Shades Of Black

Chapter 6. A Picture

P  H  O  E  X  E

. . . 

"What are you talking about?" kinakabahan kong tanong, sinubukan kong hindi magparamdam ng kahit anong takot sa titig niya.

"Oh? Nagkamali ba ako?" inosente pa nitong tanong. Napatingin ako sa kamay nito na nasa steering wheel pa rin, he's tapping it patiently.

I forced a laugh to hide my nervousness, nakatitig pa rin kasi ito sa akin.

"I actually thought that you're going to ask for my full name before asking for my hobby first. Wow, that caught me off guard." I said, as if I could change the topic.

He nodded then break his stare at me. His jaw clenched and for a second, I saw a glimpse of darkness in his eyes.

"H-hey," now, my anxiety affects my voice. "May problema ba?"

"You really can't remember, huh?" he asked, not looking at my eye.

"Ano? Anong hindi ko matandaan?" nagsisimula na akong maguluhan sa mga kinikilos niya at sa mga sinasabi niya sa akin. I don't like this feeling. And with just one thought, I felt my system's going to explode by the sudden doubt... "Are you. . ."

Are you Epiales?

Lumingon ito sa akin nang may nakakunot na noo. I thought my eyes were betraying me for seeing pain in his eyes but then when he blinked, it was gone.

"Let's go." 

Tahimik lang kami nang makapasok kami sa isang restaurant na hindi ko naman kilala. Wala na akong oras malaman pa dahil hanggang ngayon binabagabag pa rin ako sa mga kinilos ni Henry. Nang tanungin naman niya ako ng order ko ay tinuro ko na lang kung anong una kong makita.

"I'm sorry about my sudden action earlier." he smile which was kinda off to me, "Alam ko na kasi ang pangalan mo, hindi ko na kailangang magtanong pa."

"Paano? Are you a pyschic?" natatawang sabi ko at sinandal ang aking likod sa upuan.

"Bakit, ikaw hindi?"

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ganoon ang daloy ng usapan namin kung kaya't ilang segundo kaming nakatingin lang sa isa't isa. What the hell was this feeling?

I fake a cough and break our stare.

"So why don't we make it as normal as what it seems? I'm Phoexe Dwight Eren, and you are?" I said before lending my hand at him. He looked at it for a while before shaking it with his.

"Orion John Henry,"

"Henry? That's your surname?" tanong ko pa.

"No,"

"Edi hindi 'yun yung buo. Anong apelyido mo?"

"Delacroix,"

"French," I muttered, "Half pinoy ka pala."

Sabay na lang kaming tumango kaya doon ko lang naramdaman ang awkward ng pag-uusap namin. Hanggang sa dumating na 'yung inorder namin. The presentation of the food is exquisite, however, I don't know what kind of food is this.

Ugh, bakit ba wala akong mga alam sa mga ganito? Oh well, wala rin akong interes na alamin ang mamahaling pagkain. Sayang lang sa pera. Katulad na lang ng kotse ni Henry.

Nagsimula na kaming kumain, tahimik lang. Doon lang ako nagkaroon ng panahon na tumingin sa paligid. Muntik pa akong masamid nang makita kong puro couple ang nandito. What? Bakit dito pa kami kumain? Is this really a date?

"It's not." he suddenly said without looking at me.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Bakit?"

"Wala."

Umiling na lang ako dahil bigla-bigla na lang siyabg nagsasalita. Nang mangalahati ko na ang pagkain ko ay nakaramdam na ako ng pagkabusog kaya naman minabuti ko na lang na mas tanungin na lang siya.

"Hindi ka mukhang kidnapper," bulong ko.

"Because I'm not."

"Bakit mo ginawa 'yon kung hindi?" I leaned on the table while his gaze was focused on his food.

"I was hiding from someone. . . Well, actually catching someone."

"Bakit kailangang kasama ako?" depensa ko pa habang nakakunot ang noo.

He shrugged with his innocent eyes.

"Come on, hindi ako matatahimik dito."

He heaved a deep sighed  and I thought he's going to answer but I just get scared when I saw his jaw clenched then he looked away.

"It's because of Epiales."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi nito, hinintay ko na magsalita pa ulit siya dahil alam kong may dapat pa siyang sabihin.

How did he know him?

"Who's Epiales?" I played dumb.

If the man in front of me was really Epiales and he was just playing a trick on me. I must not get trapped on his illusions. I told no one about Epiales and it was clear that he and I was the only one who knew our secrets, not even this guy who was claiming that he was catching Epiales.

There must be a foul play here, I must not take my guard off.

"Don't play dumb." he said as if he was reading my mind. I tried to hide my surprise expression when he suddenly put an envelope in the table. Tinignan ko 'yon at napalunok ako nang makita ko kung ano ito.

It was Epiales' letter. Binuksan niya 'yon at nakita ko ang nakataob na picture at 'yung yellow paper.

How the hell did he get that?

"I've seen it in your bag,"

In my bag? Is he serious, I never put that letter on my bag. It was safely hidden in my cabinet. He must be kiddin' me.

"Walang ganyan sa bag ko." Sabi ko, pinanatili ko na inosente ang boses ko. Hindi ako nagpahalata ng kaba o panginginig.

He pursed his lips then grab the letters and the picture. Nakatalikod ang picture sa akin pero naiimagine ko na kung anong nakalagay dito.

"Maganda ka raw pala magdrawing." sabi pa nito nang may patango-tango pa habang binabasa ang nakalagay doon.

"Paano mo nalaman ang tungkol sa sketch book ko?" matalim kong tanong, para bang kapwa naming tinigil ang pag-ubos ng pagkain sa harap namin.

"It was said here."

"Ah," I sat motionless.

"Pwede ko bang makita 'yung mga drawing mo? I'm just curious." he looked at me in the eye and even if it's intense, I bare with it to look like I wasn't lying. I saw his small smile.

"Ayoko,"

"Come on, I'm just going to compare it  with this." itinaas niya pa ang larawan. Napatingin naman ako sa paligid, kung meron bang nakatingin sa amin, lalong-lalo na sa picture na hawak nito.

"Ayoko nga sabi." madiing sabi ko at kinuha ang wine glass na merong tubig.

"Bakit kailangang ganito ang ulo nito?" he mumbled—as if teasing me—while he was looking at the picture.

"I swear, if someone sees that picture—"

"What?" I halted from talking when I realize what I said. He leaned on the table and put down the picture, "What will happen if they sees your picture, Ms. Eren?"

Nakatingin lang ako sa may picture at ngayon ay hindi ko na mapigil ang panginginig ng kamay ko kaya naman hinawakan ko ito para matigil.

Ako 'yung nasa picture. Isang picture ng portrait sketch ng babae, and the girl was me in messy hair with knitted eyebrow and pierce eyes.

Mas lalo lang kumunot ang noo ko nang marinig ko ang mababa nitong pagtawa, pinipigilan niya na hindi ngumiti kaya mas lalo lang akong nakaramdam ng awkward at napaka-creepy na niya talaga.

"If you really don't know anything about him then you'll be eager to look at this picture in the first place when I mentioned that I'm going to compare it with yours. If your sketches were just normal portrait—or maybe beautiful landscape—, then you'll talk more about your hobbies. If it's a normal artist, he'll be happy that his artwork came in real life, they'll have the curiosity and amusement in their eyes. But yours," napalunok ako sa titig nito, hindi ko na maialis ng tingin ko, "Your eyes were daze as they stare at me. It seems like you were surprise and confuse."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita sa sinabi nito. Naiwas ko lang ang aking tingin nang makita kong ngumiti ito sa akin.

"Your words are contradicting your actions. I was actually amazed at your stare at me, are you challenging me? Are you thinking that I will never know that you were lying to me?" kinuyom ko ang aking kamao dahil sa panginginig.

"You have the strength to tell me that I was the one who's lying when in fact, you're the one who lied that you get that letter on my bag." I spit the words in annoyance.

He tilted his head that makes me flinched on my seat.

"How do you know that I was lying, Ms. Eren?"

Oh sht. Anong nasabi ko?! Napapikit ako sa inis at umiwas ng tingin.

"Are you expecting something. . . horibble in this picture that's why you don't want me to see your sketch? Was that the reason why you look like cursing me when I waved this picture higher? Are you scared that everyone sees your sketch?" he leaned on the table and stared intently at me.

Am I being cornered by this guy's stare?

"This letter was written for me. I was just testing you if you also got a letter like this. Prior that you were the woman in the picture."

Ilang segundo akong hindi nakapagsalita. Pabalik-balik ang tingin ko sa kaniya, sa picture at sa letter. I was about to reach the yellow paper to read it but he immediately grab it away from the table.

"You don't need to read it." he swiftly put it on his pocket, and even folded it neatly before doing so.

"What did he told you?" I asked in low voice

"Does your question proves that you also got a letter?" he asked innocently, and the next thing I knew was that the letter was nowhere to be found in our front. Damn, he moved so fast.

"Yes,"I hissed, and he only gave me a subtle smile.

"Very well said." he nodded.

***

Umalis na rin kami sa restaurant na 'yon nang tumayo siya kaya sumunod ako. Hindi ko alam kung saan pa ulit kami pupunta pero mukhang malabo pang iuwi niya ako sa unit ko. 

"So in conclusion, you did that to hide from Epiales?" he nodded while his attention was on the road.

"Have you seen him? Paano mo nalamang nandon siya?"

"Narinig ko," kumunot ang noo ko.

"What?"

"Why do you think Epiales gave you the letter?"

"Well, I asked first. Ako muna ang sagutin mo—"

"Answer that first." nakipagtitigan pa ako sa kaniya pero napanguso ako bago napabuntong hininga nang mapagtanto ko na hindi talaga siya sasagot.

"Fine. He told me that he sees my sketch—although I don't know how it happens— and then he started to threaten me, I don't know. 'Wag ko daw ipakita ang mga drawing ko sa kahit sino."

"Other than that."

"Anong other than that? 'Yun na yon."

"Why are you sketching crime scenes?" diretsang tanong nito na nagpasinghap sa akin.

"Hindi ko pa pinapakita sa'yo ang drawing ko and they are not crime scenes!" depensa ko pabalik.

"Just answer it." kalmadong sabi nito habang nagmamaneho.

"Tsk, I dreamed about those, okay? Sa paraan ng pagdodrawing natatandaan ko ang lahat ng napanaginipan ko. Because..."

"Because?" ugh, Why does it sounds like he was interrogating me?

"Because everything that I dreamed happened in real life." tumingin ako sa kaniya, not expecting that he's going to believe me. "Okay na? Pwede na? Ayan, pwede ka nang tumawa." I said, sulking.

"If he knows that you can do that, then he also know that I can hear concious thoughts that's why he sended us his letter."

"Right," pagtango ko, at tumingin sa labas. "Right, you can hear concious thoughts. That's. . . WHAT THE HELL?"

Gulat akong napatingin sa kaniya matapos kong marealize ang sinabi niya, narinig ko pa ang marahang pagtawa nito sa akin.

"Are you fuckin' serious?" gulat pa rin na tanong ko.

"Your mouth, Ms. Eren."

"You believed what I said and you said what?"

"Yes, that's true. I heard their thoughts in my head and they were both looking at you at that time. That's how I knew that he was around."

"Shut the hell up," di makapaniwalang sabi ko. "So you can hear my thoughts everytime you're staring at me?"

"Yes, we're pyschic." he chuckled on his description before turning the car to the parking lot.

"And we're not the only one who are experiencing these phenomenon."

. . .

UNEDITED