Dark Fairytale (Published under Cloak Pop Fiction)

Chapter 9: The Strange Case

Chapter 9: The Strange Case

Soundtrack: Fear of the Water by SYML

"It's me. I will not hurt you."

It was like hearing those words for the second time, in the same voice, same tone, and same coldness. I couldn't respond with his hand over my mouth, forbidding me from screaming for help. But a part of me was telling me I could trust him despite the skeptical situation.

Nang maramdaman niya ang unti-unti kong pagkalma ay marahan niyang tinanggal ang pagkakatakip ng kanyang kamay sa aking bibig habang tila sinisiguro na hindi ako sisigaw. Napalunok ako sa katahimikang sumunod at lakas-loob na humarap sa kanya. He was wearing a black jacket, his dark hair dishevelled in a fashionable way. And his dark eyes were piercing, making me unable to move from where I stand.

"What are you doing here? How could you--" Sa dinami-dami ng mga tanong na gusto kong ibato sa kaniya ay halos maghalu-halo na ang mga iyon sa utak ko. Lumingon ako sa maluwag na pagkakabukas na bintana at saka ibinalik ang tingin sa taong nakatayo sa aking harapan.

"Declan," kinakabahan kong bigkas sa kanyang ngalan na parang ang isang salitang iyon ang sumisimbolo sa mga nais kong malaman.

"Are you afraid of me?" sa halip ay tanong niya.

Kinapa ko ang takot sa aking dibdib na naramdaman ko nang malaman kong may iba akong kasama sa aking silid. Subalit ang takot na iyon ay unti-unti nang naglalaho at napalitan ng labis na pagkalito at pagtataka.

"I'm not. I'm just confused," sagot ko habang umiiling.

Humakbang siya tungo sa bookshelf na nasa aking silid na para bang kabisado na niya ang lahat ng mga bagay na naroon. Pinanood ko siya habang pinaparaanan niya ng kanyang mga daliri ang bawat isang librong nakahanay. There was something surreal in the way he stood in front of my bookshelf as if he was a dark character that came from one of the books and found his way out to this world. He felt so unreal and these strange things happening to me were so atypical.

"You're into classic stories," he calmly stated, "These books are doors to the adventures of the forgotten past."

I was into classic books, yes. Which explained the pile of Jane Austen and other classic authors' books resting on my bookshelf. There was something inviting to the way the scenes and places of the past centuries were described in those books. It was like tracing the bridge of what we were in the past and where we are in the present. But this was not the matter at the moment. I was sure that he was not only here for book reviews but for other things.

"Hindi ka nagpunta dito para manghiram ng mga libro dahil kung ganoon ay hindi ka daraan sa bintanang ito makapasok lang sa kwarto ko."

Kinuha niya ang isa sa mga libro at saka humarap sa akin. Muli akong kinumpronta ng seryoso at tila kay dilim niyang mga mata at sa pagkakataong ito ay hindi ko napigilan ang halos paglundag ng aking puso. How could his eyes have this effect on me?