STRINGS AND CHAINS

CHAPTER 25

Is this even a good idea? Bakit ngayon pa ako nagtanong 'di ba? Idea at plano ko rin naman 'to. Obviously, my parents are against this pero to make sure na mangyari ang lahat according to my plan, I have to tell lies. Lies like kakampi namin si Rai and he will protect me. The truth is I'm on my own and Rai is not actually here to help me and even protect me. Still, I choose to sacrifice my life here para sa isang magandang plano.

Plano na wala naman talagang patutunguhan. Isang napakawalang kwentang plano.

"You do realize you're walking into a trap," tanong ni Jax sa akin.

I nodded and took a sip on my cup of coffee. "I do," sagot ko.

"But you're still here. Unless you're attracted to me, you won't be here."

Napangiti ako. "Oh, I am attracted to you, Jax. Don't get me wrong. You're handsome and..." Bumaba ang tingin ko, "...hot," dugtong ko at muling tumingin sa kanya.

Jax showed his perfect and seductive smile. "Do you want it?"

Umiling ako agad. "Hindi ko pa gustong mamatay."

"Paano mo naman nasabi na mamamatay ka?"

I shrugged. "Hindi ba you take someone's life force through sex? That's how you incubi do it."

"Kanino mo naman narinig 'yan, Maru?"

I smiled. "I did my research."

Jax licked his lips. "I'm pretty surprised that you still went to your school despite on what happened. Don't you have any idea what's going on?"

I went to school this morning. And as usual, I found them here. They were patiently waiting for me. I begged na makipag-usap ng maayos kay Jax that's why we are here in a coffee shop, peacefully drinking coffees. And I was surprised na pumayag si Jax. Tama nga talaga ang sinabi ni Rai sa akin. Jax wants me badly.

Napatigil ako saglit. What's my next move? Magpaka-inosente? O sabihin na ang totoo? If I act innocent, will it still work?

"Sure you've been tailing me for god knows why and you're pretty mad about what happened to us the first time we met, I still need to go to school or else ano na mangyayari sa future ko."

"If..." Tumaas ang tingin ko kay Jax and he's still wearing that seductive smile. Why the hell these bloody creatures are so perfectly good looking? This is so unfair.

"If you still have a future," pagpapatuloy niya.

Napanganga ako. "Are you saying that I don't have any future?"

"If you can kill us, then that's the only time when you'll have your future. But while we're still alive, there's only one ending for you, Maru..."

"And that is what?"

He smiled and answered, "Death."

Nagkatitigan kami ni Jax. He's firm on this. He badly wants me dead. Why?

"And if I die, what's on you?" tanong ko. Hindi s'ya nakasagot do'n. Nag-alinlangan s'ya for a second, but as if he remembered something good, he smiled again. I intently looked at him. There's something that he wants but I can't distinguish what it is. What does an incubus like him really want? Besides sex of course.

Ahh... Creatures want the same thing. And even a human like me is dying to have that. Kitang-kita ko sa mga mata niya kung ano 'yon.

"Power, isn't it?" tanong ko kaya kunot-noo s'yang tumingin sa akin.

"You want power," pagka-klaro ko. Pero bakit? In their world, ano ba ang incubus at ano ang katayuan nila? I only know one thing. Vampires are still wearing the crown for being the most powerful in the supernatural world. Pero ang mga incubi? What happened to them to gamble with this? What did they sacrifice just for that? So what is their history and why do they want that orb?

This is my mission. I have to know the reason why they need it. This is too risky and if I have to sacrifice my life just for this piece of information, I will. I have to. And I will discover it.

"Why?" tanong ko agad kay Jax.

"Who doesn't want power?" tanong niya pabalik sa akin. Sa mundong 'to, sino nga ba? At mayroon pa nga bang taong hindi naghangad ng kapangyarihan sa mundong 'to?

"And if you obtain it, where are you going to use it? What for?"

People mostly use it for themselves. But not all wanted power just for their own selfish reasons, some are willing to use for the greater good. Some even share it to other people. Pero gaya nga ng sinabi ko, madalas ay para sa pangsariling hangarin pa rin. How about them? Para saan 'tong pagkuha nila sa orb? At kung makuha nila ang orb sa Liverton, anong balak nilang gawin sa kapangyarihan na tinataglay no'n?

"Do you really want to know?" Ngumiti siya sa akin at muling nagpatuloy, "Then come with me."

***

Like what I guessed, we're back at their base. Dito sa warehouse kung saan ako dinala no'ng kumidnap sa akin noon. I don't know what they are brewing over here, but I sense something not really good. But I have to find out what is it. I can't see Ana and Marian. Wala akong idea kung saan nila dinala 'yong dalawa or kung saan nila ito tinago. For sure after my parents found out their base ay tinago na nila 'yong dalawa. Pero ang nakapagtataka ay kung bakit hindi sila umalis dito?

I mean if your parents find out kung saan ang lungga mo at kung saan ka gumagawa ng kalokohan, normal lang na aalis ka na at lilipat sa panibago mong kuweba. Pero bakit sila Jax ay nandito pa rin? Are they that confident? Talagang sigurado sila na walang mangyayari sa kanila at hindi mapupurnada ang mga plano nila?

"So ano'ng meron dito sa walang kalaman-laman niyong warehouse?" tanong ko kay Jax.

"Have you ever heard of any cults in the area, Maru?" tanong ni Jax sa akin.

"Cult? Kullto? Dito sa bayan na 'to?"

Tumango si Jax.

"I haven't heard of any cults if there's any," sagot ko. Now that he mentioned it, if Rai and the others are really true, then those psycho and sadistic cults could also be true. Then why is he talking about cults here?

"Cults are considered unorthodox religion. People of those groups have different beliefs, principles and morals. Just like a normal human being," paliwanag ni Jax.

Tumingin s'ya sa akin at ngumiti, "But what makes them different as a group?"

I still know what a cult is, their mission, and what they worshipped.

"Ano?" And still at the end, I asked.

"They worshipped the evil down there," sagot ni Jax saka nito tinuro ang lapag. If he's talking about the evil down there, then he means him. Satan, Lucifer, o kung sino pa mang demonyo na meron sa impyerno.

"And your point is?"

"I was a member of a cult," sagot ni Jax. And that surprised me.

"An incubus but a member of a cult, well, that sounds very normal," pagsasarkastisko ko. He's a demon himself, so why did he need to be a member of a cult? To what? Worship another being that is more powerful than him?

Wait, that makes sense.

"I was a human too, like you," wika muli ni Jax. Another surprise. What the hell is going on?

"Hindi lang ako, pati na rin ang mga kasama ko sa warehouse na 'to," wika pa niya. Naging alerto ako at napatingin sa tatlong lalaki na kasama ni Jax palagi. Marami pang sumulpot na ibang tao and they surrounded me. They form a circle and I am in the middle of it. Napalunok ako. What is he thinking? What is he planning?

Nagsalubong ang kilay ko nang mayroon akong makita na babae, isang babae na napaka pamilyar sa akin.

"Hi, Maru!"

"Congratulations!"

"Talaga? Kahit patay na siya?"

"Ganoon pala, kahit wala na dito, mas maganda pa rin siya?"

Holy cow. Is this Ynna Montes standing in front of me? She even smiled to me!

"Hello, Maru. It's nice to see you again!" How can she smile like a fucking saint? Like a sweet innocent girl? Is this girl for real? If she's here then she's also like Jax.

"Are you part of this? You are with them?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Sumagot s'ya habang suot-suot pa rin ang maala inosente n'yang ngiti, "Yes!"

At talagang tuwang-tuwa pa s'ya sa lagay na 'to?

"She suggested it," wika ni Jax kaya lumingon ako sa kanya. "To follow the list," dugtong pa nito.

Gulat na gulat akong napatingin ulit kay Ynna but she's still wearing that smile. She's a real creep. She even suggested the list. 'Yong listahan sa school! But Ana and Marian, did they know?

"Luckily, Ana and Maria are Liverton. And you..."

Yes, me. Bakit nasama ako? Bakit pati ako ay kinidnap nila?

"Ynna wanted you out of the list so she could be number one. Pero hanggang ngayon buhay ka pa rin. That really pissed her," paliwanag ni Jax while Ynna is still wearing that innocent and creepy smile. How can she smile like that in the middle of this?

"She really wanted you dead but when that vampire came out of nowhere to rescue you that completely change the game."

Wait, wait, wait.

"So that was the only reason? She wanted me dead? It was not connected to who I am really and with the connections that I have?" tanong ko.

"You are not a hunter, but your parents are. If we killed you, it doesn't change the fact that they will still hunt us. So kahit patay ka man o hindi, they will still do their job," sagot ni Jax.

Okay, so I am useless. Iyan ba ang pinupunto ni Jax?

At tila nabasa niya ang iniisip ko base sa ekspresyon ng mukha ko. Ngumiti s'ya at muling nagsalita, "Believe me you're not that useless."

"This town is supposed to be exclusive with your family, Roscoe, and the Liverton. Three living creatures: humans, werewolves, and witches. So ano ang ginagawa ng isang bampira sa bayan na 'to?" tanong ni Jax habang binibigyan ako ng masamang tingin.

"We were planning secretly, moving stealthily, we were that close to our goal. Pero dumating 'yong kinakasama mong bampira. Sobrang badtrip, hindi ba? Na sa isang iglap, malaman ng lahat ang pinaplano mo?"

Lumapit sa akin si Jax at muling nagsalita, "This is a small town, so vampires shouldn't be prying their nose here. But why that damned bloodsucking f-cker is here? Tell me, Maru. For sure, may alam ka."

"I do not really know," sagot ko at doon natawa si Jax.

"Really?"

"But you know the orb, don't you?" tanong niya ulit.

Doon ako natahimik. What should I answer?

"Of course, you do. So you are no longer innocent. You know want we want."

Napalunok ako.

"And you're here because you want to know our plans, isn't it?" tanong ni Jax.

Tumingin ako sa kanya.

"If you badly want to know kung ano ang gusto namin, I'll gladly show it to you."

Show? What does he mean that he will show it?

Nagulat ako nang biglang lumiwanag ang lapag sa kinatatayuan ko. Isang pabilog na marka ang biglang sumulpot dito.

"Like what I've told you, I was a human. Aren't you curious how we became like this?" wika ni Jax.

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at naglabas ng isang kutsilyo. Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sunod niyang ginawa. Sinugatan niya ang kamay ko at napasigaw ako sa sakit. Hinayaan niyang tumulo ang dugo ko sa lapag. Nagpanic ako lalo nang makita kong kusang gumalaw ang dugo ko hanggang sa mabalutan nito ang lahat ng marka sa bilog.

What the hell is happening? Anong gustong mangyari ni Jax?

"You shouldn't really be here. You should've just listened to your parents. But you're a bad and naughty girl, Maru. You deserve this, don't you think?"

Isang maala demonyong ngiti ang ibinigay ni Jax sa akin.

"Anong ginagawa mo, Jax! Anong balak mo sa akin?" galit na galit kong sigaw sa kanya. Then suddenly, I felt a tug on my feet. Someone is pulling me down. At pababa ako ng pababa. I can't believe this!

Putangina!

"Let the demons decide down there if you're another food or if they accept you and become one of us."

"What..."

He smiled for one last time. "Pray, it might help. And hope it works."