Shipwrecked Hearts

Navigare 47

I was completely out of my mind. Hindi ako nakapag-isip nang mabuti. I was staring at a headless corpse whose body was carved with a letter. K. How am I supposed to react? This isn't something normal. Kagagawan ito ng demonyo and I just lost the only one who can put my worries aside. "Ate Kira, ano ang gagawin natin? Baka hindi pa nakakalayo 'yong pumatay."

Now is not the time to be shocked. I should calmly do what must be done. Pinulot ko ang mga nabitawan kong dagger, "we're going to catch the culprit then." Saad ko. Tumango naman siya at nilagay sa lalagyan ang pin-sword. I followed the blood trail towards the house of Caroline. The killer must have had accidentally stepped on her blood. I saw that the house was clean, only the traces of blood on the cold marble floor. The killer must have used the backdoor of Caroline's house as an exit.

Lumabas kami ni Mermaid papunta sa likod ng bahay. Bumungad sa amin ang abandonadong eskinita. Tumingala ako at nakita ang mga damit at telang nakasampay. I don't know why but it seems like I can smell the scent of the killer—whoever he or she is, the killer is nearby. I can feel it. The traces of the killer's scent is being recognized by my nostrils.

I looked at my right side, "he's there." Tumakbo kami ni Mermaid papunta roon. Saktong iyon ay tumunog ang basurahan sa gilid, "whoever you are, come out." Utos ko.

"Ate, takpan mo ang iyong tenga." Saad ni Mermaid sa akin. Sinunod ko naman siya. I know what she was about to do. Mermaid started singing with her soft voice, I didn't quite get the language she was using, plus I was all ears covered. When I felt that Mermaid was finally done with hypnotizing, I approached the killer hiding behind the trashcans.

Suminghap ako't umigtad nang may espada na biglang lumabas mula sa kadiliman. It almost got me. Umurong ako ng ilang hakbang at saka binato ang dagger mula roon. The killer jumped, finally revealing himself. I didn't catch his face well, though, since he was wearing a black mask like a ninja. He was also wearing all black clothes. All I can see was his jet-black eyes.

"Hindi gumana 'yong charm ko." Mermaid spouted, she looked confused why.

"Who are you?" Tanong ko sa lalaki.

Sa halip na sumagot ay nilabas niya ang isa pang espada niya. He must be a two-sword combatant. Nagulat ako nang biglang sumugod si Mermaid. She thrusted the air with her needle-like sword. The masked man blocked it with his right sword, akmang sasaksakin ng lalaki si Mermaid gamit ang kan'yang libreng kamay nang hablutin ko ang isa sa mga balaraw ko at ibato ito sa kan'yang. I saw how the dagger pierced through his palm, dahilan upang mabitawan niya ang espada. He groaned and took a few steps back.

"The kid's not the only enemy." May giit sa aking boses. "Tell me, who are you? What is your motive for killing the fortune-teller?" Tanong ko.

Hindi natinag ang lalake. There was no hint of waiver on his stony cold eyes. He just looked at me with his blank face. Even if he was wearing a mask, I can tell that he is emotionless. Bahagya niyang hinawakan ang dagger na nakatusok pa rin sa kan'yang palad na tila karayom at walang sabing tinanggal ito. He growled in pain as the clashing of the dagger against the bricked floor resonated. Then beads of blood fell from his wound.

Mermaid plunged again with her needle sword, she moved fast. Thanks to her size, nahirapan ang lalake sa pagsaksak sa kan'yang. I cannot let the kid do all the work, I told myself. So I held daggers on both hands and dashed towards the enemy. Mermaid seemed to have seen me from her peripheral vision and jumped back, giving me all the space needed.

The metal clash of our weapons echoed through the abandoned lane as our aims meet midpoint. Whoever this killer is, he's an expert, I can tell by his swift and measured moves. He doesn't waste a single sweat of energy.

I grinned. This is fun. I took two more daggers from the hilt of my belt and threw them up in the air. I took another one and fired it at the man. He was one second late in dodging the dagger and it pierced through his legs, lumuhod naman siya, ginawa niyang suporta ang hawak na espada sa kamay upang hindi mawalan ng balanse. Still thinking that it isn't enough to immobilize him, I aimed the last dagger on my hand again at the other leg, bullseye. I put my hands up, just in time to catch the two falling daggers.

Lumapit ako sa lalake at tinutok ang isang punyal sa kan'yang leeg. "Who are you?"

Umiwas siya ng tingin.

"You won't speak, huh?" I grabbed his mask, "then I'll just see for myself." Akmang tatanggalin ko na ang maskara niya nang itaas niya ang espada, I jumped a few steps away because of my natural reflexes. I thought he was going to stab me, but instead—ang sarili niya ang kan'yang sinaksak.

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata. I approached the guy and checked his pulse. No more. He was dead. Kumuyom ang aking kamao, tinanggal ko ang maskara niya. It revealed a stranger's face. Mermaid looked at the man's face, siningkitan niya ang kan'yang mata, as if remembering him from somewhere. "Do you know him?"

Nagkibit-balikat si Mermaid, "hindi ko alam, Ate Kira. Pero parang pamilyar ang mukha niya." Saad niya.

"Okay, I want you to inform Maximo and the others. Babantayan ko itong bangkay hangga't sa dumating sila."

Tumango si Mermaid at agad na tumakbo paalis.

~~~

K. What does that carving has to do with anything? Is it some kind of message? I don't know. I was confused. A few minutes have passed, my senses were still high because of what just happened. May bahid na rin ng dugo ang aking bestida. My hair was messy. My skin sticky because of the sweat. And my makeup... it was kind of smudged. I looked like a complete mess. And Maximo will see me like this?

"Starfish." Tumingin ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses. I saw Maximo walking with Joziah on his right side and other random pirates behind him. Naglakad siya palapit sa akin, when he was already in front of me, he held my hand firmly, "fuck, are you hurt?"

Ngumiti ako nang bahagya at umiling. "I'm fine." Binaling ko ang aking tingin sa bangkay ng lalaking pumatay kay Caroline, "I caught the culprit with Mermaid, but he killed himself."

"I've never seen that guy before." Maximo scowled. Afterwards, he looked at me again. "Seryoso ka ba na okay ka lang?" I smiled and nodded.

"I'm really okay."

"Good, because if you aren't, I won't be able to forgive myself." Bumuntong-hininga si Maximo, "next time, magpaalam ka kung lalabas ka, okay? So I can be with you. This island and town might be ruled by us, but there will always be people who'll seek to eliminate us. Next time, magpaalam ka, okay?" Giit ni Maximo.

"Sorry. I'll be more careful next time."