CYPRIELLE
It's 3am in the morning and I still can't sleep. I already tried drinking warm milk, reading a novel and even listening to soft music but I still can't sleep.
Wala namang nangyareng maganda kanina just the typical happenings for a high school students like me.
I rolled to the left side of my bed looking at the alarm clock again.
I still can't sleep at may klase pa ako mamaya.
I stood up from my bed and went to the kitchen to drink milk again.
Yeah I thought kulang yung ininom kong gatas kanina kaya hindi ako makatulog.
Maybe just maybe.
I opened the fridge and looked for the carton of milk there. Instead of taking a glass I drunk from the carton because I'm too lazy to get a glass.
Mag isa lang naman ako sa bahay so no one will get mad at me.
My parents died due to a car accident when I was five. Ang kapatid ni Mama ang kumupkop sa akin but she left me when she met someone so I'm living alone by this time.
I have a part time job after class so I have no worries on my food and for the things I need.
I'm staying sa bahay namin nina Mama at Papa noon it's not small and it's that big too let's just stay it's enough for me to live a comfortable life.
I glanced outside the window.
"I think I just saw someone there" I mumbled.
"Nevermind"
Call me weird as you please. I'm really like this. My friends call me weird kasi minsan kausap ko daw sarili ko.
I can't blame them though I actually talk to myself sometimes.
Bumalik agad ako sa kwarto ko after drinking milk.
I hate to admit it but naiinggit ako sa mga kaibigan ko. They're living a comfortable life with their family they have their Mother who takes care of them, they have their Father who is financially supporting them. For me, their life is perfect.
I felt hot liquids on my cheeks. I must have been crying thinking about FAMILY.
My eyes are sore from crying that's why I suddenly felt darkness slowly eating me.
***
I was awakened by someone poking my cheeks. Curse her to the pits of hell for waking me up this early. I hate being awaken lalo na at kakatulog ko palang.
"Ris gising" I heard a familiar voice from my right side.
I can still feel that someone is poking my cheeks from my right side.
I opened my eyes and two familiar faces is the first thing that I saw.
"Anong ginagawa niyo dito?" tanong ko sa kanilang dalawa habang kinukusot ang mata ko.
Ilang oras ba akong tulog?I looked around and it hit me. Wala ako sa kwarto ko. I am not in my fucking room. Where the fuck am I?
"Nasaan ako?" tanong ko sa kanilang dalawa.
Instead of answering they looked at me with their confused look too.
"I woke up here too" Yem answered.
"Same goes for me" Rin answered too.
I looked at them with my are-you-lying look but they both glared at me.
"Saan ba ito?" tanong kong muli sa kanila and stood up.
They both looked around so I did the same.
It's still dark at tanging liwanag mula sa buwan ang nagsisilbi naming ilaw ngayon. I can see big old trees sa paligid yun lang ang nakikita ko.
Nasa gubat kami? How the hell did we end up here?
I cursed to death nang may maramdaman akong kumapit sa laylayan ng damit ko.
"Shit!" I cursed and saw Yem giving me her sorry look.
I rolled my eyes at her. Alam kong hindi niya iyon makita dahil madilim but I still did it.
"Dun tayo may nakikita akong umiilaw" Rin commented and pointed at the part of the forest kung saan may liwanag.
"Dito nalang tayo baka may kung ano dun tapos kainin tayo" takot na saad ni Yem at lalo pang kumapit sa akin.
"Seriously?" pilyong tanong namin sa kanya.
I saw her pout.
Naunang naglakad si Rin kaya sumunod naman ako sa kanya. Left with no choice Yem clinged on me like her life depends on it.
I'm lying pag sinabi kong hindi ako natatakot. I'm scared but I have to act tough dahil kung hindi iiyak itong babaeng nakakapit sa akin ngayon.
Yem screamed nang may matapakan siyang kahoy that made a sound.
"Tumahimik kanga!" I hissed at her and she looked at me with her let's get out off here look.
Minutes had passed but still hindi parin namin nararating yung part ng gubat na may ilaw.
"Ang layo" reklamo ni Rin at pansamantalang tumigil.
She sat down and sumandal sa punong nasa likod niya. She looked at me saying we should rest first and Yem sat beside her.
"I have a bed feeling about this" saad ni Yem at kumapit sa braso ni Rin.
Hindi namin pinansin ang sinabi niya.
I looked at the part of the forest where there is light and it looks like it's coming near us. Palapit ito nang palapit sa amin.
I blinked few times thinking na namamalik mata lang ako but no I wasn't. Papalapit talaga ito sa amin.
"Uhh guys" I said and they both looked at me with their confused look.
"I think may papunta dito" dagdag kopa which caused Yem and Rin to get up.
They both at the thing or something that I'm looking at right now and we still can't believe it.
Yem went beside me while Rin is inform of us.
"Sino yan?" sigaw ni Rin.
"Magsalita kayo!"
"If this is some kind of prank this isn't funny"
Rin's voice echoed but no one answered.
"Pretty little ladies roaming around"
I felt my heart skipped a beat.
That voice! It came from behind me.
Unti unti kong nilingon ang nagsalita mula sa likod ko.
I cannot tell kung babae ba siya or lalake. The cloak he/she is wearing is so big that it also covered its eyes.
"S-sino k-ka?" nauutal na tanong ko.
I can feel Yem's hand shaking. Nasa likod korin si Rin na kanina ay nagtatapang tapangan. Rin went beside me at kumapit rin mula doon. She's also shaking.
Hindi ko alam kung anong meron itong taong ito but damn gusto kong sumigaw nakakatakot siya.
"N-nali-ligaw p-po k-kasi k-kami" dagdag kopa.
The latter did not answer but I can feel that it's staring at me intently.
"Pretty little ladies" muli niyang saad at lumapit sa amin.
Napaatras kaming tatlo dahil sa bahagyang paglapit niya sa amin.
"Wag kang lalapit" sigaw ni Rin at pumwesto sa harap namin ni Yem.
She looked so brave right now while kanina parang tinakasan siya nang kaluluwa niya at hindi makagalaw.
"May baril ako" muli niyang sigaw nang akmang lalapit muli siya sa amin.
If I would base on the voice I can say na lalake ang kaharap namin ngayon.
"Pretty little ladies" muli niyang saad at lumapit muli sa amin.
Atras lamang kami ng atras habang palapit siya ng palapit sa amin. Akmang aatras muli kami ngunit may may malaking puno na pala sa likod namin.
"Shit!" I cursed nang maramdaman kong may tumama sa likod ko.
"Wag kang lalapit!" sigaw muli ni Rin na nasa harap parin namin.
He stopped a meter from us and stood there for a while without doing anything.
"Pretty little ladies" muli niyang saad that sent shivers down to my spine.
I can feel Yem's hand trembling at sa aming tatlo si Yem ang pinakamatatakutin sa amin.
"Pretty little ladies"
"This pretty little ladies will die now"
Bigla niya kaming sinugod after he said that. Naglabas siya ng hunters knife mula sa kung saad. Sa takot ay naestatwa kami ni Rin samantalang bigla na lamang sinugod siya ni Yem.
I thought Yem will be the first one to run away but she didn't. Yem has nothing agains this man.
Nabanga siya ni Yem at pareho silang natumba dahil doon. Yem is the first one to recover form the fall she stood up at akmang susuntukin niya ang lalake nang bigla itong naglaho at ngayon ay nakatayo na sa likod ni Yem. Without hesitation sinakal niya si Yem and she started to cry. The guy slowly raised Yem at kitang kita na unti unting umaangat si Yem mula sa lupa. Kitang kita kung paano hirap na hirap si Yem na makaalis mula sa pagkakasakal sa kanya nung lalake.
"YEM!" naiiyak sa sigaw namin ni Rin.
She looked at us then she smiled.
She screamed so hard to the point that we had to cover our ears dahil baka mabinggi kami.
I slowly opened my eyes and there I saw the guy that was holding Yem awhile ago laying down on the dirty ground. Unti unting bumangon muli ang lalake at tinignan naman si Yem.
"Pretty blue eyes" the guy said.
I looked at where the guy is looking and to my surprise it's Yem. Not the ordinary one but she changed. Madilim but I can tell that her hair changed its color to blue, her eye color changed to a bright blue one and on her forehead is a symbol that also shines bright blue.
"YEM!" sigaw ni Rin nang bigla na lamang mahimatay si Yem.
Dahil sa gulat ay hindi ko magawang makagalaw. I don't know what to do. Should I help them out? Should I run and save myself from this crazy guy?
NO! I won't run. Yem is a scaredy cat but she had the courage to fight this guy right now.
Nang makabawi mula sa pagkagulat ay agad kong nilapitan sina Rin at Yem.
Wala paring malay si Yem while Rin is still crying trying to wake up Yem.
"Yem wake up!" sigaw ni Rin at niyugyog ang kanyang balikat.
I also tried waking her up but it didn't work out. Hindi parin siya nagigising.
"This is your fault!" singhal ni Rin sa lalakeng pinapanood kami ngayon.
"You caused all of this" singhal niya pa.
She stood up leaving me with Yem being unconsious.
Gaya ng ginawa ni Yem ay sinugod niya rin ang lalake but the guy was fast to react and Rin ended up kissing the ground.
"How dare you!" sigaw niya pa dito.
"Pretty blue eyes"
"Manahimik ka!" sigaw muli ni Rin.
"Pretty blue eyes will die now" saad niya.
Hindi ako makagalaw dahil pagkatapos niyang sabihin yun ay hawak hawak nanaman niya sa leeg si Yem. Like awhile ago nakaangat parin sa lupa si Yem but she's not crying or yelling.
How could she do that if she just fainted? Stupid me!
"YEM!" sigaw naming dalawa ni Rin.
"Let her go!" sigaw ni Rin dito.
I don't know what to do. Hindi ako makagalaw.
"Rin!" sigaw ko dahil kagaya ni Yem kanina ay ngbago ang kulay ng kanyang buhok.
Her usual black curly brown hair suddenly turned black, her usual eye color suddenly changed at it became a bright brown one and on her forehead is again a symbol different from what I saw from Yem awhile ago.
"Pretty brown eyes" saad nang lalake ngunit hindi niya parin binababa si Yem.
"Rin si Yem!" sigaw ko dito.
She looked at me then she smirked. Wth! She just smirked at me.
On cue bigla na lamang akong nakarinig nang malakas na pagbagsak. I looked at the guy again laying on the cold dirty ground again.
"Rin!" sigaw ko nang bumagsak rin ito sa tabi ni Yem.
Great! Just great! They both fainted which only means I have to make sure that this guy won't lay a finger on them.
Bago pa man makatayo yung lalake ay agad ko nang nilapitan sina Yem at Rin.
"Yem! Rin! Gising!" sigaw ko sa kanilang dalawa.
Tinapik tapik ko silang dalawa sa pisnge ngunit hindi parin sila nagigising.
I heard someone laugh and saw that guy standing. He is meters away from me but I can feel his cold aura from here.
"Wag kang lalapit!" sigaw ko dito nang humakbang ito papalapit sa akin.
"Bye pretties!" he shouted.
I suddenly felt weak so I closed my eyes.
On cue I opened it and I suddenly felt that I'm a new person.