Mysterious Bookmark

Chapter 2: Beauty and the 'Beast'?

STACY TORREZA

I'm currently sitting in front of his dining table. The Zairen Albania's dining table. Honestly, hindi ko pa din alam kung anong nangyayari. Kanina halos kaladkarin niya ko palabas ng kwarto niya at pinaupo niya ko dito. Tapos pinagsabihan akong 'huwag kang gagalaw' and let me tell you this, the way he said those words seems like he's giving orders to a dog rather than talking to a human.

It's already 15 minutes ago since he go back to his room and now here I am, looking around every corner of his house that I could possibly see while sitting. Yeah, I chose to follow his kind request only because technically speaking I'm a trespasser.

I don't know why pero kung kanina halos takot na takot ako, right now, for some reason I felt happy.

If he is Zairen Albania, maybe the mysterious bookmark really works. So I guess, I'm inside the book.

This explains why I just suddenly woke up in his room. Kasi kung hindi, paano ako nakapunta dito mula sa kwarto ko?

I jolted when I heard his footsteps going down the stairs.

Oh my!!! Sobrang gwapo niya. He is wearing a white shirt with black necktie, matching with black trousers.

Nakapang-corporate attire siya and he looks so hot. He has this beautiful pair of green eyes, na ang sarap pakatitigan.

"Now, I want to know how did you get into my house?" He asked while sitting in front of me.

I kept silent. Dapat ba kong magsabi ng totoo? Sino naman kasing maniniwala sa sasabihin ko?

"Woman, frankly I don't give a damn for your reasons, but at least give me an explanation on how did you ended up in my bed?" Mukhang maikli lang pasensya nitong taong ito, parang galit agad eh.

Still I kept silent but I'm looking straight in his magnificent piercings eyes. Na kung nakamamatay lang, maybe I'm already 10 feet below the ground.

"Are you mute?! Why aren't you answering my questions?!" Okay, galit na siya.

I really don't know what to say so I still kept silent. Kung mamatay man ako ngayun, siguro dahil yun sa pananahimik ko. Nakakatakot na yung galit na nakikita ko sa mukha niya eh.

"Fuck this, tara! sa Police station na lang natin gawin ito." He's about to get up from his seat. Oh no! Police station?

"Ahm, pwede bang makahingi ng tu-tubig?" I stuttered.

He look at me for a while before finally walking towards the kitchen, he came back with a glass of water. Inabot niya sa akin at umupo muli.

"Woman, look, my patients is so short. So you better fill up the questions that I'm asking you. I'm also a busy person, so better to not waste my time." He said while I'm drinking.

Okay, whatever happens, bahala na.

"I'm Stacy Torreza, 21 years old, a working-student." This is a good start.

Tinitigan niya lang ako habang nakapangalumbaba, medyo na push yung corner ng lips niya pataas dahil dun, medyo mukha tuloy siyang nakangiti or naka-smirk.

"May customer ako na nagbigay ng mysterious bookmark, sabi niya I can explore-" Wait Stacy, ano na lang mararamdaman niya kung malaman niya na itong mundong ginagalawan niya ay hindi totoo, na gawa lang ng imagination ng author then it was published? Don't be insensitive.

"What?" He asked curiously. Paano na? Anong sasabihin ko?

"Let's skip that part. Hindi naman importante yun, hehe. Ahm... hindi ko din kasi alam eh. Natulog naman ako sa kwarto ko tapos paggising ko katabi na kita and I'm already here." Partly it's true, 'di ba?

"Kung ganon nag-teleport ka from your room to my room? Ganun ba?"

"Oo ganun nga!" Teleportation Stacy? Really?

"And you didn't know how did that happened?"

"Yes! Yes!" Grabe Stacy galing mo, story maker lang ate?

"Hmm... ganun pala" Seems like what I've said is working.

He stared at me intently and I gave him a small smile.

"You know what?" He said calmly. "Oh cut this bullshit, woman! Teleportation isn't true unless isa ka pa lang scientist. But I guess, by the look of yours, that's impossible. So stop lying." He said angrily.

I felt hurt with his words. May pagka-judgemental pala itong lalaki na toh!

"Kung ayaw mong maniwala edi 'wag! Hindi mo naman ako kailangan sigawan, murahin at maliitin. So kung hindi pala ako capable na magmukhang matalino sa iyo then how do I look in your eyes?" Oo, medyo napipikon na ko sa kakamura niya.

"A whore, who only has beauty without brain. Giving me lame reason that she teleported to my room and slept beside me." He said without blinking his eyes. Whore?! Ang sakit talaga magsalita.

"You know what I think of you? You're a beast behind a prince's face. Who likes to curse a lot and has a vibe that the world moves around him." I backfired.

"You!!!" He angrily shouted habang bigla niyang hinawakan ng mahigpit ang magkabilang braso ko.

"Ah!" Napapikit ako sa gulat.

Humihigpit na ang pagkawak niya. Akala ko mararamdaman ko na ang sakit mula dito pero biglang hindi ko na ramdam yung mga kamay niya sa braso ko.

"What are you..?" He muttered.

I open my eyes and got shock with what I'm witnessing.

Yung kamay niya hindi nawala sa braso ko. Tumatagos lang na para bang isa akong multo.

Napatitig ako sa kamay niya. Pakiramdam ko isa akong kaluluwa as in yung kamay niya nakatagos sa braso ko. Yung itsura ko para bang sa Photoshop? yung parang pinababa yung opacity ng image over a layer of image. Ganun!

"Oh my goodness! Anong nangyayari?"

He also look clueless.

"I don't know, what are you? Tao ka ba?" He said while removing his hand.

The moment na inalis niya yung kamay niya. Naging normal ulit yung katawan ko.
Nagkatinginan kaming muli, parehong naguguluhan.

Then he tried to gently poke me in my arms. This time nahawakan na niya ako. He did it again and again. Still nahahawakan niya na ko at nararamdaman ko.

"Tell me, Stacy right?" I nodded, he said my name in an angelic way. "What are you? Where did you came from?"

"I'm a human if that's what you're worrying about. Think of this way, I just came from another dimension and I'm telling you the truth." Iniisip ko na lang, this is a sort of dimension, his book dimension and I have my own dimension, the real world.

Suddenly, I felt a jolt of pain in my head. It's very painful, so painful that I'm starting to see black dots in my vision.

"Agghh!!!" I screamed in pain.

"What's happening to you?" He asked habang inaalalayan ako. "Hey! Stacy!"

I didn't answer him anymore because I already lose my conciousness.