Komorebi

Chapter 5

Save him, Amanda, save him

"Bruno! Ano ba 'yan, saan ka ba pupunta?" hila-hila ko ang taling konektado sa leeg niya pero ako ang naguguyod niya.

"Teka lang, Bruno!" my dog always listened to me but not this time. He ignored my calls and just ran off towards the edge of the cliff the moment the rope slipped off in my hand.

"Bruno, baka mahulog ka!" sigaw ko nang makitang hindi siya maingat sa bawat galaw niya at iilang metro na lang ang layo niya mula sa dulo ng cliff.

"Awww! Awww! Awww!" umatungol siya na parang may problema.

"Anong problema, Bruno?" tanong ko habang tumatakbo palapit sa kanya.

"Bruno, halika rito."

"Awww! Awww!" iba talaga iyong tono ng mga pagtahol niya. Hindi ko alam pero ramdam kong may problemang bumabagabag sa kanya.

You know those times when there's somewhat a connection between a pet and its owner? Well, it's one of those times.

Although the two of you are no speakers of a common tongue, at some points, you understood each other– I'm meaning to point that kind of connection.

The cliff was steep. The clouds were also gray as if the rain's about to pour any moment from now. I walked closer towards Bruno so I could check on him.

"Bakit, anong problema?" haplos ko sa itim na balahibo nito.

Ilang haplos pa ang ginawa ko at may naramdaman akong basa sa ilang bahagi ng katawan ni Bruno, pagtingin ko'y nabahiran na ng pula ang kamay ko.

Dugo.

Maraming dugo.

Natakot ako.

Hindi iyon masyadong halata sa itim niyang balahibo pero kung pagmamasdang maigi ay makikinita na mayroon nga siyang mga sugat.

Malalalim ang mga iyon at kahit akong tumitingin ay napapangiwi na sa hapding maaaring nararamdaman ng alaga ko.

May maliit din siyang galos sa kanang mata niya. Bakit hindi ko man lang ito napansin kanina? Kumunot ang noo ko at nang masdan ang kaninang dinaanan niya'y bumalandra sa akin ang mga patak ng dugo.

"Hala! Bakit may dugo? Bruno, a-anong nangyari sa'yo?! Saan ka ba nasugat?! Bakit hindi ko naman yata napansin kanina?!" alala kong sabi.

Bruno just whimpered and looked at me with so much pain in his eyes. I just cried, holding him in my arms. He just looked at me tiredly as he blinked. Exhaustion was evident in him.

What happened to Bruno?

Who did this to him?

I should've noticed earlier that he was in agony, but... I didn't.

"Bruno!" I didn't know what to do. Even my clothes were now soaked with Bruno's blood. His whole body was literally covered with cuts! What happened to him?

"Save him, Amanda, save him," a soft man's soft voice whispered to my ears but when my eyes wandered around to find the owner of that voice, I found no one.

It was only Bruno and I at the edge of this cliff, no one was around except for the both of us.

I was sure that the voice was no imagination. I've heard it for sure.

A roaring thunder came from up above and I was scared. Not because of the thunders blending in perfection with the lightnings though, but I was scared... scared that I might lose my pet. I hugged Bruno tighter as he did slow pants.