Guardian-Fairy (On-going)

Chapter 3- Woods

"Secrets are just meant to be kept until the right time comes…”

{Xerxes’ POV}

I’m here in an ice cream shop with Ophelia. We had been doing sight-seeing the whole day kaya’t minabuti naming magpahinga muna dito. It’s now 4 in the afternoon at marami na kaming pinuntahang magagandang lugar. Some were new to me, some were nostalgic. Later, we are going to have dinner at the Plazuela. Pinauna na namin si Kyle doon para makahanda na ng reservation.

Ophelia was eating raspberry parfait when I suddenly got the thought of something.

“Hey, Phel. Ano ba ang mga susunod nating pupuntahan?”

“Uhhm… teka lang”, she pulled her notebook in her bag and opened the page which she book marked. She started skimming the page with her finger. “Next stop natin ay sa mall. Doon na tayo maglilipas ng oras hanggang gumabi”

“We still got time, right? I just remembered a place I want to visit”

“Saan naman?”

“Basta, you’ll see”

Nang matapos, umalis na kami agad at sumakay na sa kotse. I hope she won’t get upset with me when we get there.

>Time Skip<

{Ophelia’s POV}

What’s this place? A place I cursed 10 years ago. Ito yung lugar na kalian man, ayaw ko nang puntahan. But why am I here? I looked at Xerxes who was smirking a bit. I don’t get it. Dito kami naaksidente noong bata pa at halos mamatay na pero nagawa pa rin niyang ngitian ang lugar na ito? This place is cursed…

“Try to look at this place carefully.” Xerxes started which startled me. “Try to remember 10 years ago. When we were always playing by the path just next the road. Remember the days we had been playing together.”

Napatigil naman ako at inalala ko lahat ng iyun. Those thoughts were nostalgic, really nostalgic. I smiled.

“-then remember that day.” I suddenly froze. Sinadya ba niya yon? I thought he won’t make me think about the incident so I'd calm down pero parang papatayin naman niya ako sa trauma.“You said you saw someone and run towards him.” I looked at the old tree. I know that tree very well because I saw the man, that caused me my legs, standing beside there.

“I want to meet him” I suddenly uttered. Tinignan ako ni Xerxes na ako’y parang sira. Siguro hindi pa rin siya naniniwala na maynakita akong tao. He shook his head at napakibit balikat siya. “No, seriously. Gusto ko siyang sapakin”

He chuckled. “If that is what you want. Total, ‘di kita mapipilit. I’ll just give you 10 minutes” Alam kong hindi parin siya naniniwala pero dapat kong gawin ito.

Teka, ba’t ko ngaba ginagawa ito? Para akong bata… Pero, gusto ko talaga makita ang taong iyun. Gustong gusto.

Tinulak niya ako sa kabilang daan. Kahit ni isa sa amin ay hindi kumikibo. Maya-maya, lumalakas yung pintig ng puso ko. Ewan ko ba kung bakit parang bata kong inisip... na mayroong multo sa likod ng mga puno. I can't think anything properly.

We stopped infront of an old tree and he faced me, seriously. Lalo naman akong kinabahan pero hinitay ko kung ano man ang gagawin niya.

"Dito lang ako. Ikaw na ang bahala sa sarili mo"

-Nak ng serenang may pakpak! Yun lang pala ang sasabihin niya! Napangisi siya sa reaksyon ko at lumayo sa akin. Fine. It's on me, then.

Tiningnan ko ang kakahoyan. Ano nga ba ang meron dito? Bakit mayroon akong nakitang tao? Hindi naman ako nakakakita ng multo, nope, I totally don't have a third eye. Eh, ano ba ang nagpakita sa akin? Sometimes, I would think that it's only my imagination. But by the time I think deeper, I would always remember that man in my mind so real. I could see his perfect body, like I could claw him from afar; he didn't dissappear and just remained like he's waiting for me to acknowledge his presence before he vanishes. He's real.

Ah... baka naman may mental dissorder ako. Yuh, yun na nga siguro. Malaki na nga naman ng topak ko diba, guys? Mabuti nang mag pa check up bukas!

I decided to leave when I caught a glimpse of movement. Tumalikod ako para tignan ang kakahuyan pero wala naman. At dun na lumabas ang goosebumps ko.

'Nandito na siya''. Napalunok ako at tiinipon ang lahat ng lakas. Nagpaparamdam na nga talaga siya. Mas mabuting magimbestiga kaysa hindi. 

I just felt myself going inside the forest. It was a creepy forest, I assure you. Ewan lang kung mayroong mga ahas dito kung hindi, ay! lintik kang bata ka! Nahirapan rin ako dahil maraming siit sa lupa. Hindi pa naman ako napapalayo sa karsada, pero sana alam ni Xerxes na gusto kong puntahan niya ako dito. There's a lot of things that could happen to me here; maligaw, makagat ng anong klaseng species, mahulog sa wheelchair at hindi na maka bangon, makidnap... teka, sinong kikidnap sakin? Hmmmm... enkanto? Kung may enkanto nga talaga dito. Huh, sino naman kaya ang naniniwala sa enkanto? Walang iba nga naman kundi ako...

Napatigil akong bigla sa nakita ko. Dalawang puno na ang sanga ay nakadikit. Kung titignan mo, para siyang malaking lagusan na kung ano ngunit wala kanamang papasukan. Hindi ko ma-ipaliwanag ang aking pakiramdam but I think of that as amazing. Hindi siya nakakatakot, it's more of magical. 

Wala sa sariling nilapitan ko ang dalawang puno. Manghang-mangha talaga ako sa kagandahan ng dalawang puno. Para yung sa mga fairy tales? O abnormal lang talaga yung punong 'to? Ang sarap siguro ng feeling kapag tawirin mo ito, para kang prinsesa sa fairy tail, ano? Uy! excited si loka! 

I could have crossed the end of that tree. I could have seen the other part of the forest, I swear I could but someone tug my wheelchair and I swear I don't know what happened.

Bigla nalang akong bumalik sa realidad. Sa bilis ng pagkahila, parang nasaktan ko ang sarili ko. Bwisit naman itong taong 'to at tatakutin pa niya ako. I turn angrily to face him. "Xerxes, kung gusto mo akong gulatin, wala ka talagang hi-"

No, he's not Xerxes and I was taken aback. That calm face is surely familiar. That dark brown hair, deep almond eyes, the white tunic his wearing and the laurel wreath placed above his left ear. No wonder, it was the man she was looking for.

>>End of Chapter 3<<

>>Author's Corner<<

Finally! Sorry for the wait! Kailangan ko pang tapusin ang school year para lang ma continue ito. Actually, this chapter has been a draft since October. lols. Wala lang akong time para tapusin. But dahil maraming nagspa-spam na i-cont ko ito (shock nga ako eh kung bakit may nagbabasa pa nito *shots*) I tried to finish this as soon as possible.

I also got one problem. I suck at Tagalog. Halata naman diba? I need to consult my friend para lang hanapin ang wrong grammars ko. Lolz. That's why I'm deciding if I'll continue this story all by English. So please, huwag kayong magtaka kung nag-iba nang bigla yung language. heheh. But I'm still not sure if I will. In debate pa kumbaga. xD

Aside from this story, I have another work in 'another' website. I also do literate Role Plays at gumagawa din ako ng artworks para sa DA account ko. Kaya, magiging busy ako this summer. Please stay tuned! Marami akong ideas para sa story so please hintay lang ng kaunti. Grazie~! 

 Edit: Oh! One more thing! The trees that I'm referring to is inspired by the two trees I saw in a memorial park. I'll get a picture of it someday and post in the next chapter. Fact: Because of those two trees, nagkaideya ako ng story at ito nga iyun: Guardian-Fairy!