UNMASKED

Chapter 1- Run Elora, Run

Chapter 1

Elora Martini's POV

I heard a woman screaming. Isang malakas na sigaw nang makita nito ang isang pigura na papalapit sakanya. Yung sigaw na nahihintakutan.  The black shadow was approaching her. 

Mabagal lang ang lakad ng taong iyon ngunit halos abutin na ang babaeng sumisigaw.  I can see that the woman is bleeding.

"No!" Sigaw ng babae.

Pinakinggan kong mabuti ang boses nito.  At saka nanlaki ang mata ko habang pinapanuod ito ng may marealize ako.  Pamilyar ang boses at hindi ako pwedeng magkamali.

That voice I heard— was me. I was screaming. At maya maya pa ay nakita kong nagtatakbo ako. Pero the weird thing is, I was just standing here, watching myself run with extreme fear.  Tila ba isang pelikula ngunit ang sarili ko ang pinapanuod ko.

Ngunit hindi ako makagalaw.  Nakatanga lang ako habang kumakabog ng malakas ang dibdib ko.

Now, I watched myself running through a narrow, dark alley. The walls seemed to close in, and a sense of fear crept over myself, like she was lost in a mysterious maze. Sobrang dilim, halos wala itong makita. Hindi niya alam kung nasaan na siya. Sobrang tahimik. Nakakabingi.

As myself moved through the alley, the air felt heavy, and strange scents filled the space. It was a mix of something metallic, like iron, and another scent myself couldn't quite figure out. The air was thick, making the place feel eerie and unsettling.

Nakita ko na lumilingon ang sarili ko dahil baka maabutan ito ng isang pigura na kanina ay papalapit. Gusto kong tumakbo para tulungan ang sarili ko, pero hindi ako makagalaw. It feels like I was just a spectator here. Watching myself suffer alone.

She was running when suddenly, the scene changed. Now, I was watching myself lying on the ground in the dream, like I was an outsider looking in. The ground around me was covered in red—blood. It was a shocking sight, and my heart raced in the dream.

The details were so clear—I could see every drop of blood and the patterns it made on the ground.

What happened?  The scenario changed easily.  Nahuli na ba ako ng humahabol sa akin?

But when I tried to see who or what had hurt me, it was like looking through foggy glass. The face of my potential killer was blurry, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see the culprit.

In the dream, I felt a desperate need to see the face of the person responsible. It was like my whole being was urging me to uncover the person's face. I strained my eyes, squinting and trying to focus, but the blur remained, frustrating my attempts. Nananatili pa rin akong nakatayo habang walang nagagawang nakatingin lang sa paligid.

The air was heavy, and the scent of iron mixed with the mysterious smell lingered.

Nag-ipon ako ng lakas. Dahan dahan akong lumakad pero hindi ako lumapit sa katawan ko na nakahimlay na ngayon. Each step I took echoed with a sense of urgency and fear. I tried to run while my body is still lying on the ground, full of blood. I can see my body. Kung tatakbo ako, paano ko maliligtas ang katawan ko?

Tumingin ako sa paligid upang makakita ng kahit anong clue na makapagtuturo sa akin kung sino ang humahabol sa akin at kung nasaan ako.

The weird thing is, I didn't look for something I could use to defend myself.  Instead I looked for a clue.

My body was lying there, and here and I was doing everything I could to find something. Ngunit wala akong nakita na kahit anong ebidensya. Kailangan kong hanapin ang salarin. I looked around.