*From The Dark*
“Dream, may sakit ka ba?”
Nag-angat ako ng paningin mula sa kinakain ko. Nakatingin sa akin sina Mommy at Daddy na parang nag-aalala. Kill just looks at me puzzled, na parang curious kung anong nangyayari. Umiling ako.
“I’m fine, why?”
Mom reached out her hand and touched my forehead. “Wala ka namang lagnat. Bakit ka namumutla?”
“Namumutla ako?” napahawak ako sa mukha ko. “Nung isang araw pa ‘to ah. Ba’t ako namumutla?”
“May problema ka ba, Dream?” Dad asked to which I instantly shook my head.
“Wala naman po. Ayos lang naman ako.”
“Sigurado ka? You’re usually not that quiet and pale. May gumugulo ba sa’yo? I think you’re troubled, Dream. What’s with you?”
Napabuntong hininga ako. Bakit ko nga ba nakalimutang hindi sila pang-karaniwang tao? Minsan, sa sobrang normal ng kilos nila sa harap ko, nakakalimutan kong extraordinary humans sila. Na pareho silang imortal. “Seriously, Dad, Mom. Okay lang ako. Pagod lang siguro ako.”
“Well if you say so.” Mom shrugged. “Finish your dinner then go take a rest. H’wag kang masyadong nagpapagod.”
“Opo.”
~xxxx-x-x-x-x-xxxx~
Iilan lang ang mga estudyante na nakatambay sa hallway nang papasok ako ng building. It didn’t looked like a good vibe to me nang pumasok ako doon lalo na nang makarinig ako ng mga sigawan sa malapit lang. Habang papalapit ako ng papalapit, palakas siya ng palakas.
And damn was I right.
*SMASH!*
It was Dark smashing Creed on a locker. Paulit-ulit niyang sinasapak si Creed na hindi lumalaban. I stood there in awe, watching him wanting to kill Creed. Then enter Katherine na umaawat kay Dark. Damn this set up.
“Hanggang d’yan lang ang kaya mo, Dark?” Creed smirked.
Humigpit ang hatak ni Dark sa kwelyo ni Creed. “If I want to, I can fvcking kill you with one snap. You’re lucky that we’re in the wrong place.”
I sighed as he continues to punch Creed. Bakit ko nga ba hinahayaan lang ‘to? I can wish to kill him. Yeah. I wish he bleeds until he dies.
“What…”
My brow creased in confusion? Nanghihina siyang bumagsak sa sahig. And then he coughed. He coughed blood. Next thing I heard was Anael crying beside me. “Nasasaktan si Anael, Dream. Masakit.” :'(
Oh fvck.
Napatingin sa akin si Dark. He keeps coughing blood. Shit. I forgot that Anael feels what Dark feels. Oh shit, damn! I wish it stops, I wish it stops please!
Yumakap si Anael sa’kin. No one seems to notice since na kay Dark ang atensyon nila. He stops coughing but he’s clutching his heart. Napalunok ako. I do have the power to kill him. As much as I wanted to, hindi pwede dahil hindi ko kayang masaktan si Anael. I don’t know why but I love this thing already. I love Anael already.
“Hey, Creed. You a’rayt?”
“Yeah.” He smirked slash grin saka niya ako sinabayan sa paglalakad. “Quite a scene eh?”
“What’s the matter with the both of you? Why did he—OWW!” napasigaw ako sa gulat nang may humawak sa pulso ko, spun me around and I landed into Dark’s embrace. “What the? Bitawan mo nga ako!”
“Mag-usap tayo, Dream, pakiusap. Mag-usap tayo.”
Naiinis ako, naiinis ako! Bakit nga ba ako naiinis? Ah. Kasi nag-aalala ako. Kasi naku-kunsensya ako sa ginagawa ko sa kanya. Natatakot ako kasi nanginginig ang buo niyang katawan habang mahigpit akong niyayakap. Bakit ba niya ginagawa ang mga ‘to? Ano bang habol niya sa’kin? Ano pa bang kailangan niya?
“Wala tayong pag-uusapan, tapos na ang lahat, Dark.”
“Hindi pa. Hindi pa, Dream, mag-usap tayo.”
Ginamit ko na ang buong lakas ko para ipagtulakan siya pero kulang pa rin ata. Then I was shocked when he knelt down while desperately grappling my hands and my waist closer to him. “Makinig ka sa’kin, kailangan mong makinig sa’kin. I’m not asking for too much. You just have to listen to me, Dream, please.”
Sinubukan kong alisin lahat ng hawak niya pero ibinabalik lang rin niya ‘yon. I saw a glitter in his eyes somewhere. It’s then that I recognized it as tears threatening to fall. And it fell. Kumabog ng sobrang lakas ang dibdib ko. Hindi ko na maintindihan ang sarili ko. Ang sabi ni Creed dapat galit ako sa kanya. Galit na galit na gugustuhin ko na siyang mamatay na kung hindi lang dahil kay Anael ay baka ginawa ko na.
“Dark. Stop this.”
“Dream… give me chance to explain please. Hear me out first.”
“I said we’re done, Dark! Get your hands off me you filthy idiot!” itinulak ko siya, surprisingly yes, natulak ko siya at hindi ko alam kung saan galing ang lakas kong ‘yon. “H’wag mo’kong lalapitan, nandidiri ako sa’yo! Nakakadiri ka!”
“No. You don’t mean that, Dream.” He didn’t said it with certainty. Instead, he said it with hope, maybe with plead that I might not mean what I’ve said. “You can never say something like—”
“Oh I mean that alright. I mean that so much and I also mean it when I say that I want you dead! But you know what? Even if I stab you over and over and over again, I can’t still be happy. I want you to suffer for the rest of eternity. That… I mean it.”
I walked briskly, past the students na nakikiusisa. Sinabayan ako ulit ni Creed na hindi na maalis ang ngisi sa labi. “Bravo.”
Inis ko siyang hinampas sa sikmura. “Shut up.”
He chuckled. Yumakap ng mahigpit si Anael sa akin na hindi pa tumitigil sa pag-iyak mula kanina. “Nasasaktan si Anael. Uwaaaaa! Mahal na mahal ni Anael si Dream. H’wag na galit Dream, sorry na. Sorry na.”
“Hindi ako galit sa’yo. Tahan na.”
He kissed my cheek. Napatingin ako kay Creed na mukha nang badtrip at malalim ang iniisip. “Why is Anael feeling the way Dark feels everytime, Creed?”
“Because he’s a cherub. He’s part of you and Dark’s servitors. Eventually, when Dark accomplished the experiment, little by little, magkakaroon kayo ng seraphim, malakim and elohims. Those are the servitors you need to purify the earth and the ethereal planes. Cherubs are the only ones who starts it because your cherubs feels how the other feels so you both can be alert whenever you needed each other.”
“He has a cherub?”
“Yes. From the day he awakened, his cherub came to him.”
Naiintindihan ko na. All this time, si Dark ang kasama ko at hindi si Anael. Naiintindihan ko na. Kaya pala…
~xxxx-x-x-x-x-xxxx~
“Okay, Dream, one last shot. I want you to reach your hand out to the camera, reach for something that is unreachable. Yes, like that. Oh I love that expression.”
*click!*
*click!*
“Alright, we take five. Water for Dream, tsaka paki-palitan ang set. Pa-retouch na rin siya.”
May nag-abot sa akin ng tubig na dire-diretso ko lang ininom. A girl is doing retouches to me habang yung ibang crew ay naglilipat ng mga couches sa set. Pinagpalit rin nila ako ng costume. I guess the the other model na dapat ay gagawa nitong second photoshoot eh hindi sumipot so ako ang ipinalit nila since ako na rin naman and nandito.
“Okay, we’re ready to shoot. Be natural, Dream. Give me your best shots.”
The camera keeps clicking. I heard urgent footsteps coming from the door. Maybe gumagana yung super senses ko which is kind of annoying.
“I’m sorry I’m late!”
Nahinto ang photoshoot. Lahat ay napatingin sa babaeng kakapasok lang sa pintuan at humahangos pa. Agad na naningkit ang mata ko. Bakit nga ba hindi ko naisip na nagmo-model rin si Katherine? Panigurado ‘yon. Hindi naman kasi kumukuha si Dark ng mga babaeng magta-trabaho sa bar niya na hindi pleasing ang personality.
“Hay nako, hija. May kapalit ka na. Dapat sa mga ganitong propesyon, oras ang pangangalagaan mo. Hindi ka hihintayin ng set.”
“P-Pasensya na po.” Then she glanced at me. I smiled at her and she bowed slightly.
Tinapos ang photoshoot. Nakatayo siya sa may pintuan at nanonood. Paminsan-minsan tumutulong sa crews. I guess it’s either she wanted to talk to me or to the photographer. We’ll see.
“Uhm hi. Natatandaan mo’ko?”
Lumingon ako mula sa pag-aayos ng duffel bag ko. Isinukbit ko ‘yon bago ngumiti sa kanya at tumango. “Course. Well you. Do you remember me?” because I wish you can remember everything that happened.
I watched her as she space out, her eyes were like dazed. “Mauna na’ko, Katherine.”
Naglakad ako palabas ng building ng modeling agency. Nasa casa ang kotse ko kasi pinapalitan ko yung paint so maglalakad lang ako pauwi. Gabi na rin kaya medyo nakakakaba ang maglakad. Tsk. Tamad naman kasi ni Yale eh, dapat sinusundo niya ako eh.
“Dream?”
Natigilan ako. Agad akong lumingon and I found Dark there, clutching his left arm. My eyes widened in shock and fear. “What on earth happened to you?”
“I’m sorry can we—AH! Can we talk please?” he begged.
Lecheng buhay ‘to. Dapat galit ako kay Dark eh. Nakakainis naman. “Where’s your house? I’ll take you there then we can talk.”
I saw his eyes softened in gratitude. Pagkatapos ay sinugod niya ako ng mahigpit na yakap. When I hugged him back, he flinched. Then I found blood in my hands na galing sa likuran niya. Oh shit. “Dark, let’s take you home. Where the heck is your house?”
Naramdaman ko siyang umiling bago ibaon ang kanyang mukha sa may leeg ko. “Just a second. Let’s stay like this for a while first.”
Ugh. He’s crazy.