Nefarious

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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He was dragging the deer on its antlers, its blood coating the forest floor and turning the stones into rubies. Birds flew away from his direction like his footsteps made the naked earth shiver. Only something was missing: his cape that was supposed to grace the steps he leaves behind. The same cape that was now on my shoulders.

I watched him find the perfect spot where the animal would lay to rest until eternity, where worms would feast on its rotting flesh and nothing but bones would remain.

His name suited him. Loyal. Steadfast. Devoted. No other name would suit him and the undying grace in his movements.

"Konstantine," I whispered his name again, tasting the solemnity it carried that I almost broke apart with the shudder that ran up to my chest and down to my fingertips.

He didn't belong here to this town of nowhere.

The night would welcome him deeply and infinitely. To let him rule its children and the dark creatures, even the moon herself and her descendants. But as I looked at him through the shadows, I figured the night couldn't quite fulfill the honor he carried on his shoulders. He's a wild animal on a hunt at night but the day should praise him like I do. He belonged not in a dead town but to a place where he would rule and conquer.

Konstantine, in his prowess and grandness, was a man that was made to sit on a throne.

Ang kalangitan ay mas lalo pang nagdilim. Tuluyan na ngang umalis ang araw dahil may pwersa pang mas malakas dito sa hapong ito. Nanatili akong nakaupo sa ibabaw ng malaking bato kaharap ang sarili sa nananalaming lawa, nagpapatuyo ng katawan sa pamamagitan ng nakapatong na kapa sa aking mga balikat.

Bawat trenta segundong nakatingin sa tubig ay aahon ito para hanapin ang malaking bulto ng anino sa mga puno, palipat-lipat at pinipinsala ang lupa.

Hinayaan ko si Konstantine at hinayaan niya rin ako.

Sa ilang minutos ay naging sa akin ang mundo. Mababa ang mga ulap, nakalatag ang tubig at nakapalibot ang mga puno. Ilang saglit kong pinaranas sa sarili kung paano ba talaga ang mabuhay. Dahil hindi magiging sapat ang araw-araw na pagbangon at gabi-gabing pagtulog sa ilang dekadang paglalakad sa ibabaw ng mundo kung hindi rin lang hihinto at titingnan ang paligid.

Sometimes, life needed to stop and breathe. And feel. To really, really feel.

When we no longer have nothing left to give, these occasional stops in life might help from stopping life itself. We humans needed it more than we would ever know.

"Konstantine?" I called after a couple of minutes.

Instantly, the rustling of leaves stopped. Even the smell of loam heavily lingering in the air stilled. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the dark forest, Konstantine eventually appearing from the thin shadows.

It might be the darkness of the wood or his black ensemble but a ray from the last light managed to slide its way through the thick branches of the trees. It was enough for me to see his bloodshot eyes ceasing any movement to give me all its attention.

"Uuwi na muna ako dahil dumidilim na rin. Kailan ko nang maghanda ng hapunan." Tinuro ko ang natatanaw na maliit na bahay sa hindi kalayuan.

Nakakamangha dahil parang dalawa ang klima sa hapong ito. Nahahati sa gitna kung saan naroon kami sa dilim at kulog samantalang ang aking bahay ay nasa liwanag at nagtatampisaw sa hangin.

At the foot of the mountain, my house stood where the light still touches the ground. It would only be a couple of minutes when it would match the dark clouds from where we were situated. Aside from preparing dinner, I also wanted to make sure that my gardening tools for tomorrow were all set. I was thinking of fixing my front yard.

Nanatiling nakatingin sa akin si Konstantine.

Napangiti ako sa loob-loob ko dahil hindi na isang lalaki o estranghero ang tawag ko sa kaniya. Kayang-kaya ko na siyang tawagin kahit may ginagawa ako o siya. O kung kailan ko lang gusto o baka kahit hindi gusto.

"Bye..." I slightly waved my hand in the air.

I could feel his eyes gripping my entirety as I tried to hop off the boulder. The large, slippery rock was a bit tricky to climb down but I managed nonetheless. His eyes burning with something so raw and unnameable was the only thing that wiped out the warmth I felt within the comfort of his cape. Shuddering, I gave one last wave and left.

Madilim-dilim na rin nang makabalik ako sa bahay. Halos tuyo na rin ang damit ko dahil hindi naman na ako lumusong pa noong nakaraang mga oras. Napangiwi ako dahil natuyuan ang likod ko at baka magkasakit.

It was ironic. I was already dying but I was slightly annoyed of catching colds or flu.

Kaya minabuti kong maligo muna sa labas at para na rin maglinis ng katawan. Pagkatapos maligo ay tuluyan na akong naglaba ng mga damit at inayos na rin ang mga kakailanganin para bukas. Paniguradong dadaan ako ulit kina Gianna para bumili ng mga bulaklak.

I was thinking of trying to grow a bed of white roses so at least there would be flowers when death would come at me all of a sudden. Maybe even red or the easiest one to grow so my house would at least look like someone was living in it. Or dying in it.

Napamura ako nang nasa harapan na ng pinto. Wala akong susi na nakagawiang binubunot mula sa bulsa. Binalikan ko ang mga sampay pero ang bulsa ng maong na shorts ay walang laman. Wala rin akong natandaang nahulog o nakapa noong nilalabhan ko.

I looked up at the darkening sky and swore again. The lake was already my prospect where I might have lost my keys.

Kahit na malapit nang kumagat ang dilim ay napwersa akong bumalik sa lawa.

Unlike earlier, the forest had an eerie silence to it. Everything was slowly turning dark, and the mist was already threatening to flood the damp soil. The hidden paradise of the silver-blue lake lost its glory to the ruthlessness of the night. Only the reflection of the setting sun remained, the dying embers dancing on the lake's surface.

Hindi na maganda ang tumatakbo sa isip ko. Kung nalaglag ba habang naglalakad ako papunta rito o noong pabalik. At ang masama pa ay kung nalaglag nga ang susi sa lawa. Bukod sa mahirap maghanap sa tubig at putik ay nagsisimula nang dumilim.

Movements caught my eyes, my body hurling towards its direction.

There was a much bigger and darker shadow under the cold confines of the dead trees. The spot was familiar because it was where I had last seen Konstantine. Unti-unti akong naglakad patungo sa gumagawa ng kung anong ingay. Ang malaking anino ay naging klaro sa aking paningin hanggang sa nabuo ang matangkad at malapad na katawan ni Konstantine, ang kapa ay nakakabit na ngayon sa balikat.

He was muttering something incomprehensible, the smoothness of voice going over my head like a harsh metallic whisper. The thick accent mixed with his deep baritone was scraping the insides of my skull in the most addicting way.

The words he whispered to the rotting soil was like an oath, words closely sounding like Latin.

"Konstantine?" marahan kong tawag.

Tumigil ang malalambing na mga bulong. Tumayo ito nang maayos, ang buong taas ay nagiging ebidente. Inayos niya ang mga damit bago ako tuluyang hinarap.

"My lady," he greeted, slightly bowing like always.

Napatingin ako sa niyuyukuan niyang pwesto kanina. Nang ibalik ko ang mga mata sa kaniya ay kumikintab ang mga mata nito sa dumidilim na langit. Para bang kanina pa niya alam na paparating na ako at walang bahalang haharap kung saan man maabutan.

"Anong ginagawa mo? Bakit hindi ka pa umuuwi?"

"Yes, I was staying here for a bit. I needed to bless the land of the dead first before leaving it to rot. Don't want it rising out of its cage and running around town," he grinned as he explained, his surprisingly sharp incisors showing.

"Uhh. Okay..." kibit-balikat ko sabay linga-linga sa paligid.

"And you? What are you doing here? Is sneaking around the forest at night one of your guilty pleasures?"

Bahagya akong natawa sabay iling. "Nawawala ang susi ng bahay ko. Hinahanap ko dahil baka nalaglag ko rito kanina."

Pwede ko namang sirain ang kandado kung hindi ko lang sana pinalitan noong nakaraang linggo. Malayo pa naman ang bintana para maabot sana ang pinto kapag binasag.

"Do you want my help? It's already getting dark. Someone like you shouldn't wander so much at night. It hides everything you don't want to see at day." Konstantine lazily drawled. 

"Uhh..." Tumingin ako sa dumidilim na langit. 

Malapit lang naman ang bahay ko at baka naririto lang sa gilid ang susi. Kung aabalahin ko pa siya ay siya naman ang gagabihin pabalik. Pero kung lagi kaming madalas magkita rito sa gubat ay sa isang lokasyon lang naman ang naiisip kong pwede niyang tirhan.

And he perfectly fitted in it. I just didn't want to admit to it myself.

"H-Hindi na siguro," tango ko.

"No?" His lips curved upwards like it was taunting me. Napanguso ako. He nodded and lightly bowed. "If that is what you desire but if you change your mind, I take it you already know where to find me."

I remained silent once again, judging the evil glint in his eyes that was telling me that he perfectly knew what I was thinking about. 

That I was starting to think that maybe he was the master of the nearby castle. With how he dresses, talks, and moves, I doubted he preferred to live in a small, dingy house that was the standard here in Legada.

Pinanood ko ang kaniyang paglayo, ang bawat yapak sa lupa ay kapalit naman ng isang lingon sa akin. Kumaway na lang ako.

About half of an hour of searching, the forest was already dark and haunting that I was left with no choice but to return home and spend the night outside again. But I had another idea in mind.

Maybe I could ask for Konstantine's help but that would also prove my theory that a man like him was indeed living in a haunted castle. The thought was ridiculous but I must be losing my mind.

Shaking my head, I looked back at my house behind. But before I even knew it, I was already breaking into a run towards the heart of the dark forest where the castle was.