Aeipathy

Prologue

"Do you think you can hide from me?" I heard that soft, but firm, voice. "You can run. But you can't hide. I've long written your name in my bucket list."

Sunod sunod akong napalunok habang patuloy pa din sa pag-atras.

"Stay the fuck away from me!"

Imbes na lumayo ay tumawa lang ito ng mahina na tila ba naaaliw sa nakikita nitong pagkatakot ko sa kanya.

"Why, Tris?" She take a huge step forward which almost cut our distance. "Why are you afraid of me?"

"Fuck!" Napamura na lang ako nang maramdaman ko yung pagtama ng likod ko sa malamig na pader.

I've reach the dead end of this run and chase charade. I now look like a cornered rat.

"Take off your clothes, Tris. I want to see what's underneath. I need to make sure that my cargo isn't damaged yet. I paid for you."

"Damn you!"

"Yeah? Damn me?" Ngumiti lang ito. Nakaangat yung sulok ng labi habang matiim pa din ang pagkakatingin sa akin ng kulay abuhin nitong mga mata. "I need to get the worth of my money. You're selling yourself and I bought you. I paid for you."

Napalunok ako ulit.

Ano ba naman itong kagaguhan na naman na pinaggagagawa ko? Ang ayos-ayos ng buhay ko. Bakit kasi nakinig ako kay Kaylee at inalam pa kung ano ang ginagawa ng girlfriend nito sa lugar na ito. At nang magkagipitan, pati tuloy ako ay napilitan na isalba ang sarili ko sa pamamagitan ng ganito.

I thought I could just bail myself out on this. I can always bail myself out, away from the trouble that's always running after me.

I thought I could just deal with this by paying a triple amount of money as I was bought. Pero bakit sa dinami-dami ng pwedeng bumili sakin ay yung gago pang babae na ito?

She's too young! Heck? What is she doing in this kind of den? Is she always buying cargo here?

"Why are you doing this, Tris? Are you really that bored with your own life?" tumuon yung palad nito sa pader. Ikinukulong ako ng mga bisig nito para siguraduhin na hindi na ako makakatakbo ulit palayo.

Napasinghap ako nang makita kung gaano kadilim yung itsura nito.

"It's not what you think. I am not doing anything. Pinakiusapan lang ako ni Kaylee na sundan yung girlfr-"

"No one's gonna believe you."

That got me. A sad smile formed my lips as the realization of her truth struck me.

Right. No one's going to believe me. But it doesn't even bother me a bit. I'll still do as I please.

"I don't care if you believe me or not!" mariing sabi ko at saka ito pilit na itinutulak. "Tigilan mo nga ako. Baka patulan na talaga kita pag nabwisit ako sayo!"

Damn it!

Napapikit ako nang isalya ako nito ng malakas sa pader. Nakatingala pa din ito sakin dahil di hamak na mas matangkad ako dito ng ilang pulgada.

Shorter than me but way stronger. Literally and figuratively.

"Pay me, Tris." She demands as she slowly runs her tongue on her lips before biting her lower lip. Hindi ko alam kung inaakit ba ako nito.

"Gago ka ba? Gusto mo talaga ng sakit ng katawan?"

Naaaliw na tumawa ito bago tumitig ng husto sa katawan ko. "Yeah? Sakit ng katawan? I bet the two of us could get used to it."