Nefarious

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

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The man was crying for help from outside, his voice cracking from terror. Helplessness coated his screams against the harsh tapping of the raindrops on the window. It was filled with so much dread that his fear was becoming vivid in my eyes.

Sumigaw ang lalaki. Nanatili ako sa loob ng bahay, nakikinig.

Ang ulan ay mas lumakas pa. Malalaki at mabibilis ang mga patak sa basag-basag na mga bintana ng lumang bahay na ito. Parang kumakatok sa bawat patak, gusto ring makapasok kagaya ng lalaki.

I stood frozen just a few feet from the pounding door.

A lightning came and ripped the dark sky, the brilliant shock of white spreading like cracked paint on a black canvass. Deep rumbles soon followed, roaring heavily that the heavens might split apart. The sky was turning mad.

Napapikit ako sa dagundong ng langit. Hinawakan ko ang nananakit na dibdib at napaluhod. Nang ibukas ko ang mga mata ay unti-unting naglaho ang sakuna. Sa isang iglap ay naging payapa ang gabi.

My eyes opened in wonder. Mist from the rain turned the soil slippery but the cold after glow was comforting.

Dahan-dahan ay tumayo ako mula sa pagkakaluhod. Nang walang narinig na lalaki sa labas ay dali-dali kong binuksan ang pinto. Wala ng tao roon. Kahit anong bakas na may humihingi ng tulong ay burado. Walang iniwan ang lalaki kahit na ang mga sigaw niya ng saklolo.

I looked everywhere. My eyes darted from the spilling water tank to the long driveway ahead. When I found nothing, I ran towards the trees in a breakneck speed.

Alam kong hindi ako nananaginip o nag-iilusyon nang marinig ko itong humihingi ng tulong. Parang sirang plakang paulit-ulit sa utak ko ang kaniyang mga sigaw na hindi ko pinakinggan dahil mas natakot ako sa malakas na ulan. Ngayong nailabas na ang galit ng langit ay gusto ko siyang hanapin.

But as I ran even faster, I figured it wasn’t entirely because of my concern towards him or his dreadful voice. He was the first person to come to my house. Even unintentional. Kumatok siya sa bahay ko nang walang pag-aalinlangan, sinusuntok ang kamao sa pinto para lamang siya ay pagbuksan. I needed to find him to know that I wasn’t an outcast in this town. That I didn’t mean any harm and could help if the need arises.

Gusto kong malaman ng mga tao rito sa Legada na hindi ako ang taong pininta nila sa kanilang mga makikitid na utak. I was so much more than the evil, foreign girl who lived at the dead end.

Kaya tumakbo ako nang tumakbo, sinisipat ang bawat sulok at ilalim para lang mahanap ang lalaki kahit na nagrereklamo ang mga binti at sumisikip na naman ang dibdib.

I was already dying. It was worth to try seizing the perfect opportunity to clean my name and prove my innocence if it would be the last thing I’d do. I didn’t owe that to somebody but only to myself.

Sa katatakbo ko ay hindi ko namalayan ang isang malaking sanga at napatid. Nadapa ako at nasugatan ang tuhod. Habang nakababa ang binti at sunusuri ang maliit na hiwa nito ay narinig ko ang huni ng mga kuwago.

Napatigil ako sa ginagawa at luminga sa paligid. I was so desperate to catch my bounty that I was able to go this far. And it was very far from home. Nakahinto ako sa gitna ng madilim na kagubatan.

For some unknown reasons, Gianna’s admonition echoed in my brain. Demons, werewolves and vampires, and all the other dark creatures of the night that were supposed to roam free in Legada de la Reina.

The hills that lie friendly in the day were dark and treacherous at night. The rustling leaves, swaying trees, and smell of loam. Dark woods were scattered everywhere, raising their thick branches in the air like they were reaching for the moon. Stepping inside the forest heightened my senses, hearing every hush of the wind, my eyes zooming in on the dark patches of land and smelling the moist earth.

Wolves howled at the bright full moon. The celestial body seemed to go near the naked earth to answer the call of her descendants. The high towers of the dark castle hovered near the moon like reuniting lovers.

Suddenly, I felt the hairs on my neck standing up. I was so sure that something was wrong in this forest.

Wala nang humuhuning mga insekto at kwago. Wala na ang kamakailang pagdampi ng simoy ng hangin. Ang lumalangitngit na mga sanga ng punong-kahoy, ang tunog ng mga tuyong dahon, at kahit ang amoy ng putik. Patay ang kagubatan. Parang pinipilit tumahimik at magtago mula sa kung ano o kung sino.

I spun around, my eyes alert.

“I-I know you’re there!” A gasp escaped me. “I’m not afraid of you!”

Pilit kong sinasabayan ng ikot kung saan napupunta mas tahimik na parte ng kadiliman. Para kaming naglalaro kung sino ang matataya. Ayaw nitong magpahuli. Ayaw magpatalo. Nang tumigil ito ay napatigil na rin ako. Ito ang huminto ngunit parang ako ang nahuli.

Bats flew everywhere, creating skull-splitting noises.

“Good evening, my lady,” came a deep voice, guttural and smooth.

From the dark shadows appeared a man that stood tall and mighty. His gracious strides were executed evenly, sauntering regally. He had a long midnight hair like the color of his eyes. Dark and unwavering. It was glinting wildly along with the moon. Royalty was screaming out of him, demanding that I should go down on my knees.

High cheekbones, dark bushy brows, and a strong jaw. Cladded in black from head to foot, his skin was looked inhumanely pale, and a cape glided behind him. He towered over me like the moon herself, looking at me like I was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

“Good evening,” he repeated, bowing lightly.

Nanginig ang aking labi ngunit tinatagan ang pagtayo.

“Magandang gabi...” bati ko pabalik.

He stood there in front of me, the moon and the castle behind him. The deathless nobility he carried on his broad shoulders were chillingly mesmerizing. The male prowess he possessed was crawling to reach my fingertips.

“Anong ginagawa mo rito? Gabing-gabi na,” bulong ko sa malamig na hangin.

Pinaglaruan ko ang mga daliri sa ilalim ng kaniyang tingin. Masyadong malalim. Masyadong nagtatanong.

“I can ask you the same thing. What exactly are you doing here?” He looked around. I was able to breathe. He looked back again, and I was suffocating once more. “Here in the dangerous, dark forest of the night where every animal can smell you and hear your heartbeats.”

Palipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kaniyang mga mata.

“...my lady,” he finished.

“Stop calling me that,” I answered instead.

Napadiretso ito ng tayo. His cape followed his abrupt movement. The biting cold from his eyes were harsh. Tiningnan niya ako nang mas matagal, bahagyang kumukunot ang noo.

Tumayo ako sa kaniyang harapan, sinasalubong ang kaniyang mga tingin.

He looked at me through his dark eyes like how the night always does to me. Unscathed, gentle and calm yet firm. His eyes were like the storm earlier. Powerful and wild. Tiningnan niya ako sa paraang hindi ko kakayaning salubungin ang kaniyang mga mata. At nang tuluyan kong hindi na kayanin pa at binabaling na ang tingin sa iba ay masuyong sumunod ang kaniya.

This man, like the night, was divine.

Kumurap ako. Unti-unting umukit ang kurba sa gilid ng kaniyang mga labi, isang linyang hindi ko kayang pangalanang ngiti o galit o lungkot dahil maikli at nakatago.

He hummed in approval, looking at me through his thick eyelashes, his jaw slightly clicking.

I felt my veins pounding again, begging to be freed.

Squinting his eyes, he began circling, prowling like a predator. I couldn't keep up with his strides. Suddenly, he stopped and pointed his cane at me.

Bahagya akong napaatras.

“You’re lost,” he pointed out.

The evil glint in his eyes was unmistakable. He moved majestically like the rich tone of his voice.

“At ikaw? Hindi?” balik ko sa kaniya.

I wanted to say that he too didn’t look like he belonged here. But it would not be the truth. Every inch of him no matter how regal and noble, how lavish his coat and cape looked felt like he could reign here. With the moon by his side and the darkness that his eyes craved so much.

“I don’t look lost, do I?”

No. Certainly, no.

But I wasn’t able to spit that out. I looked up at him instead. The man was tall. No. He was huge.

“You’re lost, my lady.”

“Ang sabi ko ay huwag mo akong tatawagin ng ganiyan,” puna ko.

Tumaas lamang ang mga kilay nito. Napakurap ako.

“I am going to be a gentleman and accompany you back to your small home," he bowed lightly. 

Kumunot ang noo ko.

“Bakit alam mo ang bahay ko?”

The man only looked at me and offered another subtle curve of his lips. He gave another bow to me, to a much smaller and younger, a much powerless girl than him. With a man his calibre, bowing down to someone wasn’t up to anyone but him. And only if he wanted to.

“Legada de la Reina is such a small town. Everyone knows everyone. News travel fast.”

Napamura ako sa isip dahil hanggang dito ba naman sa kailaliman ng gubat ay talamak pa rin ang pangalan ko. Para bang alam na alam niya ang tumatakbo sa isip ko at masuyong naghintay ng aking saloobin, humihinahon ang dibdib para lang marinig ang gusto kong sabihin.

“Paano mo ako nakilala kung hindi naman kita nakikita rito sa Legada?” tanong ko.

Surely, a man like him would stand out. There was no doubt of it.

“I have many talents.” He raised his brow.

Pinisil-pisil ko ang dulo ng mga daliri.

“And it includes speaking many languages. If not all of it. Having so much time and so much knowledge in one life...” He trailed, looking like he was talking to himself rather than me.

Nang bumuntong hininga ito ay katunog ng isang leong napapagod. Tumaas ang aking mga balahibo.

“Magandang gabi, aking binibini,” inulit niya ang bati kanina sabay yukong muli.

Sa magmuli ay dumaan ang katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Nakababa siya ng tingin sa akin, dinudungaw ako, at ako sa kaniya ay nakatingalang tinapatan ang dilim sa kaniyang mga mata. Walang ingay ng kagubatan o ng kahit anong hayop. Kahit anong nabubuhay at kahit anong namamatay. Tanging ang buwan, ang kastilyo, siya at ang dilim lang ang aking naging kaharap.

“Let me take you home,” he whispered, eyes begging silently.

Dahan-dahan ay tumango ako sa ilalim ng kaniyang nagmamakaawang tingin.