Chapter 5: The Anarchy of Anthropoids
I was brought to a place where I can only see darkness. I did not know what happened next after they froze me, my consciousness withered for an unknown reason, when I woke up, I am already there... the floor is wet and my hands are cuffed by chains. I can’t move an inch, and my mouth was also covered by some kind of cloth, that’s why I remain silent and didn’t say a word. The only thing that I can do is wait for them to free me.
Inilibot ko naman ang paningin. Ang dilim, wala akong makita... Ito na ba ang consequences ko dahil nagtungo ako rito? Bakit ba kasi na curious ako sa mapang iyon! Hindi sana mangyayari ito.
After several minutes, I heard some footsteps coming in my direction. Bumukas naman ang pintuan, kasabay no’n ang paglabas ng kaunting ilaw na sapat na upang makakita ako ng maayos. May iilan namang mga tao ang pumasok dito sa loob.
I first saw the lady who I can say is the leader of the group. She’s in her mid-40s, I guess? She’s wearing fine clothing like she’s the most powerful woman in this world, and her red-like blood lipstick made her face fiercer, together with her pointed brows. The way she walks with elegance completes her look.
“Magandang Gabi, binibini,” she greeted me while walking towards me. I need to adjust my head just to look at her, she’s too tall for me, and the fact that I am sitting in front of her is probably one of the valid reasons why I need to adjust my head.
“Bakit ang isang mababang Anthropoid ay napadpad na naman sa aming lugar?” Na naman? So it means that I am not the only one who discovered this world?
Napaupo ako ng matuwid nang tinanggalan niya ako ng takip sa bibig, ngayon puwede na akong makapagsalita.
“Ano bang ginagawa niyo sa ‘kin?” Naging mahina na ang boses ko dahil sa pagod, hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ako napagod basta ang alam ko ay parang lantang gulay ako ngayon.
I heard her laugh in a sour way. My brows knitted because of her sarcasm.
“Alam mo ba kung ano ang ginawa nila sa amin noon, binibini?” she asked me also. Mas lalo namang nagkadikit ang mga kilay ko ng dahil doon.
“Hindi naging sagot ang tanong sa isang tanong din,” I replied, making her face frown. I know I am being an idiot because of what I am saying right now, to think that this is not my world... It may result of my death if I will continue doing this, but who cares? Iniinis ako ng bruhildang nasa harapan ko ngayon.
“Ang sagot sa iyong tanong ay malalaman mo rin, sapagkat iyong mararanasan ang dinanas namin sa iyong mga kaninu-ninuno noon.” I was about to ask her again what did my ancestors do to them when I felt the chain slowly loosening, it made my hands free from the handcuffs, however my neck felt numb. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero parang nararamdaman kong may isang taong sumasakal sa akin ngayon.
I glance at the woman in front of me and saw her hands looks like she was throttling someone, and I guess that’s me.
Hinawakan ko ang sarili kong leeg upang hawakan ang kamay ng sumasakal sa akin, but I only grasp nothing. Walang kamay ang sumasakal sa akin, ngunit ramdam na ramdam ko ng higpit ng pagkakahawak nito sa aking leeg.
I can’t breathe anymore... I am now freaking struggling to breathe!
I heard her quickly enchants something that made me fell to the ground. Lumulutang na pala ako habang ginagawa niya ‚yon. Hindi ko ito napansin, dahil ang leeg ko ang pinagtutuonan ko.
Nakaramdam naman ako ng kaunting sakit sa aking balakang at matinding sakit naman sa aking leeg.
Napaubo-ubo nalang ako habang hawak-hawak ang aking leeg.
Walang awa. Tsk.
“Kunin niyo na siya at ilabas, naghihintay sa kan’ya ang mga Estudiantes ko,” she commanded, and snapped her fingers three times.
Some men with their warriors’ outfits, harshly assisted me.
Nang lumabas na kami sa silid ay doon ko napagtanto kung nasaan kami.
Looks like we are here in the cave.
Pinagmasdan ko muli ang buong kapaligiran. Napabuntong hininga nalang ako nang maintindihan ko kung bakit gano’n kalangsa ang amoy na nasisinghot ko sa loob ng silid kanina.
Well, if I’m in the mortal world, the word that can describe this place is a prison. Obviously, because of the rails that had been engraved room by room, and the pleads that you will hear when you walk in the aisle.
Help. Help. Let me get out of here. ’Yan ang maririnig mo rito kung ita-translate mo ito sa Ingles.
Several meters away... I was dazed by the light from the outside. Nakakasilaw. I blinked few times to adjust my sight, and when I finally recovered, I slowly opened my eyes and saw some students- based on the uniform their wearing- they are a student. They are mumbling something that I can barely hear, or I really can't hear a thing.
“Magbigay galang sa punong guro!” sigaw ng lalaking hawak ako. I heard them shout some words that I can't even understand, and I saw how the woman beside me smiled.
“Magandang gabi aking mga Estudiantes!” she shouted too, making her students shouted again.
Napapikit nalang ako sa lakas ng hiyawan dito. Finally, the woman gestures something making her students shut down.
“Hindi ba’t nais niyong makita kung ano ang kahihinatnan ng mga Anthropoids kung naranasan nila ang dinanas ng ating ninuno noon?” she spoke, walking left to right and vice versa on the stage.
I saw how the students were very interested in her speech, they are so focused on what will the woman say next every second she was speaking.
“At! Alam kong nangangati na kayong pagpyestahan ang mababang nilalang na nasa harapan ninyo ngayon!” Nakita ko naman na parang nagugulihaman ang mga estudyante nito sa kaniyang mga sinambit. Tumabingi at kunot noo nilang tinitigan ang kanilang punong guro.
“Ngayon ang pinakamasayang araw bg inyong buhay! Sapagkat pinapakilala ko sa inyo ang nahuhuling Anthropoid dito sa atin! Kayo ang may pinakababang rango na Estudiantes ko, ngunit ngayon, may mas mababa na sa inyo!” To correct her, I am not one of her students for Pete’s sake. Why is she claiming that?
With furrowed brows, I raised my hands making them shut their filthy mouths. “Kung inyong mararapatin, nais ko kayong tanongin kung ano ang totoong ginawa sa inyo ng sinasabi niyong kaninuno ko kung kaya’t grabe na ang inyong galit sa amin?”
This is an obvious question that has been already answered when I was in the City of Eupharsa. Our ancestors brutally made their slaves and evilly used their power, but one of them stood firm and fight the injustices that they were experiencing that’s why now, the suffering they’ve endured throughout the years or months ends.
“Makikita mo rin ito, hija kapag ito ay mararanasan muna...” the Principal suspiciously said while grinning. I felt somewhat anxious when I heard those words. Kung tama ang hinala ko, ipaparamdam niya sa akin ang mga paghihirap nila sa ‘The Anarchy of Anthropoids’ na kanilang pinapahiwatig.
—
A sensation of pain all over my body is all I can describe. After they put me unconscious, I don’t remember anything except I’m now in an open area field with so much work to do or should I say suffering to endure.
“Hoy, bakit ka nakatunganga lang diyan?” dinig kong sabi ng isa sa mga estudiantes kuno ng Principal. Napaaray naman ako ng marahas nitong hinila ang aking buhok.
Sinamaan ko naman ito ng tingin, kaya tumaas ng kilay nitong nakatingin sa akin.
“Does making me suffer makes you feel better?” I asked, unvarying the pain I felt. They’re torturing me for nothing. Ano ba kasing makukuha nila sa pang-aapi sa akin?
“Naintindihan niyo ba?” I saw them shrug their shoulders. Their faces look innocent but they have the demeanor of a devil.
They hated when their ancestors got treated like animals by humanity, however, they’re acting like one.
The curious faces vanished when they heard my agonized moan, it was replaced by a filthy smirk, enjoying the scene of my woeful encounter.
I shouted again when the girl’s fingernails got stuck on my skin and I can’t help but whimper in pain.
“Umiyak ka nga ‘yong koko ko lang ginamit ko. Paano pa kaya kung ang kapangyarihan namin?” nakangising saad nito sa akin.
Hindi ako nagsalita at ininda na lamang ang sakit na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Halata namang nainis ito sa akin dahil napihiya siya sa kaniyang mga kaklase nang hindi ko siya pinansin.
I was shocked when I felt something strange. The event happened too fast, and I can’t even see it coming Napatingin naman ako sa aking ibaba.
I am floating for Pete’s sake!
“Anong gagawin ninyo?!” I shouted, and I saw how their lips curved. Oh my God, I don’t know what will they are going to do with me, but I already know that it is bad, really bad.
“Kitang kita namin ang iyong kasuotan sa ibaba, binibini...” sumilay naman ang mga pilyong ngisi ng mga lalaki sa aking ibaba nang sabihin iyon ng isa sa kanila.
Then I realized I was wearing my uniform skirt. May pagkamababa ang aming palda sa eskwelahan kung kaya’t ‘yong sinuot ko rin ay maigsi na shorts.
I don’t know what to do, they are maniacs and evil, the way they are smirking while looking above me is killing me, ashamed of what they might see down there. This is beyond humiliation!
Napakasama nila. Ang tanging nagawa ko lang sa sitwasyong ito ay ang pagtakip gamit ng aking kamay sa ‘king ibaba ngunit hindi ko naman ito nagawa sapagkat may kung anong humawak sa kamay ko para hindi ito makagalaw at binukaka pa lalo ang aking paa.
The tears that keep running down my cheeks won’t stop. I am shouting for help knowing that everyone won’t come and save me.
Ang sikip-sikip ng dibdib ko. How can anyone possibly do this to a living? Bakit may mga ganitong nilalang pa? I thought they are just like in the books that I read. Kind hearted, and considerate immortals, but I am wrong. They are worst than my family! They’re worst than my life.
“Stop peeking freakin’ idiots!” I yelled at them, however my screams seems music to their ears. Tumatawa lang sila habang tinitingnan ako rito sa itaas. Wala silang pakealam.
I was frightened when I felt somewhat hot beneath me. I took a glimpse beneath me, and my jaw went slack when I saw something more terrible.
They are building fire using their hands! Oh no... they’re going to kill me!
The fire is getting bigger and bigger. It is now difficult to catch my breathe. I only see smokes around me, and heard some laughter that made me more anxious.
“H-Help...” I could only speak with my hoarse voice.
Nangangalay na rin ang dalawa kong kamay dahil parang ipinako ako sa hindi nakikitang krus.
Why did I enter this world? Because of my curiosity, I put my life in grave danger. I might die here. Oh, wrong choice of words. This is way better; I will die here.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Wala na akong magagawa. I don’t have the ability to stop them. I am just a mere mortal who trespass their world, and I guess, I should accept that I will suffer and die in their hands.
I am at the last step of the bridge, losing my hope to live again, then someone pulled me. Napatingin naman ko rito, ngunit hindi ko gaano maaninag ang mukha nito, dahil sa usok na nagmumula sa apoy.
“Magandang binibini, ayos ka lang ba?” I heard a voice near to my left ear. If my body isn’t numb, I would be tickled because of it.
Naramdaman ko namang lumuwang na ang aking kamay, saka ako binuhat ng hindi ko kilala. I can’t see him clearly because of the smoke but I know he is a boy, through his body.
“Caspian! Dalian mo!” a familiar voice shouted from nowhere. I can’t remember who, but I am sure that I met that guy earlier.
I heard them screaming about something but I couldn’t hear it, as my cognizance is now fading. I am tired and felt way beyond humiliated, I can’t open my eyes. I will just trust, whoever helps me today and may these guys be blessed by the Almighty.
fin.