Alexis Charm

I woke up feeling my whole body aching. Hindi ako makagalaw. I tried to open my eyes slowly, but I wasn’t able to see things clearly. All I saw was white, and I was sure that I wasn’t able to fully open my eyes. I swallowed hard. Napapikit na lang ako nang maramdaman ko ang sobrang panunuyo ng aking lalamunan. Sinubukan kong ibuka ang aking bibig para sana magsalita pero walang lumalabas sa aking bibig. Marahas akong napapikit at bumuntong-hininga. I tried to calm down and opened my eyes again. I couldn’t move so I let my eyes roam around the place, but then all I saw was the whit e ceiling and curtains. I couldn’t fully grasp the place. Agad na umusbong ang kaba sa aking dibdib. My breathing went heavy. Kahit na ramdam ko ang pagod at pananakit ng aking katawan ay pinilit kong bumangon. Shit. Where the hell am I?! What is this place?! “Ahh!” daing ko nang mabalik ako sa pagkakaiha. Shit! Mas lalo pa akong nataranta nang marinig ko ang pagpihit ng pinto. Mabilis kong nilingon iyon. “You’re awake,” I heard a baritone voice. Nakahiga pa rin ako kaya hindi ko makita nang maayos ang mukha noong tao. But I was sure that he was a guy because of his voice. I swallowed hard when he was walking towards me. Halos lumabas na sa aking dibdib ang puso ko at agad na iginala ang tingin sa buong paligid. Habang palapit nang palapit ang yabag ng lalaki sa akin ay mas lalo akong kinakabahan. Nanlalaki ang aking mga mata habang nakatitig sa papalapit niyang presensya. Huminto siya sa gilid mismo ng aking kinahihigaan. “Hush, Miss, I’m not going to hurt you,” aniya sa mababang boses at saka dahan-dahang hinaplos ang aking ulo. Halos mahigit ko ang aking hininga nang dumampi ang kanyang kamay sa aking noo. Nagkatitigan kami. Doon ko nakita nang mas maayos ang kanyang mukha. Napalunok ako. He’s got this black and clean cut hair. His face was diamond in shape. He was tan and tall. He was wearing a whit lab coat and I could see him wearing a white long sleeved inside. His eyes were dark. I couldn’t read through him. Seryosong nakatingin lang siya sa akin. Naramdaman ko pa ang paghaplos ng kanyang kamay sa aking noo tapos sa aking buhok na para bang may chini-check ka. I tried moving my legs, but I couldn’t. Parang may kung anong mabigat na nakadagan doon. Mangiyak-ngiyak kong sinubukang tingnan iyon pero hindi maabot ng aking tingin. Kinunutan ako ng noo ng lalaki. Napansin niya yatang may pinoproblema ako. “Are you thirsty?” tanong niya. Mahinang tumango ako. Nakakapit pa rin ang aking kamay sa gilid ng aking kama. Tumango siya at dahan-dahang umalis doon. Ang kaninang sobrang kaba kong puso ay bahagyang kumalma. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin at nakit kong nagsalin siya ng tubig mula sa pitsil na nakalagay sa bedside table. Bumalik siya sa akin pagkatapos at may minaniobra sa ilalim ng aking kama. Nanlaki pa ang aking mga mata nang umangat ang itaas na bahagi ng kama dahilan para bahagya rin akong naupo. Doon ko nakitang naka-semento ang dalawa kong paa. Napasinghap ako. Nasapo ko ang aking bibig at hindi na napigilan ang pag-iyak. Shit. My feet! Oh my god! “Don’t you remember anything?” Narinig kong sabi ng lalaki. Nilingon ko siya. Marahas kong pinahid ang luha sa aking pisngi. Nakakunot pa rin ang kanyang noo. Lumapit siya sa akin at iminuwestra niya ang dalang baso. Marahan akong uminom doon. Pagkatapos noon ay ibinalik niya na ang baso sa may lamesa. Then I saw him getting something from the pocket of his lab coat. It’s a stethoscope. Isinuot niya iyon tapos ay itinapat sa dibdib ko. Huminga ako nang malalim. Ilang sandali pa ay tinanggal na rin niya iyon at saka siya bahagyang lumayo. “Your breathing is fine. Bukod sa mga galos mo anong masakit sa’yo?” tanong niya pa. Napaiwas ako ng tingin at bahagyang umiling. Naglumikot ang aking mga mata at iginala ang tingin ko sa buong paligid. Noon ko lang nakita nang maayos ang kabuuhan ng kwarto. Nasa parang isang ward pala ako. Hindi ko sigurado kung nasa hospital ako o kung saan talaga ang exact location ko. I looked at the guy again. “N-Nasaan ako? Bakit ako nandito?” nanginginig ang boses na tanong ko. Hindi siya agad sumagot. Sinalubong niya lang ang aking tingin. “You really can’t remember? Or you just don’t want to remember?” kunot-noong sabi niya. Natigilan ako. I tried to understand and remember what happened. As if on cue, all the memories came rushing back to my mind… ***** I was panting as I gathered my strength to run faster. Naghalo ang aking mga luha at pawis habang patuloy akong tumatakbo palayo sa aming mansyon sa gitna ng napakalakas na buhos ng ulan. My heart was thumping so hard that it felt like it would get out of my chest anytime soon. My legs were weak and aching, but I didn’t stop running. Hindi ko na maalala kung ilang beses na akong nadapa mula kanina pero kahit na ganoon ay pinipilit ko pa rin ang sarili na tumayo. Hindi nila ako pwedeng maabutan. Fear crawled into my whole system as the image of my parents and relatives swimming in their own blood flashed into my mind. I shut my eyes tightly and fisted my hands. I ran as fast as I could. The road was empty and all I could hear was the loud pouring of the rain. I heaved a sigh and opened my eyes. I stopped and looked everywhere. Then I ran again. I was so tired, but I couldn’t let them catch me. No. I need to get help. I needed to rescue my four other cousins who were their captives. I needed to save them. Nanatili ang tingin ko sa harapan hanggang sa makita ko na ang poste ng ilaw na aking hinahanap. Napasinghap ako, nagkaroon ng pag-asa ang dibdib nang makita ang malaking arko ng gate ng mga Buenamonte. Mabilis akong tumakbo papunta roon at pinindot ang doorbell. Paulit-ulit kong pinindot iyon habang panay lingon sa likod. Nanginginig ang buong katawan ko sa takot at sa lamig. Halos masira ko na nga ang doorbell hanggang sa wakas ay bumukas ang maliit na gate. Isang lalaking nakaitim na may dalang payong ang bumungad sa akin. “N-Nandiyan po ba si T-Tito Victor? P-Please I-I need help...p-pakisabi naman po si C-Cassidy,” hirap na tanong ko habang patuloy ang paghikbi. Saglit na tumitig sa akin ang lalaki tapos ay nagsalita siya sa kanyang radyo. Hindi pa rin ako mapakali at panay pa rin ang lingon. “Dito, Miss Dela Fuente,” sa wakas ay sabi ng lalaki at iginiya ako sa loob. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag. For some minutes, I felt like I was safe, not knowing that I eventually entered the lion’s den. “Cassidy? Goodness gracious, hija!” iyon ang bungad sa akin ni Victor Buenamonte, ang matalik na kaibigan ng aking ama at ang vice mayor ng La Grande. Our family has been through thick and thin. Our connection has been established ever since the great fathers of our family. At that moment, I thought the safest place for me aside from our mansion would be theirs because they were like my second family. Victor Buenamonte was like a second father to me...and he was also my Godfather. “T-Tito!” I cried and ran into his arms. He hugged me tight. “Hija, what happened?!” Nilinlang ako ng kanyang boses na puno ng pag-aalala at mukhang concern na concern. I sobbed and pulled away from the hug. His forehead was creased as he was holding both of my hands. I sobbed and sobbed and finally told him what happened. “M-May sumugod s-sa bahay, T-Tito...t-they were armed m-men...they killed Mom and D-Dad and a-all our relatives...they held my cousins c-captive and now they’re a-after me...Tito, h-help me…” Umiyak ako nang umiyak. Kitang-kita ko ang panlalaki ng kanyang mga mata, tila gulat na gulat kuno. He wasn’t able to speak for a second. His grip on my hands tightened, and his mouth was parted a bit. He was a fucking good actor. And I was a fool. “Martin,” he called his head of security. “Keep Cassidy safe. I’ll go back to the Dela Fuente’s house.” He then looked at Martin. They shared some kind of look that I really didn’t pay attention to. All I thought at that moment was that I was safe. I didn’t even bother to question him. I didn’t have the slightest doubt. All I knew was that I was already safe and I already knew that I would never be hurt again. “Noted, Sir.” I heard Martin say as he escorted me away from the living room. I didn’t know that the moment I stepped out of that living room, I would be stepping into my death. But then fate had other plans for me, huh. ***** Kuyom-kuyom ko ang aking mga kamay. Hindi ko na namalayang unti-unti na pa lang umaagos sa aking pisngi ang mga maiinit na luha mula sa aking mga mata. I gritted my teeth in anger as I remember how Martin dragged me to the back of the house after I left Victor Buenamonte in the living room. Akala ko ay pupuntahan niya nga ang mga magulang ko at ilalagay niya ako sa safe na lugar, pero hindi. I found myself being blindfolded. I cried in every punch that rested onto every part of my body. I was too numb and too tired to even cry and shout for help, but the moment they took off the blindfold as I was already lying on the ground almost unconscious, I could never forget the grin on Victor’s lips as well as the laughs of his men who were surrounding me. “Too bad, Cassidy. You would’ve been a great wife for Vernon. Too bad, your father made a mistake. Now, your family will suffer.” Those were the last words that I heard before everything went black. I remember it clearly now. I remember the party, the men in black, the gun shots, the blood, the cries of my cousins… Natigilan ako at agad na muling tumingin sa lalaki. “A-Ang mga p-pinsan ko? N-Nasaan sila?!” Umahon ang kaba sa aking dibdib. We were five survivors, all of us were girls...and I left them. I left them to get help… Fuck. “My men traced them, and they’re all in the Mental Facility. They were violated, Cassidy. They were traumatized. Napaawang ang bibig ko. Nag-igting ang aking panga at may ikinuyom ang aking mga kamay. My breathing went heavy. Para akong sasabog sa loob-loob. Gusto kong sumigaw at magwala pero hindi ko kaya. I felt my heart being crippled. “A-Anong araw ngayon?” nanginginig ang boses na sabi ko. Nagkatitigan kami. “It’s a year after the incident, Cassidy. It’s the La Grande Massacre’s anniversary. You were in a coma for a year, Cassidy. I’m glad you’re back.” Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. “Y-You saved me…” hindi makapaniwalang sabi ko. A lopsided grin appeared on his lips. “And I will also give you justice, Ms. Dela Fuente.”