Kabanata 3

MABIGAT ang ulo ko nang magising, hindi pamilyar na kisame ang bumungad sa paningin ko. Napabalikwas ako ng bangon habang nakasalo sa ulo, napasinghap nang may pumigil sa kamay ko. Tinignan ko ito at nakita na nakaposas ng kamay ko sa bed post.

Kumurap-kurap ako, nilibot ko ang paningin sa paligid nang nakaawang ang labi. Nasa isang silid ako, hindi maliwanag pero hindi rin masyadong madilim.

It was an empty room, but it wasn't that frightening. Ang kama kung saan ako naroon ay nakakapanibago rin dahil hindi ito malambot. Wala rin akong unan. May nightstand sa gilid ko, across me was an old cabinet with drawers. That was all there was in room, it was almost empty and deserted.

I remembered what happened last night. I remembered Aaron and having sex with him. I remembered everything he said to me before I lost my consciousness.

Para akong mababaliw sa kakaisip kung anong balak niya sa akin, kung ano ang ang mga nangyayari. Pumipintig pa ang ulo ko sa sakit dahil sa alak na ininom ko kagabi, ang alak na nilagyan ng kung anong droga ni Aaron.

So he really wasn't drinking last night, he was pretending.

Oh God, anong gagawin ko?

Para akong maiiyak. Parang alam ko na kung anong mga nangyari, nahihilo ako't parang masusuka.

"Randall!" Unang pumasok sa isip ko ay ang asawa ko. "Tulong! Please, anyone!"

How dare I call for him after sleeping with another man?

Maa bumuhos pa ang luha ko dahil sa naisip. Wala akong karapatang humingi ng tulong pero siya lang ang tanging nasa isip ko.

"Help! Anyone, please, help me!" sumigaw ako. "Randall... I'm sorry, please, save me..."

Hinila ko ang posas sa kamay ko. Sinubukan kong ilusot ang kamay ko pero nasaktan lang ako. Bahagya akong napaigtad nang may kumatok sa pinto. Natakot ako na baka si Aaron ito at kung anong gawin niya sa akin, tila hihimatayin sa sobrang bilis ng tibok ng puso at sa kaba.

Pero isang babae ang nagbukas ng pinto at pumasok sa kwarto nang may dalang tray. Sinarado niya ang pinto sa likod niya bago lumapit sa akin.

"Kumain ka na, siguradong gutom ka na," sabi niya nang blanko ang mukha. "Ako nga pala si Sofia, ako 'yong magdadala sa pagkain mo simula ngayon."

"P-please, please, pakawalan mo ko rito. H-hindi ko alam kung anong mga nangyayari, natatakot ako!" pagmamakaawa ko. I tried to reach for her but she only moved out of my reach, her eyes glaring at me.

"Bakit naman kita pakakawalan?" There was bitterness in the tone of her voice. She was looking at me like I did something unforgivable to her.

"W-why am I here?" I returned, getting frustrated and overwhelmed by everything. "Hindi ko alam kung anong kaylangan n'yo sa'kin... wala akong pera."

"Sigurado akong hindi kaylangan si Sir Aaron ang pera mo." Pinatong niya ang tray sa nightstand na may mga pagkain. "Wala s'yang kaylangan sa'yo na kahit ano."

I really tried to understand her but everything just didn't make any sense. I was trembling in fear, my tears wouldn't stop streaming down my cheeks. There was hatred in her eyes while looking at me, but there was also gentleness behind them. But I was fooled once. As much as I liked to think that there could be any form of conscience in her, I shouldn't.

"B-bakit ako nandito kung wala s'yang kaylangan sa'kin? I-i don't understand..."

"Kumain ka na." Hindi niya ako sinagot.

"Ayoko." Tinignan ko ang pagkain, naalala ko ang pinainom sa akin ni Aaron.

"Walang lason 'yan."

"Why would I trust you?" My voice cracked, I wiped my tears with my free hand and sniffed. "I don't even know what you want from me and why I'm here."

"Bahala kang magutom. Basta ginawa ko na ang trabaho ko."

My eyes widened in horror. "No! Please, don't leave me here! Please!" I begged, but she only narrowed her piercing eyes at me and turned her back to leave. I screamed and begged for her, she left the room and slammed the door angrily.

I pulled my knees to my chest and cried. The itchy fabric of the dress I wore from last night irritated my skin, I was wearing it and I'm glad that I was. I was naked when I passed out. Sigurado akong hindi dahil sa awa iyon, pero nagpapasalamat na rin ako kahit papaano na binihisan ako ni Aaron. The last thing I wanted was to be tied on the bed, naked and completely helpless.

I guess it wouldn't make sense trying to kidnap me naked. Hindi ko alam kung paano siya tumakas nang kasama ako pero wala ng punto para pag-isipan pa iyon.

Alam na ba ni Randall na nawawala ako? Hinahanap niya na ba ako?

I cried even more knowing that I cheated on him willingly. Ngayon ay ang kapal ng mukha ko para hilingin na sana ay hanapin niya ako.

The door clicked, I hoped that Sofia came back for me. Para samahan ako, pakawalan o kahit ano pang dahilan nang hindi ako mabaliw. Hindi ko alam kung may galit ba sa akin ang tadhana para hindi tuparin ang kahilingan ko dahil pumasok ang lalaking kaylanman ay hindi ko na gustong makita pa.

Aaron walked inside the room with his hands in his pockets. He was almost wearing the same clothes like last night, but it was more like a business suit than a party suit. A black tux, white shirt inside and black pants. Mukhang kakatapos niya rin maligo dahil medyo basa pa ang buhok niya.

"You're awake, finally. How dare you make me wait?" His aura had completely changed from last night.

Walang ngiti sa labi niya, walang kahit na anong maginoong ekspresyon sa mukha niya. His eyes was siren as he looked at me, dark and full of hatred.

He slammed the door behind him. "Don't fucking look at me like that."

Nanginginig ang labi ko. "P-pakawalan mo 'ko." My voice came out strong but shaky.

"You don't talk to me like that, love."

I never felt this kind of hatred before. It sparked even more when he called me by that stupid endearment.

"Randall will find me," I confidently said.

"Oh, I doubt that." He chuckled, he tossed a key chain with two keys in tha air that he was holding in his pocket.

"Randall will find me," Inulit ko sa kaniya. "Hahanapin n'ya ko at ipapakulong ka n'ya!"

"I fucked you on your bed, love. I left my tie there and your underwear. He would assume you ran away with me."

Saka ko lang napansin na wala pala akong suot na panty, saka ko lang din naramdaman ang hapdi sa gitna ng hita ko. Hindi ko siya kayang harapin pagkatapos kong ibigay ang sarili ko sa kaniya. Sigurado akong alam niya ng nagsasabi ako ng totoo na virgin ako nang magtalik kami base pa lang sa ngising nakaguhit sa labi niya.

"My husband knows me. I would never do that," I replied, but it was forced.

"Anong hindi mo magagawa? Sumama sa ibang lalaki o makipag-sex sa taong bago mo pa lang nakilala? You're funny, Vanessa. It's funny how your husband haven't fucked you yet, must be sad he doesn't want you."

He knew where to hit where it already hurts.

"Wala kang alam... W-wala kang alam."

"What don't I know? What is it that I need to know? He fucks other women but doesn't want to fuck his own wife?"

"Shut up!" I cried. "I said you don't know anything, don't go there!"

"How are you here?" he suddenly asked. "I hope you like your new room."

I clenched my jaw, I turned back my gaze to him. "Pakawalan mo 'ko."

"You won't ever leave this room again." He threw the keys again and catched it. "Of course, I will still feed you 'coz I still need you alive. Sofia will bring you your food."

"Nasaan ako?"

Hindi siya sumagot. Nakangisi lang siya habang nililibot ang tingin sa ayos ko, nilusot niya ang daliri niya sa key chain ng mga susi at nilagay niya ang kamay sa kaniyang baba. Hinimas niya ito, ang mga mata niya ay puno ng dilim na nakatitig sa akin.

"Anong kaylangan mo sa'kin? I-i don't have money but I can ask Randall, I can—"

"No, you can't do anything, Vanessa. You will never leave this room. You'll never see the sunlight ever again."

"H-hindi ko talaga maintindihan. Kung hindi pera anong kaylangan mo sa'kin? Wala akong ginawang masama. If I did, then why did you..." Napalunok ako, hindi ko matuloy-tuloy ang sasabihin ko.

Kung sakaling may kasalanan man akong ginawa sa kan'ya na hindi ko maalala, bakit siya nakipagtalik sa akin? Why would we even kiss, touch or seduce? Why would he have sex with me?

"Well, it was fun, wasn't it?"

"No," I whispered.

"Ano?" Kumunot noo niya dahil hindi niya narinig ang sinabi ko.

"You asked me to turn around. Having sex with me as you wait for the drug to take affect was just part of the your plan, wasn't it? You didn't want to look at my face." I looked at him in the eyes, my heart was drumming loudly against my chest.

"You're thinking way too deep," he said with a chuckle.

Nilagay niya ang susi sa taas ng nightstand nang lumapit siya sa akin, tumuon dito ang atensyon ko. Sigurado akong iyon ang susi sa posas ko at sa pinto ng silid na ito. Ngunit nasa malapit si Aaron, umusog ako patalikod hanggang sa tumama ang likod ko sa headboard.

"H'wag mo 'kong hahawakan!" I warned him, shaking my head in fear.

"No, look at me, Vanessa." He grabbed my jaw when I turned my head away and forced me to look at him. I still looked away, I kept my gaze downward.

"W-what do you want from me?" I cried, my lips trembling.

"Ilang beses ko bang uulitin na wala akong kaylangan sa'yo. In fact, you haven't done anything to me at all." He painfully rubbed his thumb on my jawline.

"S-stop, please..." I gritted my teeth, sobbing inwardly and crying.

"Now, gusto kong ulitin mo sa'kin yung sinabi mo. I didn't want to look at your face while fucking you? Don't make me laugh. I'm not that weak, love."

Naramdaman ko ang isang kamay niya sa tuhod ko. Tumuon dito ang atensyon ko. Pinanuod ko kung paano tumaas ang kamay niya hanggang sa hita ko. Nagsitayuan ang mga balahibo sa katawan ko.

Pumasok ang kamay niya sa loob ng bestida ko, hinimas niya ang inner thigh ko nang marahan ang pinisil ito. Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko, kinakapos ako ng hininga at nanginginig ang mga kalamnan.

"Aren't you going to say no?"

Finally, I looked at him. He was close that I could almost see the danger behind his eyes.

I remembered his face and everything if ever some miracle happens and I escape from whatever this place is. He was handsome, his face features were almost perfect so he wouldn't be difficult to remember. Kulay tsokolate ang mga mata niya, matangos ang ilong, kulay itim ang buhok at matulis ang panga. Matangkad din siya noong nakatayo siya at malaki siyang lalaki, maganda ang pangangatawan.

"I..."

The back of his fingers brushed my sensitivity and I shuddered. My toes curled.

"I fucked you because it was both part of the plan and you were good and tight. It's even better that you're a virgin and I'm the one who claimed you first. Your husband will go crazy, won't he? That is if he really cares about you."

Napikit ko ang mga mata ko at umawang ang labi nang dakmain niya ang pagkababae ko at dahan-dahan itong hinimas.

I have no idea what I'm doing right now...

"Ah, look at how wet you are for me, allowing me to show you I can touch you again while staring at your pretty, innocent face." He smiled wickedly. When he pushed his two fingers inside me. My abdomen twitched and my breath hitched when he curcled his fingers.

"Y-you already did... l-last night... you asked me to turn around again and face you," I managed to say.

"Of course, I did," he muttered and pulled his fingers out after.

Tumayo siya at kinuha ang key chain sa nightstand, pumunta siya sa cabinet.

"You see this? This is the key to your handcuff and a spare key to this door, I'll be putting it here in the drawer." Hinila niya ang drawer na nasa ibabang parte ng cabinet at duon nilagay ang susi, sinarado niya ito at humarap muli sa akin.

This was torture, knowing that the key was just in the same room.

"You can't drag the bed because it's also chained to the pipe. Hindi ka makakaalis d'yan sa kama."

"Kung wala akong ginawang masama sa'yo, kung wala kang kaylangan sa'kin. What about my husband... Randall?" Pahabol kong tanong bago niya ako iwanan. "I-i'm sure he didn't mean to do it or he's just drunk, I don't know. B-but he's a good person a-and kind, he wouldn't..."

I stopped myself from saying more. His eyes had turned darker than normal, his jaw was clenching and he turned his hands to fists. However, he didn't speak a word and just left.

I pressed my thighs together in shame, I hugged my knees and buried my face in them.

Wala akong nakuhang kahit anong impormasyon para maintindihan ko kung anong mga nagyayari. Parang panaginip lang ang lahat, kung sakali man ay sana magising na ako. But if it's not a dream...

I need to escape.