Dead Reckoning - A Gregorio del Pilar x Reader story

XXXIII - Gnossienne

n. a moment of awareness that someone you've known for years still has a private and mysterious inner life, and somewhere in the hallways of their personality is a door locked from the inside, a stairway leading to a wing of the house that you've never fully explored—an unfinished attic that will remain maddeningly unknowable to you, because ultimately neither of you has a map, or a master key, or any way of knowing exactly where you stand.

* * *

Even before the performance ended, Remedios Nable Jose had already left. Leaving her father in accompanying Goyo. Even afterward, Goyo is left alone as he thanks the townspeople for the celebration that they've prepared in his honor. Instead of giving his speech all at once, he decides to converse with them in small groups. And a few seconds later, I lose sight of him.

And I am left on my own when Julian and Enteng leave even before the performance ended, telling me that they are going to check on something. I am already on my way back to the house we are staying when, surprisingly, I see Julian drawing closer to me in a rush. The anxiety on his face makes me worry as he keeps his eyes looking around. When he makes it a meter from me, he asks, "(Y/N), nakita mo ba si Goyong?"

"Hmm?" I raise my eyebrow at him and shake my head. "Hindi. Baka nasa bahay na nila Don Nable Jose." The bitterness on my voice is audible but Julian didn't seem to take notice of it.

"Kakasalubong ko lamang kay Don Mariano. Huli niya raw nakita si Goyong pagkatapos noong palabas."

"Huli kong kita sa kanya ay may mga kausap siyang mga taga-rito. At hindi naman si Don Nable Jose ang dahilan kung bakit siya pupunta sa bahay nila, kung ganoon."

He sighs heavily. "Sabagay."

But then, at that moment, a few meters behind Julian, I see Goyo on his white uniform making him easy to be found in the crowd.

"Julian, si Goyo," I tell him at once, causing him to turn behind him and where I am pointing out.

And something is strange when Julian calls for his younger brother, one that both of us had immediately notice at that very moment. When Julian calls for him, he didn't even look at us. He remains fixated on looking at something from afar, and even without being close to him, we can both say that he is troubled.

The two of us immediately draw closer to him. Julian immediately back as the older brother he is by asking, "Goyong? Anong problema? Anong nangyari sa iyo?"

"Nandito sila." That's all that Goyo tells us. He repeats himself, much urgently, "Nandito sila." And then, he immediately flees, running off to somewhere as he follows someone.

Julian and I share a look, and we didn't hesitate to follow after him, realizing the worst possible case that Goyo is suddenly turning insane over some triggering words or actions. We catches him just at an isolated part of the town, grasping for an old man whom he had pinned against the wall with his arm and saber.

The old man is mumbling something, visibly frightened as Goyo shouts at him, shakingly pointing his revolver, "Isa ka ba sa kanila? Sagot!"

I didn't take a step closer but Julian does. He immediately breaks the two apart. Goyo, however, only starts shouting much more, exasperated as he repeats himself, "Isa ka ba sa kanila?! Sagot!"

"Goyong! Ulyanin lang yan!" Julian explains as he slowly manages to ease his younger brother. "Nakausap na namin siya. Pakawalan mo."

Finally, Goyo releases the old man who immediately runs away from the site. Julian also finally let his brother go and looks around, meeting my eyes. The horror on his eyes when our eyes met is not deadly, but as if he had seen a ghost out of me.