Celeste: The Last Witch

Chapter 1: Stranger In The Woods

Tumakbo ako patungong gubat. Kailangan kong mahanap ang spell book. My body is all sweaty ngunit ipinagwalang bahala ko lamang iyon. I will never cry for the sake of my sister's death. Kahit ako, kung ako ang nasa position ng kapatid ko, gagawin ko rin ang ginawa niya kahit kapalit pa nito ang buhay ko. Kahit masakit hindi ako iiyak. I know I'm brave, I'm strong. I will not let the pain invade me.

For now... I need to find that damn spell book.

I don't want another rant from my mother. Sigurado akong papaglitan niya ako kapag nalamang pinag-aaralan ko na naman ang mga bagay na nasa spell book. Sometimes I faint due to draining all my energy studying the spell. It requires more energy in order to learn spells that's why my mother is too strict about spell learning on my own. Pero kailangan kong matuto.

I wore my cloak for safety. Hindi ko hahayaan may makakita sa akin. Malapit ng dumilim. I could see the sun sets in the west so I ran fast as I could. Wala namang masyadong nilalang dito sa gubat na ito kaya naging mabilis ang pagtakbo ko.  Agad kong hinanap ang spell book nang makarating ako. Wala pa naman akong dalang broomstick kaya medyo malayo pa ang tatakbuhin ko pabalik ng town. I need to find it!

"It should be here somewhere" Sabi ko sa sarili ko habang pinupunasan ang pawis ko. Hindi pwedeng mawala iyon.

Pagkatapos kong punasan ang sarili ko agad akong bumalik sa paghahanap. Lagot! Sigurado akong hinahanap na ako ngayon sa bahay sa mga oras na ito. I don't want to spend my whole day inside the house. Ugh! How I hate the strict behavoiur of my parents toward me....

Patuloy pa rin ako sa paghahanap nang may nabangga ako.

Shit!

Tinignan ko kung ano yon. It wasn't what but it's who. Napaatras agad ako nang makita ang isang lalaking nakacloak din gaya ko. I gulped for a couple of times. I can only see its back. Why is a man here standing in front of me? Kahit naka cloak ito, alam kong gulat ekspresyon nito sa mukha. I could tell he's a man because of his broad shoulder and gestures.

Napansin ko ang hawak niya sa kanang kamay. It's a square-shaped book and I immediately know what it is. Bakit nasa kaniya yan? Napansin ata niyang nakatingin ako sa hawak niya kaya tinignan niya din iyon. My spell book is like a part of me. I spend most of my time with it and share my energy with it and yet he is holding it right now like it is his own possession.

"Ito ba ang hinahanap mo?" His voice was cold and I could see him grinning because his precious white teeth showed.

Hindi ko alam ang isasagot! Kapag sasabihin kong oo baka paghinalaan niya ako at kapag sinabi ko namang hindi baka tuluyan ko ng hindi mahawakan ang spell book ko. It's my mother heirloom to me and it is very important because my mother once used it when she was still here in this realm. I need to get that book. I look at him and give him a frown. Inilahad ko ang kamay ko.

"A-ah... Oo. Aklat yan tungkol sa m-medisina" why am I stuttering? Binigyan ko na lamang siya ng awkward na ngiti pero alam kong hindi niya naman iyon mapapansin.

Akala ko ibibigay na niya sa akin ngunit agad niya itong tinago sa kaniyang maliit na sling bag. Is he playing with me? Sorry for him. I don't have spare time for his games

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. And I heard him tss...

"May narinig akong dito daw palaging tumatambay ang mangkukulam. Kilala mo ba?" Inilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin, giving me freedom to see the tip of his nose. He's grinning like he holds the most awaited criminal ready to get jailed.

"W-wala akong kilalang mangkukulam" nauutal na sabi ko. I want to cursed myself for stuttering but I can't.

He is really close to me and he's breathing is covering the sounds of crickets and other creatures in this Woods. And gosh! It smells good. Nervousness and an undescribable feeling made my heart throb abnormally.