moonwake

II

CHAPTER TWO

Hindi ko alam kung ilang oras na kaming naglalakad, pero ramdam ko ang pagod at kagustuhan ng magpahinga.

I can’t speak because he might point his sword in me again, so I just continue walking. Hingal akong naglalakad at sa wakas ay nakalabas na rin kami rito sa kweba. I thought it was tunnel.

My jaw dropped at the sight of a castle in front of me. I looked around as it was a really beautiful sight, beside the castle is a forest and lake but where the hell am I? I’m not in the Philippines anymore. Tag-init don, at tingin ko ay tag-lagas ngayon dito dahil sa mga dahon na nalalaglag.

“Where am I?” hindi ko na napagilan na magtanong, nilingon niya ko at mas lalo akong nakaramdam ng kaba dahil he looks so much creepier dahil sa liwanag ng langit.

“Maglakad ka lang.” atas nito.

Napayuko ako, I bite my lower lip as I feel very annoyed and fear at the same time. I continued walking, hindi kami sa castle nagpunta kundi sa kagubatan na nasa gilid nito.

May sumalubong sa’ming dalawang lalaki na may katulad niyang suot. Nanlalaki ang mata nilang nakatingin sa’kin but then they automatically bowed as they feel the presence of this scary man who’s standing beside me.

“Dalhin niyo sa kulungan, bukas ay ipapadala siya kay Queen Verena.” utos niya sa mga ito. “Siguraduhin niyong ikakandado niyo ng maayos, hindi natin alam kung ano ang kaya niyang gawin.” dagdag pa niya.

The guards nodded. “Masusunod po. Lord Severus.” oh my god! para silang nasa shooting.

Marahas akong inihagis papunta sa kanila ng itinawag nilang Diyos, agad din nila akong hinatak papasok pa sa gubat.

“Let go of me!” I shouted, then kicked the leg of the guard at my right side.

“Manahimik ka!” he said then pulled out his sword. “Tatahimik ka, o papatayin ka namin?” dagdag pa nito.

Yumuko na lamang ako dahil nakakatakot din face niya, mukha siyang adik dahil sa laki ng kaniyang mata. My feet hurts, dahil sa kanina pang paglalakad.

We stop and there was a rusty downstairs in front of us. Bumaba kami ron, and inilibot ko ang tingin sa paligid. It was a dungeon! ramdam ko ang mga mata na nakatingin sa’kin pero hindi ko sila makita dahil sa dilim.

They throw me inside a prison, locked the door then left. I quickly stood up.

“Help!” I shouted, sinundan ko sila ng tingin hanggang sa sila ay makalayo. Wala na akong lakas para sumigaw, nanginginig na rin ang mga binti ko.

Umupo ako sa sulok, at niyakap ang sarili. It’s cold here. This prison is dirty and it stinks. This can’t be happening.

Kinurot ko ang aking pisngi at napangiwi dahil sa sakit. “This is not true.” I comforted myself of the thought that this is just a dream. Matutulog ako, at paggising ay bubungad sa’kin ang galit na mukha ng mga kapatid ko dahil natulog na naman ako.

I hugged my knees and rested my chin on it. “Eli...” I whispered. “Jace...” my tears started to fell down. “Please help me...” I closed my eyes and pray. Maybe God can help me, please ibalik niyo na po ako sa bahay. I don’t want to die.

My eyes opened when I heard footstep cominh towards me. Oh my god! who is that? are they going to kill me now? Lalo kong isiniksik ang sarili ko rito sa sulok at yumuko. My heart start to beat fast as I heard the loud footsteps.

It was gone. Hindi ko muna iniangat ang aking mukha, dahil sa takot na nasa harapan ko na ito.

“Hey...” it whispered. I slowly lifted my face to see where is that voice coming from.

My blood runs cold when I saw a man who is wearing a black hooded coat. I can’t see his face clearly but he was tall, I think his height’s six feet.

“Who are you?” matapang kong tanong. But the thought that this man is going to kill me made my body trembled.

Binuksan niya ang kulungan gamit ang hawak niyang susi. Where the hell did he get that? “Let’s go. We need to hurry, Severus might come and see us. We don’t have enought time.” he spoke then open gate.

Pinilit kong tumayo pero agad na natumba dahil sa panlalambot ng binti ko. He grab my waist then pulled me, inalalayan niya ako para makatayo ng ayos.

“Are you okay?” he worriedly asked. I still can’t see his face. I just simply nodded at him. Hinayaan ko siyang alalayan ako, at naglakad kami palabas nitong underground na kulungan.

When we came at the middle of darkness and I started to panicked, paniguradong napansin niya iyon.

He lift his hand then suddenly a flame came out from his hand.

My jaw dropped. What was that?

“That’s not your real hand, r-right?” I asked, still stunned.

“Ssshhhh...” saway niya. He pulled me again, at biglang naglaho ang apoy na nanggaling sa kamay niya. “I knocked out some guards, but not all of them. Just hurry, and keep your mouth shut.” inis niyang dagdag.

He hold my wrist. If this man isn’t helping me to escape this freaking dungeon, I will surely punch him for saying that.

My hands were cold, thinking Severus might appear in front of us. Luckily, there are no guards to stop us, though we saw some of them but they’re lying on the ground like they have been ruthlessly attacked.

We silently walk into a narrowed and dark path until we reach a massive door. The stranger pushed it, at naramdaman ko ang preskong hangin na sumalubong sa’min.

“Let’s go.” he stated. Dumiretso siya sa isang itim na kabayong tila nag-aabang sa’min.

Without my permission, he grab my waist then lifted me up to ride on the horse. I startled, this is the first time I ride on a horse!

“Humawak ka.” ani nito. Tumingin-tingin ako sa gilid pero wala akong nakitang pwede kong kapitan. Kinuha niya ang dalawang kamay ko, at ipinulupot ito sa bewang niya. Oh my god! naramdaman ko ang matigas niyang abs dahil don. “Hold on tight, Princess.” he said. Unti-unti nang tumatakbo ang kabayo na siyang lalong nagpahigpit ng kamay ko sa kaniyang bewang.

Dahil sa dikit ng aming katawan ay nalanghap ko ang kaniyang amoy, and it smells familiar. I try to smell him once again.

“Do I smell good?” agad akong napalayo ng bahagya ng mapansin niya iyon.

“N-no.” sagot ko. He chuckled. “You just have a familiar scent.”

He nodded. We stayed silence for hours. But then I want to ask why did he save me, where are we going and did my brothers hired him?

What if he’s a bad guy too? I bite my lower lip with that thought.

I took a deep breathe and asked. “Where are we?”

Hindi siya sumagot. “Hey.” pagtawag ko sa kaniya pero hindi pa rin siya sumasagot.

Sungit. I just conviced myself that my brothers hired him to save me kasi kung hindi, hindi ko na rin alam ang gagawin ko dahil I don’t have any idea where on earth is this place.

I just stayed silent and didn’t bother to ask him again since he’s not answering my questions naman.

Tumingin na lamang ako sa paligid, it was very dark but I can feel that we’re in a middle of forest because I can hear birds chirpping around me.

Sobrang sariwa ng hangin. Aayain ko ang mga kapatid ko na magbakasyon sa bansang ‘to for sure ay magugustuhan nila. The castle earlier was surreal and it feels so unreal, it’s like a paradise in heaven pero kung heaven ‘to bakit may mga bad guards diba.

God, please iuwi mo na ako. I miss my brother, and please sana ay hindi na bad guy ‘tong nagligtas sa’kin.

I closed my eyes as I’m enjoying the fresh air. Tinuloy ko na rin ang pagiging behave ko, habang tumatakbo itong kabayo.