Silver Tongue

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Okay na ba ang pakiramdam mo?" Tanong ng lalake sa akin. Hindi ako sumagot sa kanya at tiningnan lamang ito. His worried eyes met my gaze. I shook my head and let out a big sigh and met his eyes for the second time.

My mind is battling against myself. My mind tells me it was true yet myself would say that it was just nothing but a bunch of special effects. Ghad, I think staying here will make me out of my sane!

"Tell me, nasa gitna ba ako ng shooting? Did I let myself crashed into this movie thingy? And what I saw earlier was a product of special effects, right? Yeah, that's it. That was just a mere product of it. Or I am still dreaming?" Sagot ko sa kanya.

"What you saw was all true and not a product of special effects, my Queen. You knew from the very beginning that this was all true yet you still refused yourself to believe." Sagot nito sa akin. Hindi ako sumagot at tiningan lamang ito.

Hindi ko mapigilan na alalahanin ang nangyari kanina dahil hindi talaga kapani-paniwala ang mga naganap kanina sa gubat. Kung paano ko nagawa ang ginawa ko kanina ay wala akong alam. Naguguluhan ako. Hindi ko na matukoy kung panaginip ba ito o hindi.

"Our Queen," Napalingon ako sa nagsalita and it was the woman who was almost killed by that monster a while ago. "Maybe it's time for us to explain why we're after you for this past six years, our Queen. Hindi lang kami ang may kailangan sa'yo pati an iyong nilalang na muntikan na akong patayin kanina." Napatingin ako sa lalake at sa babae ng pa-ulit-ulit, trying to digest the things they said to me.

"My Queen,"

"No! I am not your Queen and quit calling me like that. At wala akong kinuhang bagay para habulin niyo ako! Maybe I am still dreaming. This was all a dream, right?"

"I wish it was, but it's not." Sagot ng lalake.

"Don't pressure her, Kameer. We can't let her force to believe that this is real, she needs time."

"We'll be back, my Queen. Caleeb and Sereena will guard you, just in case." Bigla niyang sabi sa akin.

"My Queen," Agad akong napatingin sa dalawang bata na kakapasok lamang sa kubo. The boy was holding a spear, hindi ito gaanong kataas pero sapat lang iyong hawak niya para sa kanyang katangkaran. While the girl whose behind his back had a black band on its forehead.

"Are you Caleeb and Sereena?" Tanong ko sa dalawa and they just nod their heads at me.

"Our Que—"

"No, I am not your Queen, Caleeb." Putol ko sa kanya at tumango lamang ito. Humiga ako sa kama dahil hindi naman ako makakatakas sa lugar na ito at hindi ko rin alam ang daan palabas at pauwi sa amin. I let the children play and let them be for the mean time.

Bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga at agad na dumungaw sa bintana saka huminga ng malalim. Ramdam ko nag preskong hangin na dumadampi sa aking balat na siyang nagpaklama sa akin. Ilang oras pa lang akong nandito sa lugar na ito pero pakiramdam ko ay ilang araw na akong nandito at hindi ko pa rin matukoy kung nanaginip pa rin ba ako.

Am I dreaming lucid? Kinurot ko ang pisngi at nakaramdam ako ng sakit, nangangahulugan na hindi ako nanaginip. Questions are swirling in my head and every time I stay here questions start to fill my head at sa tingin ko ay mababaliw na yata ako dahil sa mga nangyayari.

"Caleeb." Tawag ko sa batang lalake nang maka-bangon ako. Lumapit agad ito sa akin habang si Sereena ay nasa likuran niya pa rin. "Sino 'yung lalaki kanina at 'yung babae na lumabas?" Tanong ko sa bata na nakatingin sa akin. Akmang sasagot na sana ito ng may pumasok sa loob ng kubo kung nasaan ako.

"Now you're being inquisitive, my Queen."

"I told you to stop that!" Inis kong sabi ko sa kanya but he just smiled at me, revealing his white teeth. "At bakit ka ba nandito?"

"At hindi na pala ako welome sa tinitirhan ko." Aniya na siyang ikina-inis ko lalo at hindi ko alam kung bakit ako na-iinis!

"Ano ba talaga ang kailangan niyo sa akin? At bakit ba nila ako hinahabol? I am so damn confuse about my situation right now! My dad told me before he died that they will come after me! And I don't even know kung sino sila! Isa ka ba sa kanila? I admit I did something forbidden before pero hindi ko naman alam na ganito ang magiging kahihinatnan nito! Kaya mo ba ako hinabol sa loob ng anim na taon ay dahil sa ginawa ko?"

"I told you already that it's you that I wanted. Actually, I am after you not because of what you did but because I want to protect you from my brother." He explained and took the spaces between us. Binalingan niya ang dalawang bata at sinenyasan na umalis na muna at agad naman na tumalima ang dalawa. "And I'm sorry for startling you that night and about your house, my men are already fixing your house, so you don't have to worry dahil makaka-uwi na kayo ng Mama mo sa bahay niyo."

"I really need to go home, hinahanap na ako ni Mama."

"You know that they'll be dead if they knew about us, my Queen." Sandaling natahimik ako dahil sa sinabi nito.

"I know I that I can't risk their safety, pero kapag hindi nila alam akung nasaan ako baka atekehin si Mama sa pag-aalala sa akin."

"Fine, sasamahaman kita sa kanila para mag-paalam."

"Magpa-paalam?"

"You can't stay there with them for now. Aser's men is on the run looking for you, my Queen."

"I told you to stop calling me 'my Queen'; I am not your Queen!" Sita ko sa kanya pero ngumiti lamang ito sa akin at lumabas at iniwan ako sa loob ng kubo.

I pulled my hair in frustration. Ghad, what is really happening?!

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