Call Me Death (Fallen Series #4)

Chapter 6: Warmth

Most of the time, everything seemed gray, dull, and shallow. It was like I was existing, but I wasn't alive. I'm here, but I'm unseen. No one saw me, and it was suffocating. It's as if the darkness inside me was growing rapidly that I became numb.

But one day, you showed up right in front of me. Asking for my name. I was used of being unseen, but why now? Why does it have to be you?

"MAnong, sa tabi lang po!" Reverie yelled. Tumigil ang cab na sinasakyan namin at nagbayad na siya. Iginala ko ang paningin ko sa paligid. Nasa harap kami ng isang pier at sa hindi kalayuan ay may bukid. I don't know where we are but it looks like she wants to ride a boat.

"Manong, saan po puwedeng mag-arkila ng bangka?" tanong niya sa matandang lalaking nag-aayos ng lubid ng bangka at may suot na sumbrero.

"Maraming puwedeng arkilahan ng bangka rito, Hija. Kung gusto mong matutong mangisda, mas mahal ang renta. Pero kung iikot at mamamasyal ka lang naman, mas mura." Tumango naman si Reverie pagkatapos ay lumingon siya saglit sa akin.

"Gusto ko pong matutong mangisda," aniya kaya napailing na lang ako. The old man agreed and he let us rent his boat. I hopped in and we were about to sail along with the old man when a group of men were laughing and got on the boat next to us.

"Jayson, anak!" sigaw ng matandang lalaki sa isa sa lalaking nakikipagtawanan sa mga kaibigan niya. "Masyado kayong marami sa bangka, malakas ang alon! Bumaba ka riyan!"

"Ano ba, Pa?! Matanda na ako. Huwag mo na akong pakialaman!" sigaw nito pabalik at nagtawanan pa ang mga kaibigan niya.

"Hoy, huwag mo ngang ginaganiyan 'yong Papa mo! Bastos ka, a!" Reverie yelled and I closed my eyes in annoyance. Damn, here she goes again. Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin pero nagulat ako nang hinawakan niya ang braso ko. "Death, si Jayson..."

I rolled my eyes. "What?!"

"He has a black spirit all over him just now." Her voice became serious, so I looked at the guy she's talking about, but I couldn't see anything.

"You're hallucinating." Humiga na lang ako sa bangka at nagsimula nang umandar. I heard Reverie and the old man talking but I closed my eyes and just listened.

"Magmula kasi nang mamatay ang asawa ko, naging ganoon na ang anak kong 'yon. Tumigil sa pag-aaral, napabarkada, at hindi tumutulong sa hanapbuhay ng pamilya namin. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko sa batang 'yon," ani ng matanda.

Again, this has nothing to do with her. She doesn't know them, and she doesn't have the means to enter the picture, yet she's sticking her nose again as if this is her responsibility. Along with that, she's dragging me to it as well.

Tumigil ang bangka nang nasa bandang malalim na kami. Tinuruan ng matandang lalaki si Reverie na mangisda. She keeps on laughing and nagging about not getting anything but she's still not giving up. Pinagmasdan ko lang siya and I can't help but to see how annoyingly, beautiful she is. From her long jet black hair, to her gray eyes, to her fair skin. When you look at her, you wouldn't think she's childish.

"Nako, mukhang uulan!" sigaw ng matanda habang nakatingin sa langit. "Kailangan na po nating bumalik, delikado." We sailed back at nang makarating na ulit kami sa Pier ay umulan na nang tuluyan. We were about to run toward the shelter when a middle aged man stopped in front of us.

"Joseph, ang anak mo! Hindi pa nakababalik mula kaninang umalis sila!Malakas na ang alon! Baka kung anong mangyari sa kanila!" Bumakas ang pag-aalala sa mukha ng matanda at humarap sa amin.

"Mauna ka na, Hija. Pupuntahan ko lang ang anak ko!" Akmang tatakbo na siya nang inawat siya ni Reverie.

"Pero kayo po ang mapapahamak kapag sinundan niyo siya!" The rain was pouring so hard so I grabbed Reverie's arm to stop her from intervening from something that has nothing to do with her.

"Matanda na ako, Hija. Pero 'yong anak ko, marami pa siyang magagawa sa buhay niya. Mauna ka na sa silungan." Nagtatakbo na palayo ang matanda kaya hinila ko na si Reverie papuntang silungan. She keeps on stopping me from running but I didn't listen.

Nang nasa silungan na kami ay inagaw niya ang kamay niya mula sa amin at sinamaan niya ako ng tingin. "You're the one who agreed that you'd help me save people! Pero bakit mo ba ako pinipigilan?!" sigaw niya. It was the first time she yelled at me so angrily.

Ikinuyom ko ang kamao ko. "Ano bang magagawa mo ro'n? You can't even sail! Stop saying things as if it's too easy to do! Stop saving people because you can't save everyone!" She was shocked because of what I said. Her body was shivering, her whole body is soaking wet and I couldn't do anything but to just stand there.

She looked down, then I heard her sob. "But you could do something. Right?" I looked at the ceiling. I sighed. Hinayaan ko lang siyang magsalita. "I don't want to stay hidden anymore. I know I can't save everyone, but atleast I can save those I can reach. I'm done running away. I'm done--" I held her chin up that made her stop from talking and from sobbing. Nagtama ang mga mata namin and I can see determination in her eyes again.

"Wait for me here. I can't promise I can save them, but I'll try." Her eyes widen in shock. I pat her head and ran away from that shelter. Why did I say something like that? Since when did I care for anyone but myself? Since when did I start to like those pair of eyes that stares at me as if it sees through me?

My wings came out and I flew over the sea. Minutes later, I saw the old man struggling from sailing. I flew down and stood up at the boat. When his gaze met mine, I knew he'd die. But I can't bear to see that damn gray eyes crying again.

"K-Kamatayan..." I heard him whispered. I let out a black power from my hand and he lost his consciousness. I flew off and dropped him on the Pier where no one can see me.

I made my way toward the sea again and when I saw the guy named Jayson with his friends, I gritted my teeth in annoyance. He's not even worth saving. He's sinful, he's not a good person, yet why am I here saving a worthless person?

Nang mailapag ko na silang lahat sa daungan, lahat sila walang malay. Napasandal ako sa malaking bato at napasigaw sa sakit ng buong katawan ko. The pain was unbearable. It was like, I'm in the verge of dying, but I can't die. This pain, this is what I get for changing what's fated to happen. This is what I get for interfering death.

"Death!" Nakarinig ako ng sigaw. It was a familiar voice. And for the first time, I felt warm from someone's touch. Iminulat ko ang mata ko at bumungad sa akin si Reverie. She's crying again.

"What did you do? Paano? Anong ginawa mo--"

I drastically, laughed. "I'm a super hero now, aren't I?" Wala pa rin siyang patid sa pagluha. "They're okay now, so stop crying already." I suppressed the pain I'm feeling so she won't notice.

Mas lalo lang siyang umiyak at nagulat ako nang yakapin niya ako. "Thank you for saving them, Death."

It was raining, but I couldn't feel the cold of the wind. I can't feel anything at all. That's what I thought. Until she smiled at me. Damn.

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