SCARLET 2: ALICE (Emerald Series)

18

ALICE

"Sa Dark Forest daw nakita ang mga bangkay."

"Puro babae..."

"Ang kalat ng mga dugo..."

Kanina pa pinag-uusapan ng mga servant ang kumakalat na balita. Clyde decided na bumalik na kami sa bahay. Pakiramdam ko'y nagkakagulo sa village ngayon dahil sa takot.

Tinignan ko si Clyde na tahimik lang na nagbabasa ng libro sa tabi ng bintana. Hindi ba siya natatakot? Hindi ba siya nababahala?

Naalala ko bigla si Seth. Ligtas ba siya? I have a weird feeling kagabi na baka nasa peligro siya.

I sighed. Bakit ba kasi hindi man lang siya nagpaalam sa akin? Bigla nalang siya nawala. Nagalit ba siya dahil hindi ako pumayag na tumakas? Is he disappointed in me? I sighed again.

Nagulat ako sa biglang pagsara ng hawak na libro ni Clyde. He sat down next to me. "What do you want?"

I looked at him, confused, and said, "Nothing."

"Just tell me. What is it?"

"Wala nga."

"You keep sighing. Clearly, may iniisip ka. So, ano 'yon? Tell me."

"It's not really important."

He took a deep breath and said, "Just. Tell. Me."

"It's Seth," amin ko. "He didn't attend our wedding. He didn't said goodbye. He just left. Now, there's a rogue vampire on the loose, killing people. What if Seth is in danger?"

"Why would he be in danger?"

"I just have this anxious feeling last night na baka nasa panganib siya." Tumayo ako. "Maybe I should find him."

Aalis na sana ako nang maramdaman kong hinatak ako pabalik ni Clyde. Napaupo ako ulit sa tabi niya. "Ipapahamak mo lang sarili mo."

"Hindi naman pwedeng umupo lang ako dito habang Seth is out there."

"He's really that important to you?"

I looked him in the eyes and nodded. "He's the closest thing to a family that I have."

"Just family?"

"What do you mean?

"He's just like a brother to you?"

"Oo."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing else."

Clyde groaned bago tumayo. "Fine. Saan mo siya unang hahanapin?"

We first went to Thelessa's place. It's the nearest here since she lives within the Light Forest. Seth is not there. Thelessa also told me na matagal niya nang hindi nakikita si Seth, which made her worry, too.

We went to the village and searched for him there. Still not there.

"Do you want to check the treehouse?" I asked. For a moment, nagdalawang-isip si Clyde. Oo nga pala, the Dark Forest is not ours anymore. Hindi pupwedeng basta-basta lang pumasok. Lalo na if you're the prince of the neighboring kingdom.

"I can check alone," I offered. "If hindi ka pwede."

He scoffed. "Anong difference? Baka nakakalimutan mo, you're a princess through marriage."

Oh. I forgot about that.

"What if nandoon siya?"

He looks like he's getting annoyed na pero hindi ko nalang pinansin. "Let's just be very quick to check the treehouse para walang makakita sa atin. Okay?"

The Dark Forest seemed quiet compared to the last time that we were here. It definitely feels... darker. Buti nalang halos nasa bungad lang ang treehouse. While walking, I decided to tell stories about me and Seth.

"He really took care of me. When I woke up two years ago, I have no memories about myself. I only know my name. Even if Seth doesn't know who I am, he still took care of me."

"Wait, you lost your memory two years ago?" Clyde asked. I nodded. "Kung two years ago... kasabay ba nito 'yong war?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe after?"

Nauna na ako maglakad dahil nakikita ko na ang treehouse. Mukhang walang tao sa loob pero I still walked towards it. I climbed the ladder and opened the door. I almost let out a scream. Ramdam kong nasa likod ko na rin si Clyde.

"Alice..." He's crying. He's covered in blood. He looks deranged.

Clyde pulled me back and stepped in front of me. He was careful at first before he carried him on his back while we ran back to our house. We can't stay here any longer lalo na't ganito ang lagay ni Seth. Bakit puro dugo? Is he dying?!

Pagpasok namin sa aming estate ay agad siyang inakyat ni Clyde sa kwarto niya. He yelled at the servants to call a doctor. Kumuha ako ng towel at binasa ito. I wiped the blood all over his face. Ang weird. Wala naman siyang kahit anong sugat sa kanyang katawan.

I wiped his arms and his hands. Wala ring sugat. Clyde took off Seth's shirt to check kung may open wound ba siya sa katawan but still, no cuts. No wounds. Just blood.

Kung ganoon, kaninong dugo 'to?!

Hindi rin namin makausap ng maayos si Seth. He's almost delirious. He keeps waking up and then losing consciousness. Bukod pa doon, ang lamig niya. He's ice cold.

"Alice," tawag ni Clyde. "I think I shouldn't call for a doctor. I think I should call for someone else."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"I think he needs Rachelle."

"Huh? Bakit?"

He opened Seth's mouth. His teeth are also covered in blood. Wait. Are those...

...fangs?

"Hindi ko naiintindihan... ano 'yan?"

How did Seth become a vampire?!

I remember the dead bodies found this morning. I remember that they were all found in the Dark Forest. I remember that they died due to a vampire attack.

Seth was in the Dark Forest. Seth was covered in blood. Seth is a vampire.

Was he the one who killed all of them?

In just a few minutes, Rachelle arrives. Medyo awkward pa between us since the last time we met, we slammed each other on the wall. She checked Seth's fangs and confirmed that he's a new bitten vampire. She also checked Seth's eyes. It's red. His brown eyes are now gone.

"Ito ang pinakamahirap for my fellow vampires na kaka-transform palang. The thirst. The hunger. Kung hindi nila mapipigilan 'to, they're going to be crazy. They're going to be addicted to blood. We call it the 'blood insanity'. Hindi nila macocontrol ang mga sarili nila at makakapatay sila ng tao," paliwanag ni Rachelle.

"Paano natin siya maliligtas?" tanong ko. "Is there a way to bring him back to normal?"

"Girl, we can't reverse him back into a human. He's one of us na talaga. What I can do is to teach him how to control his hunger."

"Paano?"

"I have to starve him to death."