God's Cage | WOTG #1

Thirty-Two

CADE

AS I FELL TOWARDS the cold embrace of my death, the world seemed to morph into something surreal. I could see the Capitol Tower's walls transform into something phantasmic as if the glass and windows were becoming fluid. The clouds above me swirled and the city beneath me shook and trembled.

I closed my eyes and waited for the final impact. I anticipate the outcome—my bones shattered like glass and my skull splattered as blood pooled around my dead body.

I closed my eyes and waited.

Naghintay lang ako nang naghintay hanggang sa may naramdaman na lang akong malamig sa 'king pisngi. Unti-unti kong ibinuka ang aking dalawang mata at sumalubong sa akin ang isang salamin. Habang ako'y nakahiga, nakatitig ako sa sarili kong repleksyon. Ako'y kumurap at siya'y kumurap din.

Dahan-dahan akong tumayo at nadiskubreng ako'y nasa isang malawak na kwarto ng puno ng mga nagkikinangang salamin. At sa bawat salamin ay naroon anh aking repleksyon at bawat isa sa kanila'y nakatingin sa 'kin.

Tumalikod ako at do'n ko siya nakita.

Nakatayo iilang metro sa 'kin ay ang aking sarili. Nakatayo at nakangisi.

"Ano? Tatakbo ka na naman ba?" he taunted as he put he stepped forward.

I didn't answer him and waited for him to charge and attack instead. I knew this was one of his ploys to get at me again.

"Tatakbo ka na naman ba tulad no'ng ginawa mo no'ng araw na 'yon?" I know what day he was referring. The day of the attack. The day my family had . . .

The image came rushing back to my mind like a powerful wave surging through my thoughts. I closed my eyes and pushed the memory at the back of my mind.

"Shut up," I hissed as I clenched my fist so hard my knucles turned white.

He snorted. "I knoy you know it's true."

Hindi na ako nagsalita at huminga nang malalim. Hindi ko hahayaang kontrolin ako ng sarili mong galit. Pinatay ko ang apoy na nagpapakulo sa akinh dugo.

"Oh?" Bakit ang tahimik mo?" Mas lumalapit pa siya. Sa lagay niyang 'to, masasabi kong limang metro na lang ang kayo niya mula sa 'kin. "Tatahimik na lang ba d'yan tulad ng pagtahimik mo tungkol sa kakayahan mo?"

I gulped the anger down and clenched my teeth. Although, it was beginning to spark with little amount of rage.

"What? You won't even try to speak?"

He was only four meters away.

"You won't even defend yourself?"

Three meters.

"Your family would be so disappointed to you."

Two meters.

"I know all of it. Because you and I are the same. But this time, you're the onw who's coward."

The word trigerred it all. The rage singed everything inside my, boiling my flesh and sparking the violence had rested in me. It flowed through my veins, pumping my heart with fury, until it came out to me mouth.

I screamed. All the mirrors shattered like a bomb had exploded. There were no reflections to look upon to. It was me and him all alone.

"Finally," he smirked. "You finally shove your skin and showed your true self. A monster craving for blood."

I was trembling with rage. Voices started to whisper at me, seizing control of my mind and my body. I knew how to beat him. I knew how to beat myself.

Kill him.

Kill him.

KILL HIM.

The glass shard floated above the air like little planes waiting for a command. I pointed each and every sharp edge of it to him.

Napatingin siya sa paligid at nagsalubong ang kaniyang dalawang kilay. Tinitigan ko rin ang mga maliliit na salamin na lumulutang sa ere at sa bawat isa ay nakita ko ang aking replekyon.

A monster craving for blood.

Paulit-ulit ang mga katagang 'yon sa aking utak. Ang tanging paraan lang para matalo ang lalaking 'to ay tanggapin ang aking sarili ng buong-buo.

"Oo, isa nga akong halimaw," sambit ko at itinutok sa aking sarili ang lahat ng matatalim at matutulis na bubog ng salamin. "At isa ka lang boses na bumubulong sa 'kin. Kung wala ako, wala ka rin."

And the shards flashed through him as all of it dug at my skin.