Call Me Death (Fallen Series #4)

Chapter 11: Lanterns of Memories

I shook my head and focused myself on walking. What Seraphina said yesterday still bothers me. She smells death, and she found out that it was coming from Reverie.

"Ayos ka lang ba? Lutang ka mula kahapon," Reverie asked that made Ariel look at me. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin kaya umiwas siya.

"I'm fine." Naglakad na kami hanggang sa makarating kami sa harapan ng bahay ni Reverie. If she smells like death, then one of the angels of death will come down and haunt her, worse, they'll take her soul. I can't let that happen. "Salamat sa paghatid--"

I pulled her hand before she could even walk away that surprised her. "H-Huwag ka munang umalis." Pareho silang natigilan ni Ariel dahil sa sinabi ko. Usually, I'm the one who's insisting her to go home, but now I'm stopping her. "Let's go somewhere else."

Hindi ko na siya hinintay pang magsalita at hinila ko na siya. "Death, sandali! Saan ba tayo pupunta?" nagtataka niyang tanong. Even I don't know where to go.

"Are we going to kill someone--aw!" I stepped on Ariel's foot and glared at him, this fucking idiot. All he has in mind is to kill, damn it.

"Death, saan nga tayo pupunta? Pagagalitan ako ni Dad. Hindi bale sana kung weekend, e tuesday pa lang ngayon." Huminto siya sa paglalakad, pagkatapos ay inalis niya ang pagkakahawak ko sa kaniya.

"Then..." I can't let her go home just yet. "... Where do you want to go?" Saglit siyang natigilan sa sinabi ko. She's dying, right? And if she really is, then I'll make her last days happy. Atleast, she deserves that.

Ngumiti siya, a kind of smile that only she can show. "I want to see the stars."

-----------------------------

So, this is what she meant when she said she wanted to see the stars. Nakaupo kaming tatlo sa ilalim ng puno sa loob ng kakahuyan kung saan kitang-kita ang madilim na kalangitan, pero nagliliwanag 'yon. Because of the floating lanterns. This happens every year, nagpapalipad ang mga tao ng Crosswood ng lantern, to show their gratitude for the freedom of their town, a lot of years ago.

"It's beautiful," Reverie uttered and when I looked at her, the ligh coming from the lanters were rerflecting on her eyes. It was breathtaking. To the point that I can't look away. "Taon-taon ko 'yang nakikita, pero hanggang ngayon, nagagandahan pa rin ako."

"Why do you consider them as stars?" I asked her. Bahagya siyang tumawa dahil sa tanong ko. "They're just lanterns."

"Yeah, they are just lanterns with the name of people written within them. But for me, they are more than that." Itinaas niya ang kamay niya at itinuro ang mga lanterns na walang patid sa pagdami at pagsakop sa kalangitan. "There are memories inside them, memories and wishes that people utters every time they light up their own lanterns. Just like the stars, it has depths and beauty that only those people can appreciate their beauty knows."

Here she goes again. Drowning me in the depths of her thoughts and eyes. She's too deep for me to dive in, pakiramdam ko kapag lalo pa akong napalapit sa kaniya, malulunod ako. And I can't afford to drown. Not now, not ever.

Ariel stayed quiet the whole time, he just looked at the night sky. Mayamaya pa ay nagsalita siya na ikinatigil ko. "I wish I could also see the reflection of these lanterns on Seraphina's eyes."

Just by looking at him, I know he feels something about her. More than a serpent should feel about its owner. And in spite of him being this dense and stupid, he feels that kind of emotion towards Seraphina who happens to have her eyes only on me.

"Death..." Napalingon ako kay Reverie nang tawagin niya ako. Her eyes are now staring at me with pure happiness on it. "... Thank you. For making me see the things that I once thought was impossible."

I just messed her hair and avoided her gaze. Naglakad na kami pabalik sa bahay nila, pero pagliko namin sa isang daan, may nakabunggo siyang bata. "Sorry po, ate!" The kid ran away but Reverie fixed her gaze on him.

"Let's go--"

"That kid is about to die, Death." Natigilan ako. I stared at Ariel and his expression changed. As if he's signaling me that he needs to take that child's soul. "I need to save him--"

"No!" She was flustered when I said that. I messed her hair again. "I'll do it. Go home with Ariel."

"Pero--" I cut her off.

"Don't worry, I'll save him." My expression was full of assurance. Ngumiti siya at naglakad na sila paalis. I signalled Ariel to take her home safe. Nang mawala na sila ay lumipad ako para mahanap kaagad 'yong bata. I saw him near the pedestrian lane. He will be bumped by a car, for sure. I closed my eyes. I'm going to ditch him and let him die. He's just a seven year old kid. I careless, he's not my responsibility.

My job is to take people to where they belong afterlife. Not saving them from death. I was about to fly away when Reverie's smile flashed to my mind.

"Damn it." I flew toward the direction of the kid. He was running and a car was about to bump him when I held him and swayed my hand. The car went to a different direction and all I could hear was his heartbeat and cries. Binitawan ko siya kya napaupo siya sa sahig. I held his face and glared at him that made him quiver in pain.

"Listen, you damn kid! Do you know what you're doing?! You almost died!" Iyak lang siya nang iyak habang nakatingin sa akin. He can still see me since he was almost in the verge of death. "Just... Just take care of yourself from now on."

Tumayo ako at naglakad paalis doon. The driver went out the car and was dumfounded on what just happened. Tinulungan niya ang bata at napakapit ako sa poste na nasa gilid ng kalsada. I can feel my body getting weak, and my vision started to be blurry. I did it again.

"Until when are you going to do this?" Napalingon ako kay Ariel na nakatayo na sa likod ko. "Look at you, you're losing your power. Yet you're still doing this."

"Don't worry, she's already dying." Napangiwi ako sa sakit. "I'll just have to wait for that to happen."

***********************