Prologue

Stephanie's POV

The candle fire gently danced with the subtle breeze of air entering from my window. Its flame barely gave me enough light to read my book. 

The rain had finally subsided and all that was left was the cold wind brushing against my skin.

I was hoping that the electricity would come back sooner but my anticipation just lead to disappointment. Mukhang matatagalan pa yata bago bumalik ang kuryente. Malakas din ang ulan kanina. 

My attention was diverted from my book when I heard the door creaked open. 

An eldery woman with partially grey hair entered my room with a lamp raised on her right arm.  Though her face looked old and wrinkled, her physique and movements were as young as a woman in her thirties.  

"Stephanie, bumaba ka na. Naghanda na ako ng pagkain sa mesa, o gusto mo ba ihatid ko na lang dito?" 

"No, Nana. I'll go down in just a bit. Mauna ka na po. Susunod lang ako." Tita Linda or Nana, as we call her has been serving as our housekeeper for years. She became our second mother since my mom is always away on her work. 

Iniwan na ako ni Nana sa kuwarto habang ako naman ay tumayo na rin at nagtungo sa bookshelf para ibalik ang librong hawak ko. 

Madilim pa rin ang loob ng bahay kaya kailangan kong bitbitin ang kandila sa kuwarto upang magamit itong pang-ilaw. 

Nang makarating ako sa dining area, napakunot-noo ako nang makitang walang tao roon. Nana should be here. Where is she?

"Nana?" No one was responding to my call. 

"Nana, 'asan ka?" Pinagpatuloy ko ang paglalakad hanggang sa tuluyan na akong nakarating sa dirty kitchen.

May narinig akong kalagting ng mga kutsara kaya mabilis akong nagtungo doon at agad itong inilawan. 

My soul almost left my body when I saw a person standing next to the dishwasher.

"Whooh, ikaw lang pala yan, Nana. Ba't 'di ka sumasagot? Tinakot mo naman ako nang husto." However, she remained silent. 

May takot na nakaukit sa mga mata niya. Nanginginig ang kanyang mga labi at katawan habang mabilis siyang umiiling-iling sa akin.

"Bakit po, Nana? Anong nangyari?" I was about to come closer when I noticed the shattered pieces of the old lamp she was holding earlier close to her feet. 

"There is someone he—" She wasn't able to complete her response when I felt a cold metal brushing against my back. 

"Don't move or you're dead." A female voice whispered to my ear from behind. Her cold breath sent shivers from my neck down to my whole my body. 

Nanigas ang katawan ko. It wasn't only due to the fact that someone is behind me but also her voice…her voice was very familiar. 

She tried to push the cold metal closer to my skin while all I could do was to stand still and calm my own breathing. Nanginginig ang mga kalamnan ko. Gusto kong tumakbo pero parang naka-ugat ang mga paa ko sa sahig.  

"Let's make this fast and easy. Go with me, and you and you're Nana won't get hurt...resist and you'll be dead."

"Sino ka?" My voice was dry. 

"Hindi na importante yun. Itaas mo ang mga kamay mo."

Sinunod ko ang sinabi niya. Medyo nakaramdam ako ng kirot nang tumulo sa kamay ko ang natunaw na bahagi ng kandilang hawak ko. 

Tinitigan ko si Nana sa mata at sinenyas sa kanya ang daan patungo sa pinto. May pag-alinlangan sa mga mata niya. 

Walang ano-ano'y binitawan ko ang hawak kong kandila na naging dahilan nang pagkamatay ng apoy nito. Ginamit ko ang namayaning kadiliman bilang pagkakataon upang tumakbo palayo. 

Ngunit nakailang hakbang pa lamang ako ay bigla kong naramdamang may humila sa buhok ko. Parang napupunit ang anit ko. 

I tried kicking and punching my attacker but I was in a much more disadvantage position. Hawak niya ang buhok ko at sa bawat pagpupumiglas ko ay lalo lamang akong nasasaktan. 

"Nana, run!" I said between my groans.

"She can go. You're the only one I need," she said, this time I can feel her knife pressed against my throat. Tumigil ako sa pagpupumiglas. 

I felt a stinging sensation where the tip of her knife was.

"Stephanie, hindi kita iiwa—" Ang akala ko ay tumakbo na palayo si Nana. 

"No, Tita. It's me that she wants. Just get out of here and call for help!"

"Hindi kita iiwan!" 

"Please, just liste–" I was cut between my words when suddenly something hit me my face. The next thing I knew, it was followed with more.  

"You, little B*tch," my attacker cursed. 

Madilim ang paligid kaya hindi ko alan kung ano itong binabato ni Nana patungo sa direksyon namin.   Fortunately,  due to the little commotion, it kept my attacker preoccupied. She tried to cover herself with my body while I used it as an opportunity to kick her away.

Nabitawan niya ako kaya dali-dali akong tumakbo papunta sa pinto. I can sense that Nana did the same too.  

My eyes had already adjusted to the dark so it wasn't very hard to navigate and run. Nakarating na kami sa kalsada at mabuti na lang at maliwanag ang buwan at nawala na ang madilim na ulap. 

We ran as fast as we can to look for help. Sa kasamaang palad, ilang minuto pa ang layo ng pinakamalapit na bahay mula rito.

"Steph, teka muna. Mas mabuti sigurong hindi tayo dito sa kalsada dumaan," hinihingal na saad ni Tita. We stopped for a while while catching our breath. "Hindi ordinaryong tao ang umatake sa atin. Nakita mo ba ang mga mata niya?'

"What about them?"

"Pula ang mga iyon at lumiliwanag sila!" I was cut-off guard by her statement. I did not have the chance to see the woman's eyes because she was behind me the whole time and I did not bother looking back when we were running. "Mas mabuti sigurong doon tayo dumaan sa mas tago."

She had a point so I let her led the way. Another way to get to our neighbors is through crossing a small river. My father love fishing so my parents decided to build our house near a body of water—that is when before they got divorced. 

Pero bago pa kami tuluyang nakakalayo biglang napahinto si Nana. In front of us was the woman who attacked us. 

She was covered on dark cloak and Nana was right, there was nothing visible under the cloak except for the pair of red glowing eyes.

"Talagang matigas ang ulo niyo. Pwes, kung di kayo madaan sa paki-usap mas mabuting idadaan ko na lang kayo sa dahas."  Parang bumagal ang paligid nang tinapon niya ang hawak niyang kutsilyo sa direksiyon ni Nana. Gusto ko siyang hilain palayo ngunit masyadong mabilis ang pangyayari. Before I even realized it, the knife had struck her stomach. 

Mabilis kong nilapitan si Nana. Hindi siya makapagsalita. She was about to collapse when I catched her with my arms. Blood was leaking from her wound. I gently placed her head in my thigh.

Nanginginig kong hinawakan ang kanyang mukha. She was still breathing. But for how long? Tears began to escape my eyes while I did everything to keep her eyes open. 

"Nana..Nana..please."

I felt someone grabbed me from behind. Sinubukan kong magpumiglas ngunit nang naramdaman kong may kutsilyong nakatutok sa likod ko, agad din akong napahinto. 

"Just come with me so you won't be hurt," usal niya habang sinusubukan idiin sa akin ang kutsilyo. 

"Never!" Sinipa ko s'ya palayo patalikod at natumba s'ya dahil doon. 

Pero alam kong panandalian lang akong makakalayo sa kanya. Muli s'yang tumayo at muli na naman sanang susugod sa akin nang bigla na lang s'yang nawalan ng malay. 

What happened? 

Sa likuran niya nakatayo si Nana habang hawak-hawak ang isang malaking kahoy na ginamit niya pamalo sa ulo ng babae. 

I can see her wound gushing out blood. I was suprised that she was still able to stand despite her condition.

Tumakbo ako palapit sa kanya nang bigla siyang natumba muli at nawalan ng malay.

No, no, no. Nana! 

Kailangan ko siyang madala sa hospital. 

With full strength I carried her on my shoulder. Hirap na hirap ko siyang inaalalayan makalayo lamang kami. I felt the wetness and unappealing smell of blood coming from her clothing. 

Ang sakit na rin ng katawan ko dahil sa paggulong-gulong ko kanina sa damuhan, but it was the least of my problem. Nana is severely wounded. Ang kailangan ko lang munang isipin ay makalayo kami rito. 

The next house is about three minutes away from here so if I could just... 

Ahh

Natigil ako sa pagbuhat kay Nana nang nararamdaman kong may tumagos sa dibdib ko. 

Ang hirap huminga. Umiinit ang dibdib ko. Parang pinipisil ang puso ko at naninikip ang lalamunan ko. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin. 

Alam kong nagtamo ako ng sugat pero hindi ko 'yon maramdaman dahil tila namamanhid ang katawan ko. 

Hinugot ng sumaksak sa akin ang nakabaon sa likod ko at mas lalo ako nanghina nang mas dumami ang dugong kumawala sa katawan ko. 

Unti-unti akong nawawalan ng lakas at dahan-dahang nabibitawan si Nana. Sabay kaming bumaksak ng katawan ni Nana sa maruming lupa.

Sa bawat segundong lumilipas mas nahihirapan na akong huminga, at mas nanlalabo na ang paningin ko. Nalalasahan ko na rin ang tila kalawang na likido mula sa bibig ko. 

Pinilit kong gumalaw at tumayo para harapin ang taong sumaksak sa akin pero hindi ko magawa dahil parang nanigas ang katawan ko. Wala na akong kontrol sa buong kalamnan ko. 

Bago ko pa man maisara nang tuluyan ang aking mga mata ay tinanggal ng sumaksak sa akin ang balabal niya. Though it was dark, the moon was enough for me to see her face. 

My face became pale and confusion began to swallow me as I laid my eyes on her. 

Tumitig siya sa akin. "I warned you. It's a shame that you need to be wounded just to go with me."

Bawat hakbang nya palapit sa akin ay tila tunog ng tambol na dahan-dahang hinahampas.

Habang tumatagal mas nanghihina na ang katawan ko. More and more blood were lost from my body and as much as I hate to admit it, I just wished to die than to feel this agonizing pain. 

And then, finally light turned into darkness and pain turned into numbness. 

It made no sense. The woman was me.