I was stunned. I'm so ashamed of myself.
"Liit neh?" sabi nitong perwisyong pocketbook. Siningkitan ko lang siya ng mata. Asar.
Nandito na ko sa loob ng maliit niyang bahay pero yung loob, mapapanganga ka na lang. It is like a cozy mansion in Californian style.
"How could you manage to build this house as big as this eh sa labas mukha lang naman siyang stock room?" I asked.
"I hate getting people's attention. At ano bang mabebenefit ko kung malalaman nilang malaki ang bahay ko? Mananakawan lang ako." Ok? So he's worried about robbers? Coward.
"I'm not a coward!" He growled at me. Paano niya nalaman na iniisip ko yun? Syempre ako naman, patay malisya.
"I'm not saying that you're a coward. I said there's a cow in your yard."
"Don't fool me."
Na-voiced out ko na naman ba kung ano ang nasa isip ko? I'm making this a habit.
He leads me to a room. Sa room, may box doon na nakapatong sa table. In a box, there are ashes. Ashes in the crime scene. Then the screams and sobs, I'm hearing it again. I feel terrified. I feel scared.
"Look. Hindi lang sila abo. Parang may mga.. ano ba yan? Cut out plastics? I don't know." Then I looked at it. Hindi lang nga abo ito. Parang may kumikintab na hindi ko alam kung ano. Maliliit.
"Yeah. You're right. There must be something." And then I heard a flap of wings. Palinga-linga ako sa kung saan nanggaling ang tunog. Hindi maganda ang kutob ko. Pakiramdam ko may masamang mangyayari.
"Don't worry. It is just my grandpa. He's an eagle in his past life." I sighed. Akala ko kung ano. Lumabas na kami ng room at ipinakilala ako ni Lee sa lolo niya.
"Girlfriend mo apo?" At bigla akong naconscious. Chismoso pala tong lolo ni Pocketbook.
"Hindi po Grandpa."
"Osya, ihatid mo na sya. Gabi na. gusto nyo bang ako na ang maghatid sa inyo?" Tanong ng lolo ni Pocketbook. Wait. Don't tell me...
"Ililipad ko na kayo." Wow. I smiled at him but deep inside, I was screaming with joy. I really want to experience flying high above. I just can't hide my excitement. I will fly! I will fly! I will ---
"Wag na po Lolo. I'll just get her a bus sa bus stop." And I looked at Pocketbook, feeling helpless. What's with him? Gusto kong lumipad! Ang kontrabida naman niya! Ano pa't naging agila ang lolo niya kung ayaw niyang lumipad! Di niya ba nakikitang excited na excited na ko? How could he be this insensitive? I have nothing to do but to pout.
"Okay lang naman Cyker diba?" Tanong sa'kin ng perwisyong pocketbook.
'Hindi okay yun! Alam mo bang matagal ko nang pangarap ang lumipad! Eto na nga yung chance ko pipigilan mo pa! Perwisyo ka talaga!'
Pero syempre hindi ko sinabi yun. Instead, I just smiled at grandpa and says
"Oo naman po. Magpahinga na lang po kayo dito. Tsaka gabi na po. Atsaka ayoko naman talagang lumipad. Ha-ha-ha. Nakakalula po. Eww. Ihahatid na lang po ako ni pock-Rake po." And then I smile, a fake one. How could Rake be so nice a while ago and can be so annoying hours later? Unbelievable.
"Sure ka ba hija? Kung gusto mo naman, okay lang na ilipad ko kayo." And that brightens my face. Finally. Nag-offer na si Grandpa, wala ng magagawa si Pocketbook.
"Talaga po? Than-"
"Wag na po lolo. We can manage. Atsaka ayaw talaga niyang lumipad. Tara na Cyker!" He used his angry voice. At wow! Talagang siya pa ang galit? Di ba dapat ako ang galit dito? Nang dahil sa kanya nasayang ang my one and only chance ko para makalipad! Ano bang trip niya? Kinaladkad niya ko palabas ng bahay niya. As in yung hawak-hawak niya buhok ko tapos ako nakahandusay sa floor. Char! Joke lang. Masyado lang mahigpit yung pagkakahawak niya sa braso ko.
"Bitawan mo nga ako. Naiinis na ko! What's with the mood? So immature. Man up, dude!" And there, I lost my temper. He just looked at my green eyes again and I feel shivers down in my spine. He took one step closer to me. His face is inches away from mine.
"You know why I do that? Because my Grandpa has an Alzheimer's disease. And he even forgot places and directions. The last time I took a flight with him, binaba niya ko sa cage ng lion sa zoo. Happy now?" I gulped. How embarrassing!? So he's just trying to protect me and I acted so childish! I have no words to say. I just stare at anything but his face, trying to escape his stare.
But then..
We heard a scream again..
It came from the mansion.
My body is shivering again. I can't find a way to stop it.
The killer is here again.
Rake pulls me and we hide beside the tree to cover ourselves.
A boy shouts "Help!"
In this dark night, I can't do anything but to cry. The victim is a child. He's so young. You can determine it by the sound of his voice.
How could I hide here without doing anything to help him? How could I do nothing? No! I won't just gonna sit here! If I need to take risk then I will! I remember my dream, a voice is asking for justice. A voice is begging for help.
I looked at Rake. He's observing the house and feeling pity for whoever is the victim. I took the chance that his attention is not in me.
And then slowly, I escape.
I heard a voice saying "justice" in my ear.
The same as the voice in my dream.
I don't know why I'm running towards the house, towards danger.
No plans. No strategies.As I ran near the house, I hear the screams getting weaker and weaker.
Boy, don't die. Don't add my nightmares.I hear splashes of water. Splashes of water, I repeated in my mind. Ahah!
I already see the fountain. 5 more seconds I can already give justice to the victim.
4
3
2
Someone pulls my arms. Those soft hands who pulled me from danger in the first crime scene, Rake.
"Let me go." Pinilit kong bawiin yung yung arms ko sa kaniya. But he doesn't let me.
"It's too late for heroic stunts. He's dead." I don't believe him. I still want to go. Nung nakita niya na hindi ako naniniwala, binuhat niya. I'm facing his back at nasa harapan nya yung buttocks ko. Tumakbo siya palayo sa bahay na buhat-buhat ako. I'm crying. I can't hold back my tears. Bakit kailangan ko pang masaksihan yung mga to? I stare at the house. I'm sorry kid. I'm not able to save you. And the window caught my eyes. I gasped. There's a hand touching the glass window: lifeless and bloody. And kahit hindi ko nakita, sigurado ako na siya yung nagsulat ng "justice" sa glass window gamit ang dugo. Pero sa baba nun ay may letrang V.
He's dead. But he seeks justice before he died.
Justice. I want to give them justice.
I'm watching at the hand as it slowly slides out of view, leaving blood in the window. My view is so blurred with tears. I can't clearly see a thing.
The thing that is clear to me, the kid is dead. And again, I failed to save him. I failed to do anything.
I looked at the window again.
There's a blood, darkness and a smile.
A smile? Someone smiles from the dark. But I can't determine who it is. A creepy smile.
Then the house starts to burn.
BINABASA MO ANG
Past Life
Science FictionA STORY YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE. My brother is busy shaving spikes in his skin. One of the perks of being a cactus in your past life. Lee can extract venom into one's body One of the perks of being a snake in your past life. Angela turns...