BHO CAMP #9: The Mismatched

Chapter 3: Phantom Pain

Ipinunas ko ang kamay ko sa salamin para tanggalin ang panlalabo no'n. I stared at myself in the mirror and I saw the same thing that's been staring at me for years. Emptiness.

I looked away and grabbed my towel. Pinunasan ko ang buhok ko dahilan para muling mapatingin ako sa malaking salamin. I can't help myself but trace the scar below my ear. It was like a vine crawling around, it's end hidden by my hair.

It's the scar I got from my mission years ago. Iyong misyon kung saan kasama ko si Stone. The agents managed to saved us. We were both unconscious when they found us in the water. Halos parehas lang kami ng tinagal sa ospital kahit na mas marami siyang tinamo na injury.

We lost the evidence because of the accident since they were deemed tampered. The place of our client was cleaned up since we already got the evidence so that left us with nothing except what the police already have. All I know is that the son of the mistress was put to jail since his DNA was found on the evidences.

Tinuyo ko ang katawan ko at lumabas na ako ng kuwarto. Mabilis na nagbihis ako pero imbis na pantulog ay kumuha ako ng leggings at simpleng t-shirt. I grabbed my jacket before I went out of my room.

Namataan ko ang pagkain na nakatakip sa kitchen ng flat ko na alam kong si Eris ang nag-iwan pero imbis na lapitan iyon ay tumuloy lang ako sa pinto para lumabas. The hallway was silent when I finally came out. Hindi nakakapagtaka dahil malalim na rin ang gabi.

Habang naglalakad ay isinuot ko ang jacket dahil malamig talaga kapag ganitong oras sa Tagaytay. Dire-diretso akong naglakad papunta sa daan na tinatahak ang malawak na field sa likod ng BHO CAMP. I walked the familiar grass and the path that I know I memorized like it's part of me. Bata pa lang kami ay pinupuntahan na namin ang lugar na ito kahit pa pinagbabawalan kami. We know that we're always safe anyways. We have a bracelet tracker when we were young and the agents know where to find us. Isa pa hindi rin kasi kami iniiwan ng mga mas nakakatanda sa amin katulad ni Phoenix kapag gumagala kami.

But sometimes, I go here alone. Without my sister or anyone. I can't remember that much but I know I've been here countless of times before.

I walked as if my feet knows the direction I want to go to. Hindi ko ininda ang kadiliman o ang halo-halong bato at mga sanga sa daraanan ko. I can close my eyes and still find that place without a scratch.

Di kalayuan sa akin ay napailing ako nang makita ko ang tree house nila Snow. They rarely allow us inside. Talagang sila lang ni Phoenix ang kadalasan pumupunta ro'n noong bata pa kami. Most of us didn't mind but it doesn't mean that we didn't try to get inside that place.

Nilagpasan ko iyon at nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad. I can feel the energy radiating around me despite the tiring day that I had. Kailangan ko 'to. I don't know why but that place is the only place that I could feel anything a semblance of who I am before.

It didn't took me long to reach it or maybe I just didn't mind the time that passed. But I found it... like I always do.

I inhaled deeply and let it out when I finally saw the cliff. Malabo na ang alaala ko tungkol sa lugar na ito marahil dahil na rin sa bata pa ako noong una ko itong nakita. But I remember finding this on accident when I was young. Something that is very dangerous at that time. I could have fell and it will certainly kill me. I don't know how many times I went here. Maybe I was too young to remember.

Naglakad ako sa may kalawakan na bato na tila nakakapit sa lupa. This is the edge of BHO CAMP but it's never enough for me.

Tinawid ko ang distansiya na kinaroroonan ng dulo ng bato at hindi ko ininda ang lamig na bumabalot sa akin. Without even feeling a hint of fear, I sat at the edge of the cliff my feet dangling in the air. Sa baba ay balot na ng dilim ang paligid.