Swan of Endless Feathers (Book 1 of Swan Trilogy)

Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Dungeons

Nick

I groggily opened my eyes while glancing around me in a daze.

I saw my brothers laying down on the floor, their hands and feet are tied up in a rope. Umamba akong tumayo pero agad din akong nadapa at bumagsak sa sahig.

Napagtanto ko lang na pati rin ako ay may posas na nakabuhol sa pulso at binti ko. Umaalog pa ang sasakyan habang nagmamaneho ito sa kung saan man nila kami dadalhin.

We're inside a van, trapped with those men in suits who had been chasing us down.

Nilibot ko ang akin paningin. I felt such a relief that Charlotte wasn't captured but it's terrifying to see all of my brothers bundled up like farm animals on their way to a slaughterhouse.

Including me.

Napaisip naman ako kung hindi lang talaga nila naabutan si Charlotte o sadyang kami lang mga Hansens ang target nila na hulihin.

Pero bakit kami?

Iyon ang umalingawngaw sa isipan ko.

Paano kami makakatakas sa ganitong kalagayan namin? Kulong na kulong kami sa mga nagbabantay atsaka nakaposas pa kami.

Fuck. No matter how many times I tried to think of a solution, the branches of answer leads to death and loss.

We're all screwed.

Tahimik na nagdadrive ang gunmen sa harap ng kotse. May isang gunmen na nakaupo sa gilid at binabantayan kami. May hawak siyang armalite na nakasabit sa balikat niya.

"You're awake."

"Ano ang kailangan niyo sa amin? Bakit niyo kami kinidnap?"

"It was an order."

"By who?"

"Why would I tell you?" The man snickered. Fucking asshole.

"If we're going to die anyway, why not just tell us?" Pagkumbinsi ko. Of course, I wouldn't let us die. I need to find out what's going on before it's too late.

"It's best you save your prayers for later."

Nakaramdam ako ng kirot sa balikat ko, nang nilingon ko ito atsaka ko lang napansin na may tinurok pala ang isa sa mga kasama niya na injection sa akin.

Unti-unting bumigat ang katawan ko hanggang sa tuluyan na kong nawalan ng malay.

---

I barely remembered Charlotte when I was a kid, or rather, a little baby boy.

Baby pa lang ako ay nakakaalala na ako ng mga mukha. Kahit hindi ko matandaan ang pangalan nila, naalala ko ang mukha nila at ang kanilang ugali kapag nakikita ko sila.

May ibang natutuwa at nilalambing pa ako, may ibang nandidiri sa akin dahil nga baby pa ko at puro tae at kain lang ako, may iba naman ay blanko lang na tinitingnan ako, walang pakielam kung baby ako o hindi.

At may iba... may iba na puno ng kahihinatnan, galit, at kapootan ang nagtatago sa kanilang mata.

Charlotte didn't have those kind of eyes. What I saw in her was kindness and love. She was gentle around other people.

There are times I thought she was my sister so I accidentally called her 'ate'.

There are times I tried to suckle on her breast when I got hungry but she didn't have one.