CHAPTER 1 – HIM (February 11, 2014)
Someone is crying, he can’t tell who it is because it’s very dark. Ni konting aninag ng kahit anong gamit sa paligid niya ay hindi niya Makita.
“Lolo, where are you?” it’s the voice again. He is getting desperate, he wants to see the child fast. Lumakad siya ng lumakad, palapit ng palapit ang iyak. Mga ilang sandali pa siya naglalakad ay may nabunggo siya. Kinapa kappa niya ang nabunggo niya. It feels like a wall.
Pamaya maya pa ay lumiwanag ng konti ang paligid, it is a mirror, and on the other side is the young boy, sitting there and crying.
“Hey, are you alright?” tanong niya, pero hindi pa siya narinig ng batang lalaki. Patuloy pa rin ito sa pag-iyak and asking where his lolo is. Kinatok niya ng malakas ang salamin, gumawa ito ng konting ingay and the young boy raised his face. The young boys face is familiar to him.
Tumayo ang batang lalaki and walked towards the mirror, tumayo ito sa mismong harapan niya. He is looking directly towards him, may bahid ng pagtataka ang mukha nito. Iniangat niya ang kamay niya, and the young boy did the same. He stepped back at nanlaki ang mga mata niya dahil ginawa din yun ng bata sa salamin. He raised his hands again and reached for the mirror, as he touched the mirror the next thing he knew the young boys hand is holding the mirror directly opposite to his hand.
Saka niya narealized who the young boy is, he is him.
Saka unti unting dumilim ulit and paligid, napuno ng takot and puso niya ng may humablot sa batang lalaki.
“NO!, bitawan mo siya!” sigaw niya.
He knows the young boy cried for help, pero hindi niya marinig ang sigaw nito.
“No, wag mo siyang kunin!” sigaw nanaman niya.
Hanggang tuluyan ng dumilim ulit ang buong paligid.
Then he heard a train coming, nasilaw siya sa ilaw ng paparating na train kaya napapikit siya.
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Napadilat na lang siya galing sa pagkakatulog. Tumingin siya sa paligid, and yes, his toy train is running around his bedroom carrying the alarm clock. Huminga siya ng malalim, it’s the same dream again. Napayakap siya sa malaking teddy bear na katabi niya. Sa king size bed niya, he is surrounded with different stuff toy animals. The one he is hugging right now is Mr. Smith. The one in his left is Ms. Crow kasi may ribbon ito sa bandang tenga kaya he knows that the stuff bear is a she. Hindi lang iyon ang stuff toys niya sa bed. Meron din siyang giraffe na kasing tangkad niya, may whale stuff toy din siya sa taas ng ulo niya. A sitting tiger sa paanan niya, a stuff pig whom he called Mrs. Tompkins at marami pang iba.
And surrounding his bed is his toy train na buong magdamag na tumatakbo. He was the one that set-up the track, passing also under his bed. He even has a miniature amusement park built in one side of his room. He has these remote controlled cars na binili niya sa ibang bansa. A 5 balls of basketball in varying sizes magmula sa kasing laki ng bola na ginagamit sa exercise then getting smaller. Action figures na naka glass cabinet na kasing taas ng pintuan ng kwarto niya. He also has Toy guitars made up of expensive products na nakadikit sa dingding niya. And the ceiling of his room, may mga nakasabit na toy planes, different kind of planes, from helicopters, airplanes,different military planes, old fashion planes even toy flying dinosaurs ay nakasabit sa ceiling ng kwarto niya.
No wonder Josh always call his room a Toy store. Masmalala pa sa toy store.
At isa pa na hindi niya pwedeng makalimutan is to have the light of his room always on during the night.
