DELIVERANCE BOOK 3: Siege from the Ethereal [Revamped]

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: DOOMSDAY

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Doomsday

***

Sam

"Done. He's going to be okay, Sam," sambit ni Ella na ikinagaan ng loob ko. Nabawasan ng kalahati ang pag-aalala ko. I just stared at him. Hindi ko napansin that Ella was staring at me, too. "You know, Sam, I never expected to fall in love with Toby. At first he was just my teammates, my friend, but in the end, I fell in love with him. And then I realized, that sometimes we have to expect the unexpected." Nakinig lang ako sa sinasabi ni Ella. Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya ito sinasabi sa akin. I gave her a what's-your-point-look na nagpangiti sa kanya.

"Tell him what you're feeling, Sam. Before it's too late." At saka niya ginulo ang buhok ko.

"Tell him what you're feeling, Sam. Before it's too late." ‘Yan ang palaging nagpaulit-ulit sa utak ko, matapos sabihin iyon ni Ella. Nagpaalam na si Ella pero hindi ko na napansin.

Napatingin ako kay Zack na mahimbing pa ring natutulog. "Tell him what am I feeling,” sambit ko sa sarili ko.

Ano ba ang nararamdaman ko pagdating sa kanya? Do I love him? Of course, I love him, as a friend. But there were times, na higit pa doon ang nararamdaman ko. Like, n’ong time na nag-sorry siya, n’ong time na kinomfort niya ako, and every time na niyayakap niya ako. I know that there's something strange about him. Macy told me about it. That he's bisexual. And Macy also had a hunch that he might like me. Noong una ayokong maniwala kasi naman. A handsome and muscular guy like Zack liked a nobody like me? That only existed in fairytales and movies. It's beyond the reality. Pero n’ong tumagal, mas naging malinaw sa akin ‘yong nararamdaman niya. The way he cared about me, the way he smiled, and everything. It became clearer everyday.

But there's one problem. And that was me. I'm not sure kung ano ‘yong nararamdaman ko sa kanya. Is it just a friendly love or much more than that? And that's not my only problem. I'm not also sure about what and who I am. I like girls, but I kinda liked Zack, too. At siya lang ang kaisa-isang lalaki na nagustuhan ko. Does that qualify me as a bisexual? Kay Zack ko lang naramdaman ang feeling na nararamdaman ko sa tuwing may gusto akong babae.

Napatigil ako sa pag-iisip nang dumating sina Macy na may bitbit na isang cooler. Kasama din nila ang isang nurse na sa tingin ko ay ang magsasalin ng dugo kay Zack. Tumayo muna ako at saka pinapasok ang nurse. After a few minutes at natapos rin ito. I was about to sit nang biglang mag-ring yung earbud ko.

"Yes, Lumi?"

"Sam? We're on Madame Blair's office. She wants you here. She wants to tell you something." Napatingin ako kay Zack, na ayaw kong iwan.

"Kami nang bahala dito, Sam. We promise to take care of your boyfriend," asar ni Macy na ikinangiti ko. It was a stop-joking-smile.

Nagpaalam na ako sa kanila at saka ko tinungo ang office ni Madame Blair. After a couple of minutes, narating ko ito. I knocked on the door at saka pumasok na. Bumungad sa akin ang mukha nila Lumi at Madame Blair na nag-uusap. Felerick was on their center projecting a hologram of a some kind of a machine.

"Sam! How's Zack?" alalang tanong ni Madame Blair.

I closed the door at saka umupo katabi ni Lumi. "He's fine. Ella already healed his wound at sinasalinan na din siya ng dugo ngayon."

"Good to hear that, dahil ayokong dagdagan ang problema mo."

Mukhang masamang balita ‘to. "What is it?"