Candle in the Dark (Tragic story #1)

Chapter 11: Triggered

Present: "Tomorrow is another day."

"Welcome back, Arra."

Nakahawak pa rin ako sa ulo. Ang paligid ay parang umiikot na akala mo'y galing ako sa spin game. Sinubukan kong maghuna huna at alamin ang nangyari kanina lang sa gitna ng pagkahilo at sakit ng ulo.

I looked around. It was a plain room with this strange old man in front of me.

"Again, welcome back, Arra."

Sino naman kaya ito? At paanong nandito ako? Where's Iara?

I asked Iara inside my mind, hoping she would hear me and respond. Pero wala. I'll kill that girl. Sinabi kong ayaw kong lumabas, bakit nandito ako ngayon?

Naituun ko ang atensyon sa matandang nasa harapan ko.

"Who are you?"

"It's been a long time." He said instead of answering me.

"Who are you?" Muli, tanong ko.

"It feels good to be back, isn't it?" Muli ay hindi niya sinagot ang tanong ko. Nawalan ako ng pasensya kaya tinignan ko siya ng masama.

"I am asking." Sa nagbabantang tono ay sambit ko.

"I am Doc Ledargo and it is nice to meet you again." Naglahad siya ng kamay pero binalewala ko iyun.

Meet again? Bakit nagkita na ba kami, magkakilala ba? O siya lang kasi wala akong ideya kung sino siya. Hindi ko siya sinagot.

"Yes, we met, but you wouldn't remember because that was the day you allowed Iara to take over you."

He knows. So? I don't care.

Nag cross armed ako sa kanya, prenteng sumandal sa inuupuan at matulin siyang tinitigan.

If the case is he knows about what I did, then be it. It doesn't matter anyway. Surely, Iara will go back and I shall never see this Doctor who pretends he can do something about me when the truth, is no one can change the past. At hanggang sa ganun ang katotohanan, na hindi mababago ang nakaraan, walang sinuman ang makakatulong sa akin, kung ganun. Maski ang sarili ko ay walang magagawa.

"Alright. What's the plan, then?" I asked not caring about him finding out about me and Iara.

"I should ask you that. What's your plan?"

Nagkibit ako ng balikat. I don't wanna give a damn. So frankly speaking..

"You know what? I don't have an idea why suddenly I am here and Iara isn't. But I don't care about it. I don't care about you, about anything. So, damn bye."

And then I disappeared. Tss. Who does he think he is? Someone who can fix me? Well, he's wrong. Habang naglalakad sa madilim na parte ng diwa ko para bumalik sa pinaka sulok nito kung saan ako nagtago ng ilang taon, inisip ko kung paanong nailabas ako ng Doctor na iyun.

Kung sabagay, doctor nga siya ng mga taong may problema sa utak, kaya malamang may mga paraan siyang ginamit para makuha ang gusto niya. Hindi na nakakapagtakang nahila niya ako palabas.

I continued walking and when I reached the corner where I wanted to come, I was right, she was there, unconscious and dizzy.

Nakaupo siya at nakahawak sa ulo, siguradong nahihilo. I gave her time to get over with it. She looked up and surpringsingly, she gazed at me.

"Hey! What's happening?" She asked. I rolled my eyes. Ako dapat ang nagtatanong niyan.

"Your pretensious doctor talked to me just a while ago."