1 Chapter 1

I was running through the woods. The air was chilly while it brushed against the skin on my cheeks, arms and legs. Naramdaman ko rin ang mga damo, bato at kahit anu-anong matutulis na bagay sa lupa na tumutusok sa mga paa ko habang tumatakbo. The moon was full that night at ito lang ang tanging nagbibigay liwanag sa paligid, piercing through the branches of the trees.

I was panting heavily trying to catch my breath habang iniisip ko kung saan ako papunta. Why was I running barefoot in the first place? What was I running from? Di ko alam. I just felt I had to run and escape.

Habang patuloy ako sa pagtakbo, napansin ko na unti-unting nagdilim ang buong paligid. Sa isip ko baka nasa pinakaliblib na'ko ng kagubatan kaya natatakpan na ng mga naghihiganteng puno ang ilaw mula sa buwan. Pero di ko 'yon pinansin and I just continued running. I also didn't care about the wounds and cuts in my sore feet.

While I was trying to avoid the big rocks on my way and the steep slopes, bigla akong may narinig na boses na tumawag sa'kin. Bigla akong napahinto at agad na lumingon sa paligid ko.

But there was nothing.

"Kat . . ." tawag ulit ng isang boses ng lalaki. It was very distant but it felt so close. It sounded familiar, too.

Lumingon ulit ako sa likod ko pero wala pa rin akong makita kahit anino man lang. I was vigilant at the same time kasi pakiramdam ko hindi ako nag-iisa sa gitna ng kagubatan. Someone or something might pop out in front of me.

But that was all of it. Hindi ko na ulit narinig pa ang boses.

So, I decided to ignore it at tumakbo na lang ulit ako. This was much worse than a marathon. 'Yung wala kang goal at di mo alam kung saan ang finish line.

While my feet was carrying me fast, jetted to an unknown destination, laking gulat ko na lang sa sumunod na nangyari. A huge black circle like a shadow rounded up my feet!

'Yun pala, biglang bumuka ang lupang tinatapakan ko at di ko alam kung paano nangyari 'yun. It happened very quick at di ko man lang namalayan ang lahat hanggang sa tuluyan na'kong nilamon ng lupa.

It wasn't a quicksand --- it was something else.

It was very dark underneath while I was falling into a bottomless pit. At habang ako'y lumulubog pailalim, unti-unti ko namang naramdaman ang napakatinding lamig na para akong nalulunod sa isang nagyeyelong dagat --- except that there's no water. I swept both my arms and kicked my legs out like a frog, swimming towards the surface but to no avail. Hindi ako umuusad at para lang akong isang puppet na nakabitin.

Sinubukan kong tumingala, expecting that I could still see the forest above me pero wala na ito. All I could see was pure darkness.

Hindi nagtagal, naramdaman kong unti-unting humihina ang lamig. I was waiting for the next thing to happen until the temperature unbelievably increased --- drastically. Hindi nagtagal ang naramdaman kong lamig ay biglang napalitan ng isang napakatinding init. Parang may isang napakalakas na apoy ang bumabalot sa'kin at feeling ko sinusunog ako ng buhay!

Napapikit na lang ako ng sobra at sinubukan kong tiisin ang nararamdamang init, hapdi at sakit. When I opened my eyes, mas lalo akong nagulat sa nakita ko. My whole body was glowing! No, I was on fire!

Saan nanggagaling ang apoy na'to? I unconsciously asked myself. At ang nakapagtataka it was extremely hot and as painful as hell pero di ako nasusugatan at natutupok nito. All I could feel was it's like coursing through my veins and eating my flesh and bones from the inside.

I didn't know how much longer I could endure it. Napaiyak na'ko sa sobrang sakit at feeling ko di ko na'to kaya pang tiisin. Until I was about to scream at the top of my lungs---

"KAT!"

---at bigla akong nagising. Thank, God, it was over.

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