Code 365 Project Memory

Datum 43: I'm not that man anymore

"My clothes were light, so madali siyang natuyo sa bon fire. Yours was quite heavy." He added and threw a random stick on the fire.

I just looked at him dumbfounded and held his clothes more onto my body. Despite it soaked and washed by the salt water, his manly perfume still lingers on them.

"Na..nasaan tayo? I don't remember anything." I calmly asked.

"For some reasons, tinangay tayo ng malalakas na alon sa isang cave. I was even surprised too. And Mukhang hindi naabutan ng tides ang lugar na ito." Von explained.

He then stood up as if he's okay walking all naked, causing me to avoid looking at him straight. God damn it Vaughn. You don't flaunt your manly things in front of a woman!!!

He then chuckled and sat down again.

"I am used to seeing things like this mapa babae o lalake pa yan." He said playfully. "its all part of the training." He continued na lubos kong ikinagulat.

Those lines were familiar. This scenario is familiar. 3 years ago.

I felt my heart slowly aching again as I clenched my fist on his clothes.

"I got it." He then said seriously and dangled my necklace with the gold ring still on it. The light of the fire sparkled it like an everlasting star.

"I saved it. I saved us." He continued. His eyes focused on the ring as he starts to hold it on his shaky fingertips.

"You had seemed to know me more than myself, Stella." He calmly said na agad na nagpintig ng tibok ng aking puso.

What.. what is happening here? My eyes focused onto him to the point that I didn't even mind that we were staring each other all bare and naked.

"This person. Vaughn Meinhardt. He was a very important person, right?" He spoke.

Natigilan ako saaking mga narinig. The sound the bonfire kept on going despite the anxious silence between us.

He sighed as I looked onto him. His eyes were full of curiosity, but at the same time sadness.

"Y..yes.. he was." I said as I tried to control the shakiness of my voice. "He was indeed a very important person in my life. He was my mentor when I was still starting on the academy."

The silence still persisted, but this time, Von seemed to be listening more than the usual.

"He was also my captain. Mayabang, babaero, tamad—"

"Woah. Woah. Ganun??" he chuckled.

I found myself chuckling with him as I described the man I used to love more than anything. I sighed while smiling, reminiscing Vaughn's memories.

I hugged my knees and felt comfortable. He then looked at me softly.

"And you loved him as well?" he asked.

"I didn't just love him. We were husband and wife." I continued

A deep silence was heard in between us. I looked at him seriously, hoping for something I could see in his dumbfounded eyes as his sight was pressed onto the ring he has in his hand.

"But he vanished during the war and never came back." My sight looking away.

"And when you saw me for the first time, you thought I was him."

Hindi ko na nagawa pang makapag salita as the truth are slowly putting salt over my wounds once more. Napapikit ako, trying my best not to cry.

He then walked and sat beside me.

"I seemed to be a very happy person back then."

His warm hand then touches my shoulder and his blue regal eyes pressed onto me. Time suddenly slowed down everything as I could feel something from him.

My heart started to beat very fast, as I am seeing somebody trying to get through his soul.

"I wish I could come back for you Stella. But Im not that man anymore."

He then looked onto me. His eyes were full of regrets.

"I might not be the man you wish me to be, but I will always try my best for you to accept me as a completely different person." He continued as he held my hands with sincerity.

The moment he said those phrases, I felt my heart broke into much smaller pieces. Matthew was definitely right.

What is the purpose of me chasing a person who will never come back? Masyado akong umasa, to the point that I ended up the loser.

He will never come back. Vaughn will never—

But the both of us suddenly paused as we heard something from far away. Von then stood up and hear the mysterious sound.

"It seems like it is getting nearer." I said.

"Shit." Von started to panic grabbed my dress and hand, pulling me to run with him all naked.

"The fuck I'm still naked!! Huy!! Hindi ba tayo mabibihis saglit?!!" I shouted

He then hurried and held my hand more, I started to feel cold water wetting my foot soles as I stared below.

Then I realized the reason why Von started to run along the stretch of this cave.

"The tide is coming!! Its useless for us to dress up! We need to run for our lives!!"

"Wait hold on!! Woah!!"

I felt great pain as the soaked stones covered in moist algae tripped me causing me to stumble down and let go of Vaughn's hands.

He the get back on me and worriedly looked at me

"Are you okay?"

"Mukha ba akong okay?!"

"Woah calm down. Ikaw naman!!" he chuckled and firmly but gently carried me in his back, all naked with just wet clothes on.

What an awkward moment.

"Theyre soft" he commented naughtily causing me to blush and felt annoyed. "We're husband and wife, aren't we??" he chuckled and started to run as the water is quickly approaching us.

I held Von's shoulder more as I realize we are running a bit late. The water is quickly rising and is even on the level of his knees.

"This is bad. The water is covering my path" he said while running and catching his breath.

He then passed by a narrow passage when suddenly we both felt lightening of our bodies. It was way too late when we realized that Vaughn basically made a mistake of stepping in a sink hole.

"Shit—"

The next thing we knew we plunged inside the deep dark waters of a sink hole inside a cave.

***To be continued

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VON'S PREVIEW SCENE

Where.. Where am I? Stella? Nasaan si Stella?

Who.. who are you and how did you know my name?

Next on 365 Project Memory: Datum 44.1: The Signs I

"What she was saying was the truth. Either you believe or deny it, but it will always be as it is."

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