Game Over, Engineer

QQ

"JACK. . . NO. NO. . . " Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata habang nakatingin kay Jack sa kanyang harap. He was vomiting blood, and when she looked down, she saw that she was holding a knife and her hands. . . were bloody.

A gasp escaped from her lips, and Jack fell to the ground with a loud thud, causing a scream to scratch at the depths of her throat.

No. . . no!

Through her blurry vision, she could see Jack smiling tenderly at her. . . as if telling her that he understood what she did, and pain found its way through her heart at the sight. Napailing-iling siya at napatingin sa kanyang mga kamay na nanginignig.

They were fucking bloody.

She killed her man.

Kumawala ang malakas na pagtangis sa kanyang mga labi habang ang kanyang mga luha ay walang tigil sa pagbuhos. Her chest is clenching in disbelief and pain, and she could feel her body turn numb.

No. . . she can't kill him. Why would she?

"I-I'm s-sorry, Jill." Jack coughed blood again, making her scream and shake her head.

"Jack!" She dropped the knife and tried to crouch para lapitan ang duguang lalaki, but she couldn't even move her feet!

"J-Jill. . . I'm sorry."

"No, Jack!"

"Jilyanzel!"

"Jack!" Humahangos na napabalikwas siya ng bangon, and she immediately felt Jack hold her hand and pull her for a hug, and upon feeling his warm embrace, mas lalo siyang napahagulhol.

'Di totoo ang panaginip niya, 'di ba? She. . . She didn't do that to Jack.

She can't do that to him.

Choking back her tears only to cry again, she moved without breaking from their hug and settled herself on his lap. Niyakap naman siya ng lalaki habang hinahagod ang kanyang likod. His warmth, wrapping around her, caused her to hug him tighter.

It wasn't Jack. . . and it wasn't real.

"Shh, I'm here, Jill. You're safe, okay?" he whispered near her ear and kissed the side of her head.

Isinubsob niya ang kanyang mukha sa leeg nito. Wala pa ring tigil sa pagbuhos ang mga luha niya, and her chest was still tight. She's finding it hard to recover from her nightmare. It felt. . . real.

The blood on her hands.

Jaxavion. . . dying in front of her.

Mas lalo niya itong niyakap nang mahigpit nang muli iyong maisip at napapikit. Why. . . did she dream about that?

Muling hinalikan ni Jack ang gilid ng kanyang ulo. "Gusto mo bang pag-usapan ang panaginip mo, hmm?" Hinaplos nito ang kanyang buhok. She felt him played with its ends, twirling it on his index finger.

Umiling lang siya rito at huminga nang malalim, umaasa na sa gano'ng paraan mababawasan ang bigat ng dibdib niya. And when Jaxavion's scent washed over her, the weight inside her heart slowly lifted, pero binabagabag pa rin siya ng panaginip niya.

Sunod-sunod siyang napalunok at humigpit ang kanyang kapit dito. To let her thoughts shut off completely, she knows she has to do something.

Sighing, she mustered some courage to speak. "Jack. . . can I," she pulled apart and sniff, "take your shirt off?" Tumitig siya sa mga mata nito.

Hindi nagbabago ang mga emosyon nito sa mukha. His eyes are still tender as he lifted his other hand to wipe her tears away.

"Hmm, will taking my shirt off make you feel better?"