Eric and Carlo

Trigger warning: rape

It is the middle of the night when I felt a sudden drop of temperature. I open my eyes to see the Ispiritong ligaw watching me in my sleep. Her sinister smile startles me, I thought she became gentle? She turns away and stares to Erics' direction and saw a Batibat. A huge female beast with unruly hair and big sets of teeth, she feeds from negative emotion caused by nightmares. She's touching Erics' forehead as she feeds in ecstasy. Eric squirms in fright as he dreams something awful. I start to get up but the Ispiritong Ligaw stops me.

"They instinctively kill their food if someone interrupts them. Just watch and wait. She will leave." She mutters to me. I ask who she really is but she just sneer at me and said. "You already know."

We watch as the Batibat eats and Eric squirms. I'm trembling and scared for his well-being but all I can do is wait. Then the Batibat get satiated and open her eyes. She looks at us screech and crawls backward to the forest, afraid to turn her back from us. Eric is still restless; he still traps on his nightmare. I silently walk near him to wake him up but she stops me. She grabs his hands and mine and after that I fall.

When I landed somewhere, I look at my surrounding. I'm in a messy living room, full of empty beer bottles and junk foods. Some people are already sleeping on the floor or the couch drunk. I initially thought that I came back to our plane but when I looked on the calendar the year was 2015. So I came back 5 years in the past? When I about to call her, a muffle sound can be heard in the other room.

I follow the noise and what I saw makes my heart get full of rage. A younger version of Eric was grabbed from his hands and feet. Four guys are jeering as they tries to rape him, he can't scream because an underwear is stuck on his mouth. He is crying and his eyes are begging for them to stop. I scream for her to let me leave this nightmare. But no one answers me I close my eyes and shut my ears as we suffer through his nightmare.

We both open our eyes as the nightmare is finally done. I look everywhere for Isipiritong Ligaw but I can't find her. I stare at him again but he is looking at our hands clasping. He turns to me and sees me crying then a realization dawn on him.

"You saw it?" He asks me praying that it is not true. I look away and nod my head. But before I start to get up he clasps my hand and whispers, "Please don't go." He pulls me and hugs me.

"Are you sure?"

"When I'm with you, I feel safe." We sleep with each other's arm. I never felt more at peace.

I woke up first than him, his drool wets my shirt and I still smile. Seeing him sleeping in my chest, contented and happy… I don't want this to end. I knew that the two of them claiming to be my Iroga but I want Eric to be mine. I am still scared to kiss him, what if he is not the one? I felt that someone is watching us, and I saw Cedric looks at us and comes near me.

"Is he going to be my brother in law?" He whispers at me so that Eric doesn't wake up.

"Are you okay with me being gay?" He frowns and asked me why and I realize that he lives in a plane that seems dangerous but there's no discrimination and judgment. So I just smile and said nothing.

"Where's Carlo?"

"He's gone when I woke up. Do you want me to look for him?" He runs before I answer… really kid? I plan to harvest some foods in the forest and practice but I can't leave Eric alone. I carefully extracted myself to his embrace and follow Cedric to where he runs off to.

I found him watching Carlo trying to make a fire with a flint. He sets some woods and dried leaves as he stroke the two flints he found.

"You know that Kuya Henry has lighter, right?" Cedric asks him concern that Carlo struggles to make one. Henry is one of the four remaining people who recently kidnapped by the engkantos.

"I know, but this is more satisfying." He grunts as he speaks.

"You look like you want to kill those two flints." Cedric make those cute bewildered face.

"Because these guys doesn't give me what I want. It is just simple! I need some fire right now and even that I can't get! What's wrong with me huh?! I deserve some happiness too!" He strokes those flints more as tears threaten to fall from his eyes.

"You can have fire right now, I can ask Kuya Henry to borrow his lighter. No need to be sad." Cedric pats his shoulder to console him.

"I don't want that."

"Why not? That is the easy way."

"Because there's nothing easy in this life! Not for me and I hope not for everyone! It is so unfair, why not me? What's wrong with me?!" Carlo snaps at him, when he realized what he has done; he turns to him to apologize. But Cedric stares at him with understanding and sympathy.

"Who did you like? My brother or Kuya Eric?" Carlo stares at him for a long time before he answers.

"You know that I want to be your brother-in-law." Carlo answers jokingly. He laughs a little but he ends up sobbing. My heart hurts a little for hurting Carlo; I never meant this to happen.

"You saw them?" Carlo clutches the flint more and strikes it once again. "I can be your husband."

"What?" He looks at him in shock and laughs.

"Just think about this… I will protect you… and you will never cry again. Just wait for me to get older. When we cross this plane I will study to have a career then you will be happy." Cedric suggests earnestly.

"Because of your intellect, I always forgot you are just a child." He ignores Cedric proposal and offers him another flint. "Help me make some fire; you don't know how I badly need it right now."

Cedric smiles and reaches for the flint. He purposely did not tell him I'm looking for him… good kid.