✔ Killer in the Attic

[6] SEX

Tahimik lang akong nakasunod kay Oriana hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang apartment. Naramdaman niya siguro ang pagtataka ko kaya inunahan na niya ako, "I need you to behave. N-Nakikituloy muna ako sa kaibigan ko."

Kaibigan?

Gusto ko sanang usisain kung sino ang kaibigan na 'yon, pero nabaling ang atensyon ko nang buksan niya ang pinto.

She then placed the key under the mat and locked the apartment's door after.

My eyes immediately roamed around the interior of it. Mas malaki pa pala ito kaysa sa inaakala ko. Nagtungo agad sa sala si Oriana at naupo sa sopa. Mukhang kami lang ang tao rito ngayon. She heaved a sigh and stared at me for what felt like an eternity. As if she can manifest me to disappear if she tried hard enough. Too bad.

Hindi siya nagsalita, so I started the conversation.

"Kamusta ka na?"

Halos mamura ko ang sarili ko. Tangina, Sebastian, sa tagal niyong nagkahiwalay, ito lang ang kaya mong tanungin? I mentally kicked myself for being so pathetic. Napansin kong nag-iwas ng tingin si Oriana at napabuntong-hininga, "In those six years, I've been busy with studies. I'm in college now."

Six years? So that makes her 19 years old right now.

Naupo ako sa tabi niya. Para siyang nabigla pero hindi ko na ito pinansin.

"Is that why you don't visit your grandmother's house anymore?"

Tumango siya.

I should be mad at her. Oriana had abandoned me for six whole years, and yet I still can't find any reason for me to hate her. Nabubuhay ako para sa kanya, at 'yon ang pinanghahawakan ko. I live to cast away her fears just like how a sunflower blooms to bring joy to the people around it.

I only live for her and because of her.

Matapos nito, namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan namin. When I attempted to brush a strand of hair from her face, agad siyang umiwas.

"You killed someone... again."

Ano ba ang problema roon? Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang mga prinsipyo ng mga tao.

"What do you want me to do, let that bastard touch you? He deserves it. In fact, he deserves so much worse."

Tumalim ang titig niya sa'kin.

"HOW CAN YOU ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED?! YOU FUCKING KILLED PEOPLE, SEBASTIAN!"

At pagkatapos 'non, bigla siyang nagtungo sa isa sa mga kwarto. Walang pagdadalawang-isip ko siyang sinundan. The lights were on and she was already in bed. She laid in bed and tried to sleep, eyes closed. Marahan akong tumabi sa kanya sa kama at pinulupot ang mga braso ko sa katawan niya.

After all these years, I've longed to hold little Oriana in my arms again, just like this. Though, she's no longer little, she's still my Oriana.

Nanigas siya at agad na iminulat ang mga mata. Nakita ko ang takot sa mga ito.

I smiled.

"You're safe now... I'm here. Hindi kita iiwan."

Pilit siyang kumakalas sa yakap ko pero hindi ko siya pinayagan. She sighed in frustration and studied me for a while before speaking, "Sebastian... Please, 'wag ka nang pumatay. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ka pa nandito, pero ayokong makasakit ka pa ng iba."

I may be a figment of her imagination, but I have a mind of my own. And by the looks of it, kailangan kong protektahan si Oriana sa mas maraming nakakatakot na bagay sa mundong ito. It's funny how she's afraid of the dark when in fact, she should be terrified of the living.

Kaya hindi ako nangako sa kanya.

I'm being a bad character here, but I don't give a shit.

"Just sleep, Oriana... And imagine that I never killed anyone."

She stared at me in horror.

Yup. Imagine that the man I killed earlier never lost his head while I chopped it down with that shiny axe. At ngayong naalala ko, parang na-miss ko rin tuloy ang axe na 'yon. Ganda 'nong talim, eh. Very handy!

Maybe I should keep it?

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