Cord Connection

Chapter One I keep on walking, yet my feet seem like won't get aweary. I'm looking if there's a trace of life, but I'm afraid, no one. I just stop and roam my sights.  Parang pabalik-balik na lang yata ako. The buildings are totally destructed as if something hits it. Nagkalat ang tipak ng semento sa kung saan ako nakatayo na halos sumakop na sa buong kalsada. Nagkalat din ang basura at papel sa buong lugar. Makapal na alikabok ang bumabalot sa buong paligid na nagmumula sa sirang mga buildings. Nakatayo pa man ang mga ito, pero mukhang hindi na rin ito magtatagal pa. I was left dumbfounded while looking at the place. I literally have no idea what happen. I can't even remember my name. I was totally clueless! Animo'y inabandona na ito sapagkat wala ng kabuhay-buhay ang lugar. Nakakapanghina! Nang i-gala ko ang aking mga mata nakita ko ang mga nakahilerang sasakyan. It was parked somewhere and there's a thick rust blot on it. Halatang matagal ng nakatinga ang mga ito dahil sa sobrang katandaan. This place is in totally enigmatic catastrophes. It is so quiet as if, like a haunted place. Ramdam ko ang maalinsangang hangin na dumadampi sa aking balat. May kakaiba ring amoy ang humahalimuyak sa paligid. Nakapaninindig balahibo ang lugar. I compose myself and start to walk. Hoping I could find someone who can explain what was happening here. I don't know if there's someone out there, but I guess, I'm only the one who's living. "Hey, Kid!" a sudden husky voice echoed. I just stop walking. Humarap ako sa aking likuran at i-nilibot ko ang aking paningin sa buong lugar, subalit bigo akong matagpuan ang pinagmumulan ng tinig. I solely saw the black and white colors paint of each buildings. I sigh from disappointment. Guni-guni ko lang siguro. Sinong tao pa nga ba ang mabubuhay sa ganitong lugar? I'm jerking my head. Tumalikod akong muli at payukong humakbang palayo. "Psst... Kid! Come here. It's not safe out there!" Now, it's lauder than before. Napalunok ako ng laway saka muling huminto sa paglalakad. Ramdam ko ang panlalamig ng buo kong katawan. I slowly turn my back and look where that voice came from. Naningkit pa ang aking mga mata, upang hanapin ang pinagmumulan ng boses. The place was wrapped by the dark fog. Polusyon na yata ang bumabalot na usok sa lugar. Sinamahan pa ng kalangitan na parang nagbabadyang umulan. Wala akong makitang bakas ng tao. "W-who's there?!" I yelled. Ramdam ko ang panginginig ng aking mga tuhod habang naglalakad palapit sa pinagmulan ng boses. From a far, I saw the shadow of a man. My heart starts pumping fast. Halos marinig ko na ang pagmamakdol nito sa aking dibdib. Lumapit ako kahit medyo nanginginig ang tuhod ko at pinagpapawisan ng malamig. I gulp for a thousandth times. My thoughts sudden in chaos. Ano kaya ang pinagmumulan ng tinig? Hindi kaya minomulto ako ng mga taong naninirahan dito? "Quick, come here!" He showed his face. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at napatulala na lang. Nakaramdam ako ng kaginhawaan sa aking nakita. Kahit paano may ibang tao rin pala rito. Hindi ako nag-iisa! Napagmasdan ko siya ng maigi. He's a man with long wavy hair worn his cowboy hat. He have had long sleeve gray polo coated with brown sleeveless t-shirt. Madungis ang kaniyang mukha, subalit hindi maipagkakailang may hitsura ito. Palagay ko naglalaro sa 20+ ang edad niya. Palapit na sana ako sa kaniya nang biglang yumanig ang lupa. A sudden weird sound echoes... Really weird which I couldn't explain why and how? Para akong hinihili sa kinatatayuan ko. Tila babaliktad yata ang aking sikmura kapag tumagal pa ako sa ganitong sitwasyon. "They're here, Kid! Come here, now!" said by the man. He signs me his hand to come near to him. Nanlilisik ang kaniyang mga mata. He seems like afraid of something which I don't know. Nang makita ko ang reaksyon niya'y alam kong nanganganib kami basi na rin sa tuno ng boses nito. Zigzag ako nang lumakad patungo sa kaniya. Patuloy sa pagyanig ang lupa. I don't know what it's cause, but I feel bad on it. When I reach him, he abruptly grips my pulse. Ramdam ko ang mainit niyang kamay. Sigurado na ako ngayong tao ito tulad ko at hindi multo lang tulad ng iniisip ko. Agad kaming nagtago sa isang parte ng sirang building malapit lang sa lugar kung saan akong nanggaling. Mas lalong tumindi ang pagmamakdol ng aking puso na parang gusto ng kumawala sa aking dibdib. "Look..." He pointed the place where I'm supposedly standing back then. Napabuka ang aking bibig at napalaki ng mata habang nakatingin sa lugar. The wind whirlpools together with the thick dust on it. Umalingawngaw ang isang nakabibinging tunog tulad ng isang bumababang eroplano. From there, I saw the mini spaceship hanging in the air. Somehow, circle like plate with has a transparent glass on the top of it. I'd never saw like this before, this is totally different. On its lower part, a sudden light refracts as if it's seeking for something. Ano ito? Bakit nandito ang mga ito? "Alien..." man whispered to my ear. It makes me chill down to my spine. I feel like 60% of water in my body got drain. Nanindig ang balahibo ko sa batok. Ramdam ko ang panlalamig na dumaloy at bumalot sa buo kong katawan. Napipi akong bigla sa aking nalaman. The light coming from mini spaceship sudden stops. Yumanig muli ang lupa, subalit hindi na ito malakas tulad ng nauna. A sudden weird sound swallows the whole place again. Now, I can say that those weird sound was coming from that spaceship. After a couple of minutes, it departs. Kasabay noon ay ang pagbitaw ng lalaki sa pagkakahawak sa kamay ko. Humarap ako sa lalaki ng may mga tanong sa aking isipan. Napansin niya yata iyon, sapagkat biglang nangunot ang noo niya. "Kid, Aliens invaded the Earth years ago. They destroyed everything and abducted human for their experiments. They manipulate the brain function of every human and put those people in deep sleep," he started. Ano? Paanong nangyari ito? How? Bakit wala akong alam at matandaan? Napa-isip ako ng malalim sa sinabi niya. "T-two years ago? W-why I couldn't remember anything?" I replied. Punong-puno ako ng tanong sa aking utak. His forehead got wrinkles. Mixtures of wondering and confusion swallows him. Tila hindi yata ito makapaniwala sa mga sinabi ko sa kaniya. "W-what? A-are you serious?" he ask confused. Takang-taka ito sa kaniyang nalaman. Sino nga ba ang maniniwala na ang isang teenage boy ay walang nalalaman sa lugar kung saan siya lumaki? I just beck my head. "Yes, all I can remember is I woke up in a garbage places and... and... I started walking there until I met you here," I explained. Tila naniniwala naman ito sa mga sinabi ko sa kaniya. Sa lugar ba naman kung saan kami ngayon, wala ng imposible pa. "Really?" Napahawak siyang bigla sa kaniyang baba. " Hmmm... wait, let me see..." He hold my shoulder and turn my back. Nagulat ako ng bigla niyang kapain ang batok ko. Parang may tinignan siya roon. "You are a Traveller!" he yelled. Ano? What he's talking about? What about the Traveller? Napakunot ako ng noo. "Traveller?" I faced him again, I know he saw it in my face that I'm totally clueless. "Uhuh... Traveller, those three small holes in your nape! It's implied that you're a Traveller," paliwanag nito. I was left dumbfounded. "There are some cables attach on it and will diverts you to other dimension created by those creatures -Alien- they called it Asymptote Universe," he added. My eyes turn wide, but I remain myself silent. Unti-unti akong nalilinawan sa kaniyang mga pinapaliwanag. "If those cables attach on you, you're just like in the deep sleeping and Astral Projection will happen!" he briefly explained. Napangiwi ako sa mga sinabi niya. May gano'n? Muli akong naguluhan sa sinabi niya. I touch my nape and grop the small holes. Yeah, his right... I have three small holes behind me. Bakit ngayon ko lang ito mapansin? "Asymptote Universe po? Astral Projection? Ano iyon?" I perplexedly asked. "Asymptote Universe is a place where everything in these distracted Earth are mimics or replicates. That place is perfect and there's only one government who govern that world. Those are the Alien's Puppets." he explained. Kaya pala ganito na ang lugar na ito. "How about the Astral Projection?" I confusedly asked. "Astral Projection is also called Astral Travel, it describes an intentional out-of-body experience. Our Astral Body commonly called as Soul separates from our Physical Body and capable of travelling outside it throughout the Universe," he added that left me dumbfounded. My mind got twists after hearing what he uttered. Sandali akong napatulala at napabuga ng hangin sa aking ilong. I just woke up and found out that this is what really happening now on Earth. Kaya pala wala ng tao sa buong lugar. They're all abducted. Isang tanong na lang ang namuo sa aking isipan. "But... Why I can't remember anything?" I murmured. I lift my chin and look again unto his eyes. Napahawak siya sa kaniyang baba at hinagod iyon ng marahan. "Perhaps, the cables attached on you are forcedly disjuncted... For some reason?" Hindi ko alam kung nagpapaliwanag ba siya o nagtatanong. Hindi ko siya sinagot, bagkus tinignan ko lang siya sa mata. I'm just seeking for further elaboration from him. Napabuga ito ng hangin. "If it's forcedly disjuncted it might created errors. A lots of error, one of these is losing your memories, unconsciousness or worse... coma," he added. Siguro, gano'n nga ang nangyari sa akin, ngunit bakit? "Paano babalik ang memorya ko?" I asked him desperately. I want my memories back. I want to know where I came from, who am I and where my family is. Why they just left me in the garbage place? Gusto kong malaman lahat. "All your memories will bring back if the cables will attach on you again. Don't worry, Kid. There is a person who can help you for that," he said. Para akong nabuhayan ng loob. If that so, I need to go with him. I wanna know that person he pertaining. "Let's go! We need to leave this place before they'll find us." He turns his back and starts to walk. I found my self following him. Magkasabay na kami ngayon sa paglalakad, pero walang nagtatapon ng tingin sa isa-isa. Nakatotok ang aming mata sa nilalakaran namin. "By the way, Kid. I'm Cedric," he cracked the silence. Diretso lang ang kaniyang tingin. I start asking myself. Napayuko ako ng bahagya. What is my name? I didn't remembered what it is. "Ah.. eh...-" I mumbled. "Yeah, nakalimutan ko. You can't remember anything," the man dowel. He crosses his hand on my shoulder as if, like we're friend walking together. I nod my head. He's right. "W-why you know all of this?" I asked him while we're still walking on a place which I hadn't even ideas. It's hard to explain. Sirang-sira na lahat at wala ng kabuhay-buhay. "Because, I am a Traveller too." He flashing me a smile. "Oh..." ----