Addicted to You - LARO NG TADHANA

I - DYING

Chapter 1

“Where do you think you’re going?!” umalingawngaw ang isang malalim na boses sa buong mansion. I can feel the sufficing anger in the atmosphere that made my knees go weaker.

I feel like there’s a force pulling me to look behind me but I don’t have time for fear right now, I need to run away. Help is waiting for me outside of this hell. I hope that guy is really sincere from what he had said earlier.

Mga limang gwardya ang naghahabol sa’kin hanggang sa makalabas na ako. I am already panting. The cold wind that passes through my throat as I gasp for air from running makes it harder for me to breathe.

I am just wearing a thin clothe for that stup*d masquerade party, not to mention that its strapless. My feet are aslo soaring dahil sa suot kong takong. These are not my choice of clothing, it was delivered to me kalakip ang isang imbitasyon.

Una pa lang alam kong patibong lang ito, but I was desperate to find her. Akala ko mahahanap ko siya rito pero ni hibla ng kaniyang buhok ay di’ko mahagilap rito! I am like a lost puppy from that kind of crowd.

Isa na namang panibagong luha ang umagos sa aking mga mata. This is all my fault. I should’ve known that the website was hacked and there’s already another writer leading us to our great danger.

Sumandig ako sa isang malaking puno at pinakiramdaman ang paligid habang pinupunasan ang sarili kong luha. Sana’y hindi nila ako makita agad. I have to remain agile and focus. There’s no time for my emotional break down right now. I haven’t seen how truly capable they are.

The light from the mansion is somehow reflecting to this forest. Yes, this place is located in the middle of nowhere at ang mansion lang ang nagiisang nakatayo sa gitna ng gubat na ito. Though I’m not really sure dahil madilim na ng ihatid ako sa lugar na’to by some strange men.

I took out my phone inside my purse. Hindi ko maiwasang mapamura ng makitang walang reception sa lugar. Kanina’y mayroon pa sa loob ng mansion pero dito sa labas ay wala akong mahagilap ni isang bar. Paano ko pa masasabihan ang taong iyon na nasa labas na ako?

I really have doubt trusting that guy but he is the only person who seems like trustworthy from that filthy place. Behind those glamourous façade and golden spoons are monsters. Real monsters!

I have no choice but to run one more time. He told me to wait for him in 10 minutes outside the mansion at siya na mismo daw ang maghahanap sa’kin. He even gave me his number pero useless lang pala ito. I need to find a safer place to hide. Kailangan kong mas lumayo pa sa lugar na’to so I continued running as fast as I could.

The silence of the surrounding is making me more nervous. Bigla nalang nawala ang mga taong naghahabok sa’kin kanina. Ang akala ko’y tuluyan nang magkakagulo but everything seems oddly quiet. Maybe I just expected too much but my instinct is telling me I’m in a much more dangerous trouble.

“Aireen..” napahinto ako when I thought I heard someone calling my name. Tumingin ako sa paligid but I saw no one. Mas lalo akong kinabahan.

I squeal when someone from behind pulled me and cover my mouth. Nagpupumiglas ako pero masyado itong malakas. Wala kong magawa kundi magpahila sa mas madilim na parte ng gubat.

“Shhh.. its me.” Nakahinga ako ng maluwag hearing that familiar voice from the party. “Keep quiet for a moment, someone followed me.” He whispered pero wala naman akong maramdamang tao sa paligid. He loosens his grip kaya nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataong lingunin ito.

“Arthur?” His blonde hair and blue eyes that is reflected by the moonlight had made myself confirmed that its him.

“Yeah. The one and only milady.” I sighed for a relief when I finally recognized him. Yes, he’s undeniably handsome, a German mestizo to be specific. Ngayon ko lang ito lubusang napansin since nakamaskara ang lahat kanina sa loob ng bulwagan. But now is not the right time to admire his handsome features. We need to getaway her fast.

“Ang akala ko’y hindi mo na ako tutulungan.” The space between us is making my heart throb pero wala akong oras sa mga kaartihan ngayon. I’m in a great danger right now and this guy is my salvation.

From what he said earlier, he was also invited randomly to the party. He told me that he was following the same website where that mysterious writer is posting about these mysterious creatures.

Everyone was surprise when that blogger had changed his ways of writing. The recent blogs was now very specific that many avid readers had planned to go to this place but few were chosen to be invited. According to that blogger, ordinary people will never find this place not unless you’re chosen to be here. It sounds like a load of crap. Pero kumagat kami rito. Many have gone nuts upon reading it, mystery is some peoples addiction.

But as for myself, I have a sole purpose in finding this place. I planned everything. Luckily, I was one of the few outsiders who was able to make it here. It’s now the trend everywhere on social media though it’s not known publicly since many has its own speculations.

We even filled-up some online information that seems to be very weird. Everyone was thinking that it was all a hoax kaya marami ang sumubok just for fun. But little do we know everything was planned and I have now realized why.

We are here for their dinners. Isang espesyal na putahi na magpapalakas sa kanilang laman. Those disgusting creatures!

I was lucky enough to escape when the bidding was about to start. Yes, they’re bidding people as their slave or food!

Right now, I am no longer sure if chosen to be here was luck.

We were blind-folded and imprisoned to this random room. It was dark and gloomy inside when they removed the cover from our eyes. Some of us are being drugged or I’m not sure if being hypnotized.

Hindi ako sigurado dahil mostly sa mga nakita ko ay kung hindi tulog ay tulala. I was trembling at hanggang ngayon hindi ko alam paano ko nakayang magpanggap din na tulog. Buti nalang at sinabihan ako ni Arthur na huwag kumain o uminom ng kahit na ano sa handa nila kahit ilang beses nang nag-o-offer sa’kin ang mga tao doon.

“Pwede ba naman iyon? I will never ditch a beautiful lady like you.” He gave me a flash of smile and for a moment I thought I was being hypnotized. Hindi ko alam kung ilang segundo akong napatitig sa mga mata niya.

I gasp when I saw something from his eyes. Napaatras ako ng dahil dito. His eyes, did it just glow? I thought it turned into a bloody red for a second.

Namalikmata lang ba ako? No, this can’t be happening.

“What’s wrong Aireen?” he took a step forward and the smooth expression on his face had turned into something I can’t anymore recognize. He give me a psychotic smile.

“Mesmerized by what you saw?” he keeps on coming forward towards me.

“You know what, a midnight snack won’t be a problem with me.” I took another step backward but it was a wrong move. I lost my balance and fell into the ground. It hurts. I feel like my ankle was twisted as I tried to sat down.

I groaned from the pain as he just squatted in front of me and stared blankly without a single pity from his cold looking eyes like I am just a stupid trash. It was like he’s mocking me with his smirk.

“There’s no way–“ I can’t continue my words when his eyes had completely gone into  bloody red. How stupid I am to trust a mere stranger. He’s one of them!

“They told me that you are one of the smart girls among those invited.” He smiled at my trembling state.

“You’re the one who’s investigating us. Am I right?” nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa tinuran nito.

“Do you think we don’t know?” he cracked a small laugh. “Don’t take us as a fool mortal. Matagal ka na naming minamanmanan Ms. Aireen Tan.” Hindi ako makapaniwala sa mga sinasabi nito. Minamanmanan? Since when? He looked pleased with my questioning face.

“You are fully aware that we are not just an ordinary being, half of the world was just a dirt to us. But here you are, wasting your poor life. We know that you’re looking for your dumb little friend who’s unfortunately not here.” I glared at him but he just laughs at my face.

“Where is she?! Where did you keep her?! Tell me!!” hindi ko alam na kaya ko pang sumigaw sa kabila ng takot at magkahalong emosyon na nararamdaman ko.

“Well, that job is not mine to discuss with you. But…” He paused for a second as he gives me his creepiest smile.

“…she’s probably dead.” I lost my tongue for a second. Tila umalingawngaw sa aking taenga ang sinabi nito.

“N-No! No way! She can’t be dead! S-she sent me an e-mail saying she needs help!” I tried to push him away but he just pinned me to the ground with a solid force.

He’s on top of me right now like a beast who have caught his own prey. I feel like a tiny rabbit trapped in a lions’ grasp as I feel a snap on my back. I gasp from the pain pero tila wala lang ito sa kaniya.

“Are you really that stupid? That e-mail is just a bait. At kumagat ka sa patibong!” he give me a hilarious laugh. Hindi ko alam kung galit ba ito o natutuwa. He’s crazy!

“You know what, I am very disappointed right now. Akala ko pa naman may mangyayari ng something new sa mansion. Iyong suspense? But nahh.. Paano mo napagkatiwalaan agad ang isang taong ngayon mo lang nakilala sa isang party? Are you that desperate to escape from this place?” tila nanggigigil ito. Tumitig lang ito sa akin na may nakakalokong ngiti. Bigla kong naramdaman ang panliliit sa sarili ko.

He’s right. Unti-unting nabuo ang luha sa aking mga mata. I feel like a pig that’s being toyed before being slaughtered.

“You lied to me!” I shouted at his face habang pinipigilan ko ang pagbagsak ng luha sa aking mga mata.

“I never lied to you. I said I’ll help you get out of the mansion, but I never told you I’ll save you. I am not a fool to disobey my lord.” He reach for my hair while his other hand still pinning my wrest. He’s really strong. I can’t move an inch.

Who is this lord he’s talking about? Is that what they refer to as their leader? Maybe he knows what happened to her. But I think its too late to think about that right now.

He trembled after smelling my hair like he’s just trying to control his inner beast from feeding. Tuluyan nang bumagsak ang mga luha sa aking mga mata. I feel hopeless. I never thought my death will be like this.

“My, my, my, where’s the brave lady I saw earlier? If only you could see the fear in your eyes right now. Its really pleasing me.” He laughs like a crazy man. The gentleman that I saw from the party was like a different person now. He’s now a psycho!

I want to push him away and run but there’s not even a single muscle in my body that is working and I can’t even think straight upon hearing from him that she might not be existing right now. I feel like I am dead frozen inside.

“Any last words?” he came closer to my face. He just smirked when he noticed that I am not in my self anymore. Accepting your death is the hardest thing to do right now. Do I even have a choice to live?

He came even closer that I can now feel his unbelievably cold breath at the side of my neck. I shivered as everything went numb.

A cold wind had passed by as the brightness of the full moon had revealed itself at the night sky in front of me. What a peaceful sight, is this how it feels to die from the hands of a monster? How ironic.

Jean, I think I can’t fulfill my promise to you and Railey anymore. I hope you guys could forgive me someday. I’m so sorry. Let’s see each other soon.

- END OF EP. 1