The Dream Catcher

The Dream Catcher (8)

My phone rang and I immediately picked it up. It was Ally one of my workmates.

"Hey, are you free? we're going out later for a drink." I sat down and contemplated at first but since I have nothing else to do and I don't wanna lock myself here and cry. I decided to go with them.

"Yeah sure, sounds fun." I heard her giggle out of excitement.

"Cool, see ya!" binaba ko na ang tawag at umupo sa kama. I feel empty. You know that feeling when you desperately wanted to have someone to talk to but then don't want at the same time 'cause you might add up to their burdens? It's so confusing and it's making me crazy.

I checked the time and it's already 5:00 in the afternoon. We agreed to meet 6 pm so I hurriedly got ready. Dang, I feel sleepy. I shook my head and slightly slapped my face to wake up. Pagkatapos makapag handa umalis na ako at dumiretso sa napag usapang lugar. Kakasabi ko lang na hindi na ako iinom ulit sa labas at baka gumawa nanaman ako ng kahihiyan. I'm just gonna make sure that I'm not gonna get drunk like that again.

"Paige! Finally you're here." Allan greeted me, hindi kasi ako masyado sumasama kapag may hangouts. Hindi ko lang talaga feel.

"This doesn't happen all the time, glad you came Paige!" Ally added. Ilang beses na nila akong inaaya but I kept making excuses na hindi pwede kasi may gagawin ako or pagod o kahit ano pang excuse na pwedeng gamitin maka takas lang sa mga invitations nila.

"Mabuti na nga lang this time free talaga ako." I lied and chuckled. They all laugh in unison. Napangiti naman ako saka kami nag umpisang kumain habang umiinom. I kept making sure na hindi ako masosobrahan, wala akong balak magpaka lasing today since may work tomorrow. The heaviness is still weighing in my heart and I'm trying my best to ignore it and laugh with my colleagues but the more I laugh the heavier it gets.

Half of them are already drunk, some are tipsy at may sober pa katulad ko. We've been here for 2 hours, I told them that I needed to go home 'cause my head hurts, pumayag naman agad sila kaya nagpaalam na ako.

My head doesn't really hurt, It's just an excuse to leave since gusto ko muna mapag-isa. May malapit lang na park rito kaya dumiretso ako doon. I welcomed the cold wind as it starts to embrace my body that made me shiver a little. Watching above are the stars dancing together as the moon illuminates the place. Umupo ako sa bakanteng bench and I closed my eyes and let my mind relax.

"Oh wow, the drunk lady is here." I opened my eyes and noticed na may nakaupo na pala sa tabi ko. Naka lagay sa bulsa ng jacket ang mga kamay niya habang naka pikit at naka tingala.

"Excuse me?" I answered brows furrowed. Ako ba tinatawag niyang drunk lady? He slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head on my direction.

"Yes." I stared at him confused and I saw him smiled as if he read what's on my mind.

"Yes, I called you drunk lady." nagulat ako, did I say that out loud? Paano niya nalaman?

"I can see it in your expression and if you're thinking maybe I could read your mind, the answer is I can't. Halata lang sa mukha mo." I gave him a pissed-off look and he started laughing. Baliw ba 'to? pero sandali, kilala niya ako?

"Why are you calling me drunk lady then? " but then I realized something. I gasped and dramatically covered my mouth "Ikaw 'yong umalalay sa akin noong gabing nalasing ako?" bigla akong nakaramdam ng hiya when he just nodded at ibinalik ang tingin sa harapan.

"It's okay, you don't need to feel embarrassed. Lahat naman tayo kapag nalasing na ilalabas ang totoong saloobin." He answered without looking at me at inayos ang salamin niya.

"Thank you..." I lowered my head and starts fidgeting.

"You're welcome!" I heard him say. Tahimik lang kaming nakaupo, surprisingly it wasn't awkward at all kahit hindi kami nag uusap. For the first time in a long time, I felt this again. The only person I never felt the need to talk to when we were together is Yesha and just by mentioning her name, the weight in my heart got heavier. Parang anytime sasabog na ito.

"You know when you feel sad or hurt the best way of relieving it is if not by talking it out, then it's by crying it all out." he broke the silence, and as if on cue my tears starts streaming down from my eyes. Wala na akong paki kung nakikita niya ako, gusto ko lang mailabas lahat ng 'to. I started sobbing as I clenched my chest 'cause it hurts so bad. It really hurts.

He never said anything, he didn't leave either he just let me cry until I slowly felt good. Parang naibsan ng kahit konti ang bigat na nararamdaman ko. I saw him extended his arm and offered me his handkerchief still looking straight ahead. Tinanggap ko ito at nag pasalamat.

"How do you feel?" he asked still not looking at me.

"A little bit good." I answered honestly.

"That's good." this time he turned his head in my direction and gave me a smile, I smiled back.

"Thank you again for helping me the other day and for this handkerchief. Umm isasauli ko 'to sayo kapag nalabhan ko na." saad ko at itinaas ang panyo niya.

"No need, it's yours just use it whenever you felt like crying." I opened my mouth but closes it again. Tumango nalang ako. Napatayo ako nang makita ang oras, it's almost 11 pm, may trabaho pa ako bukas.

"Thank you again but I really need to go home, late na eh." inayos ko ang damit at gamit ko.

"Thank me again." napalingon naman ako sa kaniya nang naguguluhan.

"Huh?" I asked really confuse.

"Thank me again." pag uulit niya rito. Naguguluhan man pero ginawa ko na lang din.

"Umm thank you." he smiled and stood

"That thank you is for me, driving you home, right now." I waved both my hands telling him no need for that gesture.

"Hindi na kailangan, kaya ko na." I faked laugh.

"Ikaw na nagsabi, It's already late. Kaya tara na." Hindi pa man din ako nakasagot ay naglakad na siya at dahil madilim na rin naman at nakakapagod ng mag commute sumunod nalang ako. If he didn't took advantage of me when I was drunk, mas lalo naman siguro ngayong sober ako diba?

Naka sandal lang ako sa bintana ng sasakyan niya fighting the urge to fall asleep pero mukhang anytime bibigay na ang mga mata ko.

I opened my eyes and panicked seeing my surroundings. It's pitched black. Nasaan ako? My heart was beating so fast like a horse's gallops, parang gusto na nitong lumabas. Dahil sa takot mabilis akong tumakbo hindi ko alam kung saan basta't tumakbo lang ako ng tumakbo, I cried thinking that I might be having my nightmare again. Oh God the shadow, kailangan ko magising bago pa man ito magpakita, I kept running but it's useless dahil mas humahaba lang ang daan at ngayon ay umiiyak na ako and again I screamed for help kahit alam kong walang makakarinig. I stopped, trying to catch my breath. Thunder roared and lightning starts striking everywhere. I covered my ears and shut my eyes while I remained crouching screaming in fear. I can feel it he's here.. Pero bago ko pa man din ito makita nakaramdam ako ng sobrang lamig sa kamay ko...

I woke up gasping for air while still crying, I felt suffocated. Hindi ako makahinga. I felt warm hands cupping my face.

"Hey, hey look at me. It's okay, you're awake. Deep breaths, empty your mind, you're in reality now, and no one can harm you." I nodded repeatedly and starts breathing slowly. Nang mahimasmasan, he offered to assist me until I reach my unit. Hindi na ako umangal dahil sobrang nanghihina ako. I can't feel my body at all, I'm walking but I can't feel my legs.

We entered my unit and I asked him to take me directly to my room. My mind is messed up that it didn't occur to me I'm letting a man inside my room. Everything is messed up para maisip ko pa 'yon gusto ko lang humiga, hanggang ngayon nanginginig pa rin ako. Ininom ko ang tubig na nasa table ko lang and breathed hard hanggang sa mahimasmasan na ako.

I saw how he stared at the dreamcatcher hanging above my bed and how his eyes trailed off the book Nathan wrote. Kinuha niya ito at pinagmasdan. Baka inaakala niya ng baliw ako at naniniwala sa mga ganyan.

"Uhh... It's not that I believe stuff like that. I umm... I just like the genre, fantasy and I happened to work at a publishing company at isa ako sa nag publish niyan. It's an interesting story kaya bumili ako." God I sounded so defensive.

"It's ironic how you say you don't believe in these stuff when you have a dreamcatcher hanging above your bed." he stated while still examining the book, I bit my lower lip. Ibinaling niya ang tingin sa akin at ngumiti and he extended his arm.

"I'm Nathan Lloyd by the way, the author of this book." my jaw dropped, and couldn't process what he just said. Holy s**t!

"Paige..." tanging nasabi ko na lang. He's here in front of me. I can ask him about the nightmares pero hindi ako makapag salita, hindi ko alam paano sisimulan.

"I noticed what happened earlier and I want you to tell me all about it but not tonight. You're exhausted and you need plenty of rest. You don't have to worry tho, you won't get nightmares here. You're protected." and again it felt like he read what's on my mind. Gusto kong sabihin lahat pero wala akong lakas.

Tumango lang ako sa kanya saka humiga ng maayos. Natatakot ako but I believe in him, if he says I'm protected here then maybe I really am.

"If you're free tomorrow magkita tayo ulit sa park na 'yon same time and same bench. I'll be waiting..." hindi ko na alam kung umalis na ba siya after niya sabihin yon. Ang huling nakita ko ay lumabas siya ng kwarto at isinara ito sabay ng pag sara ng mga mata ko..