META

13| LUNGGATI

LUNGGATI:
BANEFUL ITCH

FREEDOM. PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE THEIR own perspective on it but to Iara, it is nothing but a bottomless hunger. The thought of being unbound by any chains is pure ecstasy. It is an endless type of feeling clawing its way out of her, too strong, too feral yet too fragile as an egg with a skin in the making of membrane, transparent with a smear of crippling desire that was sleeping through her soul until he awakened it.

        The punching bag jounces with every blow she plants on it. The silence of the room is reserved for the steady cacophony of thuds and echoes and her sharp breaths. Sweat profusely trickles down her chest as her aims become sharper, higher, and faster, falling into a rhythmical pattern until her arms burn.

        Boxing used to be her pastime hobby for it is the only thing that keeps her mind away from what she feels. It gives her a moment where she can forget everything else, but not today.

       A week has passed since Abreihm came back, and also since he humiliated Iara in front of The IV. As the day goes on, her shattered ego keeps on reminding her how mortified she was when he stepped on her pride. It felt like he'd freed something in her in the most crucial way possible and she was a hatchling who saw his darkness first of anything. Ugly of its own, shaped like violence with sharp fangs spewing venom as it buried on her neck, escalating her desire behind her veins, releasing her soul and letting it fall into his cataclysmic palms.

        Hinihingal na tumigil si Iara at kumapit sa punching bag. Umupo siya saglit sa stool upang magpahinga habang pinupunasan ang pawis sa kaniyang katawan. After it, she gradually unwraps the overlap of bandages between the valley of her knuckles.

        Bukas ay araw na ng rematch nila ni Valentina Peréz. N'ung isang linggo, nakatanggap si Iara ng tawag mula kay Sarahana. She said that Valentina was consistently bugging her for a rematch. That made Iara roll her eyes but she still agreed. The people would surely call her a coward if she turned that down, plus, wala rin naman siyang ibang gagawin.

        Except today. She has to meet Vicious Fidelmo, the investigator she hired for finding Jive. She hired him months ago after seeing one of Python's folders. Vicious was marked as a cancelled agent with a very good ranking, so she gave him a try. Kung hindi lang ito tumawag kay Iara kagabi, talagang pagdududahan niya kung talaga bang maayos ang ranking nito dahil isang buwan na makalipas ngunit laging palyado ang lead na nahahanap.

        Sana lang ay magandang balita talaga ang dala nito ngayon. She's growing tired of his failed findings. Her heart is too overwhelmed at the moment and she can't afford to risk her remaining hopes.

        Sighing, she stands and removes all of her clothes for a cold shower. The way the prickling drops slowly replace her body heat feels too long for a minute to chase.

        This has got to be the longest month ever, she muses.

        Over the week, Aferdita Rahavij flew from Albania after hearing that her oldest had finally come back after years of disappearance. Ang balita ni Iara, magkakaroon daw ng simpleng pagsasalo ang The IV sa mansion ng mga Rahavij.

        Python invited her via telephone call because he was too busy to pay for a visit. His works got loaded after the news that their remaining captive escaped, too. Of course, Iara kept her silence about it. Kahit pa gusto niya ring makita ang binata, hindi niya ito pinaunlakan dahil hindi niya alam kung paano ito haharapin matapos ang ginawa niya. Also, she's still recovering from what Abreihm did, that bastard. She won't stand seeing his mocking face and his cockiness. At isa pa, andoon din si Maximus. Kung nagkataon, edi dalawang gago ang makakaharap niya sa dinner.