SIG-INJONG

Chapter 5

"Lintik! Muntik na tayo roon!" Anata exclaimed. Nanghihina akong umupo sa sahig at napasandal sa pader. Garin and Aqui stay beside the door while Mavi and Shene didn't separate since then. Napapikit ako at kinalma ang sarili.

Pero agad akong napamulat nang may yumakap sa 'kin. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang niyakap ako ni Kier na umiiyak na ngayon. "Ayos ka lang?" nag-aalangan kong tanong dito.

"Thank you, sis! Thank you sa pagligtas mo sa 'kin kanina!"  naiiyak niyang sabi sa 'kin. I saw Paul smile as he just stand beside us while his cane supported him.

"A-Ano ka ba! Wala 'yun!" nahihiya kong sabi at yayakapin na sana siya pabalik pero napadaing lang ako dahil sa sugat na natamo ko. Muntik na akong mabingi nang tumili si Kier sa harap ko nang makita niya ang dumudugo kong sugat.

"You have a wound!" bulalas ni Mavi at sabay silang lumapit ni Shene sa 'kin. I can see they are worried for me and it almost melted my heart. Lumingon ako kay Garin na biglang lumapit sa 'kin. I was about to tell them I'm fine but I got interrupted when he roamed around the room and started to look for something.

"Hiwa lang 'yan! Malayo pa 'yan sa bituka!" Aqui commented while sitting on one of the chairs and playing with his baseball bat that has bloodstain. Anata glared at him but she didn't relisten on him just like she always did. Mukhang napagod na dahil sa habulan na nangyari kanina.

"Ako na. I know how to use this," presenta ni Mavi nang gagamutin na sana ako ni Garin gamit ang nahanap niyang first aid kit. Napalunok ako dahil sa inaakto ng lalaki. We were like this before, we will treat each other's wounds but that was before. I'm not the same Naida that he knew six years ago.

"Lintik! Napansin niyo ba ang mga ngipin nila? Parang ngipin ng mga daga!" Anata suddenly vents out.

"Paano namin mapapansin 'yun eh busy tayo sa pagtakbo sis," sagot ni Kier na mukhang nahimasmasan na pero hindi pa rin lumayo sa tabi ko. I watched how Mavi treated my wound as I recalled what I also noticed earlier.

"They were like a Gopher," I muttered after I remembered the rats that just passed by on our way.

"G-Gopher?" Shene asked. Inaangat ko ang ulo sa kanila at mukhang nakuha ko ang atensyon nila.

"It's another term for mouse, rats, and mice,"  I explained to them. "Napansin ko rin ang sinasabi ni Anata. Their teeth were like rat's teeth and also their face becomes hairy," patuloy ko nang maalala ang hindi normal na pagtubo ng mga buhok sa mukha nila.

"Oh diba? Ano 'yun? Nag-eevolve sila katulad ng mga tao?" pagdududa niya kaya napaisip na rin kami sa sinabi niya. What kind of creatures are they? Zombie ba sila? A cannibal? But they act strangely, especially when we noticed the changes in their physical appearance. Why do they crave human flesh? They appeared not just an ordinary cannibal.

"I'm done," Mavi announced and noticed her eyes were happy. Mukhang napansin niya ang pagtitig ko kaya umiwas siya nang tingin. "It's not what you think. I'm just happy to do this on my own without someone stopping me,"  she explained and smile bitterly.

"Why?" hindi ko napigilang itanong. She glances at me and looks down with her hands.

"Well, my mom wanted me to take business ad even tho I love to take medicine. I don't want to protest to her that's why I choose what she wanted," salaysay niya nang may bahid nang lungkot ang boses niya. Bigla kong naalala ang stepmom ko at kung paano niya kinontrol ang buhay na dapat ako ang may kontrol. She choose my course, my supposed to be a friend and a lover. I become who I didn't want to be. Sakal na sakal na ako kaya nagdesisyon akong magrebelde. I write articles and become a journalist without letting her know even though she's the owner of this campus. I also investigated my father's death which soon revealed the hidden truth.