The Abyss in Between

Alt 19: Hope of Humanity

“Wake up, Kovie!” A whisper woke me up. It sounded as if there’s an emergency. I'm still not in my best state of mind. I feel like I drank all the alcohols in the world and woke up just now. It's like I'm experiencing a hangover. Except that I don't drink.

My eyes are still adjusting to the sudden light. I think I’ve been asleep for too long that I can’t even open my eyes fully. I needed to squint my eyes just to see a glimpse of what’s in front of me. Not even a small shape is formed with my state of vision right now. 

Goodness, what did I do to put myself in this situation?

“Wh—“ I couldn’t even finish my sentence when an elbow bumped my abdomen. “Ow!” I groaned in pain. The sudden surge of agony in me was almost enough to completely awaken my lost soul. Someone immediately shushed me and because of shock, I followed his or her instruction. Who's shushing me anyway?

“Shut up, Kov!” A loud mind voice brought chaos to my sleepy and dysfunctional mind. Now, even that loud of a message woke my inner sober self. I’m not yet in the mood to actually do something but that loud shout definitely went in like a kick.

Inayos ko ang pagkakamulat ng mga mata ko only to see two unfamiliar people standing far away from me. They’re so bulky and built. There’s also a weird bag that they’re carrying at their back. I looked around, trying to analyze my surrounding.

It's not familiar and nothing is sinking in my mind. Why am I here? What's with those two men? Why am I sitting on the ground? Where are my friends?

Where am I again?

“s**t!” I blurted when I remembered what happened last. Dahil sa taranta ay nakalimutan kong manahimik. Agad kong tinignan ang dalawang mukhang bantay at napahinga ng malalim nang nakitang hindi naman nila ako binalingan.

Tinignan ko ang paligid at nakita ang kanina pa gumugulo sa akin. “Covet?” I called him using mind voice to avoid the attention of the two guards. He immediately looked at me. His sigh when his eyes landed at me sounded as if he's very glad to see me. That's weird because first of all, we're not at that level of closeness yet. 

I would've accepted his negligence more than this weird concern over my consciousness. 

“Thank goodness you’re alive,” he happily said. What? Wait, am I supposed to be dead? He might’ve seen the confusion in my face that he answered my questions, even when I didn’t ask.

“Well, ilang oras ka nang tulog. At malakas ang pagkakahampas sayo kahapon. Maybe not yesterday? I don't know. I woke up just hours earlier than you,” he mumbled. “How would I know if you’re still alive or even just breathing? I mean, you look dead even when you’re alive. It was like a quiz trying to know if your laying body is still alive or just waiting to be eaten by worms.” The way he said it, even with that shoulder shrug, seemed so sarcastic that I wanted to smack him so bad that moment.

“Pasalamat ka nakatali ako,” I replied, still using mind voice. Matalim na tingin ang ibinigay ko sa kanya kapalit ng hindi ko siya maabot at mahampas. Nakatali ako at nang nilingon ko ay sa isang puno iyon. Hindi ko masabi kung tulad ba ito ng mga puno na nadaanan namin kanina o iba na.

God, Kovie. This is not the time to think about trees, you dimwit! Are you a gardener or what?

I calmed myself before trying to look around again. Nasa isang malawak na kwarto kami ngunit hindi naman maayos ito na masasabi kong matitirhan na. Ang mga harang ay hindi tulad sa isang normal na bahay. They all look like they’re… trees.

Full-grown trees. That’s what the walls are. They’re not even chopped or something. They’re literally planted and formed a square shape that looks like a room. For me, that is weird.

“What is this place?” I asked Covet, even though I think he don’t have any idea as well. Just as I expected, he just shrugged his shoulder. Shouldn’t have wasted a sound wave for him. Inirapan ko siya kahit hindi na nakatingin sa akin.

There’s no other things in the room. Except for the ropes that are strangling my wrists, Covet on another corner, and the two bulky men that’s guarding the only way in or out that I can see. Tumingin ako sa taas at puro dahon ang nakikita ko roon.

Dahil nga puno lang ang mga nakapalibot, may pumapasok pa ring sinag ng araw mula sa labas at sa itaas. I can even hear the chirps of some birds which I think lives in the trees. Nahulog ang isang dahon at doon ko nakumpirma na iba ito sa punong nadaanan namin kanina.

The pattern in the leaf is different from the trees’ leaves earlier.

“Nasaan ang iba?” tanong ko kay Covet. Hindi siya agad sumagot kaya’t nilingon ko siya only to see a kid in front of him. My brows furrowed with the sight.

How did that kid get in here? Tinignan ko ang mga gwardya at nandoon pa rin naman sila sa pwesto nila. Nakita kong nakatakip ang bibig ni Covet gamit ang dahon. Hindi siya nagpupumiglas ngunit hindi ko makita ng maayos kung ano ang ginagawa nilang dalawa.

“Covet! Sumagot ka!” I’m panicking, even just in our minds. This asshole is taking his time to entertain that mysterious kid while two men are guarding us, unaware of our small visitor. What if that kid’s harmful?

I can never assume that kids can take him down. But with this environment, everything is shocking us. I won’t even be shocked if that kid suddenly kick Covet in his ass.

“Ayos lang ako. This kid seems to be nice,” he replied. My eyes almost bulged out.

“Tanga! Paano mo nasasabing mabait ‘yang bata eh hindi nga natin alam kung saan ‘yan galing? What if she’s with the people who tied us to this forsaken place?!” I suddenly blurted out. The struggle that I have right now with knowing what’s with our surrounding, what’s gonna happen to us, and where our friends are, is building up inside me that I can just explode right now.

“How are you a lieutenant when you’re this stupid? Gosh!” I added. Hindi na siya sumagot mula pa kanina ngunit nanatili ang tingin ko sa kanila at nakikipagtitigan lang siya sa bata. Hindi siya nagsasalita at paminsan-minsan ay tumatango pa.

He’s very far from me so I can’t hear what the little girl is telling him but all I know is that he’s comfortable with her.

Wait.

He’s far away from me.

Then…

Sino ang bumulong sa akin kanina?!

I immediately got goosebumps. What if it’s a ghost? What if there’s a dead person beside me and he or she just talked to me? What if it’s my conscience who’s tired of my stupidity that morphed into a ghost?

Oh my goodness, Kovie Royle! Sige lang, takutin mo pa ang sarili mo!

But what if—

“Kovie! Nakikinig ka ba?” Napatalon ako ng bahagya sa biglang pagsigaw ni Covet sa mind voice. Napapikit-pikit ako sa gulat at pagkalutang ngunit agad din akong tumango nang nakuha na ang tanong ni Covet.

“Ano nga sinasabi mo?” tanong kong muli. Nakatingin siya sa akin ngunit hindi ako nililingon ng batang nasa harap niya. Nakita kong inirapan ako ni Covet kaya’t mabilis na nagsalubong ang kilay ko.

“H’wag mo akong ir—“

“Shut up,” he said, completely cutting me off. “This kid right here, she’s saving us,” he stated. Now my brows furrowed even more. Ano bang sinasabi nito?

“At paano naman?” tanong ko. “Wait, are we even in a bad situation?” I asked. Covet looked at me as if my dumb question just ruined his life. Napangiwi ako nang napagtanto ang katangahan ko.

“I mean, what if nandito sila Krys? Paano sila kung aalis tayo?” tanong ko sa kanya. Nakita kong napabuntong hininga siya bago ako sinagot.

“At paano mo sila ililigtas ng nakatali ka d’yan sa puno na ‘yan?” sarkastikong sagot niya. Natahimik ako roon. Why am I being stupid? Tatampalin ko sana ang sarili ko sa noo nang nasaktan lang ako sa paghila ko noon. Mas naipit iyon sa pagkakatali at dahil hindi ko inaasahang mangyayari iyon ay hindi ko napigilan ang pagsigaw ko sa sakit.

“Ang sakit!” I groaned. Kita ko ang panlalaki ng mata ni Covet at ang mabilis na pagtakbo ng bata tungo sa mga puno. Ang dalawang gwardya naman ay mabilis akong nilingon at tinignan ang sitwasyon ko. Nanatili na lang akong nakayuko at hindi sila tinitignan sa mukha.

“Tanga ka ba?!” I can almost feel Covet’s frustration when he asked me that. Don’t worry, tanong ko rin ‘yan sa sarili ko. I ignored his remark and asked him about the kid instead.

“Nasaan na yung bata?” tanong ko sa kanya. “Why did she run off? Ibig bang sabihin, hindi niya kasama ang mga bantay na ‘to?” dagdag ko pa.

“She left,” he simply said. “Tumakbo siya dahil sumigaw ka, alarming the guards. And if you still don’t get it, yes. She’s not with the stupid guards,” he then added. I pursed my lips together to stop myself from saying another bad sentence that I’ll probably regret saying for the rest of my life.

“I’m sorry, okay?” I apologized to him even though he’s not looking. “Nagulat kasi ako nung nasugatan ako kaya’t napasigaw ako. I didn’t mean to shock the girl and the guards,” I added.

“Shanaiya, that’s her name.” Tumango na lang ako sa sinabi niya. Shanaiya? Ang ganda pakinggan.

Tumingala ako at pinagmasdan ang iilang sinag ng araw na sumisilip sa pagitan ng mga dahon sa taas. Ang malamyos na hangin ay paminsan-minsang tumatama sa balat ko. Napatingin ako sa suot ko at ngayon ko lang napansin na nagbago ito. Tinignan ko si Covet ngunit ganoong pa rin naman ang suot niya mula noong una kaming nagkita.

“Nakita mo ba kung sino ang nagpalit ng damit ko?” tanong ko sa kanya. Mukhang hindi niya inaasahang ang tanong ko kaya’t napatingin siya sa akin. Nagulat siya nang nakita ang damit ko. Ibig bang sabihin hindi niya rin napansin na nagbago ako ng damit?

“Hindi ganyan ang damit mo kanina,” sabi ni Covet. What?

“Hindi naman ako makakapagbihis dahil nakatali ang kamay ko,” sagot ko pa. Napatingin ako sa paligid at nanliit ang mata ko nang may nakitang gumalaw sa isang puno.

“Covet, at your 10,” I said. Mabilis ngunit pasimple niyang sinilip ang bandang itinuro ko. Hindi ko na kailangang magbago ng pwesto dahil diretso sa paningin ko ang puno kung saan may nakita akong gumalaw.

“Sigurado akong may nakita akong gumalaw do’n,” sabi ko kay Covet. Sinilip ko ang mga gwardya at hindi naman nila napapansin ang pasimpleng komunikasyon naming dalawa. Mabuti na lang talaga at may mind voice kami.

“At your 6, Kov,” he said. Hindi ako makaikot para masilip iyon kaya’t hinanda ko na lang ang sarili ko sa ano mang maaaring biglang lumapit sa akin. Malakas ang t***k ng puso ko sa kaba at antisipasyon sa kung ano man ang nasa likod ko.

“Nakikita mo pa ba, Covet?” Hindi ko man gustong ipahalata ngunit bakas ang kaba sa tono ko nang tinanong ko si Covet. Umiling lang siya ngunit nanatili ang tingin niya sa likod ko.

Ako naman ay nakatutok pa rin sa kung saan ko nakita kanina na may gumalaw bigla ngunit hindi ko maalis sa loob ko ang pakiramdam na may bigla na lang tatalon sa likod ko.

“A—“ sisigaw sana ako nang biglang may nagtakip ng bibig ko. Nanlaki ang mat ako habang tinitignan ang batang nagtatakip sa bibig ko. The figure of this kid looks familiar.

“Ako ang bata kanina roon,” sabi nito sa kakaibang accent. Tinikom ko ang bibig ko para hindi ako makagawa ng ingay na hindi naman kailangan. Mahirap na, baka bumalik na naman dito ang atensyon ng mga bantay at mahuli pa ang batang ito.

I’d rather come with this kid than be stuck with those two guards. And Covet.

“Tutulungan ko kayong makaalis dito. Gusto mo ba?” tanong nito. Tumango agad ako. Nakita ko sa peripheral vision ko na pinapanood kami ni Covet. “Are you sure about this kid?” I asked him.

“Um-oo ka na lang,” sabi nito. “She’s helping us, Kov,” he added.

That’s why I was fast at nodding in her suggestion. Well, I don’t really have that much of a choice than to rely to Covet’s trust to this little girl. “Shinaiya, ‘di ba?” I asked. It was more of a whisper because I’m scared that the two men guarding us might look back and catch this young girl.

Tumango lang siya bilang sagot. I just nodded to show my acknowledgement when she suddenly held my chin up. Nagulat ako ngunit pigil na pigil ang sigaw ko dahil sa takot na marinig ng dalawa. My breathing hitched when she looked at me in the eye.

Her eyes…

“Do you remember me now, Kovie?” she asked. I was left dumbfounded as she stare at me with her shiny blue eyes.

Well, how could I forget? She’s the root of it all.

Asha… The hope of humanity.