Team Alpha

Chapter 12

'Born Mysteries'

XIN

Kumunot kaagad ang noo ko dahil sa narinig ko. The lady in the black mirror? Tumingin ako sa iba na busy sa ginagawa nila kaya ngumiti muna ako at pinikit ang mga mata ko. "It's been a while, precious girl." Humigpit ang hawak ko sa ballpen na nasa kamay ko at bahagyang napapikit.

"Do you want to know the answers to your questions?" Tanong niya kaya napailing ako. "You're just going to lead me into a pool of confusion and depression. I'm fine working on it with the team." Sabi ko dahilan para tumingin sa akin 'yung iba.

"Are you talking to the mirror again?" Tanong ni Jayden at nilapitan ako. Tumango lang ako bilang sagot at tsaka sumandal sa upuan. They all looked at each other and then to me.

"How come the mirror talks to you? It never spoke to anyone in a hundred years." What Dino said made me confused? It never talked to anyone? After all this time that I've been talking to the mirror, it never occurred to me that it's been asleep all this time? Except when we first got it from the Itagawa Residence. "Nasan na nga ba 'yung salamin?" Tanong ni Baxter.

"It's at the Blue Scouts' reserve." Sagot ni Vernon habang may tinitingnan sa papel.

"Wow, there must be something in you, huh? The mirror keeps bothering you." Sabi ni Duke at nilapitan ako.

"She's Xinny. Of course, the mirror would talk to her." Sambit ni Milo habang naglalaro dun sa mga test tubes. Napabuga nalang ako ng hangin at hindi na inisip ang mga sinasabi nila. Wala naman kaming masyadong nakuha sa letter kaya nireserve na muna namin ito at sabay kaming napatingin dun sa pinto nung dumating si Miu.

Kumunot agad ang noo ko nung makita ko siya na matamlay. Naglakad siya palapit sa akin at niyakap ako.

"You okay?" Tanong ko at hinawakan ang pisngi niya. Tumango naman siya at pinikit ang mga mata niya.

"Just a bit tired." Aniya pero kumunot ang noo ko nung marinig ko ang tibok ng puso niya. Lumapit agad si Jun sa amin at hinawakan si Miu. Her heart beat, it's so slow. Tiningnan ko si Miu na ang tamlay-tamlay at parang ilang segundo nalang ay babagsak na siya. Jun immediately carried her and laid her down the lab bed.

Nilapitan naman siya ni Duke at pinakiramdaman ang pulso ng leeg nito. Kumunot agad ang noo niya at tiningnan si Miu. He checked her pulse again at tsaka tiningnan si Matthew.

"Her heart's beating slower than it should." Aniya dahilan para lumapit narin si Matthew kay Miu at hinawakan ang pulso nito. Dali-daling pinatagilid ni Matthew si Miu na ikinakunot ng noo ko. He ripped her clothes from the back at agad siyang tumingin sa akin.

I just looked at him with a confused face tsaka niya ako hinila papunta sa tabi niya at nung nakita ko ang likod ni Miu, agad akong nanlamig.

There was a huge wound on her back. It looked like it was from a claw of a beast or something.

"She's wounded? Ba't hindi ko naaamoy ang dugo niya?" Tanong ni Jun at hinawakan ang gilid ng sugat ni Miu. He smelled the blood, and so I did the same. Nagkatinginan agad kami ni Jun nung parehong kaming walang naamoy sa dugo ni Miu. Usually, there's a specific smell for each creature's blood.

Like how my blood smells like winter strawberries, or how Jun's blood smells like midnight wine. For some creatures, especially humans, it's just the rusty smell of ordinary blood. Pero kay Miu, wala talaga kaming naaamoy. It's like smelling water.