A Happily Ever After

Chapter One

Hindi na 'nga rin ako sigurado kung magiging kasing-husay ng gusto itong magagawa naming research, kaya the best thing we can do is to keep up with the other groups.

Nakikisabay naman ang langit sa nararamdaman ko. Patuloy pa rin sa pagdilim ang langit at hindi rin tumitigil ang malakas na kulog. Ilang kidlat ang lumilinya sa langit na siyang nagpapaliwanag sa langit ng ilang segundo.

My spine tingles when a bolt of lightning illuminated my room for a split second. God, pakiramdam ko matatamaan ang bahay namin, or worse, ang ilang linya ng kuryente. Freaking lightnings, may pakiramdam pa akong mawawalan ng kuryente.

I shook my head then gulped down my worried judgments. Pupunta sila. I trust my groupmates.

I was about to leave my room to check on my mother, whose frantic footsteps I heard below, when I heard a loud CRACK! snapped at the sky, and a vibrant light of silver flashed across my room.

I readied myself for the mild trembling of the ground after the loud thunder, but all I felt was the unusual shaking of my bookshelf, which was positioned in the far corner of my room.

Umikot ako at tinitigan ang bookshelf ko. Umaabot hanggang sa kisame ang taas nito at halos hindi ko na ito matanaw dahil sa dilim. Another lightning flashed and it illuminated my shelf.. Hindi, isang libro lamang ang halos umilaw sa gitna ng madilim na shelf.

I stood there, in the middle of my room, staring at that book. May libro ba akong may makinang na book cover? Sobrang kinang na sapat na iyon umilaw ng kusa sa konting ilaw lang sa labas? No, I do not own a shiny book.

I gulped, feeling weirded out by the strange light that occurred. The cold sensation in my hands intensifies more, sending my guts into a swirling mess. I silently took one small step, watched the black center of my shelf and waited for another gleam, yet nothing happened. Even the sky stopped sending out violent thunders and lightning, but the rain still goes on.

I took another step and finally regained my senses to walk towards the shelf. My heart beats loudly as I walk, with eyes fixating on that space of my shelf, then slowly, the book reveals itself from the shadows. I stopped and stared at it for a few moments.

It's The Blood of the Dragon, the one I just bought last sunday.

Pinagmasdan ko ang red leather na cover nito, hindi ito nakalinya kagaya sa ibang libro dahil hindi na ito kasya, kaya hinayaan ko lang itong nakatayo sa gitna habang nakaharap ang mismong cover. Ang title ay nakasulat sa makinang na font, pero alam kong hindi ito sapat para umilaw ito kagaya nang nakita ko kanina.

Pinangako ko sa sarili ko noong nakaraang Linggo na babasahin ko ito. Pero tila ba bigla na lang nawala ang gana ko napagdesisyunan na matulog nung hapon na binili ko ito. Ewan ko ba, excited ako nung nasa loob ako ng munting bookshop na iyon at nung naglalakas ako pa-uwi, pero nung tuluyan na nga akong nakapag-bihis ng pambahay noon at nakahiga sa higaan ko, nawala nalang bigla 'yung excitement ko sa pagbabasa.

Tinitigan ko lamang noon ang libro na nilagay ko na dito sa pwesto niya ngayon. Blood of the Dragon, a story about a princess and a dragon. A book that was recommended by an old man who owns a small, humble bookshop. It's thrilling enough for me to shut the whole world out and just read the entire thing, just like what I used to do with my other books.

But that afternoon, I felt nothing. As if my enthusiasm were drifted away by the strong breeze that happened that afternoon. The magic that seemed to slip away from the tightly closed pages of the book disappeared, even the golden lettering of the title wasn't as bright as it was when I first saw it. The whole thing became nothing.

It affected me more than I was expecting. A part of me wants to go back to the bookshop and return it to the old man, just for the sake of seeing it turn back into magic again. But the bigger, louder part of me tells me to stop. It tells me that I just haven't the right time and right mood to open the book and emerge myself in its universe. The book is now mine, and it's just waiting for me.