The Secluded Trails of Deceit ( Ruler of Fate Series #1 ) UNDER REVISION

KABANATA 13

Kabanata 13

His loosening grip away from reality

Sabay kaming napatingin kay Helix matapos niyang tumawa nang malakas. Halos hawak niya ang kaniyang tiyan gamit ang kaliwang kamay niya, na may isang hati ng pizza pa rin, habang nakatakip naman sa mga mata niya ang likod ng kanang palad niya. He still had his right elbow pinned on the table, before it went down. With the same arm, he rested his hand on his lap, grabbing his thigh because of how much fun all of this was for him.

He gulped, but it wasn't enough for him to breath properly. Paulit-ulit niya tuloy na hinampas ang dibdib niya, kaya kaagad kong inabot ang juice ko para ibigay sakanya. Just as he was about to drink it, Draven stood up from his seat and went behind us. Ang sunod niyang ginawa ay nagdulot para matapon ang ibang inumin kay Helix.

My lips parted, trying to process how he continuously tap my cousin's back with brute force, just when he's in the middle of gulping the food stuck in his throat. It's as if he was helping Helix, who's slightly choking already, but the truth is, what he did was making things worse. Hindi lang sa damit ni Helix tumalsik ang inumin, kundi meron din sa kaniyang mukha.

"Draven, what the hell..?" I said, with my confuse face.

His eyes blinked innocently before he peeked at my cousin, who was already looking at him with his furrowed brows. Madiin na lumunok si Helix, "Tarantado ka ba?! Papatayin mo ba 'ko, ah?!" sigaw niya nang makabawi na.

My lips twitched, seeing how he tried to throw Draven the remaining liquid inside the can, which in the end happened. Dalawa na silang may mga patak at namumuong basang bahagi sa mga mukha nila. Even some of it sprinkled even more around their upper shirts too, because they kept pushing the opening of the can towards each other.

I tried stopping them, but they didn't listen. Halos hindi ko nga mahawakan ang pinagaagawan nilang lata dahil sa bilis ng galaw nila. My hands were just following theirs, behind their shadows, which were moving alternately.

My eyes squinted, feeling a sudden drop of liquid coming inside. "Tangina..." Nang maramdaman ang kaunting hapdi ay tuluyan na akong napapikit at hinawakan ang nakasaradong talukap ng mata ko. I was already rubbing the area since it started to become uncomfortable for me.

Kaagad nilang napansin ang ginagawa ko na nagpatigil sa kanilang dalawa. Naunang bitawan ni Draven ang lata, kaya napunta nang buo sa mga kamay ni Helix 'yon, na nilapag niya rin naman sa lamesa para matuon niya rin ang lahat ng atensyon niya sa'kin.

"Bakit? Gago, okay ka lang? Anong nangyari? Saan ang masakit?" My cousin asked all at once, already feeling a huge amount of panic and horror before his eyes.

Draven leaned down and held both of my cheeks, softly raising my chin up. Inalis niya ang kamay ko na nakahawak sa aking mata at muling kinulong ang magkabilang pisngi ko sa pagitan ng dalawang palad niya. I don't know why, but that same hand, which he moved away, automatically held on around his wrist.

"Let me see it." Kagaya ng kaniyang sabi ay sinubukan kong imulat ko ang mata ko na kaagad niya namang hinipan gamit ang bibig niya. He was persistent and gentle to ease what I was feeling beneath.

We were just like that for a few seconds. He was leaning down to have a clearer view of my face, and I was looking up because that's what he wanted me to do. It was pure bubbles and ribbons, if I'm being honest. At that moment, it wasn't a big deal at all, but after feeling a relief brush my skin from his every breath, a realization instantly hit me because of our position.

"Wala na." Inatras ko ang ulo ko papalayo at umiwas ng tingin sakanya, "Okay na ako." tipid na dagag ko at inalis ang mukha ko sa mga kamay niya.

Kasabay no'n ang paglapit naman sa'kin ni Helix. He was biting his lips as he looked exactly at one of my eyes, which Draven was looking at too, a while ago. He poked my cheek under it, slightly doing an up-and-down and even a circular motion on my skin. "Sure kang okay na?"