Glory and Gore (Completed)

Chapter 35

THIRTY-FIVE: Night Has A Thousand Eyes

Blair

"Someone finally answered our prayers," Ryan said.

Natatawang umiling-iling si Maru. "I can't believe it. I thought that this land was covered with forest at wala iyong katapusan," aniya. "I guess I was wrong."

Hope hurts, Blair, I reminded myself. Pero hindi ko pinigilan ang sarili kong umasa—umasa na baka may magandang naghihintay sa amin sa dulo ng malapad na kalsadang ito, na baka may malaking posibilidad na makaalis na kami rito sa lugar na ito. I smiled at the thought. Ah, wishful thinking...

"Ano pa ang hinihintay natin?" Maru asked us.

"Let's go," ani Ryan.

Nagpatiuna silang dalawa ni Maru. When I finally stepped on the side of the road, tears started trickling down my cheeks. Kagaya nila, hindi rin ako makapaniwala. Finally, something came to give us hope. Na hindi pa ito ang katapusan namin. Na may pag-asa pa kaming makaalis dito.

Mabilis kong pinunasan ang basa kong pisngi gamit ang likod ng kamay ko. Sinimulan na naming tahakin ang daan. I knew that maybe it would take us hours before we reached the end of this road or maybe even a day. But we didn't care. As long as we reach the end of this.

Tumatalon-talon si Ryan at Maru sa gitna ng daan na parang mga bata at naghihiyawan pa. Natatawang pinanood lang namin ni Jem ang dalawa. Out of habit, I looked behind us—I thought of the possibility that some car might came speeding down this road. But only the empty road stared back at me. Napagdesisyunan naming lumakad pa-kaliwa.

Noong bata ako, kapag nakakakita ako nang daan, I would always imagine that road would take me anywhere I dreamt of going. As long as I move onward. At iyon ang ginawa namin. We started walking forward.

At kung wala daw magandang mangyayari sa kaliwa, pwede naman daw naming subukan ang kanang bahagi ng daan, ayon kay Jem.

Malapit nang maggabi sa tingin ko. Ilang oras na lang siguro ay tuluyan nang lulubog ang araw at papalitan na iyon ng buwan at mga bituin. Kulay kahel ang binibigay na liwanag ng papalubog na araw. Kahit na maliwanag pa ang paligid, hindi namin matanaw ang dulo ng daang ito.

But we continued walking, not knowing what's waiting for us at the end of this road.

***

Hindi ko na nagawang bilangin kung gaano na kami katagal na naglalakad. It was already night. Tuluyan nang lumubog ang araw at napalitan na ng buwan. Darkness covered the trees on our sides but there was a faint light coming from the moon above us. Bahagya niyong naiilawan ang daan na tinatahak namin.

We knew that walking down this road was also risking to be seen by unknown creatures. Madali kami mamamataan dito nang kahit na sino. But again, kailan ba kami naging ligtas? It was worth risking.

"Maybe Evangelyn had already found this road," ani Ryan.

"Yeah, that's a possibility. Maybe she's waiting for us at the end of this road," komento ni Jem.

Walang imik si Maru na nagpatuloy pa rin sa paglakad.

Lumipas ang ilang minuto. Napapagod na napabuga ng hangin si Ryan. "Gaano ba kahaba itong daan na 'to?" he asked aloud. Nag-echo ang boses niya.

"No one knows," tugon ni Maru. "That's what we are trying to find out, Ry."

Nasa unahan namin sila ni Jem, na tahimik lang na naglalakad sa kanan ko. Napansin kong kanina pa siya hindi umiimik.