My Little Moon - 𝗂𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗈𝗌

40. hushed

There was silence. Only the birds along with the soft impact of waves against hull attended their absence of sound. Matthew kept darting his eyes on the young girl. He watched as she kept her gaze far across the horizon, hands tightly clutching the branch she was sitting on, making her knuckles turn a paler shade.

The Manotoc nephew was uncomfortable, to say the least. He knew everybody was curious and scared of knowing what exactly happened. The family waited nearly a whole month for Catrina to open up, and yet, nothing. Not a single sentence nor a word. . .not even a sound.

And now he was here, sitting with her up the tree watching the clouds disperse and reappear somewhere continuously. She was talking. Something he'd never expected. 

Before this trip, Matthew and the rest observed how the young girl slowly started to lose more of herself in the quiet abyss. When one of them try to approach and ask her, tell her something, anything; she would burst into clueless tears. And it happens more often if the nephews did it. At some point. . .she was scared of them.

That made the family seek answers, and fast. Catrina was never like this. . .everything changed the moment she entered the mansion, rigid and covered with unimaginable amount of contusions. It's as if she was replaced with the same face, same body, yet different character the night she arrived home.

So yes, Matthew was uncomfortable. He never expected Catrina to open her mouth about that situation, but he was proven wrong. What made him more perplexed was the fact that Catrina chose him. She could've chosen anyone, anyone at all. . .her titas, Mama Meldy, even her other kuyas. But why him. Why him?

"Pauwi na ako ng gabing 'yon," Matthew heard her mutter. But Catrina's eyes remained locked on the shore. He didn't dare try and interrupt this fragile moment. No jokes could replenish this hour of vulnerability. 

"Dumaan ako sa dinadaanan ko palagi, hindi inaasahan na may masamang mangyayari. . ." Matthew started to notice how the young girl's voice got colder and melancholic. He took note how it began to wobble, but Catrina gulped it down and tried to remain as calm as ever. 

Her lips trembled out the next words as she faced Matthew, "But I was wrong, kuya. . ."

Matthew was taken aback when tears suddenly pricked Catrina's eyes. He didn't know what to do, too caught up from things suddenly escalating. Thick, ragged breaths escaped the young girl's mouth as she tried to wipe away the stubborn tears that began to fall. "Sobrang mali ako d'yan."

Catrina squeezed her eyelids shut, hoping that would at least stop her cries. It took one teardrop. One, before everything followed in an unbroken stream. She doesn't know if she'd ever finish telling what happened. It pains her to even think about it. Saying it out loud has got to be worse.

Matthew scooted over to her side and pulled her in for a hug. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to tell me if you're not yet ready."    

She shook her head, Catrina's dreary whimpers was enough to stake through Matthew's heart with ease. "Kapag. . .kapag hindi ko 'to sasabihin. . .p-para akong kinakain sa loob."

Matthew kept rubbing her back, hoping it would at least bring her an immense amount of comfort. Seeing Catrina like this was scary. Matthew was scared, she looked vulnerable and alone. . .as if there was nothing else in the world that could help. What was once a giggling girl, turned to someone balled up against his embrace, sobbing like a broken record on repeat.

Then, the young girl pulled away from his hold, looked him in the eye, and uttered the words that even death wasn't enough to be its punishment.

"M-muntik na akong ginahasa kuya. . ."