What Happened Last Night?

PROLOGUE

I keep having this weird dream. And in that dream, I was alone with my mother when a man came and took me away from her. Turns out, it wasn't a dream... it was real and that man was my father. I didn't know what was happening but it was fine to me at first, because I got to have the things I couldn't when I was with my mom. Dolls, shoes, dresses. I remember being happy... but not for too long.

I found out the truth. My father was already married when he got my mother pregnant... that I am an illegitimate child. His wife pretends to be kind whenever my father is around. But when he's not, my life becomes hell.

Nararanasan ko ang matatamis na sampal mula kay tita Cordova kahit wala naman akong ginagawang masama. Ako ang palagi niyang pinagbubuntunan ng galit tuwing nag-aaway sila ni daddy.

My story is almost the same with Cinderella's, but the thing is, I don't have two evil sisters and a fairy godmother. I do have an older brother though, his name is Cairo... he's adopted but he is far more worst than having 'two evil sisters'.

And I am staring at him right now. Tumaas ang isang kilay ko nang tumulo na sa wakas ang pekeng pag-iyak niya sa harap ng kabaong ni daddy. Tangina neto. Sapakin ko pa siya eh.

I don't know what to feel right now. I feel bad for being okay, for being relieved that he's gone. He took everything away from me ever since I was a kid. He took away my freedom and didn't leave me with any choice.

Basta basta nalang niyang ginagawa lahat ng gusto niya sa akin without my consent. Ilang beses ko ng gustong umalis pero alam ko kung ano ang kaya niyang gawin. Kung kinakailangan nyang suyurin bawat lugar sa buong mundo, gagawin niya para lang maisakatuparan ang masasama nyang plano. So yeah, he doesn't deserve any tears from me.

Nang mahagip ng mga mata ko ang pagpasok ni tita Cordova ay agad-agad na akong lumabas sa kabilang pinto. Ayaw ko ng gulo. Tatlong araw ko na siyang tinatakbuhan dahil alam kong mag e-eskandalo lang siya at ayaw kong mangyari yun sa mismong harap ng bangkay ni daddy. Legal wife nga, daig naman ang kabit sa pag-uugaling kalye. Ano pang silbe ng diploma niya ng collge kung nagmumukha naman siyang cheap at hindi edukadong tao?

Dumeretso na ako sa baba patungo sa hardin. Tandang tanda ko pa noong dito ako nakatira, na sa tuwing inaalipusta nila ako ay sa hardin ako dumederetso. Well, hindi naman mga bulaklak ang sadya ko dito eh, kundi ang napakalawak na maze na nasa gitna mismo ng malawak na hardin nato. I don't know what it is called actually, but some of our workers call it labyrinth.

I feel at ease sa tuwing naliligaw ako sa paliko-likong daanan ng labyrinth. Hindi ko alam pero gusto ko lang magdrama dito. Basta palagi ko lang sinasa-ulo, na ang buhay, parang maze lang. Maraming paliko-liko. Dalawa lang tatahakin, yung mali o tama. There will come a time that you'll get stuck, but in order to get out, you have to find a way out, thus you take the other way, and that way will you into another direction, until it leads you to the end.

I've been doing this since i was little, kaya kabisado ko na din ang ibang parte nitong maze. Pero maraming pwedeng daanan na hindi ko pa nasusubukan. It's just that, I'm afraid to take the unfamiliar path because I might get lost and wouldn't find my way back.

Call me coward, pero helooow, ang tagal kaya bago ako nahanap ng mga tauhan ni daddy nung unang beses na napdpad ako dito. If I get lost, who would find me? Who would dare to take every path in this maze just to look for me? Wala, kasi for them, I'm just a waste of time.

Pagpasok ko sa labyrinth ay bumungad sa akin ang sampung bukana ng mga daanan patungo sa kabilang dulo ng maze na ito. Familiar na ako sa anim dito, pero ang apat sa kaliwa ay tila ba parang bago padin sa akin.

Napagdesisyonan kong pumasok sa hindi ko pa nakakabisadong daanan. Hindi gaanong maliwanag ang mga ilaw dito kaya may mga sulok sa maze na madilim.

Napahinto ako nang ang tinahak kong direksyon ay sarado. I'm stuck. Damn. This is where the fun begins. I get stuck, then I'll get lost.

Pagkaliko ko ay bumungad sa akin ang mga nagliliparang alitaptap. I don't know why but is it just me who dreams of fairytale where I dance with hundreds of fireflies giving light to my glittered dress? But that sucks, cause in reality, fireflies are just fireflies, and there is no dancing and singing.

I leaned on the wall with tall veins and itchy leaves. I heaved out a sigh as I slowly sat on the ground. Nanatili akong naka-upo habang pinagmamasdan ang mga nagliliparang maliliit na ilaw.

Wala na akong paki-alam kahit maligaw na ako. Gusto ko lang talagang mapag-isa. NapatIgil ako sa pagdradranma nang may narinig akong kaluskos. Dafuck, ang alam ko ay ako lang ang nandito ah.

Dali dali na akong tumayo at sinundan kung saan nanggagaling ang kaluskos. Sinubukan kong sumilip ngunit masyadong makapal ang mga ugat ng halaman at madilim pa.

This time, I heard murmurs. Idinikit ko ang tenga ko sa dingding upang marinig ang diskusyon sa kabila. It seems that there are two guys arguing.

"Ang utos satin ay patayin sya." Tila ba nanigas ako sa narinig. Who are these people?

"If we do that now, satin at satin lang din mapupunta ang sisi. Mag-isip ka ng mabuti Wayland." Said the other guy. Wait, did he just say Wayland? That name sounds familiar!

"Tyron, if we don't kill her now, tayo naman ang ipapatumba ni Cairo." I froze when the Wayland guy mentioned my brother's name. What does he mean? Sino ba ang babaeng tinutukoy nila?

I leaned closer para mas marinig pa ang pag-uusap nila but then suddenly my phone rang. Shit. Agad-agad ko itong kinuha mula sa bulsa ko at pinatay ang tawag. It was an unknown number. Sino naman kaya to?

"Who's there?!" Sigaw nung Wayland. My heart started beating so fast. What am I gonna do? Hindi ko na alam ang daan pabalik sa pinasukan ko.

Dali dali akong umalis at tumungo sa kanan hanggang sa hindi ko na alam ang dereksyon na tinatahak ko. All I am thinking is to get out of here no matter what. Bakit nga ba kasi ako nagpabibo na makakalabas ako dito sa labyrinth na to?

Napatigil ako sa pagtakbo nang ang linikuan ko ay sarado. I let out a groan and turned, but the moment I did, I saw a pair of dark eyes staring intently at me. I took a step back when he moved. "Scream and you'll find this knife pinned on your chest." Pagbabanta niya. He has this cold authoritative voice. I swallowed the lump on my thraat. Is this my end? Napansin ko ang hawak niyang patalim habang nilalaro lang niya ito.

He is wearing a playful smirk and he looks like in any moment, he's gonna stab me with the knife he's holding.

I felt the thick wall of veins behind me. Anong gagawin ko. Nang makalapit na siya sakin ay nanatili siyang nakatayo sa harap ko habang hawak hawak padin ang kutsilyo. I closed my eyes and felt my warm tears. I waited for a sharp pain, pero wala. Suddenly, warm calloused hands cupped my face and gently wiped my tears.

"I'll give you a choice, come with me or get killed by those guys." I slowly opened my eyes. Nagtama ang mga mata namin at hindi ko alam but it felt like his blue eyes were drowning me.

It took me a whlile to find my voice. "I-I don't even kw who you are. Why would I come with you?" The smirk from his lips turned into a dark and scary expression.

"Then choose who you want to kill you? Me or them?" I felt the sharp end of his knife touch my skin. Napapikit ako nang makaramdam ako ng hapdi mula sa leeg ko. He's not joking. He's really going to kill me if I don't come with him.

"Wh-who are you?" My eyes suddenly got blurry, and before I could hear his answer, I found myself falling into his arms, and the last thing I remember is his strong scent and the darkness swallowing me.