Oneirataxia

Chapter Four

HONESTLY, KEZIAH has no plan to safely escape. Kailangan n'ya lang tumakbo ng tumakbo sa ilalim ng maliwanag na buwan hanggang sa makalayo s'ya sa panganib na nagbabadya. She's silently hoping that she'll see someone that can help her.

Yet, the guy still chased her. Hindi nito pwedeng patakasin ang malaking pera na maaari n'yang makuha kung maibenta n'ya ang dalaga. Maaari s'yang yumaman, pero sa ngayon, kailangan n'ya muna itong mahuli.

Keziah is still running fast. Wala na s'yang pakielam kung saan s'ya pupunta. She's desperate to escape cause she doesn't want to be sold. She doesn't want to be a slave of an old man or so. Kailangan n'ya munang makilala ang mga magulang n'ya, ang sarili n'ya. She wants to experience the life here in Serenikai, and in order to do that, she still ran even though her legs already hurts.

Kailangang makaisip s'ya ng paraan para matigil sa paghabol sa kanya si Justin. She kinda know him, and defeated him once on a fight dahil nayabangan ito sa kanya. How? She kicked his crotch and punched his stomach hard. Hindi na nakapalag ang lalaki at pinagsusuntok s'ya ni Keziah. Ngunit hindi alam ni Keziah kung magagawa n'ya pa ito ngayon. She haven't seen him for years, at hindi n'ya alam kung anong kaya nitong gawin.

Alam n'ya sa sarili n'ya na hindi s'ya pwedeng manatili sa ganoong sitwasyon. Nakakaramdam na s'ya ng matinding pagod pero hindi s'ya pwedeng tumigil.

She was losing hope, until she saw a hiding spot. Mabilis s'yang nagtago sa likod ng isang malaking puno at matataas na damo. She almost lost her breath when she heard the footsteps of Justin. Naramdaman n'yang napatigil ito, at marahas na huminga.

"Perite!" Fuck. "I lost sight of her!" he grunted and ran again.

Nakahinga ng maluwag si Keziah nang makalayo na sa kanya ang lalaki. Tatayo na sana s'ya, ngunit nakaramdam s'ya ng kung ano man na gumagapang paakyat sa binti n'ya. She stilled when she realized what it is.

It's a snake like creature with a white flower like shape around it's head, and it's body is green like a grass. Maliit lang iyon, ngunit hindi alam ni Keziah kung anong gagawin n'ya. She decided not to move, dahil baka bigla s'ya nitong kagatin, but it only worsen her situation. Nagpatuloy sa paggapang ang ahas hanggang sa makarating ito sa may bantang tuhod n'ya.

Keziah stayed calmed even though nervousness hit her. She had a ophidiophobia—fear of snakes before, pero hindi na ito kalala ng kagaya noong bata pa lamang s'ya. Still, she's afraid of any kind of snake, and there's a damn snake crawling on her!

Huminga s'ya ng malalim at dahan dahang inilapit ang kamay sa ahas. She's planning to get the snake and toss it someone away from her. Pero bago pa man n'ya iyon magawa, inilabas ng ahas ang malalaking pangil nito at ibinaon sa hita in Keziah.

Out of adrenaline rush, she grabbed the head of the snake and threw it away from her. She even felt the fang of the snake, being removed from her thigh. Kahit pa medyo kumikirot ang hita n'ya, umalis s'ya agad sa madamong lugar na iyon para maiwasan na makagat pa s'ya ng ibang ahas.

Tumakbo s'ya hanggang sa naramdaman n'ya nalang ang pagsuko ng mga binti n'ya dahil sa pagod. Napasandal s'ya sa isang puno at bumuntong hininga.

She doesn't know where to go, and doesn't have anyone to help. She have no phone, and she only have a wallet with her. She still have the wound on her neck, some bruises on her body, and she was bitten by a weird-looking snake. She's inside a forest and it's already night.

Then, she remembered the dagger that Jade gave her. Kinapa n'ya ang bulsa n'ya, pero wala na iyon doon. She silently cursed. What am I going to do?

She's wondering if she can survive this night.

Kumikirot ang mga sugat n'ya, at ramdam n'ya ang pamamaga ng kagat ng ahas sa kanya. Her body's tired, and so her mind. Ang daming gumugulo sa isip n'ya, at dumagdag pa ang sitwasyon n'ya ngayon. She's beginning to feel dizziness too.