Between

Sixteen

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Chapter Sixteen (Liz’s)

∞

I need to open my eyes but I can’t.

I try to move but I’m aching all over.

But I do hear voices.

“Thank you Alex at ako ‘yung tinawagan mo,” it’s Millie. Her voice seems worried.

“Okay lang, ikaw ‘yung unang number na nakita ‘ko sa phone ni Liz kaya sa’yo na ako tumawag,” sagot naman ni Alex, sa pagkakaalam ‘ko wala naman akong number ni Millie ah, pinakealaman na naman niya ang gamit ‘ko.

Kahit mahirap sinubukan ‘ko na idilat ang mga mata ‘ko.

“LIZ!” sigaw ni Millie ng makita akong gumalaw, sinundan naman sya ni Alex.

“Kamusta ang pakiramdam mo? Sira ka ba para gawin ‘yun ha? Papano kung hindi ka nakita ni Alex at natuluyan ka? Ano ha? Magsalita ka!” bungad sa’kin ni Millie at tinulungan akong umupo.

“Calm down, Millie,” is all I can manage to say.

“’Calm down’? What the hell Elizabeth! You were badly damaged! Kung hindi ‘ko kaagad naayos ‘yung pwede kang matigok!” sigaw ulit ni Millie sa’kin pero wala akong lakas na makipagtalo pa sa kanya.

“But you already fixed me, I’ll be okay,” I said in my weakest tone of voice. Ang sakit parin ng buong katawan ‘ko.

Millie gave up, sighed and held my hand. Then, I turn to see Alex staring at me.

He looks stupefied, confused and… worried.

And also, he looks scared.

“He kinda needs explanation about… how things happened four hours ago, I already told him about me, and I think he needs to know about you, Liz, you owe him that,” mahinang sabi ni Millie at tinignan ako. Nginitian ‘ko naman sya.

“So, iba nga sya. Nakikita nya ‘yung kaya nating gawin. That means,” tumango si Millie at tinulot ‘yung dapat ‘kong sabihin, “Yes, he’s special, kagaya ni Aunt Renee mo, he has the ability to see extraordinary people, us, specifically,” tinignan ‘ko syang muli.

He looks waiting. Pero buti na lang hindi sya mukhang takot sa’min, lalo na sa’kin.

Tumayo si Millie at nginitian ako, alam ‘ko na ang meaning ng ngiti na ‘yun. Lumabas sya ng kwarto.

Doon ‘ko palang pinansin ‘yung kwarto ‘kung saan ako naroon. Puno ng mga pictures ng bata, nature, mga memories. Doon ‘ko nakita ‘yung picture ni Alex, that means, kanya itong kwarto na ‘to.

Binalik ‘ko ‘yung tingin ‘ko sa kanya.

“So, what do you have?” tinignan ‘ko lang muna sya nang tinanong nya ‘yun. He got the message so he asked me again, “I mean, what can you do?”

Inayos ‘ko ng kaunti ‘yung upo ‘ko at medyo napa-aray pagkatapos doon ‘ko sya hinarap ulit at tsaka doon sumagot, “I can kill you,” I try to make it sound scary, but instead, he smirked.

“But you save those people, nice try,” sagot nya sa’kin, “Come on, I’m curious,” at tsaka sya nag-cross arms.

“I have telekinesis,” doon ako naging seryoso.

He seemed impress. Di ‘ko maintinidhan ‘kung bakit hindi sya natatakot ng malaman nya ‘yun.

“Won’t you run for your life?” tanong ‘ko sa kanya.

“Ba’t ‘ko naman gagawin ‘yun?” pabalik na tanong nya sa’kin.

“Di mo ba narinig ‘yung sinabi ‘ko? I have telekinesis, I can do anything to you,” sabi ‘ko sa kanya. Matakot ka Alex, sige na.

“I want you to prove that to me, show me,” pagkasabi nya nun, hindi ako umangal kaya using my ability, I unpin all his photos na nakalagay sa kwarto nya, levitate them in front of him for about ten seconds at stop them mid-air and then, I dropped them.

Walang nagsalita sa’min after that. Pareho lang kaming nakatingin sa mga scattered photos sa baba.

“Aren’t you going to run now?” tanong ‘kong muli sa kanya.

“Bakit---” naputol ang sasabihin nya ng magsalita akong muli.

“Because I can do anything, terrible things especially,” sagot ‘ko habang nakatingin pa rin sa mga larawan na nasa sahig.

Pero napalitan ‘yon ng mukha ni Alex, dahil nakaluhod na sya sa harapan ‘ko.

“Bakit mo yan iniisip?” tanong nya.

“Dahil ‘yung ‘yung totoo,” sabi ‘ko sa kanya habang natitig sa mga mata nya.

“O baka dahil yan ‘yung pinapaniwala mo sa sarili mo,” sagot naman nya sa’kin.

“Paano mo nasasabi yan Alex? Hindi mo ako kilala,” kunot noo ‘ko na sabi sa kanya.

“I want to know you better, since day one, I want to,”  nakatingin lang ako sa kanya, ano bang dapat ‘kong isagot sa kanya.

“Don’t look closely, you’ll see my flaws, my monsters,” sagot ‘ko sa kanya pero nginitan nya lang ako.

“That’s not what I see,” and he reached for my hand.

His touch was warm like summer breeze. I’m melting slowly.

Aside from my aching body, I have this unfamiliar feeling.

The blistering beat of my heart.