The Gifted

Prologue

Ang dilim.

Kahit saan ako lumingon at tumingin, walang ni katiting na liwanag ang makikita. Pure black.

Where am I?

Bigla akong napalingon sa likod nang may marinig akong kaluskos. Palakas ito nang palakas and it seemed like palapit ito sa akin. I did not know what to do, hindi ko maigalaw ang mga paa ko. Gusto kong magsalita pero bakit tila ba walang boses ang lumalabas?

All I did is open my mouth and tried my hardest to talk but for some bizarre reason, I couldn't. Fear started to run over my entire body, knees trembling, hands and arms were numb, and sweat started to fall from my forehead down to my face and neck. I felt like someone whispered into my right ear kaya agad akong lumingon sa kanan ko. Kahit na alam ko namang wala akong makikita, mas idinilat ko pa rin nang mariin ang aking mga mata. Nagmumukha na akong owl dito pero wala talaga. Biglang umihip ang napakalamig at malakas na hangin dahilan upang magulo ang aking buhok. I felt like I was on a horror movie and it gave me the shivers.

Someone patted my head kaya bigla akong napapikit at napaupo at mas lalo pang lumala ang takot na naramdaman ko kanina. Help, help me. Someone, please help. I could not utter a word nor open my mouth because of the intense fear that I was feeling, my whole body was also trembling. 

Ilang minuto rin na puno ng katahimikan ang lumipas, and I decided to stand slowly without even opening my eyes. Ewan ko, feel ko na kapag imumulat ko ang mga mata ko may makikita akong kakaiba. I mean kakaiba na nakakatakot, something like that. Ngunit nagsilakihan bigla ang aking mga mata dahil sa gulat nang marinig ko ang aking pangalan.

"Rain."

Someone is calling me. Lingon ako nang lingon sa kahit saang direksyon ngunit wala pa rin akong makita.

Who's there? Kagaya kanina, tanging pagbukas lamang ng aking bibig ang aking nagawa. Wala pa ring boses na lumalabas and I felt like my throat was starting to dry.

"Rain."

I did not know why but my feet started to move on its own. I started walking towards the direction kung saan nanggagaling ang boses na iyon.

"Rain."

I closed my eyes to concentrate even more and to focus my attention sa boses. Something inside of me was burning and I didn't know why and kung ano ang nag ti-trigger dito. But for some reason, I felt ease and comfort. All the fear that I was feeling earlier ay biglang nawala na lang na parang bula.

"Rain."

Anong meron sa boses na ito? It was like the voice was luring me to its den. I was supposed to feel uneasy and scared but I felt the opposite. I decided to open my eyes slowly when I felt like something light hit my eyes. And hindi nga ako nagkamali, there was a spinning ring in front of me and it was surrounded by blinding lights. I could not stop myself to be amazed of this angelic scenery. The lights were in a different color and were shining more brightly as I moved myself towards the ring.

"Rain."

Kahit saan ako tumingin, walang ni isang tao ang aking nakita kaya kumunot bigla ang aking noo. Sinong nagsasalita?

"Rain."

Ibinalik ko ang aking atensyon at tingin sa spinning ring na nasa aking harapan ngayon and I could not stop thinking that maybe this ring was the one who was calling me by my name.

Hindi ko mapigilan ang aking kamay na abutin ang ring, curiosity ate me. The moment that my finger landed on the ring, the lights started to get more intense at mas lalo pang uminit ang buo kong katawan na para bang nagliliyab na ito sa apoy, but it was still warm and soothing.

"Rain, it's time." These were the last words that I heard at bigla na lang akong napahawak sa ulo ko dahil sa sobrang sakit nito.

"Rain, it's time! Tayo na ang susunod! Kanina pa kita ginigising diyan! Tss kahit kailan tulog mantika ka talaga! Pero sana naman ilagay mo sa tamang lugar iyang pagiging antokin mo, alam mo namang may performance tayo ngayon! Alam ko namang magaling kang suma-" Hindi ko na siya pinatapos sa pagsasalita. Nakakairita ang boses niya.

"Yeah, yeah. Hindi mo naman kailangan na batukan ako, tss." Inirapan niya lang ako. Aba! Siya pa ang may lakas na mang-irap!

"O siya, huddle up! Tayo na ang next!" sigaw ni Adrian, ang leader ng dance team namin. Yeah, we were about to perform at naisipan ko pa talagang matulog. Kasalanan kasi ito ni Jay kagabi eh, hindi ako pinatulog tss. Hoy, don't think green. I just helped him dahil may exam sila ngayon and he's my childhood friend kaya walang malisya mga sis.

"Thank you Makro Movers! Now let us welcome-" Hindi ko na narinig ang mga sunod na sinabi ng MC dahil sa sigawan ng mga manonood. Tumayo na ako, nag stretch at inayos ang aking costume na medyo hindi naayos.

I was about to walk nang biglang hinawakan ni Adrian ang right hand ko. Tiningnan ko siya at tinanong kung may kailangan ba siya. Ngumiti lamang siya at tinap ako sa ulo.

"Nothing, let's do our best and win this again," sabi niya at nauna nang maglakad. What is with him? I saw him shocked for a second.

Tiningnan ko rin ang aking kamay at laking gulat ko sa aking nakita.

Why? Bakit suot ko ito?