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Nagmamadali ang lakad ni Judge, kumaliwa siya sa isang kanto, kumanan, kumaliwa ulit. Dumaan siya sa makitid na daan. Sa pagkakataong iyon ay madilim na dahil wala ng street light at masyadong malayo ang pinakamalapit na poste. Imposible nang masinagan ng kahit onting ilaw.
Still, he remained calm and continued walking.
Suddenly, he regretted his decision of smashing his phone. He could've use it as his flashlight or perhaps call someone for help.
Well, it didn't matter. He's not scared anyway.
Marami na siyang napagdaan sa buhay. Ngayong araw, nawalan siya ng career. He even almost died. Ano pang ikinatatakot niya?
He won't be frightened by simple dark place. Never.
He's fearless— "Shit!"
Napatalon si Judge sa gulat nang gumalaw sa bandang gilid niya. Dahan-dahan siyang tumingin doon.
"Pusa lang pala," he sighed in relief as he saw its head swivelled slightly to look up at his direction.
A black big kitten in a middle of the night, really?
Slowly, the kitten crawled towards him and gently poked its fury head to his feet momentarily stare at him asking to pet her.
Judge sighed and carefully bent down to pet the little fury gal.
Is it even a girl?
"Where's your home? Baka hinahanap ka na." The kitten licked his hands in return. It didn't look stray to him. Malinis ito at hindi mabaho.
Tumayo siya at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad, ngunit ilang sandali ay napahinto siya.
May sumusunod sa kanya. He thought.
Kanina pa niya iyon napapansin. Simula pa noong pagliko niya sa makipot at madilim na eskinita. He felt the foot steps from behind. It's quiet almost seamless if you're not that observant to notice.
Naging maingat si Judge, habang mas lalong padilim ng padilim ang paligid ay binilisan niya ang paglalakad. Nang makakita siya ng eskinita ay agad siyang lumiko roon at nagtago para abangan ito.
When Judge got the chance, he grabbed him by his collar and slammed him on the wall.
"Bakit mo ako sinusundan?" Kalmado ngunit nakaamba na ang nanginginig niyang kamao sa anumang posibleng mangyari.
Nagpupumiglas ito.
"S-sino ka? Why are you following—"
Tuluyan itong nakawala at sinuntok siya. Napaatras si Judge dahil sa suntok, ngunit nang muling humarap siya para gumanti ng sapak ay nasilaw siya ng flashlight na nakatutok sa kaniya.
