𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝟎𝟏: 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭 (𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃)

𝟏𝟒: 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞

     "Ako nalang. Ako nalang! Wag na ang anak ko," pagmamakaawa ng isang ina kay Mathara. While this mother's eyes are filled with love for her child, Mathara's eyes are only filled with bloodlust. Her satisfaction is that sight of a dead body.

     Nakaluhod lang ang babae habang duguan ang ulo nito. She fell while running. She's trying to save her son. Kaso naabutan parin siya ng serial killer. Umiiyak na ito habang hinaharangan ang cradle ng anak. The baby remained sound asleep, undisturbed by the ruckus. 

     Mathara suddely thought of an evil game. She grinned as she looked at the baby. Why not ito ang unahin niya? This will pain the mother more.

     Bakit nga ba pinapapatay ang babaeng ito?

     Ah, tama. She cheated on her husband and had a baby with another man. Sa sobrang galit ng asawa niya ay pinapatay nalang niya ang mga ito. Hindi sapat dito ang pagpapakulong.

     Sa pagkakataong yun ay patay na ang lalaking kinakasama nitong babae. Mathara killed him first. Nakita ito ng babae kaya ito napatakbo paakyat sa kwarto nila. And this is the scenario now. 

     Sinipa ni Mathara ang babae kaya napadapa ito sa sahig. She then pulled that baby's left arm and held it like it's just a doll. Umiyak na ito. 

     "Wag! Wag ang anak ko!" Niyakap ng ina ng bata ang binti ni Mathara. She's crying her lungs out screaming for mercy.

     Isang malakas na sipa pa at tumilapon ulit ito. This is when the mother thought of fighting. She crawled towards that broken vase, reaching for a broken part. Pero bago paman niya maisaksak kay Mathara ang biyak na parte na yun, hinarang ng killer ang katawan ng 6 month old na anak nung babae. Yes, the woman stabbed her own son by mistake. 

     "Oops." Mathara dropped the baby. Sinalo ito ng ina crying even more. Halos hindi na ito makahinga ng maayos sa kakasigaw. That sight is even better than what she had imagined. A mother mourning for her own murder.

     The pain is tripled kahit wala pang ginagawa si Mathara dito. Wala na itong dahilan para mabuhay pa. This sight of pain and sadness is an entertainment for Mathara. Parang sumasaya ang loob niya pag nakikitang nasasaktan ang mga biktima. She's ended a devil thus she's named after it.

     "Patayin mo na ako," mahinang sabi ng babae habang nakahiga na sa sahig yakap yakap parin ang patay na katawan ng anak. She's now begging for death and Mathara loved it.

     "Rest in hell," Mathara whispered and stabbed her neck with force using that pointy heel.

     Matapos ang mission na yun, the client cried in pain. Hindi maintindihan ni Mathara ang lalaki. Siya naman ang nagbigay ng utos tapos iiyak siya pagkatapos. 

     That man still is in love with that woman. Mathara just couldn't see it. No one ever taught her about such emotion. It will only confuse her kung mananatili siya doon. Iniwan na niya ito dala dala ang suitcase ng pera na bayad nito.

     Before she could even open her car's door, a gunshot echoed from behind her. The man had just shot himself to death. Isa iyong gabing nakakalito para kay Mathara but who cares? She doesn't care. Umalis lang siya na para bang nag-iwan lang ng basura.

     As she was driving, something inside her is disturbing her. She just can't forget that sight. Nang kinontak siya nito, puno ito ng galit at poot pero nang matapos na ang mission, he shifted into a fragile man. Napalitan ng lungkot at pagsisisi. 

     "Humans are confusing," she whispered, shifting the car into the last gear and stepping on the gas pedal to its limit, as if she's not one of these 'humans'.

     "Luci." A familiar man strangely appeared in the backseat. She glanced at the rearview mirror, it was Ronin. She wanted to speak his name, but she couldn't. She could no longer speak.

     "Luci?"

     Nagising si Mathara. It's another realistic dream. Kinakatok ni Ronin ang kwarto niya. Siguro ay late na naman siyang nagising. Mabilis siyang tumayo at pinagbuksan ito. 

     Ronin noticed that she's sweating a lot. Sa isip niya ay naiinitan na ito sa bahay. Siguro ay kailangan na niyang bumili ng electric fan. It will be an additional cost for electricity. Anyways, they will use it both.

     "Aalis na ako," sabi nito. "I fried some eggs and some bacon."

     Tumango lang siya sabay buntot dito palabas. Maaga pala gumising si Ronin para itulak ang motor hanggang sa gasoline station. Medyo malayo layo din ang pagtutulakan nito.

     Bumalik si Mathara sa loob ng bahay. That brown board is filled with those papers again. Binalik na ni Ronin ito sa dati. Parang ayaw na nga ito pakialaman ni Mathara, palagi nalang kasi niyang napapaginipan ang mga nababasa sa articles.

     Weirdly enough, hindi naman naging kasali si Mira sa panaginip niya na yun.

     Do they even have an encounter?

     Pagkatapos kumain ay naisipan ni Mathara na maglakad lakad sa labas. Doon siya napunta sa tabi ng ilog. Napaupo nalang siya sa isa sa mga bato dito. Ang hindi niya alam may kasama siya doon. It was Jaxon. Kanina pa pala nakabantay sa malayo ang lalaking yun.

     He was tailing her. Jaxon had a strong belief that the woman was someone familiar. Hindi palang niya nakikita ang mukha nito. Ito ang chansa niyang makabalik sa organisasyon. 

     Mathara felt that someone is watching her. Mabilis na nagtago si Jaxon nang lumingon si Mathara. While her eyes were wandering, Jaxon was still unable to look at her face. Masyadong maraming dahon na nakatabon sa sight niya mula sa pinagtataguan. 

     "F*ck," he cussed. Bigla itong nawala nang silipin niya ulit.

     Mathara found 3 graves near the river. Lahat sila Foster ang surnames. Hindi man lang niya alam na pamilya ito ni Ronin, that guy never mentioned his last name. 

     Andun lang si Mathara nakatitig sa mga lapida nito. Jaxon finally showed up to look for her. Nakatalikod parin ito sa kanya. 

     Nang mapansin na parang may dinadalaw na puntod ang babaeng sinusundan, he suddenly felt disappointed. 

     'So, she's not Death Devil,' he thought. He sighed deeply at napamewang habang mariin na napapikit. Napailing siya at pilit na pinakalma ang sarili gamit ang ingay na dala ng agos ng tubig. Nang tignan ulit ang babae, wala na ito. He ran towards the grave and noticed who was buried there.

     "The Fosters," he uttered. That surname is very familiar to him. It's odd but he do remember them. Sa dinami dami nilang mission, this one will always be part of their memory.

     "I remember, sila ang kauna unang mission na binigay sa amin," he added. 

TakahashiKazumi2024