Dream Chaser [Chaser Trilogy Book 1]

Kabanata 26

Ang Larawan

Kabanata 26

As soon as I opened the door to our house, a wave of nausea hit me. Napakapit ako sa pintuan at paulit-ulit na ipinikit ang aking mga mata. I shook my head as if it would do something, but it did not really help. Hindi ko naman inakala na agaran akong magkakaganito.

"Sophia?" Isang boses ng lalaki ang aking narinig. I looked up and saw a blur of someone right in front of me. Papalapit siya as akin ngayon kaya inangat ko ang nanginginig kong kamay sa kanya para magpatulong.

Ethan?

"Anak?" Napatingin ako sa direksyon kung saan nagmula ang boses ni Mommy. Ang biglaan kong paggalaw ang dahilan para maduwal ako sa kinatatayuan. Kasabay noon ang pagkakahuli ng kamay ko ng gustong umalalay sa akin. Biglang pumasok ang alaala na nasa kalsada si Tan-tan at umiiyak.

Biglang nanikip ang dibdib ko, dahilan para mapahawak ako roon at mapaatras. I heard something crash. My head turned to the sound.

Humigpit ang hawak ni Ethan dahil naramdaman ko rin na muntikan na akong mahulog sa sahig. I heard people yelling around me but as soon as I laid my eyes on the object that fell, natahimik ang buong paligid ko.

It was as if time stopped alongside the blurring of my surroundings and the throbbing sides of my head. Dahan-dahan kong sinubukang abutin ang picture frame na naglalaman ng larawan kahit na hinang-hina na ako.

My ears started ringing as I tried to reach for the picture underneath the broken glass. Naramdaman ko ang pilit na pagpapatayo sa akin pero hindi ako nagpadala. I saw blood drip from my fingertips, but I was not able to feel anything. Nakatuon ang buong atensyon ko sa larawang tuluyan ko nang naabot.

The picture of me in an awkward position was somehow tilted as if it were folded. The creased side was slowly pushing the picture upwards. With the tip of my fingers, pinilit kong abutin iyon. While fighting my eyes from closing because of the dizziness, naabot ko iyon before I was scooped up.

Unknowingly, a tear fell from my eyes nang mabitiwan ko ang larawan. He was there all along. He is here.

I let everything come back to me. I let everything that ever happened to me come back.

I let the memory of that photograph remind me of what I forgot.

I let the memory I should not have forgotten return.

Bago ko ipinikit ang mga mata ko, iniangat ko ang tingin ko sa taong bumubuhat sa akin ngayon.

I reached up to touch his face which is now contorted with worry and panic. He looked like he was in a rush.

He was not always in a rush. He was always calm. I liked him calm.

"Tan-tan," I whispered before I let myself be swallowed by the darkness.

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