did not let me. I am the assigned officer of the day and since I am quite obssesed with points, I stayed till 6 in the evening.

Tinitigan ko ang buwan na siyang tanging ilaw sa tinatahak kong pasilyo.

Mystical...

mysterious...

Then I thought of the man from yesterday. While walking in the corridor,I recalled the recent dream I had this afternoon. It was much clearer this time, and the blood. I feel myself getting dizzy all a sudden the moment I remembered the blood.I do not know why pero hindi ko talaga masikmura ang makakita ng dugo.

Gaia.

I was reminded of the name of the infant. Kinilabutan naman ako ng maalala ko ang pangalan ng bata lalo na noong naalala ko din ang tawag ng misteryosong lalaki sa akin.

Is it even possible for somebody to infiltrate my dreams? Or wait. Am I cursed?While my thoughts are running wild from all of these nonsensical coincidences, I think again of the woman and man.

Who are they?

Why are they running?

Why is the man bleeding?

Ang kaninang pagtataka ay napalitan din agad ng kalungkutan. Perhaps, my mind is playing tricks on me. There is just no way that all of those is true.

But.. why am I feeling so sad?

While I try to shrug every damn thing in my mind, I can sense that something feels off. Hinigpitan ko ang yakap ko sa aking bag, which is something I usually wore in front. My human instinct is telling me na may nagmamasid sa akin.

For the next few days, I have the same feeling. This led me to ask Era once, in our break.

"Do you think ghosts are real?"

"Of course not. Why?" Dretsahang tugon niya habang pinupusan ng tissue ang kanyang mesa.

"You see, these past few days, nararamdaman kong may nakatingin sa akin." I revealed. She immediately grinned and sinundot-sundot pa ang aking tagiliran.

"Probably a secret admirer?" She winked.

"No. Not that. I feel like someone is stalking me 24/7 but I am just able to get a glimpse of the suspect." Tinitigan nya lang ako at napatanga.

"Instead of ghosts, isn't possible if its a person?" Nag-aalala nyang tanong. "Then wouldn't that be dangerous?"

Indeed, it is dangerous but the problem is, that entity is something that cannot be seen by Era, and probably with everybody else aside me. In addition..

I am not really sure if the one stalking me is that man from before. I haven't heard from him eversince but still...

In the end, I told Era to not mind what I said. Maybe, just maybe, I am just stressed for I have been sleepless for weeks now.

It was night time already, around 11 when I suddenly woke up from my slumber. Nandito na naman ang kutob kong may nakatingin talaga sa akin and so I opened my curtains then looked above: admiring the shining, full moon that silently reigns the night.Subtly beautiful and mysterious.

I secretly examined every details outside and like usual, I found nothing however, when I decided to go back and sleep again, ignoring my unproven hunch, I was frozen in shock.

"Gaia." A voice whispered, as if being brought up by the wind, alongside the light of the moon.

I immediately closed my eyes in disbelief and horror.Shaking, napayuko ako at mahigpit na hinawakan ang aking kumot.

The wind is talking again.Heavens! I think I really am crazy.

"Gaia." The voice called. I even made sure to sleep early thinking it must have been because of my sleeping late but now...

Naririnig kong may biglang tumawa ng mahina. Iyon pa din, parang bumubulong sa tenga ko.

Is it even possible for the wind to speak?Or wait.. that mysterious man? Is he.. here?

"S-sino k-a? N-nasa-an k-ka?" Mahinang sambit ko. Parang nalunok ko na nga ang dila ko habang sinasabi iyon at halos natutuyo na rin ang laway ko sa kakalunok ko nito.Hindi ko alam kung saan ako nakahugot at kumuha ng lakas para sabihin iyon bigla.

"Io." The voice replied.

"A-are y-you th-at man I b-bumped-d before?" I asked, shivering , almost crying while trying to confirm my doubts.

"Not now, Gaia." He said.

What not now?I nearly asked.

Is he going to rape me?

Kill me?

"Please, don't." Umiiyak na hiling ko.I have never been scared like this in my life.

"Sleep. I mean no harm." The man who is nowhere to be found whispered. After that, I felt a cold hand touching my forehead which instantly made me dozed off.

The last words he said is something like, "Everything has its right time, Gaia."