Night Two: Unfortunate Cat (The trickster)
Take my soul? Trust me I've had enough. Isa pa, nagpapatawa ba siya? If he's even a reaper I'm gonna give him the credits of how modernize his reaper style is. And where is his scythe? How is he going to reap me without it? Don't tell me baka modernize din ito kaya di ko makita? Seriously, I have to curse myself a million times for thinking weird in an almost life- death situation!
"Take my soul then, I'm still going to die anyways." Mapait kong tugon sa taong nasa harap ko.
What's the point of surviving this time? My time is still running out after all. I suddenly close my eyes waiting for this man to reap me. Seconds passed, nothing happened. I took the chance to glance at him nang hindi lang man ito umimik. What now? Is he scared to reap a soul? I should have leave...away from this weirdo. Tsk, such a waste of time!
Dahan dahan akong gumalaw paalis sa kinatatayuan ko at agad na binuhat si Noir sa aking mga bisig. I tiptoed trying not to make such noise. I don't want to awaken this repear out of his reverie. He must be reminiscing, parang ang lalim talaga ng kaniyang iniisip. Pati ako napapa-isip rin sa ginagawa niya. Ugh, time to leave!
"I change my mind. I will let you live," Napairap ako sa sinabi niya. Wala akong panahon makipaglaro sa taong walang magawa sa buhay, di ko nga alam kung tao ba talaga siya!
"Pwede ba, hindi ko style makipaglaro kay kamatayan."
"You didn't let me finish."
"Who are you to have the audacity?"
His whole face are pitch black, I can't even see his eyes pero ramdam ko ang intensidad ng pagtitig nito. Dahil nga palaban ako, di rin ako nagpatalo sa pagtitig sa mukha niyang di ko naman nasisilayan, at wala akong planong masilayan iyon. We stare at each other grimily for a second.
"Fine, shoot!" I said defeatedly.
"Unless... You'll agree to take care of this place." Pinagsasabi ne'to? Di nga ako pwedeng lumabas kasi daw baka mamatay ako or should I say halos nakatali na ang buhay ko sa loob ng St. Nicholas.
“Bahala ka, aalis na ako.” Tugon ko na lang. Hindi naman ako tanga para maniwala sa scam niyang siya nga ay isang grim reaper. Besides, mukha naman siyang harmless kaya di na ako mag aatubiling pabayaan na lamang ang mga taong walang matinong magawa sa buhay—tulad niya.
I don't care!
Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay at tumalikod na upang tuluyan nang umalis. Karma na ata 'to sa mga pagpapasaway ko habang nabubuhay ako, mali ba ang paghahanap sa kasiyahang i-pinagkait sa 'kin noong una pa lang?
Touché right.
“Hello, I have something to report...”
Kumunot ang noo ko nang marinig siyang may tinawagan sa phone niya. Pambihirang kamatayan naman 'to, napakamoderno. Halatang scammer talaga e. Binalot na naman ako ng kuryosidad kaya napako ako sa kinatatayuan ko.
“No, this is important,” Pagpapatuloy niya, his aura is very impassive. “Nurse Cha, your lovely patient in room D77—”
Wala nang tanong tanong agad akong napasugod at mahigpit na tinakpan ang bibig niya gamit ang dalawa 'kong kamay. How could he know that?!
Shit. Am I too close to him? Sobrang nakakaintimidate ang tindig niya.
I cursed under my breath.
“Hello? What is it again? If you wouldn't answer, I'm hanging up...” saad ni nurse Cha sa kabilang linya. Pinandilatan ko ng mata si kamatayan bago pa siya gumawa ulit ng kalokohan— who cares, I don't know his name.
I can feel his soft lips forming into a smirk. It's like it almost kissing my palm
... I can feel a kind mixture of warmth and softness.
Oh shut up! Wala namang vocal chords ang utak ko pero mas maingay ito kesa sa bunganga ko. Puro nonsense.
“I still have workloads to do, so stop this useless prank Coli—”
Biglang nawaglit ang mga iniisip ko nang mahigpit niyang tinanggal ang palad 'kong nakatakip sa bibig niya. I can't still see his face clearly, pero nagawa niya akong senyasahan na tumahimik.
“My apologies to bother you, night nurse Cha.” He quickly said and ended the call.
“What was that?” Matigas 'kong sambit.
“I know you have a lot of questions to ask. Save that for tomorrow and go home for now.” He ordered.
I have the urge to punch him hard on his face. “Yes you jerk! Questions like who and what the hell are you? Bakit isa kang ulupong na biglang sumulpot at goal ang manggulo?” but of course, I only said that behind the pits of my brain.
“FYI...” I come closer to him at kinuwelyuhan siya. Mas nangangalaiti lamang ako sa galit nang hindi lang man ito nag-react o gumalaw. He's very impossible! “You're not the boss of me at kahit hindi mo pa sabihin babalik talaga ako sa boring na ospital na yun! kaya chupi!”
Tinulak ko siya pagkatapos ngunit bahagya lang siyang natinag. I know I'm being mean... and he totally deserves it!
Muntik ko nang makalimutan si Noir sa isang sulok ng tree house. I gently carry him kahit nag-aalburuto na ang mga kamay 'kong manuntok. I started down the stairs at sa pagkakataong ito ay aalis na talaga ako ng totohanan.
“See you tomorrow, Rein.”
I blinked a lot of times when I heard my name come out from his mouth. His voice is cool as ice and deep as an ocean. Manipulative in fact.
Patuloy pa rin ako sa pagbaba ng hagdan. I won't give him the opportunity to hover around my life and control something in me unintentionally.
“There is no tomorrow for you, reaper.” I replied as I glance at him.
For the first time, I saw the prettiest eyes I've ever seen. Ayoko talaga sa lalaking 'to pero di ko maiwasang purihin ang kaniyang mga mata. Pretty yet mysterious, just like the beholder.
Hindi ko pa rin maaninag ang kaniyang mukha maliban sa mga mata niya, at asa din namang gugustuhin 'kong makita ang pagmumukha niya!
I gulped and quickly looked away.
Hindi ko alam kung paano ako nakabalik sa St. Nicholas hanggang sa kwarto ko ng hindi nahuhuli. Usually, madalas akong mapagod kapag pauwi na mula sa burol pero di ko lang man naramdaman ang pagod mula sa paglalakad. Palagi rin akong napapagalitan kapag tumatakas ako, ito ata ang first time na walang sermong sumalubong sa akin.
Sobrang tahimik na sa loob ng ospital at tanging mga sasakyan na lang sa kalsada ang buhay na buhay pa. Napapailing na lang ako tuwing sumasagi sa isip ko ang nangyari kanina.
I agree when kuya Zed endlessly calls me a stupid bitch. Stupid na nga bitch pa, napakasama talaga ng damuhong 'yon. But he's always been right and earlier really defines me as a stupid bitch.
Stupid because I unnoticedly brought Noir in the hospital, nakapasok na ako sa kwarto nang marealize kong bitbit ko pala siya. Mabuti na lang at mahimbing itong natutulog. Paniguradong lagot ako kay nurse Cha ne'to, I'll better ready my ears for that.
And lastly, Bitch for what I've acted earlier with that— who-knows-who-is-that-reaper. Ayoko nang maalala pa, mas lalo lang akong na s-stress at naiinis. I'll make sure we won't cross paths again.
Ever!
I closed my eyes and drift to sleep, hoping tomorrow is as peaceful as it should be.
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Nights at Cityscape
Historia Corta"The only truly reliable narrator is life itself. But life itself is also a completely unreliable narrator because it is constantly misdirecting and misleading us and taking us on this journey where it is literally impossible to predict, where it's...
