Euclid Shellingford (Volume 2)

CHAPTER 21: The Shadows that Governed the Youkai Mansion (First Encounter)

"Are you okay?” I asked right after I pull the horse’s harness to stop it from running. I felt her gasped some air before calming herself. I’m not sure if it was only because of exhaustion or she was scared of the hanging bridge we just managed to cross.

“Y-Yeah! Mukhang nailigaw na natin sila Euclid!” she said with a big smile sabay thumbs up sign pa sa’kin. It looks like she was a little bit scared. Hindi ko na lang ito pinansin at nilingon na lang ang dinaanan namin. It looks like she was right. There was no one after us now.

Oh well, that’s good news I guess.

“Maglakad-lakad na tayo?” sabi ko at saka tumingin sa harap namin. Mapuno sa lugar kaya hindi gaanong mainit. Sabi ng katiwala sa rancho kanina, may makikita daw na talon pakalampas ng hanging bridge at nakakarelax daw sa lugar kaya doon ang destinasyon namin.

“Sure!” excited niya pang sagot.
After a second, I jumped down at saka siya inalalayang bumaba mula sa kabayo. Isa lang kasi ang ginamit namin para hindi kami magkahiwalay mula sa pagtakas sa dalawang makulit na asungot. Sumunod kasi sila sa’min kanina nang pumunta kami sa rancho. Nang maramdaman naming susunod sila sa pamamasyal namin, agad kaming tumakas ni Nickan para hindi nila kami maabutan pa.

“Woohh ang ganda dito dhie!” napatawa naman ako sa reaksyon nito habang nakapikit pa at nakabukas ang magkabilang braso. I guess she’s really enjoying the ambiance here. Itinali ko na muna ang kabayo namin sa isang puno at saka naglakad-lakad.

“Ahh may naalala ko!” biglang sabi nito at saka ako tiningnan habang naniningkit pa ang mata.

What now?

“Yung binanggit nung bruha kagabi! What’s with the youkai mansion?”

“Ahh…” I was actually expecting her to ask about it kaya hindi na ako nagulat. “That’s… my first murder case I guess,” sagot ko sa kanya at saka naglakad papunta sa bukana ng ilog. Mukhang malapit na yung talon na sinasabi ng matanda kanina.

“Ehh?? First case? Wahh! Hindi ko pa alam yun!” nakapout niya pang sabi sa harap ko.

“Do you really wanna know the story?” seryoso kong tanong sa kanya.

“B-bakit? Bawal ba?” nakasimangot nitong tanong. I smiled at her at saka naupo sa isang malaking bato.

“Upo ka dito. I’ll tell you what happened…” sabi ko sa kanya na nagpaningning sa mga mata nito. Agad naman itong naupo sa tabi ko at excited na tumingin sa’kin.

“It was almost 13 years ago, mga ganitong buwan din when my parents and their friends went to an overseas trip at Okinawa, Japan…” panimula ko.

“Ohayou gozaimasu!” rinig kong bati ng mga hotel staffs. I ignored them and just continued playing my rubix cube. We just arrived here from airport a while ago and it looks like we’re in a very cultured place where trees and water are everywhere.

“Oi Euclid!” tawag ng pamilyar na boses sa likod ko. I knew who it was kaya hindi na ako nag-abala pang lumingon. Ipinihit ko pababa ang third column ng rubix at saka inikot ng dalawang beses ang bottom part nito pakaliwa. Tinaas ko ng isang beses yung last column at saka ibinalik pakanan yung third row. Itinaas ko na pabalik sa taas yung third column at saka tiningnan ang nabuo ko. Now, I need to do H move dahil napagpalit ko na yung red and blue tiles. May cross na sa pinaka-base nito.

“This guy was really boring,” at the side of my vision, I saw him making faces on me. Tsk, as if I care.

“Nico!” came a very loud shout. It was a girl with pigtail hair and wearing polka-dotted skirt, another annoying freak.