Chapter 44: Art
DS8Uncovered #LuMa #BearCouple #DaggerSeries
CHAPTER 44: ART
LUNA'S POV
Papasok kami ni Magnus ng Obscura nang marinig kong mag-ring ang cellphone ko. Kunot ang noo na napahinto ako dahilan para mapatigil din sa paglalakad si Magnus at sina Kuya Gun at Kuya Pierce na nasa likuran ko.
Kumunot ang noo ko nang makita ko kung sino ang tumatawag. "Hello? What's wrong Pen?"
I couldn't hear anything from the other line. Malakas na paghinga lang at mga kaluskos ang tangi kong naririnig.
"Pen?"
"Shh!"
Napakurap ako sa pagkabigla. "You're the one who called—"
"You owe me big time!" he hissed.
"What's happening?"
"You didn't tell me that I'd need to risk my life for this!"
"Risk your... what the hell? Where are you? Are you okay?"
He was still whispering when he answered. "Of course I'm not okay! I got shot at, and I'm fucking bleeding!"
Nanlalaki ang mga matang napatingin ako kay Magnus. He extended his hand, urging me to hand over the phone to him. I reluctantly gave it to him. Hinapit niya ang bewang ko at pagkatapos ay hinalikan niya ang noo ko.
It lasted for a few seconds, and yet it felt like eternity. When he backed away, he held my eyes for a brief moment before he entered the premises of the gallery. Mula sa kinatatayuan ko ay kita kong dumiretso siya sa kinaroroonan ng iba ko pang mga kapatid na nauna ng pumasok.
Pumalit si Kuya Gun sa binakanteng pwesto ni Magnus sa tabi ko. Ramdam ko rin ang mas paglapit sa akin ni Kuya Pierce. They weren't doing anything. They weren't saying anything or hugging me, and yet I felt a sense of calm surrounding me.
When we were inside Obscura, Zachary was the first to greet us. He gave me a one-arm hug as a greeting.
"Happy anniversary, Zachary. Yayaman ka na naman tonight. Wala bang libreng painting diyan ulit?" biro ko sa kaniya.
"Did you invite your sisters-in-law?"
Nilukutan ko siya ng ilong. "Napaka-oportunista mo talaga." Nang tumawa lang siya ay napailing ako. "Dadating siguro ang iba mamaya. Mga may schedule pero magpapadiretso ang mga iyon dito. Nandito ang mga asawa nila eh."
"Na may mga sarili ring fan base." Parehas na tinignan namin ang direksyon ng mga kapatid ko. They're attracting the attention of a lot of female guests as well as some of the men. "Can't say that I blame them."
"Ew."
He chuckled, but before he could say anything, someone who he seemed to know called him. Zachary excused himself with a smile to approach his potential buyer.
"Darius Benitez. 2 o'clock," Kuya Gun murmured beside me.
I followed the direction he indicated with his words. Hindi kalayuan sa amin ay naroon nga ang lalaki na may mga kausap din. Just the first time I met him at an event like this, he's wearing a colorful suit with different patterns on it. Much like the huge painting behind him, which has a beautiful blend of different dark colors that you wouldn't think would look good together.
Para bang nararamdaman ang tingin ko na napabaling siya sa kinaroroonan ko. Something crossed his eyes, but he gave me a smile. It was quick, and then he turned his attention back again to the people he's with.
I glance at my surroundings. Aside from my brothers, Nevan and Warrick are also here. It's obvious that they're on guard and that they're not here to join the festivities.
Darius' lips moved as if he were excusing himself. Nakangiti pa rin na naglakad siya papunta sa kanang bahagi ng lugar. So does my brother Pierce, who casually took a drink from a waiter that passed by, and walked in the same direction.
"You're here."
Napataas ang kilay ko nang huminto sa tabi ko si Brandon. "Akala ko hindi ka matutuloy?"
"Hindi rin natuloy ang date ko."
"Bakit?"
"Hindi pinayagan ng asawa niya." Nalaglag ang panga ko dahilan para malakas siyang mapatawa. "I'm kidding. Lightened up will you. I'm not into married women." Inangat-baba niya ang kilay niya. "Unless it's you, of course."
Kuya Gun cleared his throat. "I'll be near. I'm just going to get a drink." The look he gave Brandon was blistering before he walked away.
"Where's your other exes?" Brandon asked after awhile.
Binigyan ko siya ng nagdududang tingin. "Why are you looking for them?"
"Wala lang. Tatanungin ko lang kung gusto nilang magtayo ng fans club."
I rolled my eyes. "Could you please stop?"
He sighed exasperatedly. "What happened to fun Luna?"
"She grew up. You obviously didn't." Humalukipkip ako. "And just to answer your question, Daniel's not coming. Masama ang pakiramdam. Weston's probably here already since he was so excited. Hindi ko nga lang alam kung nasaan. At si Zachary siyempre nandito rin dahil event niya 'to."
"And Aquillan?"
"He's not an ex, and he will never be."
Tumaas ang kilay niya. "Sure?"
"The worst he could be is a widow. Not an ex."
Tumango-tango siya bago pagkaraan ay nagkibit-balikat siya. I'm sure he didn't notice the gravity of my words. I wasn't joking. "See you around, Dawson."
"Dawson-Aquillan." Pinagkrus ko ang mga braso ko. "Saan ka pupunta?"
"Miss mo na ako agad?"
I let out a sigh. Brandon can be frustrating at times, but I've grown accustomed to him. He's a flirt. He was like that probably the moment he was born, and he was charming his doctor and the nurses that delivered him even then.
Ngingisi-ngising naglakad na siya palayo. My eyes followed him, and I noticed that he was headed to the far right side of the gallery with fewer people around.
Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga at pagkaraan ay tinungo ko ang pinakamalapit na cocktail table. Sa kanan ko ay may malaking salamin kung saan kita ko ang repleksyon ko. I'm wearing a black turtleneck dress with long sleeves. It wasn't my dress, but in all fairness, it looks good on me.
I scanned my surroundings, and my eyes stopped in the direction of a gigantic painting on the eastern side of the gallery.
It was painted in full black, except for the red moon plastered in the center.
"Mrs. Dawson-Aquillan?"
I glanced at the woman who approached me. Sa pagkakatanda ko ay Lavelle ang pangalan niya. "Yes?"
"May kilala po kayong Weston Donovan?" Nang tumango ako ay nagpaliwanag siya. "He's looking for you."
Nagpalingon-lingon ako. "Where's he?"
"Nasa dark room po siya." Someone nearby tried to get her attention, and she gave me a smile. "Excuse me po."
Looking around me, I managed to catch Kuya Trace's eyes. Tinuro ko ang direksyon ng dark na nasa kanang bahagi ng gallery at sinenyasan niya si Warrick na sumunod sa akin. With unfaltering steps, I approached the dark room. Alam kong nakasunod sa akin si Warrick kaya hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip na pumasok.
The dark room would have been completely dark except that there are paintings scattered around that are made of luminescent paint. This would be a great concept for Maven's future issues.
It took me a moment before my eyes started to adjust. I heard a commotion behind me pero hindi ko nakita roon si Warrick. Instead, I could hear loud voices coming from the other side of the door.
The smart thing to do was to wait for Warrick, or just go back out. I didn't do any of those. Sa halip ay nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad papasok ng kuwarto.
"Weston?" I called out.
Nang walang sumagot ay nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad. The only thing that could be heard were the echoes of my heels on the floor as I walked.
"West—"
Hindi ko nagawang tapusin ang sasabihin nang maramdaman ko ang para bang bakal na kamay na humaklit sa braso ko kasabay nang pagdikit ng kung ano sa likod ko.
I found myself falling. The next thing that I knew, I was being greeted by darkness. Darker than the one I'm only surrounded with. Darker than the one I thought I was ready for.
MAY KUNG ANONG nakatakip sa ulo ko na basta na lang hinila para maalis sa akin. My eyes took a bit of time to adapt to the light. Nakatali ang mga paa ko at ganoon din ang mga kamay ko na magkasalikop sa likod ko. There's also a rope around my chest that ties me to the chair.
I could hear sounds coming from a distance. I could also hear someone whistling happily. Except that the tune, Lullaby by The Cure, was familiar to me, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a happy song.
Searching out fear in the gathering gloom
And suddenly a movement in the corner of the room
And there is nothing I can do when I realize with fright
That the spiderman is having me for dinner tonight
Wala akong makita na kahit na sinong tao pero rinig ko pa rin ang mahina niyang pagsipol. There was nothing around me except for cans of paint and canvases with varying sizes tied by strings from the ceiling. Wala ng kahit na ano pang gamit sa bahay maliban sa kinauupuan ko. There's no sign that this was a place someone once lived in.
It's an old house that is close to deteriorating. Nangingitim na ang mga pader niyon, madumi ang mga bintana, at may kung anong mga mantsa ang sahig. It took me a moment to understand what the stain on the floor was.
Blood.
Napalunok ako. I want to throw up, but this is not the right time. Nagbaba ako ng tingin sa sarili ko. I tried to wiggle free from the rope around my chest, but it's too tight. I tried again, and it was then that I noticed an unfamiliar necklace hanging from my neck.
"Be still, be calm, be quiet now, my precious girl. Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more. For it's much too late to get away or turn on the light. The spiderman is having you for dinner tonight."
Ginapangan ako ng kilabot nang sa pagkakataon na ito ay marinig ko ang mahinang pagkanta. It sounded closer than I wanted it to be.
I couldn't see the man fully. The canvases hanging from the ceiling conceal him, making it impossible to see him fully. But I could see him moving. I could see him crossing the distance between us slowly.
"Are you going to hurt me?" I asked with a rough voice. "You won't, right? Y-You're... you're obsessed with me. You'll want me alive so that I can stay with you forever."
"Oh, you will. You will stay with me forever. But I don't need you alive to do that." The wind carried his eerie whisper to me. "I tried, you know? I tried to fight it because I like you."
He doesn't feel familiar. Not really. The first thing that came to mind was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. How one man changed to the other, sharing one body but having two different personalities. Pero hindi lang iyon ang naiiba sa karakter na iyon. Mr. Hyde wasn't just different from Dr. Jekyll in terms of personality, he also looked physically different. His mannerism, the way he carries himself, and as basic as his looks.
The only difference between the person in front of me and that character was that the one I'm facing didn't change from one personality to another. He was always like this. He's good at playing a role... pretending to be someone he's clearly not, so that he can hide the monster inside him.
"You were the first, but at the same time, you're not. You're the first to get away... but you weren't the first Luna."
I didn't speak. I didn't trust myself enough to do that. So I just continued looking in the direction of the voice.
"I'll tell you a story. I know you love a good one. You're Luna Alondra Dawson-Aquillan after all."
Dawson-Aquillan.
"There was once a little boy. He was the golden son. His parents loved him so much. Lahat ng gusto niya binibigay. Atensyon, pagmamahal, luho... kahit na ano. Then his mother died. She picked her up from school when he begged her to pick her up. They got into an accident. Blood was everywhere. It was like paint. Their once white car seats were replaced by the color red. While she was on the verge of death, she gave him her necklace. One with a moon on it. She said that it could be something he could remember her by."
Kumilos ako para muling subukan ang tali na nakapalibot sa akin at alam kong hindi nakaligtas iyon sa kaniya. Despite the distance and the things obscuring him from view, I could see his eyes following every miniscule movement I made, his lips tugging up into a smile as if knowing that my struggle was futile.
"He did remember her. Kahit kailan ay hindi siya nakalimot. Unlike his father, who married another woman not long after her death. The new woman brought a child with her. At first, the golden boy thought she was his stepsister. But she wasn't. She was his half-sister, a proof of his father's unfaithfulness. But the boy kept his mouth closed. He didn't ask a single question, he didn't complain, and he didn't throw a tantrum. It doesn't matter to him. As long as he always remembers his mother, he won't be alone because she will be alive through him. So it doesn't matter if his father brings home hundreds of women. He will only have one mother, and that's the most important thing." He moved again, as if the story were starting to agitate him. I could feel him starting to change—more angry, more frightening. "They took away her clothes, her paintings were sold, her art room was changed to a playroom for the little girl, her jewelry was given to the new wife... everything that once were his mother was gone. Except for the moon necklace. It was the only thing he had. The only thing... and yet he couldn't keep it."
Napapitlag ako ng tumilapon ang isang malaking can ng pintura sa isang panig ng lugar nang basta niya na lang ibinato iyon. Tumapon ang laman no'n. The floor and walls were splattered with red paint, much like the dried blood I could see around me.
"That little bitch! She was just like her mother! She keeps taking, taking, and taking! She took my mother's necklace because she said it was meant to be hers. It's a moon, and it's perfect for her because she's named Luna. The golden boy thought his father would take his side. It was his mother's, and his father knew that. But instead, he told the boy that he shouldn't be selfish. That it would look more beautiful on Luna."
While there was no mistaking the anger in his tone, it also felt cold and bleak. It sounded hauntingly empty.
"You should have heard their screams when I showed them how beautiful she could be." He burst out laughing as if he found it hilarious. "Her playroom became an art room once again. It was full of canvas painted with a beautiful shade of red. If only she were older, I could have used more, could have created more. But she was just a child, so of course she wasn't as useful." Nagpakawala siya ng malalim na hininga. Hindi iyon tunog ng panghihinayang. Rather, it sounded like a sound of satisfaction. "It was worth it, though. She was still my most favorite art. Until you."
I bit the inside of my lip when he started moving again. Another step closer to me.
"I just know you'll be my most beautiful artwork. The beauty of waiting." Gumalaw ang kamay niya at humawak siya sa gilid ng canvas na nasa harapan niya. He caresses it in a way that makes my stomach want to turn. "I tried, you know? I tried not to. You were kind. You weren't a bitch like them. You looked at me, and you didn't find me weird. Whenever you see me, you always smile at me."
"Then why?" I whispered.
"If you lived a simple, quiet life, you wouldn't be here. But time has changed you. You became just like them. You take and take and take. Hindi ka nakukuntento. Gusto mo sobrang perpekto ng buhay mo. And, of course, in the end, that's what happened. Perfect life for perfect Luna." He took another step, and this time, the light coming from the moon outside hit him just right to reveal him. "You'll be exactly that. Just like the others. But you'll also be different. I'll be a bit more selfish with you because I like you."
Sunod-sunod na umiling ako. I understand what he's implying. The part of him that wants to honor his mother's memory in a sick twisted way wants to hurt me, the other part of him that likes me wants to possess me. He wants to have both. So he'll hurt me after...
He grinned. "Don't be like that, my Luna. You loved it."
"N-No."
"Yes, you do. I saw you admiring it tonight, just like you did with the one you took home with you before. Don't worry. You'll be in one too. You're going to be my most beautiful and perfect art."
________________________End of Chapter 44.
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