The Song of the Wolf and the Moon (Published Under PHR)

Chapter 1: The Wedding

Pray to the moon when she is round,
Luck with you will then abound.
What you seek for shall be found,
On the sea or solid ground.

-Angelfire

“YOU MAY NOW kiss the bride,” ang utos ni judge Joel Domingo sa bagong kasal na sina KM Macatangay at Paul Angelo Pablo.

            Dapat maging masaya si KM dahil natupad sa wakas ang kanyang minimithing hiling. Ngunit kaba at takot ang nangingibabaw sa kanya nang oras na iyon. Ang kanyang ama at Si Michael Alberto na kaibigan ni Paul lang ang saksi sa kasalan na iyon. Hindi na niya naimbitahan ang mga kaibigan na sina Jacel Anne at Meriza.

            Isang mabilisang halik ang iginawad ni Paul sa kanya. Dampi lamang iyon ngunit madiin. Nangilabot siya roon. Ang mga mata nito’y walang bahid ni katiting na emosyon. Cold and isolating. He looked at her as if she was a piece of trash. Or maybe she was really a trash. Everyone treated her that way.

            Kung may isinampal sa kanya ang tadhana, iyon ay ang lumaban sa lahat ng makakaya niya. ‘Wag magpagupo sa problema. At may paraan ang lahat ng bagay para makuha. By all any means, she got what she had wanted. And she faced all the consequences bravely.

            Last night, the moon was full so she prayed for him. She asked to the moon for him.

            Sa buwan na marikit

            Bigyan ang hiling ng abang maliit

            Sinasambit nang marapat

            Ang pagsamong wagas at sapat

And she granted her wish.

           

            But she wasn’t careful what she wished for. She made a mistake. She could feel it in her bones with his cold, dangerous stare.

            At mukhang hindi sapat ang kanyang lakas upang harapin ang pagkakamaling nagawa niya. Dahil pinikot niya si Paul Angelo Pablo...

               Business associate ang kanyang ama at si Paul Angelo. Unang kita pa lamang ni KM sa binata ay agad na siyang nagkagusto rito. He stood tall and confident. He exuded an air of authority that would intimidate all people that will lay their eyes on him. He was handsome in every angle of his face.

 

            Kinakagat nito noon ang labi habang nakaupo sa kanilang sofa at nagbabasa ng business magazine. Naaaliw siya habang pinapanood ang binata, lalo na sa manipis nitong labi na walang humpay nitong kinakagat.

 

            At nang magtama ang kanilang titig, right there and then, she was hooked.

 

            At nang unang maglapat ang kanilang kamay at dumaloy ang nakakakiliting kuryente, alam niya, ang lalaki ang para sa kanya.

 

            At nang masinghap niya ang nakalalangong amoy nito, parang sariwang hangin sa katatapos na ulan, she branded him as hers.