(Under Revision)
BE WEAK SO YOU SHALL BE CONTROLLED.
Hundred of years from now, the Philippines sits at the top - powerfully, technologically, politically, and economically advanced from others - and there isn't a doubt that it is leading the world...
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I WAS IN A bright and eerily quiet place. It was so silent I could hear nothing but the beating of my own heart and the hissing of my lone thoughts. This wasn't new to me, waking up in an unusual place was how I spent my days here.
I couldn't see anything but white and harsh light. My thoughts were swarming through my mind like bees buzzing around, pestering me. I couldn't stop them.
I could sense something was beginning to fade inside me as I kept walking into the void. I looked on the path before me but then I heard a distant explosion. I looked back and searched for it. But there wasn't a thing behind me.
I walked. I jogged until my feet ran. I wanted to escape from this bright place that was full of the light of hope. I ran and ran until there was no more energy left inside my body. My legs burned and my knees buckled. The place was huge. I couldn't even see where I was heading. I just ran until my lungs deflate themselves. Until my heart race from my chest. Until my muscles became sore.
Four shadows stood and surrounded me. At my front, back, left, and right. The shadows were so dark I could see terror living in them. It was the place where nightmares fed themselves with fear and angst.
I readied myself from combat. I need to exterminate these shadows.
They began to close in on me. Their hands stretched to my direction.
In a snap of my fingers, the four shadows dissolved into nothingness, leaving me alone again. A moment had passed and the bright place morphed into pitch black. I couldn't see anything but darkness and its fearful atmosphere. I ran again, away from that place but I couldn't seem to find a way, to find a light that would guide me through this.
May narinig ako mula sa 'di kalayuan. Isang salaming parang unti-unting binabasag. Hindi ko alam kung saan nangagaling iyon at wala namang akong makitang salamin sa paligid. Pinakinggan ko na lang itong mabuti. Tumakbo ulit ako sa direksyon kung saan 'yon sa tingin ko'y nagmula.
Tumunog ulit 'yon at sa pagkakataong 'to ay para mas malapit na ako sa pinanggalingan. Tumingin ako sa kaliwa at sa kanan at pinakiramdaman ang paligid.
Iilang segundo ang lumipas at narinig kong muli ito. Mas lumakas ang kalansing ng mga salamin. Siguro ay mas malapit na ako ngayon. Tumakbo lang ako nang tumakbo hanggang sa ang tunog ay mas naging malakas pa sa aking tainga. Para bang ang salamin na 'yon ay tuluyan nang nabasag.
Sa pagtunog na 'yon ay para bang may humatak sa akin pababa at ako'y tumumba. Walang ibang sumalo sa akin kundi isang malamig at basang sahig.
May narinig akong boses na bumabanggit ng pangalan ko. "Cade?" Katahimikan at parang umuga ang buong paligid. Narinig ko muli ito. "Cade?" Umuga muli ang buong paligid.
Sandali. Pamilyar na pamilyar ang boses na 'yon. "Bea?" Hindi niya ako narinig at inulit niyang bigkasin ang aking pangalan. "Cade?"
"Bea?"I opened my eyes and inhaled all the air I could get in my lungs. I was right! It was her. There was a black cloth draped above my body. The fluid soaked my skin and I could still feel it wetting my side.
There were so many questions formed in my mind but only a single one had made it into words. My mind swirled inside my skull and I felt my head floating like a balloon. I couldn't concentrate and the gravity's pull in my body was so strong I just wanted to lie down here.
"Paano kayo nakapunta rito?" nanlalata kong tanong. Tinignan ko ang dalawang lalaking kasama niya na nakatingin rin sa akin pabalik. Ang isa'y may kulay itim na buhok at may napakapusyaw na asul na mga mata. Wala siyang ibang suot kund isang sando. Siguro'y ang nakapatong sa 'king long-sleeves ay sa kaniya. Bukod do'n napakalaki rin nang pagkakahawig niya sa lalaking gumawa sa 'kin nito. Ang isa namang lalaki ay may dark brown na buhok at brown rin na mga mata.
"Hindi na mahalaga kung paano ako nakapunta rito. Ang mahalaga ay nahanap kita." 'Yun ang akala niya. Hindi pa kami ligtas hangga't nandito pa tayo sa lugar na ito.
"Si-sino ka?" sinubukan kong ituro ang lalaking kamukha ni Goldberg pero hindi ko muna kayang gumalaw. Pero bawat segundo ay unti-unti kong nararamdaman na bumabalik ang lakas ko.
"Ipapaliwanag ko na lang sa 'yo lahat," na lang ang naisagot sa akin ni Bea.
Sa isang iglap lang ay parang bumalik muli ang lahat ng lakas ko. Hindi. Kailanman ay hindi ito nawala sa akin kundi pinipilit lang kuhain sa akin. Tumayo ako at isinuot ang itim na damit. Inabot naman sa 'kin ng isang lalaki ang isang pantalon at isinuot rin 'yon. "Hindi pa tayo ligtas hangga't hindi pa tayo nakakaalis sa lugar na ito."
At may narinig kaming isang putok ng baril.
Buti na lang ay bago humandusay na sa sahig ang lalaking nag-abot sa 'kin ng pantalon ay nasalo ko siya sa aking braso.
