My knees wobbled while I am trying to hold my breath after I heard the approaching footsteps outside. Mabibigat ang mga hakbang nito na lumilikha ng maingay na tingog sa kahoy na sahig.

She's here.

With the thought of she, being here, my tears once again fell down. Hanggang kailan n'ya ba ako ikukulong dito? Hanggang kailan n'ya ako pahihirapan ng ganito?

I don't know what I have done to her for her to do this to me. I don't even know her.

Agad kong isiniksik pa lalo ang sarili ko sa sulok ng kwarto na kung saan katabi ko ang isang malaking cabinet nang marinig ko ang pagbukas ng pinto.

Her boots made a frightening entrance as it frantically kicked the door to be thoroughly opened.

And as soon as her bold image reached my vision, an eerie and intimidating ambiance devoured the whole room.

"You look like a mice afraid of a cat," she uttered with a satisfied grin.

"And that makes such a great view," dagdag n'ya pa.

"Please... stop doing this," I pleaded with my shaking voice. Kahit labag pa sa kalooban ko ang magmakaawa ay ginawa ko. I just wanna go home and be with my family.

"You're giving me pleasure," tugon n'ya. Ang ngisi ay hindi pa rin nawawala.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked as the chains in my hand made a dangling sound after she pulled it upward, commanding me to stand.

"Why?" she asked back as she leaned closer to my face. I could even hear her breath.

"You really don't know, princess?" she whispered to my ears, giving me goosebumps.

"Well, it's for you to remember everything..." she added with a menacing voice.

"Please!" sigaw ko nang marahas n'ya akong tinulak. Dahilan para mauntog ang ulo ko sa dulo ng cabinet.

"You stole my chance to live a life that I deserve!" she yelled back with fury evident on her voice.

I was dumbfounded with her statement. I just don't understand it. How did I? And how could I?

"I hate you, you know?" she added. And I don't understand how my heart crippled with those words of her.

As I acknowledge the creeping pain in my chest, I felt my vision growing a little blurry. The sound of the crickets gradually fade in the silence of the sombre night.

But before I could even loose my consciousness, I heard her whispered something in my ears.

"You will always be, lost..."

Napabuga ako ng hininga matapos basahin ang ika-walong kabanata ng nobelang kasalukuyan kong ine-edit. I already wrote its first 20 chapters and I'm editing it now. May kulang pa ako na 20 chapters.

I have to finish editing it and writing it as soon as I can so I can send it to my editor just on time for having it prepared for the publication. Since the publishing house is now hurrying me for an another publication of my book.

And uh, it's draining me. Plus, this part is quite bias to the villain's side.

Instead of revising it, I chose to just close my laptop and head down to the living room.

Pagkarating ko ay naroon na naman ang tatlong pulis na pumunta rito kahapon. Well, it's no longer new. Dahil halos araw-araw ay may pumupunta ritong mga pulis. Giving updates to Elly's case.

"Mr. Jamez, may nahanap po kaming isang witness ukol sa pagkawala ng anak n'yo," pakinig kong wika nung isang pulis which caught my interest.

I went to sit in one of the couch near the living room to hear more.

"Really? Who? Anong sabi n'ya? Alam n'ya ba kung nasaan ang anak ko?" sunod-sunod na tanong ni daddy. Halatang sabik at puno ng pag-asa.

"Luther Olivar, a fourth-year engineering student from the Morville Academy. Ayon sa kan'ya ay dakong alas-nuwebe na ng umaga nung madaanan n'ya ang isang babae na naglalakad at tila naghihintay ng masasakyan. He confirmed that it was Elly Jamez," detalyadong sagot nung pulis.

"Does he know where she went after that?" Dad asked.

"Ayon sa kan'ya ay bago pa man nakalayo ang sasakyan n'ya ay naaninag n'ya mula sa side mirror ng kotse n'ya ang anak n'yo ho umano na pumasok sa isang kakahinto pa lang na kotse," I balled my fists after hearing the police's words.

"Pumasok? And who's car is that?" Dad asked. Confusion evident in his voice.

"The witness has no idea, Mr. Jamez. And we checked the place, wala rin pong CCTV na maaaring magbigay sa 'tin ng plate number ng sasakyan," sagot ng police.

I

sarcastically smiled at their conversation. They found a witness, but it's still useless.

"So? Ano na lang ang gagawin n'yo? That doesn't sound like a good news to me," Dad prankly stated, making the police officers lightly bow their heads.

"Right now, we will conduct a manhunt operation tomorrow to find your daughter. Mas lalo na rin po naming pinahihigpit ang checkpoints sa papasok at palabas ng syudad," The police officer replied. But dad remained unsatisfied with his gesture of shaking his head and leaning against the table.

"But there's one more thing that this witness can give to help us," Naantig ang interes ko nang marinig iyon.

"What is it?" Even dad who has the unsatisfied expression earlier has now a lovely eyes that gleamed in hope.

"After recognizing it was your daughter, Luther Olivar made a U-turn to your daughter and stopped at the place where she stood. He found something that could give us a clue if who the perpetrator is," May kumpyansang sagot nung police.

"And what is it?" Dad asked with an inpatient tone.

"A bottle of perfume," tipid na sagot ng police habang pareho naman kaming na-intriga nila dad. How could a bottle of perfume give a clue to the perpetrator's identity?

"Ayon sa kan'ya ay personal n'yang kilala kung sino ang madalas gumamit ng ganoong uri ng pabango," the police added.

"This doesn't make sense. What can a bottle of perfume do with my daughter's case? What if it's just hers? I mean, wala naman sigurong pangalan ng suspek ang nakasulat sa pabangong iyon para mabuo ang kompyansa n'yong mareresolba n'yo na ang kaso," Dad uttered while scratching his left brow. He got a point.

"Mr. Jamez, every detail counts. Whether big or small. And Luther Olivar have known your daughter for such a long time according to him. He confirmed that Ms. Jamez didn't own that perfume. Plus, he personally know the owner of it." Paliwanag naman ng police.

"Then who? Sino? Sino ang walang-hiyang dumukot sa anak ko?" kaagad ay naiinip na sigaw ni daddy, dahilan para hawakan s'ya ni mommy sa braso.

"Ang sabi ng witness ay saka n'ya lang sasabihin sa paparating na ikalawang interview sa kan'ya. Maging ang bote ng pabango na napulot n'ya ay isusumite n'ya rin para sa fingerprint tracing," bagama't nagtaas na ng boses si dad ay nanatili pa ring mahinahon ang boses ng police na kausap n'ya.

"Ano? Bakit hindi n'ya na lang agad sinabi?" ubos na ang pasensya na tanong ni dad.

"Mr. Jamez, wala ba kayong kilala na kaaway ng inyong anak?" tanong sa halip nung police.

"No. My daughter is an angel. Wala s'yang kaaway maliban na lang sa kakambal n'ya," diretsong sagot ni dad sabay nakaw ng tingin sa akin. Dahilan para umarko ang dalawang kilay ko. I mean, it's true that I consider Elly as my enemy, but that doesn't make me have the potential to be the person who abducted her. Dahil sigurado akong yun ang tinutukoy ng police. At heto ang aking magaling na ama at ako ang agad na itinuro.

"It's just an away-magkapatid, Dad," I clarified. Pero binalewala lang naman iyon ni dad.

Matapos ang usapan nila ay agad na ring umalis ang mga pulis. Ngunit kinabukasan ay nakatanggap ng tawag si dad na pinapapunta s'ya sa presento. Of course it was still about Elly's case.

I was bored in the house so I decided to come with them. And when we arrived at the Police station, a news that Luther Olivar, the witness was found dead beside the Morville road with the perfume bottle on his hands.

•••