Cynical Lesion

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: what happened in the forest?

It's dark, I can't see anything. But I know the sound of a falling leaf, the leaves from the ground I am stepping achingly utter their resonating  screams, the wind from above that makes a branch dance is loud. That's all I can hear. I am like walking into the darkness that is voicing out their nature. So terrfying but you want to listen what it says. 

"Well, well, the damsel is now in real distress." 

I heard that voice. I'm sure that's from a nightmare. 

Followed by a laugh of insanity, tumaas ang aking mga balahibo. Sunod naman ang pagbukas ng aking mga mata, isang gubat ang bumungad sa akin. It was familiar, I know where this is. Doon na pumasok sa utak ko ang lahat ng nangyari sa gabing iyon. 

Hindi ko namalayan ay nakita ko nalang ang sarili kong nakahiga sa isang parte ng gubat, may kung anong nakatusok sa aking batok. I knew from here, this is the part where I lost my consciousness. But before I closed my eyes, I saw a silhouette of a girl walking her way towards me with a gun on her hand. 

Nakabibinging tawa ang sumunod, sunod-sunod na pagputok ng baril, malakas na hampas ng hangin sa bawat sanga na sumusubok na salubungin ito, at ang imahe ng nakatayong babae ay paulit-ulit na nagpapakita sa aking isipan hanggang sa ito ay naging anino ng isang ahas. It immediately crawl its way to me and the moment I saw its fangs ready to bite me, my eyes opened in reality.

My sweat is dripping in the matress I am laying, I pant so heavily because I can't breathe steadily. My tears are falling one by one, and slowly, what happened gotten into me. The forest is true, that nightmare is a lie. Caerus, why didn't you told me the truth when I started to cry?

After I recover from the sudden breakdown, agad-agad kong kinuha ang aking telepono at nagsimulang maglakad patungo sa kusina. When I get there, I snitched the car keys that my father once own because my car is still broken. Agad-agad akong pumunta sa  garahe at nagsimulang magdrive. 

While driving, I tried to reach Caerus with the number he gave. Hindi ko alam na magagamit ko pala 'to sa kinakailangan na sitwasyon. 

"Hello?" Caerus answered the phone. 

My hand started to tremble, not because of fear but because of his voice. It's soft like he just woke up from a deep sleep. Cesia naman oh, it's a matter of life and death tapos magpapakarupok ka? 

I cleared my voice. "I knew what happened, Caerus. I hate liars." 

"Babe..." he trailed off. 

What the fuck? He sounds so hot with his bedroom voice. Kung hindi ko lang naman na iba ang pakay ko ay baka kanina pa ako tumili dito. Babe? Babe, babe, babe. 

Omg, this is-- I turned the phone off. Tumili ako ng kaunti, kaunti lang talaga na umabot ng Luzon, Visyas at Mindanao. Damn, he's addicting. I can't help myself but to smile. 

I practiced breathing, para kapag marinig ko ulit ang kaniyang boses ay hindi na ganoon ang aking pagwawala. Pati puso ko, nagwawala din sa lakas ng tibok. 

Ngayon ay siya na mismo ang tumawag na kaagad ay sinagot ko. 

"Cesia, I don't know what you are saying," he started. 

Ang aking malaking ngiti kanina ngayon ay napalitan ng sarkastikong tawa. "Hanggang kailan niyo ako pagmumukhaing tanga?" Luckily, I can't feel any tears that cascade from my eyes, or even feel like crying. 

"That's not what I am saying, Ces. What happened and where are you?" His voice were calm, I can sense that he's listening to my background perhaps he wants to know what I am currently doing.