Call Me Death (Fallen Series #4)

Chapter 10: Smell of Death

I stood up the moment our eyes met. She smiled at me and waved her hand to greet me. I rolled my eyes and started walking away. Rinig ko ang pagtawag niya sa akin pero hindi ako huminto, hanggang sa makahabol siya.

"Salamat sa paghihintay," aniya. I hissed, as if I waited for her sake. I waited because Ariel told me to keep an eye on Seraphina. According to him, Seraphina keeps on coming at Reverie's school every single day. When he asked her, she just said that it was nothing.

I always walk Reverie home for a week now. I know Seraphina, she won't go to that school without a reason. At alam na alam ko kung sino ang pinupunta niya ro'n.

Nang makarating kami sa harap ng bahay ni Reverie, hinarap niya ako. "Alam mo, ngayon lang ako natuwang maglakad pauwi." Kumunot ang noo ko na ikinangiti niya. "What I mean is, masaya ako kasi hinahatid mo ako pauwi."

I formed a half smile and messed her hair. "Sige na, pumasok ka na." Aalis na sana ako nang hilahin niya ang braso ko kaya napalingon ulit ako sa kaniya.

"I was thinking..." It was as if she wants to say something but she's shy to do so. "... G-Gusto mo bang pumasok sa loob?"

"Why?"

Napakamot siya sa ulo niya. "Walang tao sa bahay, Dad went out to fetch mom at work. So, wanna hang out on my room?" I looked around. It's not a bad idea. Malalaman ko kung siya nga ba ang ipinupunta ni Seraphina sa campus kapag dumating siya rito ngayon. In that way, malalaman ko kung ano na naman ang pinaplano ng babaeng 'yon. Damn it.

"Sure." We went inside. May dalawang palapag ang bahay nila. From the looks of it, they're rich. Cream ang kulay ng bahay kaya maliwanag. Pagpasok mo, living room kaagad ang bubungad. Sa gilid ay hagdan pataas sa second floor.

I walked toward the picture frame standing on one of the shelves in their living room. There I saw Abaddon along with her wife whom I saved almost nineteen years ago. Reverie was just a child on the photo, but she looked so happy and naive. Without knowing that I always tried to kill her.

"Sabi sa akin ni Dad noong bata pa ako, I'm a miracle, sa kanila ni mom, o maging sa ibang tao. Tuwing napapalapit daw ako sa mga tao, gumagaan ang pakiramdam nila. I don't want to believe such things. But I think, if I asked you, maybe I'll believe it." She slightly, chuckled as if she's remembering something. "Am I a miracle to you too, Death?"

Napatingin ako sa kaniya nang tanungin niya 'yon. Hindi ako nakasagot. Honestly, I didn't know what to answer. Nanatili lang akong nakatingin sa kaniya at ganoon din siya sa akin.

"Tara sa kuwarto ko," aniya. Umakyat kami at pumasok sa kuwarto niya. It's still the same, her things were organized. Napatingin ako sa tabi ng higaan niya kung saan may nakalagay na gitara.

"Tumutugtog ka?" I asked her. She shrugged and took the guitar. "Then, why do you have that?"

"I used to." The expression on her face changed. "Do you know why I don't believe other people saying I'm a miracle?" She strummed the guitar and then looked at me. "Because wherever I go, Death follows me."

I was stunned on what she said. As if I was more flustered to hear that more than I expected I would be. Yes, I'm following her, but what does that have to do with her?

"People around me dies, and all I could do was watch them. At ako?" She stared at me. "I don't deserve to play this guitar, I don't deserve to do what I want, I don't even deserve to live."

Hanggang sa makaalis ako sa bahay ni Reverie, iniisip ko pa rin 'yong sinabi niya. I do want her to die, but why did she say that? As if she doesn't want her life in the first place, as if she knew her life wasn't supposed to happen.

Paglabas ko ng bahay niya, my eyes widen in shock when I saw Seraphina standing in front of Reverie's house. Nang makita niya ako ay kaagad siyang naglakad paalis kaya hinabol ko siya. I pulled her hand that made her look at me.

"What are you doing here?" My teeth gritted in anger. "Didn't I tell you to stop interferring in my own matters?! Didn't I tell you to stay away from Reverie--"

"I didn't know, okay?!" sigaw niya pabalik sa akin na lalong nagpagulo ng isip ko. "I didn't know that I'd bump into you here. Hindi na mauulit." Aalis na sana siya nang hilahin ko ulit ang braso niya. Her eyes were bothered about something, as if she's hiding something that I need to know.

"Seraphina,  tell me the truth." I glared at her, hindi siya makatingin sa akin dahil alam niya kung ano ang kaya kong gawin kapag nagsinungaling siya sa akin. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Forget it! It doesn't have to do with you--aray!" Her arm started to turn pale. "Death, nasasaktan ako!"

"Then, tell me! Or I swear I'm gonna rip you limb by limb." She bit her lip and closed her eyes. So, she's really hiding something. "Why did you go to Reverie's school everyday? And what are you doing here?!"

Inalis niya ang braso niya mula sa pagkahahawak ko. "I'm not planning to kill her or even touch her, I swear! Pumupunta ako sa eskuwelahang 'yon dahil may gusto akong malaman." She caressed her bruised arm. "I wanted to find out if my intuitions were true. I'm not like this! Isang tingin ko pa lang sa mga tao, alam ko na kung sino ang mamamatay. Bu then one night, I was roaming around when I smelled something I've never smelled before."

"Smell?"

She nodded. "Smell of death." Nanlaki ang mata ko, I didn't know what to react. "So, I followed the smell. Kaya nakarating ako sa eskuwelahan ni Reverie. Then, I lost track of it and when I smelled it again, I followed it, and that smell brought me here. In Reverie's house."

Hinila ko siya palapit sa akin. "So, what the hell are you saying? That she's dying?"

She took a glance at Reverie's house then stared at me after. "I think what you want is about to happen. She's dying. Finally, Death." Nabitawan ko siya nang sabihin niya 'yon. "You don't have to kill her, you just have to wait for her to die.

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