Project Enchanteur

Chapter 6

     CHASE WAS RUNNING THROUGH A DEEP FOREST, it was a forest with huge trees and vines looping through some plants, it was a forest that he has never seen in his life. It was so green and luscious, and some plants were dangerous and will wring you in the neck. Nadidinig niya ang malalakas na hagupit ng kung anong puwersa sa likod niya. It was like there was a roaring behind his back.

     His feet became faster, and he was surprised that he can run so fast like that, like a cheetah that was so fast, and his arms were very light. He carried an arrow in his back, and in one swift motion, napalingon siya upang pitikin ang nasa kamay niya, pulso at pasulong sa malaking mata ng isang halimaw na sumusunod sa kaniya.

     Isa iyong katawang ahas at katawang paru-paro, na may malaking mata sa gitna. Nasa kabundukan sila ng lugar na Meilyr. He didn’t know why, but he knows the name of the place…and it was so vivid and fresh in his mind, like it was so real. Napahandusay siya sa lupa kasabay ng pagbulwak ng dugo mula sa mata ng halimaw na ang pangalan ay Ventosa.

     May iilang Ventosa ang nanunupil at nagliliwaliw sa delikadong parteng iyon ng kabundukan. Minsan ay nangangagat ang mga ventosa at napaparalisa ang mga elves hanggang sa mamatay.

     Nakita niya ang asul na asul na kalangitan.

     At nadinig niya ang isang maliit na tinig na wari’y tumatawag sa kaniya… “Caleb…Caleb…”

     Chase’s eyelids fluttered open, gazing into the total darkness of his room. His eyes ran through the ceiling, envisioning the world…the world that he saw in his sleep. But why those whispers felt so real?

     He got up from his work and instantly lit the light, sat in his desktop computer and his hands started to scrawl in the drawing pad beside the screen. He was so intent and focused, that he didn’t care it was almost midnight, and that he continued to scrawl endlessly in his drawing pad, trying to capture the ventosa’s image in his head that monster, sucking blood, running toward his agile body.

     He closed his eyes, trying to capture the colors again, the breadth of the trees, how long and rough and dainty it was. How blue the skies were, almost purple and dark.

     He didn’t realize it was already morning, tanghali na at napukaw ulit siya ng mga katok sa kuwarto.

     “S-Sir! Sir gumising ka, y-yung babae, nagbubungkal siya ng lupa sa garden!”

     Humihingal na naabutan niya si Manang na katiwala nila nang buksan niya ang pinto.

     “Sir tingnan niyo ang bintana, kahit umuulan ay nagbubungkal ang babae!”

     “Si Elle?” mulagat niya.

     Napatango ang katiwala at sabay silang napasilip sa bintana mula sa kwarto niya kung saan natatanaw ang hardin na naroong dalawang fountain. He coulnd’t believe his eyes, that crazy woman was really digging a hole in the middle of the fountain!

     “God…” Chase muttered and in an adrenaline rush, almost dived down the stairs.

     KAHIT UMUULAN AT MEDYO NANGANGATI ANG BALAT niya, ay patuloy pa rin ang pagpa-pala ni Elle sa lupa. Nakita niya kasi ang asawa ni Manang Josefa, si Manong Dagul na ginagamit ang kasangkapan na iyon sa pagtatanim ng halaman at pagbungkal ng lupa.

     Naglakad-lakad siya at sa gitna ng fountain na iyon ay nakadama siya ng kakaibang sensasyon. Idinikit pa nga niya ang tenga niya sa lupa, she was sure of it, she can feel some vibration, and she can feel some strange connection.

     May pumitik sa bumbunan niya na para siyang mahihilo. Kumaripas ng t***k ang puso niya. This is it, this must be Soraiya…

     Something that will lead her to her world. Kung may vibration siyang nadarama, ano pa kaya kung mas malapit at mas malalim siya sa lupa, hindi ba? Agad niyang hinalungkat ang mga kagamitan ni Manong Dagul at napatakbo siya ulit sa spot na iyon. Binungkal niya ang lupa. Walang humpay. Naluluha na siya dahil desperado siya at gustong gusto na niyang makauwi.

     Biglang bumagsak ang ulan, at kumikinang ang kwintas niya, at pakiramdam niya ay nangangati ang buong katawan niya.

     Pero ipinagpatuloy niya ang pagbubungkal ng lupa, hanggang sa narinig niya ang isang paos na sigaw, at ang yagapak ng mga paa sa lupa.

     “Elle! Ano bang iniisip mo?” may mainit na mga bisig na pumulupot sa mga bisig din niya. Agad siyang napa-angat sa lupa. She felt her whole body writhe, at mas nangati ang katawan niya, bigla siyang kinapos ng hininga.

     “Diyos ko,” sambit ng katiwala na may dalang malaking payong at nakasunod kay Chase. Tinitigan nito si Elle na naghahabol ng hininga. “Baliw talaga ang babaeng yan, sir!”

     Inilatag siya sa sofa at agad siyang nakaramdam ng kaginhawaan.

     She saw Chase’s eyes, blurred and peering at her. She saw those eyes from somewhere before…she was sure of it. That hint, that sparkle. But she was close to losing her consciousness. And then she saw darkness.

THREE DAYS AFTER

     “You are so amazing man! Nakatulong talaga ang advise namin na magpahinga ka-“ Colt was oogling at the other side of the video call. Nakatingin ang grupo sa visual image na iprisininta niya sa grupo.

     Nick and Janus bobbed their heads simultaneously. “This must be Enchanteur, if Enchanteur is a real place,” nakatitig sila sa isang palasyo na iginuhit ni Chase. It was a 3D drawing but it looked surreal and out of this world. It was a kingdom that exists only in another world.

     “And look at these fields,” pag zoom-in ni Nick. “Look at those thorned stem of trees,” he chuckled. “A lot of our character fighting scenes can start in this field.”

     “Actually there are monsters,” tugon ni Chase. “One of this monster is Ventosa,” inilatag niya sa next slide ang anyo ng halimaw. “There are lots of this in this world, that’s why the elves are the warriors of this realm. Kinakalaban nila ang iba’t-ibang uri ng halimaw. In another realm, separated by a forest, lies Soraiya, a fairy like world, it is the playground of both creatures of elves and fairies, and under a healing and secured spell.”

     “When I listen to you,” himig ni Janus, “it’s as if you’re someone from this world. Dude, this rest is doing wonders to your creativity.”

     Napakibit-balikat lang si Chase, “It sometimes appears to my dreams, and I draw it.”

     “What about your grieving process Chase? Are you feeling more better?” segway ni Colt.

     “Grieving?” irap lang ni Chase. “Why would I grieve?”

     Napabuntong-hininga ang tatlo mula sa video call. “Man, it’s okay, don’t over work yourself. You’re doing great with the drawings but we want you to be there to settle your emotions.”

     Nakapagtataka talaga ang sinasabi ng mga kaibigan niya, napailing lang si Chase. Why does they want him to grieve? Yes, he lost his girlfriend, but that one tear in the garden was enough for him to forget. Should he have grieved longer?

     But the crazy woman has made him pre-occupied with a lot of ideas. It is hard to grieve when so many peculiar things are happening around you. He actually added Soraiya as a realm in the Enchanteur because of Elle.

     Sure, it must be crazy to believe, but he witness himself how the bullet stopped mid-air and how those police became dogs in his sight.

     One thing is for sure, he needs to solve Elle’s case, and make sure she returns to her family safely, so he can proceed and return back to the city…

     But how could she return to Soraiya, if Soraiya is indeed true?

     He is running theories in his head. If Elle can’t return to Soraiya, then it means, she will be stuck on Earth forever…and if so…how can fairies survive on Earth?

     And he must be crazy now, slowly believing that Elle is a fairy and Soraiya could be real.      

     Which is which, both of them could already be crazy by now.

     Maybe that’s why he can’t process his emotions.

     He is a cray man now, and he is in danger.