The Sacrifice

Ten

Dahil di ako makadedic. mention nalamang dito :) To someone named @uglygirl- Jasmine, thank you for adding this one to your Reading list. Gumawoyo ;)

------

I walked awkwardly, following him. His hand still lingering on mine, tight and warm.

Hindi maiwasan ng puso ko na kumalabog ng malakas. This is a foreign feeling to me, kaya di ko rin masisi ang sarili ko kung makaramdam ng ganito.

Oo, aaminin ko. I'm a fan of love stories, kaya di ko rin namang maiwasang kiligin, o kung ano bang tawag neto. But I've forgotten that feeling since then, sa opisina nga, kung nakikita ko si Lourdes at King (employees) na naghaharutan, ay tila ba nasusuka ako. Di man lang ako nakikilig.

That is why now, I wanted to slap my face. Damn this heart too, for acting irrational.

Irrational nga ba?

"Trynna" My mind found its place when he mentioned my name. Agad akong napatingin sakanya.

"Hmm?"

"Are you fine? Ang tahimik mo ata? That doesn't sound like you"

"Do you want me to talk nonsense?"

He chuckled, stopped and looked towards me. Napa baba pa ako ng tingin.

"Hey, if you're not comfortable with this. You can complain" he said raising our interwined hands while smirking.

And there goes my heart again.

"I'mㄧit's'' I wanted to say that, him holding my hand is fine. But, I don't want to take this situation to the other side of the river, so.. ''Uhmm.. yeah, it's kinda a-awkward''

He sighed and let go of my hand. The minute he did, I felt a ting of regret. He went back on leading the way as I followed silently.

I was quiet all along. Sunod lang ako ng sunod sakanya ng walang sinasabi. He was mumbling something to which I cannot hear.

We came to this part of the maze na tila mas covered ng mga dahon at malalaking puno. It wasn't like any part of the maze, kasi sa sobrang crowded eh, di mo na makikita ang ulap.

''Urgh. Never a fan of nature'' rinig kong reklamo ni Leandro which I laughed at.

But my laugh was suddenly ended, when I felt something slithering at my back.

''Ahhhhh!'' Lumundag lundag ako habang inaabot ang bagay na nasa likod ko.

Dali-dali namang lumapit sakin si Leandro na natataranta na rin.

''A-Anong nangyayari sayo?!''

''May ano sa likod ko! Kunin mo! Ahh!''

Leandro tried to make me steady, pero dahil sa kaba ko, I end up shivering in disgust to the thing at my back. Hindi nahirapan si Leandro na kunin yun kahit malikot ako, dahil nasa may leeg ko na naman yung kung ano man yun.

Wala na akong naramdaman sa likuran ko, kaya alam ko na nakuha na ni Leandro iyon. He was squinting at the thing he's holding, examining what the heck is it.

''It looks like a lizard, kaso malaki lang'' I said, shivering again. Remembering that, that thing was on my back. Ayoko kasi sa mga ganyang uri ng hayop.

''That's what I thought, pero dahil kulay pink 'to, ewan ko kung butuki pa ba ang dapat itawag neto"

I moved closer to make sure na pink talaga yung butiking malaki, madilim pa naman dito. At oo, kulay pink nga. Kelan pa ba nag kaganito ang butiki?

I released another shriek when Leandro playfully pushed the thing back to me.

"Leandro, ano ba! Hindi nakakatawa." I rolled my eyes when he started laughing at my cowardness.