Vampire's Pathos

Blood 17

Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari 'to..

Pero nakita ko nalang yung sarili ko na nakaupo sa isang table, sa loob ng cafeteria, kasama si Rion at dalawang taong hindi ko inaasahang makasama sa lugar na 'to.

Everyone's stare was directly focused on our table, and I grew more and more uncomfortable each second.

Well, laman ng mga balita ang lahat ng tao na nakaupo dito.

Me, who just transferred almost a month ago.

Aerovan, who is strangely popular with the girls.

Rion, who actually has the money to buy the whole school..

And this new girl that has everyone gossiping about her sudden appearance.

Masayang kumakain yung bagong lipat na babae na nasa harap ko, while Aerovan who was just beside her was staring into space.

He would look at us from time to time, pero minsan ipipikit nalang niya yung mga mata niya na parang ayaw niya kaming makita.

Si Rion naman na nasa tabi ko..

It looks like he was somehow regretting that he even asked.

Alam kong hindi na rin siya komportable sa sitwasyon na 'to.

At ito naman ako, pinipilit na kinakain yung pagkain na nakalagay sa harapan ko. We were silent for a few moments more, bago nagsalita yung bagong babae.

"Are you friends?"

Napatingin ako sa babae at napatingin ako kay Rion, at napatingin din siya sa akin.

She must be talking about us two..

"I guess.. you could say that." Si Rion na yung sumagot para sa aming dalawa at napatango tango nalang yung babae.

"I'm sure I already introduced myself earlier since we're classmates, right? Pero hindi naman siguro masamang ulitin." Nakangiti niyang sambit, at dahan dahan niya binaba yung kutsara at tinidor na hawak hawak niya.

She clears her throat, and looks at us once more.

"I am Jillian Zanthrea Cress, and please call me by my last name."

I almost thought that that was everything she had to say, but not before continuing where she left off.

"I am also Kian's fiancée."

Parang nagkaroon nang g**o sa loob ng cafeteria nung natapos magsalita si Cress.

Paanong hindi?

The way she said it was loud enough for everyone to hear, na parang minamarkahan na niya yung teritoryo niya. At ito naman ako na hindi ko maintindihan yung nangyayari.

Aerovan is her fiancé?

Then, paano nangyaring hindi maganda yung relasyon ng pamilya nila sa isa't isa?

Sobrang naguguluhan ako, at napatingin nalang ako kay Rion nung siya yung sunod na nagsalita.

"Congratulations."

I saw an awkward smile on Rion's face, at nahalata kong wala na siyang ibang maisip na sabihin kaya ayon nalang yung lumabas sa bibig niya.

Magsasalita pa sana si Cress, but then bigla namang tumayo si Aerovan sa kinauupuan niya, at sinamaan nang tingin si Cress bago siya tuluyang umalis.

"Mukhang nagalit siya dahil sa sinabi ko.." Matawa tawang sinabi ni Cress sa harap namin ni Rion, at napatayo nalang din siya sa upuan niya.

"Let's continue this next time."

She smiled sweetly, before finally running off and following Aerovan who was making his way out of the cafeteria.

I'd rather not talk to her again.

Baka mamamatay pa ako nang maaga kapag dumikit pa siya sa akin ulit.

Napatingin ako kay Rion na napabuntong hininga sa tabi ko, and he looks at me in return.. Bago siya umiwas ng tingin.

"Is there something between you and Aerovan?"

I asked straight to the point since I wasn't that type of person na paligoy ligoy, and Rion knows that.

Nakita ko naman sa mukha ni Rion na parang hinihintay niya lang akong magsalita tungkol doon, and he just looks away from me.

Not giving me any answers.

Is this also something he isn't supposed to give any answers to?

I was the one who sighed this time, at napatayo na ako sa upuan. "I never said you had to answer." Ani ko naman sa kanya, and he turns his head to look at me now.

I showed him a small smile, at aalis na sana para makabalik sa classroom, pero nakaramdam ako na may humawak sa pala-pulsuhan ko.

Napalingon ako kaagad kay Rion, and I saw his hand on my wrist, stopping me from leaving.

"I still haven't told you anything at all.. but if I finally do.. just promise me one thing.."

I felt a lot of emotions in his voice even though he spoke low enough for just the two of us to hear. Pero isang emosyon lang ang nangingibabaw sa lahat..

He was afraid of something..

"'Wag mo akong iwan." 

"Oh, so maid ka pala dito?"

I nodded silently as I guided Cress to her room, which was my former one.. Kaya alam na alam ko yung daan papunta dito.

I was wearing a maid uniform in the colors of black and white, at tahimik lang akong naglalakad sa likod ng babaeng nasa harap ko ngayon.

Habang naglalakad, hindi ko talaga matanggal sa utak ko yung mga sinabi ni Rion.

"'Wag mo akong iwan."

Of course it was weird.

There's not a lot of people who would tell you not to leave, and judging by the way he told me..

He was serious.

Gaano ba kabigat yung dala niyang sekreto para sabihan ako na 'wag siyang iwan? I mean.. what was it? And why does he think that I'll leave when I finally know something?

"Arella? Nasaan na dito yung kwarto ko?"

Napatigil ako sa pag iisip nung biglang tinawag ni Cress yung pangalan ko, and my mind was quickly dragged back to reality.

"It's this way." Maikli kong naisagot at naglakad ako papunta sa pinto ng magiging kwarto niya. 

And I opened the door for her.

"I will be taking my leave. Kung may iba pa po kayong kailangan, you can call someone from the telephone inside the room."

I bowed my way out of this one, at hinihintay ko nalang siyang pumasok sa loob ng kwarto.

And I tried not to show it, pero sa mga oras na 'to.

Kinakabahan ako.

It's like.. she was just waiting..

I immediately froze on my spot when she looked at me, at naramdaman kong hindi na ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko.

Just like what happened with Ren..

"Why are you here?"

Tanong niya sa akin, and unlike the first time that I experienced this.. I was able to speak..

Kaya naman sinabi ko kung ano yung dapat kong sabihin.

"I was treated as a payment for my parents' debt to the Aerovans."

I saw her narrow her eyes at me as if she was doubting whatever I had said, at nagsalita siya mag isa.

"Arella is an influential family, and to think na my utang sila sa pamilya ni Kian.. Anong nangyari?" I knew it.

Kilalang pangalan ang apelyido ko.

She's bound to find that everything is a lie sooner or later. Parang plinano ko lang yung magiging hukay ko dahil sa pagsunod ko sa mga sinasabi ni Kean.

And that's what I thought..

Kaya naman nagulat ako sa sunod niyang mga sinabi.

"But she's under my hypnosis, so there's no way she's lying."

I was thankful that I couldn't make any expressions on my face because of the hypnosis she put on me. Kasi kung nag iba yung itsura ko matapos niyang sabihin 'yon, then that would've surely gave everything away.

If this was a hypnosis, then why am I in my right mind?

"At ito pang akong siguradong may nalalaman siya." Nakita ko siyang napahawak sa ulo niya, at mula sa likod ko, may narinig kaming nagsalita.

"Jillian, anong ginagawa mo sa bagong katulong ha?" Nakita kong nag iba yung timpla ng mukha ni Cress, at napansin ko naman na pamilyar yung boses nung nagsalita.

Don't tell me..

"Kei, what are you doing here?"

Naramdaman kong tumaas yung balahibo sa katawan ko nung may naramdaman akong kamay sa balikat ko. At nangingibabaw na yung kagustuhan kong makaalis para alisin yung kamay ng lalaki na 'to sa balikat ko.

But after a few seconds with his hand on my shoulders, nagtaka ako nung may nagsalita sa utak ko.

"Play dumb."

Did Ren do this?

Nakita ko nalang na napabuntong hininga si Cress, and with a snap of her fingers, I could feel the spell being lifted.

At nagsalita naman kaagad siya.

"Thanks. I'll see you later."

Nakangiti niyang sinabi na parang hindi siya mukhang nainis kanina, kaya naman napayuko nalang ako bilang pagsang-ayon sa mga sinabi niya, and she finally went inside the room.

Akala ko huling salita ko na yung mga lumabas sa bibig ko kanina..

Inalis na ni Ren yung kamay niya sa balikat ko, at napatingin ako sa kanya, and he did the same.

"Tara na."

"Huh?"

Nagtaka ako sa sinabi niya kasi hindi ko talaga maintindihan.

Anong ibig sabihin niyang tara na?

"I need to get to you out of here." Get me out?

Nagulat nalang ako nung hinawakan niya yung kamay ko, at hinatak ako papalapit sa kanya.

"Sandali-"

Naputol yung sasabihin ko nung niyakap niya ako, at nang mangyari 'yon, ay agad ko naman siyang tinulak palayo.

"What did you mean by that?" Tanong ko sa kanya, and I looked up to him, and for some strange reason..

Naramdaman kong hindi lang kami yung natatanging tao sa lugar na 'yon. Hindi ko kinailangang maging matalino para makita ko na wala na kami sa hallway kung nasaan kami kanina lang.

"Wow, a secret love affair."

Napalingon ako kaagad sa likod ko nung marinig ko yung boses, at nakita ko nga kung sino yung nagmamay ari no'n.

Kean Aerovan.

And he was not the only one inside the room.

While he was sitting on the table, his brother was standing beside it. At sa tabi naman ng kapatid niya, ay may isang lalaki pang nakatayo.

And on the other side of the room kung saan mayroong sofa, may nakaupong babae at isa pang lalaki.

At lahat sila ay nakatingin sa amin.

"Crude as always."

Napatingin ako sa babae nung siya yung sunod na nagsalita, at dinugtungan naman kaagad nung katabi niya.

"Hindi ko talaga maisip kung bakit niya nagagawa 'yon." Ani nung lalaki at hinawi niya yung buhok niya, bago sunod na nagsalita yung katabi ni Aerovan.

"You're still too young to think about that, Lucifer." Unti unti na silang nagkakaroon ng sariling diskusyon, at ako naman 'tong nagtataka sa pinag uusapan nila.

"He's fifty years old you know."

Sagot naman kaagad ni Kean, at napatingin ako ulit doon sa lalaking katabi ni Aerovan.

"That's still too young." Fifty years old is young?

Well, it's vampires we're talking about...

"I didn't do it to her. There, happy?" Naiinis na nagsalita si Ren sa likod ko at natigil na silang lahat sa pag uusap, and they turned their attention to me once again.

"Alam namin 'yan, there's no way you would touch what isn't yours." Nagsalita yung tinawag na Lucifer, at sunod na nagsalita yung babae na nasa tabi niya.

"We were talking about you entirely, hindi lang yung mga nagawa mo."

Nang aasar nitong sabi, and she even stuck her tongue out para mas lalong inisin si Ren.

"Did she notice anything?"

Nag iba kaagad yung awra ng buong lugar nung biglang nagtanong si Aerovan, and everybody went silent.

At si Ren ang sumagot sa tanong niya.

"No. She was doubtful, pero sa tingin ko gumana naman yung plano." Plano? Yun ba yung plano na magpapanggap ako bilang katulong?

In the first place, bakit ba ako magpapanggap?

Just because I'm a rare kind?

Ano bang mangyayari kapag nalaman niya kung ano talaga ako? I really want to know.

"For some reason, your plan worked. At buti naman nagawa niyong magtulungan." Napatayo yung isang lalaki na nasa sofa, and he looks over to the girl on his side.

And judging from what the guy said, mukhang hindi maganda yung pakikitungo ni Ren at nung babae sa isa't isa.

"Of course, it's for Kian after all." The girl proudly stated, na parang sinasamba niya yung buong pagkatao ni Aerovan at ito naman ako na hindi malaman kung ano yung plinano nila.

They're careful enough not to give enough details.

Kaya wala akong mapagtagpi tagpi na ideya kung ano yung naging plano, at kung paano ako nasa tamang pag iisip nung ginamit ni Cress yung kapangyarihan niya sa akin.

"I've already taken care of her family, kaya wala na tayong problema doon."

Nagulat ako sa sinabi ni Kean, at mukhang napansin naman niya 'yon at nagsalita siya ulit.

What did he mean about my family?

"Don't worry, we didn't kill them. Magkakaroon lang ng problema kapag nangyari 'yan." He smiled as he crossed his arms, and slowly laid his back on his chair. It's not like I couldn't careless what will happen to my parents, pero mas inaalala ko kung ano yung mangyayari sa akin kapag namatay sila. 

During this moment, dito ko lang napansin na sobrang dali lang nilang sabihin na kaya nilang pumatay.

If killing you is a benefit for them, I don't even think they'll have any second thoughts about doing it.

It's like human lives don't even matter to them.

Pero hindi naman nila kailangan bigyan ng pake hindi ba? They weren't humans after all.

They are ruthless, cruel, bloodthirsty..

Vampires.

"Well, now that's that.. Let me introduce you to them." Nagsalita na naman si Kean, at nagsimula nga siyang ipakilala yung mga bagong mukhang nakita ko doon sa loob ng kwarto.

"The only the girl over there is, Franchesca Evangeline Iris II, and the man beside him is Lucifer Trei Evans."

Tumuro naman si Kean sa pwesto nila, at napayuko yung lalaki sa akin, habang yung babae naman parang kinikilatis ako.

Parang hindi na ako magtataka kung magkakaroon ng galit sa akin 'tong babae na 'to.

"I'm sure you already know Kei, so that only leaves Haven Rein Cress." This time, he looked over to his brother's side, at nagkatinginan kami nung lalaking katabi ni Aerovan.

He's a Cress?

What's another Cress doing here? How is he related to Jillian Cress?

"Mas gugustuhin ko sanang tawagin niya tayo sa mga pangalan natin, since she's probably going to meet more and more of us along the way. Wala naman na sigurong aangal no?"

The way Kean asked them was like he wasn't going to accept no as an answer.

Wala naman nang nagsalita pa na kahit isa sa kanila, at lalong lumaki yung ngiti sa mukha ni Kean.

"Well then, I officially welcome you.. to our very own clan."

My forehead creased in confusion because of what he said, at napaisip ako.

Very own.. clan?

"Aequalis."