Chapter 43 - Starting Line

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I woke up disoriented. Hindi ko agad naalala kung nasaan ako. I was still feeling scared and at the same time, lonely.

Hindi natapos sa pagkamatay ng aking mga magulang 'yung panaginip. It was a long shitty one. It was like a walk back to all the things that happened in my life – a frightening walk.

May isa roon noong seventh birthday ko. A woman came in the house. Kilala siya nina Daddy Samuel at Ninong Raphael. Remembering it now, I just realized the woman was Helena De Leon-Soriano.

"Two days."

Napalingon ako sa nagsalita. Nakaupo sa sahig katabi ng papag na kinahihigaan ko si Justin. Tsaka ko naalala na nasa isang kubo kami sa may Mt. Bandilaan.

Bumangon na ako at pinasadahan ng tingin ang kasama ko. Mukhang kagigising lang din niya dala ng magulo pa ang kanyang buhok.

"Anong two days?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Sinalubong niya ang aking tingin. "Two days tayong wala sa mundo. Nauna lang akong magising sa'yo."

"Shit." I cussed. Shit talaga. Two days? We were asleep for two days?

"Apparently that's what happened with the Ulfric and the Minstrel. And Agent Yu is still out there in her own battlefield."

What?! Eh, nauna pa sa amin 'yung dalawang 'yun doon.

Tumayo na si Justin mula sa kinauupuan niya. "Kailangan na nating umalis dito," aniya at lalabas na sana nang tanungin ko.

"What did you dream about?"

He stared at me like he wanted to kill me for asking. His eyes were burning with rage. "It's none of your business," he spat and stormed out of the room.

It was one of the rare times that I saw him so serious and so hateful.

Tumayo na rin ako at nag-ayos ng sarili. Paglabas ko ng kwarto, wala sina Sara o Ben. Maging si Justin ay dumiretso yatang lumabas ng bahay. Subalit nadatnan ko sa salas si Alexander na komportableng nakaupo sa upuang kawayan at nakamasid sa akin.

"What?" I asked, images of the long dream suddenly flooded my thoughts. I saw the incident again when I saved this boy years ago. Pero sa panaginip, hindi ko siya nailigtas. Natakot ako sa malalim na tubig.

Iniiwas ko ang tingin sa kanya. I was suddenly ashamed.

Narinig ko siyang umismid.

"Like I expected, I was part of the dream," aniya.

"More like a nightmare. A series of nightmare. Why did you people do that anyway?" Unti-unting gumagapang ang galit sa sistema ko. After the fear I felt brought by the nightmare, I wanted to blame someone of everything.

"It's a test. Bawat bisitang pumupunta rito dumaraan sa pagsubok na 'yon." Nagkibit balikat siya. "And whatever question you seek, you'll find it there. Have you?"

Binigyan ko lang siya ng blankong tingin. I could not answer him directly because images started reeling in my head again. Halu-halo 'yung mga eksena sa mahabang bangungot na 'yon. Ang iba, hindi ko matandaang nangyari pala sa akin. Meron namang ibang tila pasilip sa mga mangyayari pa lang.

"Anyway, nakausap ko si Villanueva. Pinaaabot nya 'to." Inilahad niya ang isang maliit na papel. "Mula sa leon."

Kinuha ko ang papel at binasa.

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