Wages Of Sin

Kabanata 25

Kabanata 25

I shifted my position while laying down and staring at the ceiling. Hanggang ngayon, nandoon pa rin 'yung unidentified flying object sa itaas ng himpapawid habang dama ko ang panic ng mga tao sa labas.

Dama, yes. Because I haven't seen anything outside except the sky. Maliban dito, mga puno na lang na tinatakpan ang natitirang tanawin.

I took a deep sigh when I heard another wave of sound of the building's siren. Kanina pa iyan. Naririndi na ako. Ilang beses na iyang nagpa-ulit-ulit.

Maybe some of you would ask why I'm staying calm right now. Wala lang. These past few days, I felt hopeless getting out of here. Idagdag mo pa ang revelations na karereveal lang. I don't need Robin's confirmation anyway. My memories confirmed it itself!

Inangat ko ang kwintas na suot ko ngayon. I don't know why I suddenly feel this way. My heart is melting. This necklace shouldn't be in me. It isn't me whom his mother wanted to be. No'ng una pa lang, hindi ako iyon. I'm not that girl he likes. Not the girl he wants to give this necklace to. I wonder if he knows and remembers everything before we met again in the forest?

Napapikit na lamang ako. Reminiscing the past makes me sick. Remembering that scandal, that fake scandal, is traumatic. The bitterness inside filled in me.

Natigil ang tunog ng siren. Ngunit maya-maya pa'y tumunog na naman ulit ito. I muttered a curse after deciding to get up. I can't sleep in this state. Nakaka-inis na!

Tumayo ako saka tumingkayad upang masilip ang nasa labas mula sa bintana. The odd ship is still there, not moving. I wonder if nag-iisa lang 'yan? Or maybe pinalibutan na nito nang tuluyan ang mundo.

My lips twitched.

Akmang babalik na ako sa pagkakahiga nang makirinig ng kung ano sa mga puno. My brows creased as I helped myself to peek. The trees' hair, the leaves, is shaking. Na para bang nagpapapansin sa 'kin.

Bigla akong nagtaka. It's not the wind, for sure! Hindi mahangin kaya imposible.

I almost scream when someone from the tree showed up. Halos takpan ko ang aking bibig nang makita ang matagal ko nang kaibigang hindi nakita.

"Iko," I greeted in a low voice. Nakakabit ito sa isa sa mga sanga ng puno.

"Creep, ayos lang?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded slowly and smiled para lang ipakitang ayos ako. Napakunot ako ng noo nang umiling ito, tila hindi kumbinsido.

I almost forget about him! Right. Mabuti na lang at hindi kami magkasama sa gabing iyon. Good thing he isn't found by Ferrous. Goodness. I could've been died if he is seen, caught, and used as a blackmail against me again.

"Bakit ka nandito?" I asked curiously. "How do you get here?"

Kwinento niya sa 'kin ang nangyari ng gabing 'yon. He apologized and told me he saw men, catching us. He said he's on his way to call a few animals but then got delayed. Hindi na nila ako naabutan.

I nodded. "Thank you for the attempted rescue. There's nothing to be guilty about it."

He smiled. Maya-maya pa'y may inilabas siya mula sa kan'yang likod. Muntik na akong mapaatras nang makitang isa iyong baril.

"Iko!" saway ko.

I heard him chuckled. Muli akong napatitig sa baril. It's familiar. Bukod sa kaka-iba ang anyo nito kaysa ibang baril na nakita ko, I also feel like I saw this somewhere. Hindi ko lang matandaan!

Bigla akong napatakip ng bibig nang pinutok niya ang baril. Hindi ito tumunog na para bang may silencer. I heard Iko chuckled because of what he did.