✔ Killer in the Attic

[33] TRIGINTA TRES

Sometimes life fucks up everything and you can't do anything about it.

Minsan talaga, wala tayong kontrol sa mga posibleng mangyari. No matter how badly we want to prevent things from happening, we just don't have the power to do so. Pero ngayon, inaamin kong sa likod ng magulong utak ko, alam kong mangyayari ito. I knew Alec shouldn't be trusted in the first place.

He was an ally yesterday.

Now, I honestly want to skin him alive and feed him to the wolves---but of course, shit won't happen.

After hearing Apollo's words, mabilis pa sa alas-kwatrong tinakbo ko ang distansya papunta sa attic. I slammed open the door and found Vela sitting on the chair again. Para bang inaasahan niya ang pagdating ko. Nabuo ang isang malungkot na ngiti sa mga labi niya.

"I warned you about him. Sana nakinig ka sa'kin, Sebby."

Nagdilim ang paningin ko. At this moment, I'll gladly vent out my anger on anyone. Kung pwede ko ngayong sirain ang bahay na 'to, gagawin ko para lang mabawasan ang galit na nararamdaman ko. I felt so fucking betrayed! Kaya ba ginusto niyang dito mag-hideout?! Is this a part of his masterplan? Putangina talaga.

"At alam mong mangyayari 'to?!"

Tumango si Vela. Pero bago pa man ako makapagtanong pa, she snapped her fingers and vanished in a cloud of black smoke. Fucking demon! Walang kwentang kausap!

I tried to calm myself. That devil Alec made a fool out of me, huh? Tingnan natin.

"Don't do anything reckless. Walang mangyayari kung susugurin mo siya. You don't even know where he is."

Hindi ko na kailangang lumingon para malaman kung sino ang nagsalita. His baritone voice that can intimidate anyone was enough of a clue. I forced myself to smile at Apollo who looked dead serious. Nakasandal siya sa hamba ng pinto at mukhang kanina niya pa ako hinuhusgahan.

"Why am I not suprised that you created him?"

Alam ko na ngayon kung kanino nagmana ng kagaguhan si Alec.

Apollo smirked. His eyes drifted out the window and from here, I saw a better view of the ugly scar across his face. "You don't even know half of the story, Sebastian."

"Then fucking enlighten me!"

Sinubukan kong pakalmahin ulit ang sarili ko pero hindi ko talaga magawa. Natataranta ako lalo na't alam kong nasa kanya si Oriana. And just imagining the things he might do to her makes me want to run wild and burn the whole town of Eastwood to ashes.

I heard Apollo sigh. "I imagined him to life decades ago. It was an accident. Hindi ko sinadyang buhayin si Alec para---"

"Para pawalain ang takot mo? Kalalaki mong tao, duwag ka pa. Tsk."

Sinamaan ako ng tingin ni Apollo. Nagkibit na lang ako ng balikat. He cleared his throat and continued with his boring monologue.

"Yeah. But things got out of hand... Imbes na siya ang magpawala ng nararamdaman kong takot, mas nato-trauma ako sa kanya. You see, my 'fears' started when I accidentally killed my bestfriend. Magmula noon, nawala na ako sa katinuan. Until Alec came... I thought he'd help me through my fears, just like he promised... Pero nang makita ko ang mukha niya, I regretted even trusting him."

"Why? Bilisan mong magkwento, I still have to plot ways on how to murder that crazy bastard." Kahit na alam kong mahihirapan akong gawin. How can you kill an imagination?

Ngumiti nang mapait si Apollo. "Well, my imagination looks just like the bestfriend I accidentally killed. Nagkamali ako ng imahinasyon kay Alec which made him embody the origin of my fear."

Natahimik ako. Kung ganoon, imbes na tulungan si Apollo, mas lalong pinalala ni Alec ang phobia niya. Psh. Sabagay, kasuklam-suklam naman talaga ang mukha ng traydor na 'yon. "Is that the reason why you left him?"

"'Yan ba ang sinabi niya sa'yo?"

"Oo."

"He's lying. Ang totoo niyan, sinubukan niya akong saniban nang umatake ang phobia ko. It happened six years ago. Bibisitahin ko sana ang kaibigan ko rito sa Eastwood pero nang dumating ako sa bahay nila, tumambad sa'kin ang patay niyang kapatid. Literal na naligo sa dugo 'yong bata sa kama niya..."

Oh, shit.

I have a bad feeling about this. Napalunok ako sa naiisip. "A-Anong pangalan noong namatay na bata?"

Apollo gave me a stern look, "Jonathan, I think. Masyadong brutal ang pagkamatay niya. Tinanggalan pa siya ng dila at tadtad ng saksak ang katawan. I coudn't handle the sight. To make the long story short, umatake ang phobia ko, Alec became insane, said that he wanted to be human and tried to take over my body, I tried to fight him off, and that's how I got this fucking scar."

Itinuro niya ang pilat sa mukha na bunga ng masamang alaala. Apollo sighed and held his head. "Nang hindi niya makontrol ang katawan ko, umalis siya. Sabi niya babalikan niya ako and I guess he's just arranging our reunion as we speak."

Walang lumabas sa bibig ko. Kahit na maraming tanong ang gumugulo na naman sa isipan ko, hindi ko pa rin maalis sa alaala ko ang gabing 'yon. Ang gabi ng una kong pagpatay...

Jonathan.

Kung alam ko lang.

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