Continuation...
HELL's POV
Because she's sitting so close to me, our shoulders touching, it was a bit hard to process the first few minutes of the movie we were watching.
I honestly have given up on the thought that I'd go out of the cinema having understood even a single thing, but-
"This story about a vampire has an unhappy ending.
It concludes with everyone becoming miserable."
-when the protagonist said these lines, the movie screen immediately got my attention.
Even though I'm a hundred percent sure this is my first time hearing these words, they sounded eerily familiar. Like someone just read an excerpt from my very own journal. And it's so fvcking weird 'cause I have never owned one. I have never once written on a fvcking journal. That's just so uncool.
Anyway, the movie's quite unique. Now that it has gotten my attention and I am able to digest every single second of it, I would say that it's quite tolerable.
'Wound-tale', this movie is about this anti-social high school guy who decided to buy a porn magazine in the middle of the night just because- it's kinda long to explain so let's just say that it's because he's a fvcking guy.
Okay, so this guy after buying what he needed, on his way home, as he was about to go ride the train at a train station, he encounters a vampire. A blonde vampire who would have been bloody beautiful, if only she wasn't literally bloody.
Yes.
If only both of her arms and legs didn't appear to have been just cut off.
The scene upfront's getting so damn interesting with the guy slowly coming into terms with what the heck it is that's in front of him when suddenly-
a fvcking hand.
A fvcking hand blocked my view.
I- I would have been angry.
I was about to, until I-
I realized, it was her hand.
Mikaela's...
"What are you doing?"
I asked her, calmly, only because it's her.
Not shoving her hand away like I ought to, only because it's hers.
"Tinatakpan mata mo."
"I know. What I want to know is why."
"Ma-madugo kasi 'yung scene, 'e di ba takot ka sa dugo? Baka lang kasi mahimatay ka."
baka lang kasi mahimatay ka
That hit a nerve.
Even though it's her it still hit a nerve.
Yes I have a freaking blood phobia, but it's only triggered when I see blood up-close and personal! I am not that weak!
I was about to reprimand her and tell her all these but-
"Once in a lifetime chance lang 'tong movie date na 'to, ayokong matapos agad."
She said this.
Turns out, she's doing the covering not because she thinks I'm weak, but- because she wants to make sure she'd get to spend more time with me...
This...
This woman...
Seriously...
"I- see. Nice call," I told her, a little bit dizzy from all the brightness. Her brightness.
Even though I wasn't the least bit scared from the very thing she's trying hard to protect me from,
even though she looks more like a kitten trying to protect a lion,
even though there's nothing in this world that makes me feel so freaking uncomfortable than being fvcking protected,
I allowed her.
I allowed her to 'protect' me.
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MIKA's POV
Having wounded each other, the two of us licked each other's wounds.
Damaged goods both, we sought out each other.
"If you want to die tomorrow, I'm ready for my life to end tomorrow.
If you care to live for today, then so will I."
Thus, begins the tale of the wounded ones.
A tale of blood that splattered red and dried up black.
The tale of our never-to-heal, precious wound.
I will tell it to no one.
-
Hindi ko 'to inexpect, pero natapos ko talaga 'yung movie nang may naintindihan!
Dahil kasi ito 'yung unang beses kong panonood ng sine kasama si Hell, akala ko talaga lalabas ako ng sinehan nang wala ni katiting na rekoleks'yon tungkol sa napanood, pero hindi! May naintindihan ako! Wow.
Siguro kasi ang interesting lang talaga kasi no'ng pinanood namin. Kahit na too bloody and too tragic siya for my taste, sobrang bilib ako do'n sa depth no'ng story. Sobrang na-inlove ako do'n sa way ng pagna-narrate no'ng bida. Ang chill niya magkwento, pero at the same time, ang lalim. Tapos, idagdag mo pa 'yung ending. Grabe. Hindi ko inexpect 'yung ending talaga!
Kahit ini-spoil na no'ng bida sa umpisa pa lang na wala sa kanilang naging masaya sa ending, sobrang lakas pa rin ng impact sa akin no'ng pinakahuling scenes.
I mean, inexpect ko na naman na tragic story siya, pero kakaiba kasi 'yung pagka 'tragic' niya 'e.
Akala ko kasi tragic in a way na merong mamamatay, o na maiinlove 'yung guy do'n sa vampire tapos 'di sila magkakatuluyan pero- hindi pala.
Tragic siya in a way na walang namatay, walang nasaktan, pero wala ring naging masaya.
Justifiable 'yung way of thinking no'ng bida kaya intindi mo kung bakit gano'n 'yung ending, pero 'yung fact din na intindi mo kung bakit is what makes it tragic. Kasi kahit gusto mong mag-complain, hindi mo magawa. Hindi mo magawa kasi intindi mo.
Sobrang lungkot. Ito 'yung klase ng ending na hindi ka nga paiiyakin pero iiwan ka namang kinikwestiyon ang mundo, kung ano ba talaga ang tama at mali. Kung meron ba talagang matatawag na tama o mali.
"Did you like the movie?" tanong ni Hell. Nasa eating area na kami ngayon ng fest. Napagpasyahan naming kumain muna habang hinihintay 'yung simula ng movie na sunod naming papanoorin.
"Sobra!"
Saglit akong pinagmasdan ni Hell bago siya nagsalita. "Like a movie with wrong-ass subtitles," sabi niya.
Hindi ko na-gets.
"You look like a movie with wrong-ass subtitles. What you're saying doesn't match your expression at all," paliwanag niya. Noon ko lang na-gets na siguro dahil 'yun sa ang lungkot ng expression sa mukha ko.
"Na-enjoy ko naman kasi talaga, ang kaso, ang lungkot lang talaga no'ng story kaya ang lungkot ko rin kahit sobrang nag-enjoy ako."
Tumawa siya nang slight. "I should be used to this by now but- you really are weird, aren't you?"
Ang sarap pakinggan ng tawa niya, tapos ang g'wapo niya pa, 'di ko tuloy maiwasan mapatitig.
Pagkatapos naming kumain, habang naglalakad papunta sa lugar ng sunod na movie, bigla siyang nagsalita.
"I think, you're the first ever movie with bad subtitles that I actually still freaking like."
'Yan. Bigla niyang sinabi 'yan.
May nalalaman pa siyang pagngiti nang slight pagkatapos.
Dahil sa sinabi niyang 'yan, 'yung second half lang ng movie na sunod naming pinanood ang naintindihan ko. Lutang kasi ako buong first half!
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"Nagustuhan mo 'yung movie?" tanong ko kay Hell habang naglalakad kami palabas ng cinema. Kakatapos lang namin panoorin 'yung pangalawang movie.
"It was a tad bit too dramatic for my taste. But it was okay," sagot niya. Na hindi ko na ikinagulat dahil sobrang evident talaga lagi sa mukha niya 'pag hindi niya gusto ang isang bagay.
No'ng lingunin ko siya kanina habang nanonood kami, akala ko talaga tatayo na lang siya bigla at iiwan ako do'n sa loob mag-isa dahil sa sobrang pagka-asiwa niya do'n sa pelikula pero...
"What are you smiling about?" tanong niya. Nahuli niya pala akong nakangiti habang inaalala ko kung paanong tinapos niya pa rin 'yung movie kahit na halatang 'yun 'yung tipo ng movie na never niyang tatapusin.
Sasagot na dapat ako pero biglang nakuha ang atensyon ko no'ng program na nagaganap do'n sa may big stage. Spoken poetry! May spoken poetry na nagaganap do'n sa big stage! OMG! Sobrang fan ako ng gano'n!
"Hell, punta tayo do'n!" Dahil sa sobrang excitement, nahigit ko na si Hell papunta do'n sa may big stage kahit 'di pa siya pumapayag.
"Are we seriously gonna watch this?" tanong niya. Noon ko lang naalala na nakokornihan nga pala siya pagdating sa poetry.
"Boring ba?"
"Do you like watching this kind of stuff?"
Agad akong tumango. "Pero kung ayaw mo, okay lang nama-"
He suddenly crossed his arms tapos biglang seryosong tumingin sa stage. Do'n sa kasalukuyang tumutula.
"Hell, okay lang kung 'di mo type. Seryoso. Tiniis mo nang panoorin 'yung movie na gusto ko kanina-"
Mula sa stage, bigla niyang binaling ang tingin sa akin.
"I'm the type who endures things when I'm on a date, so deal with it," sabi niya. Pagkatapos, humarap na siyang muli sa stage.
Hindi na ako nakaimik pagkatapos noon.
Pinagmasdan ko na lang siya tulad nang kung paano ko pagmasdan parati ang maliwanag na buwan.
Gasping.
In awe.
Hindi alam kung paano mag-aalis ng tingin.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero habang pinagmamasdan siya, bigla ko na lang nakita kung paano kami nagsimula. Kung paanong ang layo na nang narating naming dalawa mula roon. Kung paano kami unti-unting nakarating sa kung nasaan na kami ngayon. Kung paanong unti-unting napalapit sa akin ang taong ang layo-layo sa akin noon...
At tila ba parang binasa bigla ng nagsasalita sa unahan ang mga salitang nag-uumapaw sa loob ko...
Hihintayin kita
Nang sanlibong gabi
Sa hardin ng ating
Tagpua't pangarap.
...sumakto nang sobra sa nararamdaman ko ang mga salitang binibigkas nang malakas sa unahan.
Titingin sa buwan,
Kahit walang buwan,
Kahit na madilim,
Kahit na madilim.
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Pagkatapos manood ng Spoken Poetry, naglibot-libot kaming dalawa sa mga booth. Marami ring unique at interesting na pakulo ang Acting Department! Pinaka-interesting na booth for me 'yung "We challenge you to cry" booth, kung saan all you need to do is to manage to cry habang may pinapapanood sila sa'yong nakakatawang video! Sadly though, kahit iyakin ako, 'di ko nagawang makapanalo ng prize. Kahit kasi mababaw luha ko, mababaw din kaligayahan ko. Sobrang bilis ako mapatawa ng silly videos.
Si Hell, allergic ata talaga siya sa festivals kaya parang wala ni isang booth na nakitaan ko na nag-spark ng joy sa mukha niya. Pero ang nakakatuwa, kahit gano'n, never ko siyang narinig na mag-complain o magmura. Sunod lang siya nang sunod kung sa'n ko gusto magpunta.
Nang mapagod na ako sa kalalakad, inaya ko si Hell na maupo na doon sa open-field kung saan gaganapin mamaya 'yung main event. Which is an open-field cinema.
Marami nang couples and group of friends ang nakaupo sa kani-kanilang latag doon sa field kahit na tatlong oras pa ang hihintayin bago 'yung showing ng movie.
Uupo na lang sana ako basta doon sa damuhan since wala kaming dalang panlatag ni Hell, pero pinigilan niya 'ko.
Hinubad niya ang suot na coat, nilatag 'yun sa damuhan 'saka ako pinaupo.
'Di ko napigilang tingnan siya nang may halong gulat at amazement. Ang cliche na no'ng move, pero dahil si Hell 'yung gumawa, sobrang lakas lang no'ng effect.
"What?" tanong niya.
"Anong what?"
"Why are you looking at me like you've just witnessed some sort of miracle?"
"Ah baka kasi parang milagro talaga 'tong nakikita ko?" ginusto ko 'yang sabihin, pero ngumiti na lang ako at sinabing, "Wala naman."
We talked, and talked some more hanggang sa magsimula na 'yung main event.
Nang malaman kong live action ng 'The Garden of Words' ni Makoto Shinkai ang ipapalabas sa harap namin, all set na talaga ang mga mata kong tumutok sa screen, pero bigla na lang hinawakan ni Hell ang kamay ko.
Kikiligin na dapat ako, pero napansin kong nanginginig ang mga kamay niya. Kakaiba rin ang higpit ng kapit niya. Parang hawak ng isang taong nagmamakaawang 'wag siyang bitawan dahil nilalamon siya nang sobrang takot.
Worried, agad ko siyang nilingon. Ibubuka ko na dapat ang bibig pero naunahan niya akong magsalita.
"The story I'm about to tell you has an unhappy ending," sabi niya, copying the opening line of the first movie the two of us watched earlier. "It concludes with everyone becoming miserable."
Nang sabihin niya 'to, noon ko lang naintindihan kung bakit gano'n na lang kahigpit ang kapit niya.
No wonder his hand is trembling. Balak na pala kasi niya akong dalhin do'n.
He's finally...
He's finally taking me there.
To his past...
To...
"Mikaela, are you really sure... you still want to watch it with me?"
...'that day'.
His very own never-to-heal precious wound...
he's finally
showing it to me.
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Yam-Yam's Note:
OMG! Finally! Achievement unlocked! After so many years, nakapag-update na ulit ako! LOL Hindi rin ako makapaniwalang nasa part na tayo ng story kung saan dama ko na 'yung ending! T*ng ina finally! Akala ko 'di na ako makakarating dito hahaha!
I won't promise a consistent time for my updates, pero I'm promising a once a week update for WLI from now on. AND THIS IS NOT A DRILL. HINDI RIN ITO SCAM. Bahala kayo kung maniniwala kayo o hindi. Up to you. ahaha!
No chill na 'yung sunod na chapters (p'wera sa back stories) kaya please prepare your hearts. Downpour of feels ahead lol
I feel its kinda inappropriate to feature a poem here, so I'll just feature a new poem on the next update, okay?
See you next week!
~Yam