Another merry-go-around with the agents drifted us away from Honolulu. This morning, Max saw a full pack agents driving in the northwest village, few blocks away from the apartment, and by safe notion, we need to run again. We don't want the plan to be delayed when we'll be caught up here at Hawaii than be caught up at Midway.
Mr.Crawl needs to stay and no matter how, I don't like his serious plan, he don't want me to be caught so he stayed to buy some time with the agents probably looking for us until we get our safe drive to Deningham Airfield and get some nice plane.
>>>>>
As planned we landed at Kaula after an hour flight with the hired sea plane we supposed to bring before 4:00 in the afternoon. This is a desserted island made of a vast historical rock that was believed to be an ancestral refuge back then. It was bombarded with missles in the past ,eroding its mass to the seas, and only this one hella rock cresting out the ocean, na ngayo'y walang taong naninirahan o kaya'y bumibisita. Maybe after 5 years the rock will be covered with the ocean waters, and let the ocean life took it as home.
The group decided to rest neither I whose tired thinking of what is happening, What would happen to Mr. Crawl, is he taken to M.Q.I? Are we going to continue what was planned? Would we succeed?
May narinig akong kaluskos sa di kalayuan, dilat ang mga mata ko before everybody decided to close their eyes. Lumingon ako sa paligid and saw the guys scattered not too near each other and not to near to the water. It was cold because of the cold sea breeze, but with the bonfire not far from our feet is keeping us warm for the night.
The boys were tired, I can hear it from their deep breaths and snores. Yuan is just beside me, not a meters away, and the guy behind the log where I laid my back for rest is no other than Max. He was acting strange since Yuan meet the group, he was like a possesive boyfriend whose always beside me taking grunts and glares to the celebrity I idolize but since we decided to do this plan. I and Max was far.. you know, we don't have real time to fight over some of his nasty words or sloppy compliments to hurt my ego.
At sa ilang araw ng malaman kung katulad ko si Yuan (Mutation), nagiging fangirl na ako pero magkaiba kay Larrence. Idol ko na si Yuan not with his talent as a K-Pop star that I don't even know, I look upon him because of his strength and power over his mutation.
Parang tulog naman ang lahat pero may naririnig talaga akong kaluskos somewhere over the bushes and the lost wild plants inhabiting this little soil covering the coldness. We are near the shore not to far and not to close to the sea plane in the shoreline.
I stood and decided to look for the screeching sound… I can hear the waves touching the sand, insects buzzing around, maybe dengues, wind swooshing and the twigs burning through the flame but this sound was something. Like someone was really out there and does surprise attack. Like how a serial killer grinning in the darkness while watching his innocent victim having barbecue outdoor.
Geez… it was really scary.
Madilim at malamig ng makalayo ako ng kunti sa bonfire. I took few steps then stopped para di ako malalayo sa liwanag ng apoy. Kinakabahan ako at gusto kong gisingin ang iba pero pagod sila para disturbuhin. I should stop myself depending to anyone, I need to stand on my own. And im doing it now.
I can do this.
"Who's there?"
I hold the blade, my ice blade na kasinghaba lang ng pencil number 2. It would be useful for self defense atleast. No one answered and the screeching sound also stopped. And I guess someone's really there hiding in the dark, waiting for me to turn back and slash my throat… I guess?
Pinakiramdaman ko ang paligid hanggang sa maramdaman ko ang isang presensyang nasa harapan ko. I think its instinct, pero ramdam ko talagang may nakatayo mismo sa direksyon ko na nagkukubli sa dilim. The moon was covered with thick clouds and the big rock behind covered the little light from the sky. So, it was total darkness but whoever is in the shadows… I want to know. I must or it would be a terrible night.
I feel like we where staring at each other in the blinded light and obviously breathing in the same air.
"Who's there?"
I took some steps forward with my little weapon prepared to stab.
I heard footfalls … I took 3 steps backward, sh*t its coming near and nearer hanggang sa may naaninag akong pigura ng isang tao. He/she is below my shoulder level.
"Who are you?... speak!", I said with the coldest tone I could ever spoke.
Napahigpit ako sa hawak kong blade. The silence in our gap makes it hard to resist and the tense crawling on my skin.
I took a deep breath when he was not even saying anything, but before he ended up dead with my blade on his throat, he collapsed on the ground before I attacked him.
Akala ko nagbibiro lang o tinatakot ako kaya nanatili akong malayo sa kaniya. Seconds, minutes and laters after, his not standing until I saw the abstract of the human figure lying down the ground.
I grab my phone in my pocket.
Flashlight.
Inilawan ko ang direksyon ng lalaki..
WHAT THE!!!
>>>>
>>>>>
Tumingin ako sa bata na kandong ngayon ni Doktora. Tulog ito at nakakaawa. Kanina nung nagpakita siya, umiiyak ito, nagmamakaawang tulungan namin siyang iligtas ang mga magulang niya at ang kakambal niya sa isla. He collapsed because he was not an ordinary human who needs to adapt in the land after living into the water for years. He was like us, a psychomutant but his way younger than us, maybe an 8 year old boy or 10. He smells so awful like a rotten fish but no wonder when he looks like one. Doktora fed him, and the others go back to their sleep.
He looks harmless.
I was with Yuan now throwing some small branches in the fire we picked. I should not have disturbed them and deal with that kid alone.
"Why aren't you sleeping?", I asked. Hindi ko siya nilingon and just grab the final twig beside me.
"Hindi ako makatulog, mamaya siguro."(Korean), he said…
"Paumanhin sa pag-iisturbo. Matutulog na ako"(Korean), saad ko. Tumayo ako at tiningnan siya
.Wala siyang balak matulog .
Total hindi naman ako inaantok, tumabi ako ulit sa kaniya.
"Sa tingin mo, anong ginawa ng mga taong yun sa pamilya niya? Korean)", Tanong ko kay Yuan
"Mamanipulahin, o papahirapan o papatayin, o baka lahat na ginawa na. Bakit pa kasi may ganyang proyekto, kung tutuusin nakakabuti pero… hindi naman sana sa puntong papahirapan pa tayo.. kami"(Korean), Yuan asked and threw the small branch into the fire.
His mad. The things he might experience there was traumatic. And I can see that his no feared with it. Traumatic or not, he sounds fully thirsty for a revenge.
Should I change his mind? Should I say revenge does not change the past? But heck, im no one to say that. But his anger was reflected by his eyes now.
"I.. uhm.. Yang mata mo, palagi bang nag-iiba kung galit ka?",(Korean)
Bumalik agad ang kulay ng mata niya sa dati ng napansin ko ito.
Mabuti naman, nakakatakot rin kasi ang pulang mata lalo na sa gabi. Err
"Oo, pero hindi lang galit kundi lahat ng matinding emosyon. Nagsimula lang naman 'to dahil sa mga magulang ko. "
"W-here are they now?"
"Wala na. Ang ama ko, may iba na siyang pamilya. Si mama, nagpakamatay-drug overdose"
What would I say then after hearing those ones?
"…"
Nilingon ko siya saglit.
Akala ko galing siya sa striktong pamilya dahil sa dedikasyon sa buhay, hindi pala.
Im sorry for the loose Yuan.
"Meron naman sina lola at lolo, sa kanila ako natutong maging matatag hindi gaya nila- parents... Siguro ito ang dahilan kung bakit nanatili rin akong buhay sa kabila ng lahat."
I smiled for that sense.
"Yeah.. you're strong.", I respond.
"Sa tingin ko mas malakas ka. "(Korean), nilingon niya ako at binigyan ko naman siya ng nakakahabag na tingin.
I hope I am
"Paano mo nasabi?"(Korean)
"Alam ko lang. Nga pala, di mo pa sinasagot ang tanong ko kanina"(Korean)
"Ah… ano bay un?"(Korean)
"Ilan ang mutation mo Stellar?"(Korean)
Akala ko matagal ng panahon ang pag-uusap namin kanina sa bundok kaya nakalimutan niya so I won't be bothered to ask myself if it is not right or right to tell him about me.
But we were on the same boat now. Its alright.
"I have___"
"Anong pinag-uusapan niyo?"(Korean), napatingin kaming dalawa sa bagong dating. Umupo siya sa tabi ko, crossing his legs in front. (Indian sit or a criss cross apple sauce)
"Kasintahan mo?"(Korean), Yuan asked.
"Tss.. hindi yan ang sagot(Korean)… Gabing gabi na ah, hindi ka ba inaantok?", Max asked.
"Matutulog na ako.. SIge, goodnight", Paalam ko sa kanila at umalis.
Hindi pa ako tuluyang nakalayo sa kanila ng:
'Sinong papatayin mo?', Max
'Malalaman mo rin, kaibigan.', Yuan
Papatayin? Is that his revenge? About finishing his business with that bastard? The real why he was with us? I have a bad feeling about this.
'Ikaw? Ano ba talagang plano mo?'
"Malalaman mo rin, kaibigan'
"Haha.. ayos ka ah. Ano iiwanan na kita dito, mukhang gusto mong mapag-isa", Yuan
'tss..'
Nakita ko si doktora na tulog, she was wearing her knitted sweater and she gave her white gown to the new kid just beside her, asleep.
Tiningnan ko ang nakatulog na bata and I almost jolted when his eyes opened in a seconds before he face my opposite direction. I didn't distinguish his feature a while back because of lack of light but now its enough to give nightmare, he has this narrow eyes yet sharp with good edges pero ang nakakasindak ang kulay itim niyang mata, the whole. I felt like Im facing a demon or someone like a possessed doll.
Oh My, tell me I didn't see anything.
And before I would be screaming because of this new kids scary eye. Pumunta ako sa pwesto ko kung saan matutulog ako ng paupo habang nakasupurta ang malaking troso. Hindi dapat ako magambala dahil sa matang yun dahil meron naman akong katabi..
Eshh.. bakit hindi pa natutulog si Max?