Chapter 23: Deal with a demon
We were able to sneak in safely—the moment the guards went out to roam the whole island. Nasa loob na kami ng munting bahay pero isang tao lang ang nandito ngayon.
"Kuya!" Honey rushed over to her brother's arm, weeping. Tears flowing from both of her eyes, continuously.
Her brother embraced her back...slowly but only for a short time. He broke off from the embrace and held his sister's hand while he faced us with a worried look.
"Hindi dapat kayo nagpunta sa lugar na ito." he shook his head.
"What are you saying? Where is my cousin?" I shot him a confused look. "Nasaan si Artemis?"
His grip on Honey's hand tightened. Horror flashed through his eyes.
"Hindi niyo na dapat pa kami hinananap. Umalis na kayo habang wala pa siya." He dragged his sister toward us and pushed her slowly to Claude who caught her in his own arms, willingly.
"But we came here to rescue both of you..." Claude muffled in between his breath.
"You shouldn't have done that!" Hansel was stopping his self from shouting. He seemed agitated. Why?
Why is he acting like that? Bakit parang tila kakaiba yata ang mga kinikilos niya?
"Go away and never come back. Mapapahamak kayo sa oras na makita niya kayo dito." He was trembling as he said those words to us.
Para bang binabantaan niya kami sa posible na hindi magandang mangyari dahil sa pagpunta namin sa lugar na ito.
"Pero kuya-
Honey was cut off and so was us...
"Kuya!" She wanted to rush to her brother's side but Claude was stopping her from doing so. The same way that Stanley held my arms...to restrain me.
It was because of Hansel. Hansel dropped down to the floor fast... not because he suddenly went unconscious but because someone hit him with a pipe on his head.
There's no blood but it wouldn't make him faint if it's just a simple hit. Right?
It was them. The guards are back!
"Aya!" Artemis suddenly showed up out of nowhere.
"Artemis?" I muttered her name.
She just nodded and took my arms. "Sundan niyo ko." she stated and dragged me off somewhere.
They automatically followed us around. Artemis brought us inside the cave. The cave was like a house full of rooms and decors. We entered one of the so called rooms and hid there.
"Artemis? Ikaw na ba talaga yan?" I hugged her with all my might and felt her hug me back in return.
"I'm sorry it took me that long. I heard someone sneaked in but I couldn't find them. Hindi ko inakalang kayo yon." Artemis stated.
"We'll be safe here for a while." She continued.
"How can you be sure of that?" Stanley was looking at her intently.
"Only a few people know this place. Hindi nila tayo mahahanap agad dito." She answered back.
"But my brother? How about my brother!" Honey shouted.
"Be quiet or else they might hear us!" She sighed. "He'll be fine. I can assure you that they won't harm him that bad. They can't do that."
"Why do you sound so sure about everything?" Claude leered over.
"The current leader of the cult is in love with Hansel that's why the Sanguinosa won't harm him intentionally unless they want to die of course." her tone changed. It sounded pissed off.
I couldn't talk at all. I kept on staring at her from head to foot. She looks the same as if time never passed her all along.
"Kung gusto niyong makaalis dito nang buhay, makinig kayong mabuti sa sasabihin ko."
All of us turned to her to listen.
"Kaunting lakad mula dito ay mararating niyo ang sikretong daungan ng bangka paalis mula sa isla na ito."
"Ito ang mapa papunta sa lugar na iyon. You have to be at that place at exactly 3:00 am. If you're late, you won't be able to get out of this place."
I turned to the watch on my wrist. 12:30 am. We still have 2 hours and 30 mins before the call time.
"We still have two and a half hours! Can't we do something about my brother?!" Honey's tone raised.
"Sinabi nang huwag kang maingay! Bakit ba ang kulit mo?!" Artemis pushed her hard on the wall.
"Artemis/Lorraine!" magkaiba naming tugon ni Claude.
Tila naman natauhan si Artemis sa nagawa niya at agad na humakbang palayo. Claude, who was worried, on the other hand, caged Honey on his arms. The young girl was in shock after what happened. And so was me and the others.
Stanley slightly pulled me into him and whispered, "I think your cousin is being weird, Aya."
I don't want to say this but he's right. Artemis was never the violent type. And I saw her face while she did that to Honey. Her face was full of rage.
She couldn't be mad just because Honey keeps on insisting to save her brother, could she?
Or was it because of the trauma she experienced after living here for a couple of years?
"Dito nanggaling yung ingay! Sigurado akong nandito sila!" isang tinig mula sa labas ng pinto ang narinig naming lahat.
"Sinabi na kasing huwag maingay! Nahanap tuloy nila tayo dahil sayong tangang babae ka!" gitil na gitil si Artemis at halos magdugo na ang daliri niya sa diin ng pagkakagat niya dito dahil sa inis.
Another first that I see from her.
The guys moved in front, covering us. Trying to shield us from our enemies that are supposed to open up the door any moment by now but then...smoke suddenly filled the entire room. And before we knew it, all of us were breathing hard already.
"Don't inhale it! It's a sleeping gas!" Stanley managed to talk despite having a hitched breath.
But it was too late. Masyado nang mabigat ang talukap ng mga mata ako. The last thing I saw was Artemis standing up like nothing happened.
She didn't look scared or anything. If there was any feeling visible in her face then that would be the annoyance flashing through her eyes right now.
And then I couldn't take it anymore. My eyes closed down and I drifted to sleep.
I woke up with the feeling of being tied up—just to see myself lying on an elevated stone. One similar to those you can see in movies upon sacrificing something or someone. My arms and legs were chained making it hard for me to move.
And it's not just that, my clothes were changed. I was now wearing a white dress—barefooted.
Pinagpawisan ako ng malamig. Alam kong sa oras na to ay nanganganib ang buhay ko.
"Sa wakas gising na din ang munting alay natin."
Pakiramdam ko tuluyan akong naparalisa matapos marinig ang boses na yon. Nanginginig akong lumingon para makita ang taong nagmamay ari sa boses.
"Artemis..." my voice broke.
"Asan ang mga kasama ko?"
"Ah sila ba? Huwag kang mag alala mahal kong pinsan. Makikita mo rin sila mamaya...kapag patay ka na." tumawa siya na parang isang baliw.
"Consider this as an honor. You'll be sacrificed to one of the demon princes and I will personally stab you with this knife and take your heart, dear cousin."
Mas lalo akong natakot matapos makita ang hawak niyang kutsilyo.
"Bakit? Bakit mo ginagawa to? Pumunta kami dito para iligtas ka! Kayo ni Hansel pero ano tong ginagawa mo?" I shrieked in horror.
"Anong gusto mo? Matuwa ako?" she asked in a mocking tone. "Sinakripisyo ko noon sa demonyo ang tagapagmana ng Velez para makasama si Hansel. Kaya bakit ako matutuwa kung sinusubukan niyong paghiwalayin kami ng lalaking mahal ko?"
Ano? Sinakripisyo?
"Handa pa naman sana akong huwag kayong patayin kung aalis kayo ng tahimik at lulubayan kami dito kaya lang tanga din kasi ang kapatid ng mahal ko. Kung marunong lang sana tumahimik ang babaeng yon, hindi tayo hahantong sa ganito." she scoffed.
"Nakita na nila kayo, hindi ko na kayo puwedeng iligtas dahil doon." she continued, smiling. "Nauna lang ng kaunti ang mga kasama mo. Pero mamaya lang susunod ka na din sa kanila, Aya."
"Hindi na kita maintindihan! Ano bang pinagsasabi mo? Anong nangyari sayo, Artemis?"
I was scared and confused as hell.
"Hindi mo pa rin ba maintindihan? Ang tanga mo naman, Aya." she shook her head in dismay.
"I made a deal with the demon in order to get Hansel's love. Ako ang pinuno ng Sanguinosa at hindi ko hahayaang sirain niyo ang mga pinaghirapan ko."
She's what?
Ang tanga ko.
Ang tanga tanga ko. Akala ko matutuwa siya. Akala ko matutuwa si Artemis at mananabik kapag nagkita kami uli.
Ibang tao na siya ngayon.
Ibang iba sa mapagmahal at mapag-alagang pinsan...at matalik kong kaibigan noon.
Ngayon, naiintindihan ko na ang dahilan ng kakaibang kilos ni Hansel. Sana nakinig na lang kami sa kanya. Kung nakinig lang sana kami ay hindi mangyayari ito.
Hindi mamamatay sina Stanley at hindi ako maiiwan magisa sa kamay ng pinsan kong mukhang tinakasan na ng bait ngayon.