Chapter 1.2 - Vampires

I put the notebook back on the desk and decided to stay there. Hindi naman umalis ang lalaki at nanatili lang s'ya rito habang nagmamasid sa ibang artworks. I heard some of my club mates talking about him, ang iba'y nilalapitan pa s'ya. 

"Transferee raw from abroad, law student. Silvan daw ang surname, ibig sabihin sakanila yung lumang bahay sa gitna ng gubat? Ang sabi kasi ni Papa, mga Silvan daw ang may-ari no'n," sambit ng isa sa club mate ko. 

Thinking about the forest gives me chills. Mom told me not to go there because of too many wild animals. Magmula nang manirahan kami rito, hindi ko pa masyadong nalibot ang kabuuan ng lugar na ito. Bukod sa delikado ay ayaw din ni Mommy. She's just protecting me, dahilan kung bakit kami lumipat dito. 

I almost died when I was eight years old. Muntik na raw akong malunod, mabuti na lang daw at may tumulong sa'kin. That incident made my mother be strict when it comes to me. 

I glance at my club mates who are shamelessly talking about the new guy. Tapos na ang shift ko at nag-text na rin si Vern na sa cafeteria na kami mag-kita. 

"Alis na ko, kayo nang bahala rito, ha?" 

I waved at them before started to walk. I'm already outside the room when I remembered my jacket, I forgot it again! 

Pabalik na ko nang mabangga ko na naman si Maeve Silvan, he's holding my jacket so I took it from him. 

"Salamat ulit, mauna na 'ko!" paalam ko rito. 

I was about to walk away when he grabbed my shoulder. His touch is gentle and it gives me familiar feeling. Agad kong inilayo ang balikat ko sakaniya. 

"Ah, I don't know where the cafeteria is," aniya at bahagyang kinamot pa ang batok. 

I was staring at him for too long that I didn't realize we're gaining too much attention here. 

"P-papunta na rin ako roon, gusto mo.. sumabay?" 

He nodded. All eyes are on us as we walked together in the hallway. Sigurado akong hindi na naman 'to palalagpasin ng iilan lalo pa't bagong mukha ang kasama ko. I won't deny it, he's really attractive like a chic magnet kaya hindi na 'ko nagtaka nang halos malaglag ang panga ng bawat babaeng madadaanan namin. 

Ang cafeteria na maingay ay natahimik nang pumasok kami. He's gaining too much attention here. 

"This is the cafeteria. Salamat ulit, I'll leave you now." I smiled at him.

Nakaupo na ko sa usual seat namin ni Vern at hinintay ito. Medyo matatagalan daw kasi s'ya dahil may pinaayos pang computer sakaniya. He's an IT student, ibang-iba sa gusto ni Tito sakaniya. His father wants him to take culinary arts but he's not interested on it. What interest him is the codes, the technology, computers. 

"Can I sit here?" 

Halos mahulog ako sa kinauupuan sa gulat nang makita si Maeve Silvan sa harap ko. Hawak n'ya ang isang tray na may nakalagay na pagkain. Bago pa ko makapag-protesta ay umupo na ito sa harap ko. It is fine but.. I don't want others to get the wrong idea. Si Vern pa nga lang ay halos isumpa na 'ko ng iba, what more pa kaya kung itong si Maeve Silvan na tingin ko'y magiging bagong campus crush? 

He started eating, beef lang ang order nito at walang rice. Hindi ko alam kung mabubusog ba s'ya roon. Hindi ko nalang pinansin at hinintay nalang si Vern. 

Minutes had passed, I'm still waiting for Vern. Agad na may tumabi sa akin. Of all people, he's the one I don't wanna be with right now! 

"Stop bothering me, Theodore," I boredly said. 

Theodore is the campus jock who had lots of admirers. I won't deny it, he's extremely handsome. With his natural tan skin and well-built muscular body, every girls would throw their selves to him. Hooded eyes, well-trimmed brows, pointed nose, thin lips, perfect jaw and a height of 6'2, papasa s'yang model ng Calvin Klein.

He's such a pain in the ass to me, who wouldn't be annoyed? Sinabi n'ya ba naman sa mga admirers n'ya na ako ang gusto n'ya para lang kainisan ako ng mga ito. He's the one giving me headaches every single day! Mabuti at hindi sila nag-team up ni Vern!

 

"It's Theo for you," wika nito. 

I rolled my eyes at him and texted Vern instead. Bakit ba kasi ang tagal ng mokong na 'yon! I can't stand being with this two guy. 

"Is he bothering you?" tanong ni Theodore.

Maeve stopped eating because of that. Pareho nilang tiningnan ang isa't-isa. Theodore looks aggressive while Maeve looks calm. The tension between them is building up. Kulang nalang ay mag-patayan ang dalawang 'to sa harap ko. Mabuti nalang at dumating na si Vern. 

"Woah, loosen up dudes," panimula nang kararating lang na si Vern. 

Their gazes went to him. Parang natakot si Vern kaya nagtago ito sa gilid ko. 

"Stop it. You're the one bothering me, Theodore," finally, I told him. 

Agad na umamo ang mukha nito nang tumingin sa'kin. Si Maeve ay nag-patuloy na sa pagkain na parang walang nangyari. 

"Alright, I'll leave. Mag-iingat ka sa mga nakakasalamuha mo, Mystica." paalala nito at masamang tiningnan si Maeve. 

I don't know what's wrong with them. And I don't think they knew each other. 

Maeve suddenly stopped and tightened his hold on the fork. His jaw clenched but he manage to remain calm. 

"You mean, mag-ingat sa'yo.." Maeve said in a matter fact. 

In just a blink of an eye, Theodore is now holding Maeve's collar with just one hand, aggressively. He gritted his teeth, tila nagpipigil na saktan si Maeve. On the other hand, Maeve's eyes looks dark. His jaw move in an aggressive manner, at tila kaunting pasensya nalang ang natitira sakan'ya. 

Agad na dumalo ang mga kasamahan ni Theodore para pigilan s'ya. Looking pissed, he withdraw his grip on Maeve's collar. Tiningnan niya muna ito nang masama bago nag-pasyang umalis ng cafeteria. 

Maeve fixed his polo as he stood up and took the tray of food. 

"Sorry for the trouble." he said calmly before leaving us.

What was just happened? 

"Here's the notebook, read at your own risk," paalala ni Vern. 

Narito kami ngayon sa kwarto n'ya, nangako kasi s'yang ipapabasa n'ya sa'kin ang notebook na bigay sakan'ya ng Lolo n'ya. Kalat agad sa school ang nangyari kanina sa cafeteria. Ayon sa chismis ay nag-away daw ang dalawa dahil sa'kin. The fuck is that? 

Kinuha ko ang notebook mula sakan'ya at sinimulang basahin 'yon. 

"Vampires are real and they preys upon human. I've seen one of them the night of the lantern festival. They look just like us— humans but when they finally have their target, their eyes will change its color, from its natural color, it will turn into red, like a fire and will soon darken. Their normal teeth will turn into fangs as they feed on human blood. They won't stop until they consumed all the blood in your body. They are faster and stronger than humans. Some people say that there are two kinds of vampire, the good one who feed upon animals and the bad one who feed upon humans. But whatever it is, only one thing's for sure, they are powerful."

I've decided to borrow this notebook, hindi ko yata matatapos 'yon nang isang araw lang. 

"I find it interesting so I researched about it. I surf on the deep web and found out unreleased cases about vampires. Come here, see it for yourself.." 

May hinila s'yang kung ano sa kisame ng kwarto n'ya at bumungad sa akin ang maliit na hagdan paakyat sa attic nila. I've been here many times but this is the first time he showed me this one. 

"You've got a secret place here, huh?" hindi makapaniwalang sambit ko. 

Nauna s'yang umakyat, may pinindot s'ya doon dahilan para bumukas ang pinto na nakaharang at inalalayan ako nang ako na ang sumunod. Namangha ako nang makita kung anong nasa loob nito. 

May tatlong naglalakihang computer sa gilid, maraming papel at litratong nakakalat sa kung saan. May shelf naman sa kabilang gilid na napupuno ng mga libro at ang pinaka agaw pansin ay ang malaking web of conspiracy sa gitna. Walang bintana o kahit anong lagusan dito, tanging ang hagdan lang na dinaanan namin ni Vern ang lagusan palabas at papasok. Hindi ko namalayan na binuksan na pala n'ya ang aircon dahil mangha pa rin ako sa mga nakikita ko. 

"What are you? A detective or something?" I chuckled in amazement. 

Lumapit ako sa web of conspiracy para tingnan ang mga litratong naroon. Iba't-ibang mukha ang nakikita ko, may mga crime scenes pang naroon. Sa baba ng mga ito ay ang pangalan o explanation ng litrato. 

Tiningnan ko s'ya nang mapansing nagtungo s'ya sa bookshelf para buksan ang drawer sa baba no'n. Akala ko libro rin ang laman ng mga 'yon kaya labis nalang ang gulat ko nang makitang mga files 'yon. Naka-organize ang lahat at kung s'ya lang mag-isa ang gumawa nito, napakagaling n'ya naman! 

"Look at this one, sabi sa findings animal attack daw ang kinamatay but look at the body, Myst! Hindi lang basta hayop ang may gawa n'yan."

He showed me pictures of the dead body, masyadong brutal ang ginawa sa babae. Sa kasunod na litrato ay ipinakita ang kagat sa leeg nito. Ipinakita niya rin sa'kin ang litrato sa ibang folder naman at mas brutal ito kumpara sa nauna. Hati-hati ang katawan ng lalaki na nakita sa iba't-ibang parte ng gubat. Halos masuka ako sa nakita ko kaya inilayo ko yon, hindi ko yata kaya. 

"Bakit hindi ko naman nababalitaan ang mga gan'yan? Ang mga ganitong kaso, hindi dapat isinasa-walang bahala!" 

Isinara n'ya na ang folder at ipinatong 'yon sa lamesa. Sinundan ko ito nang mag-tungo s'ya sa mga computers. He did something and I saw familiar faces, there are more than twenty pictures and if I'm not mistaken, lahat 'yon ay mga kilalang personalidad. There are politicians, artists, military, and any other people with big names all over the world! Bakit niya ipinapakita sa'kin 'to? 

"If my assumptions were right, these people are vampires. I just don't have enough proof, yet. At kung tama ang hinala ko, hindi nirerelease ang mga balitang 'yan dahil may mga makapangyarihang tao ang pumipigil dito," paliwanag n'ya. 

If he was right, then this world is in danger! He filled me with all the informations about vampires and werewolves. Wolves are vampires' greatest enemy, ayon sakan'ya at 'yun din ang alam ko. 

May parte sa'kin na pinaniniwalaan s'ya but there's also a part of me that's stopping me to believe. Sabi nga nila 'di ba, to see is to believe. Kaya hangga't wala pa 'kong nakikita na makakapag-patunay na totoo ang vampires and wolves, hindi ako maniniwala rito. 

Gabi na nang magpasya akong umuwi, isang kanto lang naman ang layo ng bahay ko sa bahay nila Vernon kaya ayos lang siguro kung lakarin ko nalang. Tito invited me to eat dinner with them, hindi ko naman magawang tanggihan kaya kahit medyo late na ay doon na rin ako nag-hapunan. Ihahatid naman daw ako ni Vern. 

"Don't give your trust easily, Mystica. At huwag ka rin basta-basta mag-papasok ng kung sino rito sa bahay mo. You know, no vampires can enter a house uninvited so be careful who you invite here," paalala nito bago tuluyang umalis.