She Was Bitten

36: The Hunt

Bahagya akong ngumiti sa kanya. Hindi ko mapigilan ang makaramdam ng init sa puso ko. Tila hinaplos ng mainit na kamay iyun.

I'm falling for this man. Deep.

Sana lang saluin n'ya ako.

I tried to shake my head. Now wasn't the time to think about romance. We would have a lot of time for that after these problems.

"Ano sa tingin mo ang plano nila ngayon?"

His jaw clenched. His gaze was sharp and intimidating. "Take over the whole town, most probably."

"Paano naman nila magagawa 'yun? They're trapped here. They don't have any resources."

"Montgomery can go in and out anytime she wants, remember? They must be regrouping somewhere."

"Nahalughog na natin ang buong bayan. Saan pa ba sila pwedeng magtago?"

"I don't know. But we won't stop until we find them."

Tumango ako.

Nakita namin ang nakaparadang sasakyan ni Matteo sa unahan kaya doon na rin kami nagpunta.

"Is that Nadine?" natataranta kong tanong nang makita si Matteo na karga-karga ang walang malay na dalaga.

Hindi sumagot si Titus ngunit tila kidlat na lumabas siya ng sasakyan nang makaparada kami sa tabi ng kotse ni Matteo. Agad namang akong sumunod.

"We were ambushed inside the Green Forest. T, they've taken over this side of the town already. They set-up booby traps," dinig kong sabi ni Matteo nang makalapit ako sa kanila. Namumutla ang walang malay na si Nadine nang isakay ito ng lalaki sa kotse nito.

"Take her to the healer now," tiim-bagang na sabi ni Titus saka tumingin sa Green Forest.

"Mag-iingat kayo. The traps are laced with Foxglove."

"Mag-ingat din kayo," sabi ko kay Matteo saka siya sumakay at pinasibad na ang sasakyan.

"This is pissing the shit out of me," aniya.

"Ano na ang gagawin natin?"

"We will see," sagot niya. "Maybe you can use your remote viewing here to find them?"

Tumango ako. Para saan pa kasi at may ganito akong kapangyarihan kung hindi ko naman magagamit? I had to try kahit hindi pa ako gan'on kasanay.

I faced the Green Forest and closed my eyes. I tried to see through my mind.

Nothing. Nothing was happening. Mas nag-concentrate pa ako at baka sakaling may makita ako. Pinakiramdaman ko ang buong paligid.

Naririnig ko ang mabining ingay ng mga ibon, ang ihip ng malamig na hangin, ang galaw ng mga dahon at sanga ng mga puno at ang malalim na paghinga ni Titus.

Pero napakunut-noo ako. They were slowly fading away.

Suddenly, there was only me in the dark. No sound, no breeze of air, nothing.

No Titus.

Just me standing in the middle of this darkness.

Shadows.

I saw shadows moving fast. I tried to follow them with my sight. They were jumping from one tree to another. Marami sila. Nasa twenty yata.

Then the trees came back to view. My face felt the cool breeze of air again.

But I couldn't see the faces behind those shadows.

I opened my eyes. At ang una kong nakita ay ang nag-aalalang mukha ni Titus na nakadungaw sa akin.