“It was indeed a great tour, Mr. Gonzalo,” My father said. It was already past midnight. Ilang araw na rin s’yang ganitong oras na umuuwi and it was kind of disturbing.
Our family is treated above others, especially that we are living in the capital – Alpheus City. Besides that, my father and some of our family members are working with the LIVE Corporation. Hindi ko rin alam kung paano naging associated ang pamilya ko sa kanila lalo na’t tanging Kenjustu School lamang ang pinagmamalaki ng pamilya namin.
Nanatiling nakadikit ang aking tainga sa pinto ng kwarto ko, “What the hell are you doing, Amira?” I froze and nervously tilted my head. Cara was giving me a curious look, and when her eyes laid upon the door, she yawned.
“Freaking go to your bed,” She whispered. Pinatay-bukas niya pa ang flashlight sa mukha na parang tanga.
And after her fucking disturbance, she hurried towards my bed and slammed her body. Muli niyang pinatay-bukas ang flashlight sa direksyon ko dahilan upang papadyak akong pumunta sa kama.
“You have to stop using your cheerleading skills just to sneak into my brother’s bedroom,” I pointed out. She lightly laughed and pinched my nose.
"Pumasok ako sa pinto ng kwarto ni Alex, hindi naman ako lumambit or what-"
“Tangina, anim na oras kayo sa kwarto n’ya. Anong milagro ang ginawa n’yo?”
“Lumuhod –”
“The fuck, Cara?”
Bumangon siya at umupo upang makurot ang pisnge ko. Cara was a year older than me and was my brother’s girlfriend. We were both attending Laodicea High and both part of the cheerleading squad. On the other hand, my brother was studying here in Alpheus City in the field of medicine.
They have been boyfriend and girlfriend for years pero kailan lang noong nakasama ko sa iisang school si Cara. She was pretty distant to me whenever we are on the school grounds because she was holding to my phrase that I wanted to explore the Laodicea alone. Though roommate ko s’ya ay hindi namin pinakikita close kami sa mata ng iba and her twin sister was a close friend of mine. Cara was actually understanding.
“So, what’s the catch?” She asked.
I heaved a sigh and looked at her. She was spending our school break in our house imbes na sa kanilang bahay, “Do you think that my father is kind of suspicious?” I asked.
Nagtatakha naman s'yang tumingin sa akin, saglit n'ya akong pinagmasdan hanggang sa nagsalita siya, "Bakit naman ganyan ang tingin mo sa kanya?"
“I don’t know. Gut feeling, maybe? I can feel that something is not right, especially that they wanted to move to the other side...”
I paused when I realized her face suddenly crumbled. Alam ko naman na walang itatagong sikreto sa kanya si Alex kaya’t alam kong sasabihin ng kapatid ko sa kanya ang balak ng pamilya namin na paglipat.
“Alex told your father that he doesn’t want to go...” She softly said. Malamlam niya akong pinagmasadan hanggang sa hinawakan n’ya ang kamay ko, “Tito insisted at first pero pinayagan n’ya rin sa huli si Alex. Though he was eager to bring you,”
“I don’t want... Masaya na ako sa Laodicea. Ayokong... Tsk. Nevermind,”
We both slammed our bodies in my bed. I gently closed my eyes, and the unsettling feeling wouldn’t subside. Nakakainis. Tinagilid ko ang aking ulo saka pumaling kay Cara, she moved closer to me and caught me with her warm hug.
“I know that you wanted to stay. Gusto ko rin naman iyon, but you are Tito’s princess... Alam natin na hindi agad iyon papayag,”
“Paano n’ya kaya ako papayagan?” I asked.
Parehas kaming natahimik. Kung anu-anong plano ang naisip ko hanggang sa hindi ko namalayan na nakatulog na ako. I was awakened up because of the creaky noises beside me, as if someone was doing those noises unintentionally. When I opened my eyes, curiosity filled my head when I noticed that Cara was missing beside me.
“Itatakas ko ang kapatid mo? Are you nuts, Alex?” I heard Cara exclaimed in a low voice.
Tahimik akong naglakad sa direksyon kung nasaan ang boses. Obvious naman na nagtatalo sila pero sana pumili sila nang tamang oras dahil masyado pa akong inaantok para makichismis. It was still pretty dark outside. Dinikit ko ang katawan ko sa pader at saka sumilip sa kanila. Cara’s eyes darted towards my brother along while Alex was wearing his pleading eyes.
“You don’t get it…” Alex whispered.
“Kapag tinakas ko si Amira – Alam nilang ako ang hahanapin that is what you don’t get!”
Alex heaved a sigh and pulled Cara towards him. Ramdam ko na may nais sabihin ang kapatid ko gamit ang malamlam n’yang mga mata, “Do you want to see it?” Alex asked. See what? “Something hideous is being hidden beneath this house,”
“Tinatakot mo ba ako?”
Alex didn’t speak after that, and instead, he kissed her forehead. At kahit na madilim ay kitang-kita ko ang pamumuo ng mga luha sa gilid ng mga mata n’ya na agad n’yang pinunasan, “I don’t know what is up with your family right now, but Amira isn’t stupid not to notice it,” Cara stated. Alex began to caress her hair and kissed her forehead, endlessly.
“I know. Alam ko kung gaano katalino ang kapatid ko, after all, I’m her brother,”
“Kidding aside, I don’t want to infiltrate with your family’s business or what. Ayoko makasuhan ng trespassing gagong ‘to,”
I secretly smiled while listening to them. Still, before, I have always admired Cara and Alex’s relationship. Dahil silang dalawa ‘yong tipo ng tao na hindi gusto na palipasin na lamang ‘yong galit nila sa isa’t-isa, hindi rin sila natutulog na may tampo sila. Kind of cute.
“Amira is a spoiled-brat…” Alex started talking again.
“I know. Amira doesn’t like eating pork, though she loves chicken adobo. Hindi rin siya natutulog na walang niyayakap na unan. And especially avoid theme parks, ayaw n’ya sa clown. That woman is afraid of their nose at hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa rin gets kung bakit,” Cara said. Hindi n’ya talaga magegets kung bakit creepy ang ilong ng mga clown kasi creepy rin s’ya. “Wait, Alex… Kung itatakas ko si Amira… What will happen to you?”
“Listen… Amira is the only woman in our family, aside from my mother. And I don’t want her to expose to that hideous thing. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pumayag ang pamilya naming nakipaghalubilo sa LIVE Corporation, hindi ko rin alam kung talagang ligtas sa kabila kaya sana itakas mo ang kapatid ko. And I will escape on my own, and don’t worry, Cara… I will come back to you,”
“That promise is too good to be true…”
“Please…”
“What stupid plan do you have in your mind, Alex?”
Alex stayed silent. Maging ang natutulog kong diwa ay tila kinkabahan sa plano n’ya. He’s unpredictable, and I don’t get why he wanted to escape from this threshold. Ayokong basta lamang tumakas sa lugar na ito nang hindi ko man lamang kung anong nangyayari rito.
I was about to walk towards them when Alex said something unexpected, which made both Cara and I, dumbfounded.
“I will infiltrate the LIVE Corporation, and after a year… I will reveal their wicked secret,”
#
BINABASA MO ANG
OUTCAST (PUBLISHED)
Science FictionPUBLISHED UNDER IMMAC PPH After an unexpected apocalypse, Amira and her friends found themselves trapped inside the border of Luzon, in which the virus was spreading rapidly. And in order to keep living, they needed to reach the capital of Luzon, an...
