The Sun The Moon and The Stars

7. lovers in a cage

SEBASTIAN

I killed Savannah. 

And all my eyes could see was the color red.

Deep red. 

I could see blood all over my body.

It was not mine.

It was Savannah's.

I stabbed her chest with a fork. 

I kept stabbing her until she could no longer breath. 

"Sorry will never change what has been done to him", were the last words she heard from me. 

I smiled. 

There was the sound of alarm coming out from nowhere.

Then I was awaken.

I was inside a very chilling well air-conditioned room in an old hotel in Mandaluyong, but I could still feel the sweat running down my back. I have never sweat so much before.

It was only a dream. I reminded myself.  It was only just a dream.

Hindi nagising si Savannah kahit anong lakas ng pagalog ko sa kama. Hindi naman pala totoo na naabala yung ibang tao kapag nababangungot yung kasama nila sa kwarto. 

Yes, we shared the same room now.  It has already been four days. 

I kept dreaming the exact same dream for four days ever since Savannah and I ran away from her wicked brother my lunatic sister.

I believed that things in my mind were just juxtaposed since Adriana should have been the person I am stabbing to death in my dreams. Stabbing her endlessly for murdering our father and trying to erase my memories so she could escape from the crime she had done. She was that crafty, my wise sister who was able to erase my memories. However, she was not that extremely wise either. If she was she should have killed me right away when she had the chance. 

***

I could still remember the things that occurred four days ago when my sister almost killed me. I was pursuing Summer that day wanting to apologize and explain about Savannah's presence inside my room but I never found her until she showed herself inside the room, taking the bullet that  should have been mine. And shooting my sister on one arm with her own gun.  Adriana tried to aim for Savannah, then all of a sudden Summer forced her body on the direction and took another bullet before shooting her for the second time.The moment that happened, Barry rushed into my sister immediately and stormed out of the room. I ran towards Summer and carried her on my lap. Blood was gushing out of her body. And the only person who could heal her was lying on the floor, fainted.  

She opened her mouth to speak. I leaned over her to listen. 

"I know you love her." She said. " All this time I was pretending not to notice it. You love her since we were in High school. I tried to be blind. I thought there was still a chance for us. A chance that you will love me too.  But I cannot lie to myself anymore.  I don't want to be this selfish little girl. I want you to know that I love you. That I can show you that this is true. Even by protecting the one you love the most.  I lived only because I love you. I will die for the same reason."

"No, you will not die. " I said, sobbing.

"It's okay now Seb. It's okay. "

And as if all her breath had been drained out of her lungs through those words, she died.

Summer died.

She died protecting Savannah.

****

Ngayon, apat na araw na kaming nakakulong ni Savannah sa hotel na tinutuluyan namin. Apat na araw ng hindi lumalabas.  Apat na araw na kaming hindi nasisikatan ng araw. Ang putla na namin pareho. Para na kaming mga bampira.  I payed the receptionist a considerable amount of money to keep her mouth shut from anyone who might ask about our whereabouts. I believed that was enough.  So far we were safe. So far.

SAVANNAH

I saw Sebastian laughing without any particular reason. Crazy, indeed. Ganito ba ang nangyayari kapagka hindi nasisinagan ng araw? 

O aking araw, ano nang nangyari sa'yo? Para ka talagang haring araw, masayahin, punong puno ng lakas at pagasa, hindi iniinda ang parating na gabi. 

I hit him with a playful punch.

"Anong pinapanood mo?" tanong niya sa akin.

"Dae Jang Geum", sagot ko sa kanya.  Actually, habang nanonood nagbabasa rin ako ng libro. Depression na ba ito? Hindi pa kasi ako nakukulong sa isang lugar na ganito katagal. 

"Luma na 'yan a. Mahilig ka pala sa Kdrama?"

"uu."

"Anong libro yang binabasa mo?"

"Romeo and Juliet."

"Romeo and Juliet?"

"Ay hindi. Harry Potter.Harry Potter.kakasabi ko lang 'di ba?"

Sabay kaming natawa. 

"Puro romance. babaeng babae ka talaga." Sabi niya sa akin na may mulat na mulat na mga mata. Ang sarap sundutin ng tinidor.

"Hindi lang naman pambabae ang romance. Pwede rin naman sa lalaki."

He cleared his throat.

"E ikaw? Anong genre ng latest novel na sinusulat mo?". tanong ko sa kanya.

Napangiti siya. Pinipigilang tumawa. 

Romance!

Inagaw ko sa kanya ang notebook na sinusulatan niya ng bago niyang romance story. Romance! Pambabae pala ah! Sino kayang babae ngayon?

Sinubukan niyang agawin. Hindi niya kaya.

I read it. Loud and clear~

"Boy: Balita ko simula nung nag break tayo puro iyak. kain, tulog ginawa mo.

Girl: so?

Boy: Kain, tulog, iyak. Kain, tulog, iyak. Paulit ulit. Alam mo ba kung sino o ano lang ang gumagawa nun paulit ulit at hindi nagsasawa?

Girl walks out.

Boy: Baby.

(Tinawag niya ang girl na baby. His baby.)"

I smiled.

Because I knew deep down in my heart who's story it was. 

It's ours.

Though we never broke up dahil never naman na naging kami, he once found out na puro tulog at iyak na lang ang ginawa ko after naming mag break ng first boyfriend ko nung High school. At nung mga oras na yun he teased me by calling me "baby". His baby. 

[CHAPTER CONCLUDED]

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