Heart of Darkness (To Be Published)

Simula

[REVISED EDITION, 2025]

⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚

Simula

The Heart's Darkness

"ALAM mo, kabaligtaran ng pangalan mo ang sex life mo." I stopped sipping on my champagne when I heard Elena speaking.

"What?" My forehead creased, looking at her weirdly.

"Winter pangalan mo pero tagtuyot ka," she spat.

My mouth fell dramatically, tumaas ang kilay ko.

"Excuse me?!" Eksaherada kong sabi. "A-anong tuyot?! I am living my best life–"

"Hindi best kapag walang sex, Winter!" She snickered. "That was the most important and exciting part of being a person. Sex!"

I almost shivered with what she was saying but I rolled my eyes at her instead. Too much information!

"Alam mo, Macarena..."

"Elena!" She exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Elena 'yon, Winter! You bitch!"

"Pasosyal!" Umirap ako at sumimsim sa champagne, pinagko-kross ang hita.

"Busy ako sa trabaho," I said. "That's why I am not flirting. Inaayos ko ang future ko."

"Asus!" She rolled her eyes. "Ilang taon mo nang inaasikaso ang future mo! Ilang taon ka na, twenty-eight? May sapot na 'yang ano mo!"

"I'm gonna slit your neck, bitch!" I hissed at her. "Shut up! Nakakahiya sa nakakarinig!'

"Alam mo, Winter Andromeda Almedarez, freelance model ka lang at pwede nang pagsabayin ang trabaho at paglandi sa panahon ngayon," aniya. She raised her hand dramatically.

Tumaas na ang sulok ng labi ko.

"It's called trabahoe," aniya kaya sumabog na ang tawa at iniangat ang wine glass.

"At pwede rin isabay sa work! We call it whoreking," litanya ko pa.

Tumawa kaming pang loka-loka, wala nang pakialam sa nakakarinig. We clicked our glasses together.

"Pero bitch, akala mo lang. Wala akong jowa pero marami akong kalandian," palusot ko pa.

"Sus, when was the last time I saw you flirt?" Nag-isip siya. "Years ago na, Winter! If you even called that flirting? E, wala ka nga masyadong interes, isa o dalawang date lang tamad ka na?"

"We just don't click but akala mo lang, lapitin ako ng boys!" I said. "Tita na ako pero malakas pa rin ang karisma ko!"

"Weh?" She eyed me from head to toe. "Sige nga, flirt with someone there." She pointed to the dance floor.

"Sige ba," I agreed, up to the challenge. Tumayo ako at hinawi ang mahaba at kulot kong buhok papunta sa likod.

"Well," I shrugged and fixed my shining, little black dress, and looked at her. "Let the show begin, shall we?"

I winked. Humagalpak naman ng tawa si Macarena at pumalakpak sa akin.

"Go, girl!" She cheered.

I smirked, looking around for a possible prospect. There are a lot of good faces in the crowd but not my type of guys. Abala sa sayawan sa saliw ng musika ang lahat, naghaharutan kasama ang mga partner sa ilalim ng makukulay na ilaw at usok.

I couldn't see anyone that would interest me until my eyes caught someone sitting by the bar counter. One look and my back straightened.

He's wearing a dark blue dress shirt, the sleeves folded to his elbow, and pants. He's sporting a buzzcut, not the usual haircut that suits my type of boys.