SCARLET 2: ALICE (Emerald Series)

13

ALICE

"Sana 'di siya makatulog."

Sinipa ko ang pinakamalapit na bato sa akin. It's already midnight pero naisip ko na maglakad-lakad muna sa labas. I don't want to be in that mansion dahil naiinis ako kay Clyde. This is the Light Forest anyway. This the safest forest here.

Probably the most beautiful, too.

Unlike the Dark Forest, you can still see the surroundings even at midnight because of the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms that grow at the foot of the trees. The leaves of the trees perfectly reflect the moonlight. Bukod pa dito, puno rin ito ng fireflies.

I stopped walking nang may maamoy ako. Amoy inihaw na isda. Bakit naman may magluluto dito? In the middle of the night? Sa forest?

Sinundan ko ang amoy. I pushed pass a few branches and plants hangggang sa may maabutan akong bonfire. There's a fish on a stick on top of it. Walang tao sa paligid.

"Hello?" tawag ko. May kumaluskos sa likod ko ngunit paglingon ko ay agad itong nawala. Kailangan ko na sigurong bumalik sa bahay. I was about to walk away nang may biglang lumabas from one of the shrubs. It stood up and immediately towered over me. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba inaantok na ako or dahil sa pagod pero I think its eyes are red and evil.

I finally was able to let a scream. I ran as fast as I could. Alam kong hindi ko 'to matatakasan pero I have to try. I'm being chased by a freaking bear! A BEAR!

"Help!" I screamed. My lungs are on fire. My body is on fire. My hair is all over the place as I push forward the branches, the bushes and the fireflies. Until...

Ouch! I catapulted myself forward nang maramdaman kong sumabit ang paa ko. I fell on my arm. Ang sakit. There's a sudden pounding on my head. Parang bigla rin akong nabingi.

The next thing I knew, the bear already caught up to me and lunges itself towards me. I closed my eyes and lifted my hands.

Then there was silence.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the bear floating. I looked at my hands, when I move it, the bear follows. Sa isang kumpas, tumalsik ito at tumama sa isang puno. I raised my hand again, lifting the bear. I'm doing it again. I believe this is the same thing I did to those crocodiles. Hindi ko alam kung paano at hindi ko rin alam kung bakit. After seeing Scarlet's memories, parang na-unlock ko rin itong kakayahang ito.

"Stop!" Nagulat ako sa biglang dumating na babae causing the bear to fall to the ground. The girl aimed her bow and arrow at me. She has this big, curly, bright orange hair. "Go away. Leave us alone."

I took a step back. "The bear is dangerous. Papatayin niya dapat ako."

"She will not," sagot nito sa akin. Nilapitan niya ang bear at hinimas ito. Surprisingly, the bear didn't attack her.

"You have a bear for a pet?" I asked.

Sinimangutan niya ako. "She's not my pet. She's my mom."

"Mom?!"

She nodded. "It's a long story. If you want to know, you can follow us back to the bonfire."

I did follow them back to the bonfire. I have nothing to do anyway. Ayokong bumalik kay Clyde na masungit.

We both sat down beside the bonfire. The bear lay down beside her and sleeps.

"I'm Merida," the girl said. I introduced myself as well. Hindi siya makapaniwala na ako pala ang kinasal sa prinsipe.

Merida then began telling the story of how she and her mom fought. "My mom was very controlling. She doesn't like me going to the woods or holding an arrow. Hindi raw kasi ito gawain ng isang babae. Lagi niyang sinasabi na ang mga babae raw should be in the house only. Learning to paint lang. Learning to play the piano or learning to stitch lang. Only to marry and to have kids. Girls shouldn't go on adventures daw. Girls shouldn't learn how to fight daw."

She took the cooked fish and gave it to the bear. The bear happily eats it. "Syempre, I disagreed. Girls can go on adventures. Girls can wield a weapon. Girls shouldn't be limited with what they can and cannot do. We should be free to do anything we want to do or to be anyone we want to be."

"Like any mother would, she got mad at the words I said. I stormed out and left the house. She followed me and I said... hurtful things to her. Out of nowhere, bigla nalang siya naging ganyan. She turned into a bear." The bear snuggled closer to her. Mukhang naubos na nito ang kinakaing isda kanina.

"Hindi mo nakita kung sino ang gumawa nito sa kanya?"

Umiling si Merida. "There was just a note that fell to the ground when she became a bear."

"Anong note?" She took out a small piece of paper from her pocket.

Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride.

"Baka ito ang way para mabalik sa dati ang lahat?" I said. Tumango siya at may nilabas na malaking tela mula sa sling bag niya. Pinakita niya sa akin ito. It's a tapestry of a family: A father, a mother and a daughter. May punit ito sa gitna, separating the mother from the daughter.

"Kaya nga nagmamadali ako na tahiin ito. Sinira ko 'to habang nag-aaway kami. She made this herself so that she can display this on one of our walls. She said this is the symbol of our family. I knew how important this was to her pero sinira ko out of anger," mahinang sabi ni Merida. She began sewing. Halata na hindi siya marunong magtahi.

I took the needle and the thread from her. "Let me try."

For two years of being caged in a small castle with Seth, bukod sa pagbabasa, I learned how to do embroidery. Makapal ang tela pero kayang-kaya kong matapos 'to in no time. Habang tinatahi ko ito, Merida kept telling stories of her adventures na tinago niya from her mom. She's a very spirited girl. She knows what she wants and she stays true to herself.

I hope I can be as brave as her.

I stood up at nilatag ang tela. "It's done!"

Merida clapped and hugged me. Binuhat niya ang tela at ikinumot ito sa bear. Ngayon ko lang napansin na nanghihina na pala ang bear.

"Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride," Merida recited. We stood there and waited.

How many minutes had we been waiting? One minute? Five? I don't know anymore.

Nothing is happening.

"Baka may mali sa pagkakatahi mo?" Merida said. She kneeled and took a closer look at the tapestry. She can't blame me, maayos ang pagkakatahi ko. Nag-uunahan na sa pagpatak ang kanyang mga luha. "Baka kailangan ako ang magtatahi?"

She took out a knife at pinunit ulit ang tela sa gitna bago ito simulang tahiin ulit. Humahagulgol na siya. I kneeled beside her. "Maybe that's not what the note is all about?"

She threw the tapestry away and hugged the bear. "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for not listening to you. I'm sorry for not understanding you and I'm so sorry for hurting you. Please, please come back. I love you, mom."

There's a sudden gush of wind that circled the both of them. All the dry leaves from the ground formed a barrier around them. The bear lifted from the ground. And then it glowed.

"Mom?" Merida shouted. A figure slowly landed on Merida's lap. The strong wind stopped. I can see them better now. "Mom!"

"Oh, Merida," the lady said while hugging her daughter. She covered herself with the tapestry. She looks exactly like Merida. "I love you so much. I will never leave you."

It is now clear to me what the note wants to say.

Mend the bond torn by pride.