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Chapter 21: Burned to ashes.
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2024-10-29 19:42:56KATANA.
Tinahak namin ang tahimik na hallway ni Jeran. Maging kami ay tahimik, walang gustong bumasag sa katahimikan. Nang huminto ako sa tapat ng pinto ng kwarto nina Ynah, mabilis akong hinarap ni Jeran nang nagtataka. “What are we doing here?” gulat niyang tanong, hawak ang braso ko. Pero tumitig lang ako sa kanya at sa gulong-gulo niyang mukha bago muling ibinalik ang tingin sa harap ng pinto nina Ynah. Ilang araw ko nang gustong katukin ‘yon, pero hindi ko magawa dahil natatakot ako sa pwede kong madatnan. But as days past by, my suspicion grew more and more— lalo na kapag nakikita ko si Ynah na parang takot at... natataranta. I grabbed the doorknob, ignoring Jeran’s tight grip on me. “Katana!”Related chapters
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THIRD PERSON’S POV. THE WHOLE van was just silent as Santi steer the wheel from the driver’s seat. Almost all of them were asleep, but despite the silence everyone is offering, they could all feel the gloom... the misery... the tiredness and the hell they all went through. Karlos heaved a deep sigh. He stared at his unconscious sister beside him, and he couldn’t feel more worried than he is right now. A small voice from the back of his head kept on blaming Ynah for all that happened today... and although he doesn’t want to, his whole system agrees to that voice. Because really, if it weren’t for Ynah, if she hasn’t done what she did to her mother, if she just told them what happened to Nana Neli, this wouldn’t have happened... And even if Ynah is unconscious just as how Katana is, he ba
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THIRD PERSON’S POV. “GUYS. GUYS, positive,” mabilis na bulalas ni Belle nang buksan niya ang pinto ng van habang palinga-linga ang mga mata sa paligid. Napalingon sa kanya ang mga kasama sa loob ng van na noo’y gising na pala at nakahanda na, bago isa-isang nagsibabaan. Natira na lang sa loob sina Karlos, si Katana at Ynah na tulog pa rin, at si Jerome. Karlos wanted to wake his sister up, but he’d rather carry her because he knew how tired his sister is. Alam niyang hindi na ito halos nakakatulog ng maayos, kaya napag-desisyunan niyang ipasan na lang ito. Si Jerome naman, bagaman galit, ay ipinasan pa rin si Ynah. Nakalalay sa kanya si Belle, na bagaman tulad niyang hindi maintindihan ang ginawa ng kaibigan, ay nag-aalala pa rin. She then locked th
The Runners Chapter 24: A daughter's teardrops.
KATANA. “WHAT DOES he mean ‘dad’?!” Mabilis na napalingon sa akin sina Daryl at Jeran, kapwa naguguluhan din. Okay, I voiced that thought out loud... Walang nakakaalam sa amin kung anong tinutukoy ni Kuya so I gotta calm down... Yes, Kat... I breathe in slowly, trying to calm my nerves, pero maya’t-maya lang akong napapapikit ng mariin dahil sa inis. Tsk! How the hell am I supposed to calm down?! Pakshet kasi si Kuya! Hindi niya ba naisip na masyadong overthinker ang kapatid niya? Hindi niya ba naisip na masyadong nakakagulo sa sistema ang sinabi niya? It’s as if he just dropped a freaking bomb in front of me and he didn’t even try to ellaborate what he said! Talagang iniwan niya lang akong nakanganga! How
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THIRD PERSON’S POV. “LALABAS MUNA kami.” Iyon kaagad ang lumabas sa bibig ni Karlos nang makapasok sila sa loob ng sinehan at makapagpahinga ng kaunting oras. Mabilis na napalingon sina Belle, Jeran, Jerome at Santi sa kanya. Halos lahat sila ay kunot ang noo dahil sa pagtataka kaya napabuntong-hininga na lang si Karlos at pinanood ang iba pa nilang kasama na pagod na sumalampak sa hilera ng mga upuan. “Kailangan nating humanap ng tulong para makaalis na tayo rito sa Terryn.” Napasinghal si Isabelle at mariin siyang tiningnan. Bakas ang pagtutol sa mukha nito, pero parang sa mga oras na ito ay nawalan na ng pake si Karlos sa mundo. “Why don’t we just plan something to get out of this hell hole? Bakit kailangan niyo pang lumabas when we could just use those time to think of a something?”
The Runners Chapter 26: Gunshots.
THIRD PERSON’S POV. “DUDE, CALM down. It’s his dad.” Jerome looked over his shoulder and scoffed. “How can you say so?!” asik niya kay Santi na nasa likod niya at sinusubukan siyang pakalmahin. “I just knew it, okay?” nauubusan ng pasensyang sabi ni Santi at sinapo ang sariling noo. “He was familiar. Kaya ‘di ako lumaban kanina no’ng sinasakal niya ‘ko kasi namumukhaan ko siya. I was busy remembering where did I saw him kaya na-dehado ako.” Suminghal lamang si Jerome at hindi nakinig sa sinabi niya. Patuloy pa rin ito sa pagtutok ng baril sa pulis na titig na titig kay Karlos. He couldn’t let his guards down dahil hindi pa rin siya kumbinsidong ang mamang pulis na iyon ay ang tatay ni Karlos. Kasi ang
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THIRD PERSON’S POV. "NAPAKAGANDA NG kapatid mo, Karlos. Ilang taon na siya?" mahinang tanong ng pulis kay Karlos, nangingiti. Tahimik lang siyang nakatitig kay Katana na ngayo’y tahimik na nangunguna sa paglalakad pabalik sa sinehan kasabay sina Jeran, Daryl at Jerome. Halata sa mukha nito ang pagod kaya iyon ang iniisip ng pulis na dahilan kung bakit hindi kinukwestyon ng dalaga ang presensya niya. "If you didn't left, you'll know," giit ni Karlos gamit ang mapait na boses at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. Napayuko na lang ang pulis, tila nahihiya. Sa totoo lang ay ayaw niyang makasabay sa paglalakad ang ama, pero wala siyang magawa dahil lapit ng lapit ito sa kanya. Hindi niya rin naman magawang itaboy ito palayo dahil hindi naman siya gano’n ka-walang puso. "Damn it, Katana! No more monkey businesses, please!” asik niya maya-maya sa kapatid ng akma itong papaso
The Runners Chapter 28: Fixed.
KATANA. GROWING UP, I was really curious about my father’s real identity. Since I haven’t seen nor meet him— not even once, I was really, really eager to know even just a slightest bit of thing about him. Nagbaka-sakali pa nga akong humingi ng picture niya kay Mommy noon no’ng buhay pa siya, and I realized it was a dumb move because Mom really looked like... offended. Since then, I didn’t asked about him anymore— but still, the curiosity is still inside me. But right now, right at this very moment, hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko ngayong nandito na siya sa harap ko. I knew I waited for this moment to happen, I’ve longed for this time to come... pero parang sa mga oras na ‘to ay binibigo ako ng dila ko. Ang dami kong gustong sabihin. Ang dami kong gustong itanong..
The Runners Chapter 29: Plan B.
KATANA. "SO, PAANO tayo makakalabas ng lugar na 'to? Because obviously, we wouldn’t survive is we just stay here," Kuya uttered with his arms crossed, giving each of us serious glances kahit pa para naman talaga kay Papa ang tanong niya. As obvious as it is, he’s just doing that— averting Dad’s gaze— to ignore him kasi as much as I wanted to fool myself that he do not, I sure as hell that he still hates our father. Hindi ko naman siya masisisi... I mean, lumaki nga akong wala siya pero unlike him, I chose to just be in good terms with Dad kasi we’ll never know if it’s our last day already, ‘di ba? And yep. We're planning again. Pero hopefully, ngayon na ang last, final at firm plan namin dahil kating-kati na talaga akong makaalis dito. Gusto ko na lang manirahan kasama si Papa kasi ‘yon naman talaga ang gusto ko noon pa man
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KATANA. “THEY... T-THEY were my family...” Those words silenced us like a knife and painfully left a thick and heavy ambiance inside the room. We all watched Jerez as he painfully sobbed on his hands, not minding our presence and curious stares. While my heart throbbed in slight pain, alam kong tulad ko, nakaramdam rin ang mga kasama namin ng super duper slight na awa para sa doktor na 'to. “W-We were happy...” mahina niyang bulong maya-maya habang patuloy pa rin sa paghikbi. “Everything’s working out fine. We were contented. We were complete... not until Lloyd ruined everything!” galit na sigaw niya dahilan para mapapiksi ako sa gulat. “And up until this moment, it still hurts!” he wailed, bringing gloss in my eyes as tears threathened to faill. “I’ve lost them years ago an
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