15
1346 Words
ARA'S grip on Thati loosened. "You are lying!!."
"B-ella—Bella R-odriguez..." she said and couldn't help but be scared because of Ara's strange stare.
"Kung ikaw Bella, bakit hindi kita agad nakilala?!" Ara asked her.
"T-hey changed my face—" she replied.
"Who?!!!" Ara shouted.
"Leader of a syndicate—"
"For what reason?!!"
"I d-don't k-now!— h-indi ko alam! wala akong alam—" she raised her hand and slowly sat down on the floor.
Ara placed the knife with her dagger on her waist, Then slowly sat down in front of Bella. "If you are really Bella, prove it to me!."
"My Mama and I were the caretakers of your family back then— we have been friends since we were children," she said and looked at Ara. "I don't know what else I have to say to make you believe, but I know that your parents were killed the very day you knocked on the door of our house—."
Ara's eyes widened when she heard what Thati said ... only her friend knew about that. "You are indeed Bella—" she said, and afterward, she grabbed Bella's wrist. "Why are you doing this? I told you to run away, didn't I?"
"We did!" There was bitterness and anger in Bella's voice. "But that same day, my mother and I were abducted by a syndicate and they thought I was you... When they found out that they had kidnapped the wrong person, they sold us on the black market..."
Ara can't speak because of what she found out. She didn't know that all this time Bella was missing. "W-what?— Nasaan si Aling Cecil?" she asked Bella.
Bella started to cry when Ara asked her mother "H-hawak nila!— Ginagamit nila ang Inay ko para sundin ko ang kahit anong utos nila."
"Kaya ba nandito ka para patayin ako?" ani Ara.
Bella shook her head and couldn't look directly into Ara's eyes. "I want to hurt you !, I want to kill you!. Because of you, my mother and I suffered too much. Because of you!, we beg to live with those bastard syndicates— Ng dahil sa pamilya mo, nalagay ako sa ganitong sitwasyon!!" may galit at puot sa boses ni Bella.
Ara's suppressed tears flowed but she couldn't take it anymore. "I'm s-sorry—"
"Sorry?!!... Aanhin ko ang paghingi mo ng tawad?, maisasalba ba kami niyan ng Inay ko?... Alam ko naman na naipit ka lang din pero hindi mo ako masisisi!— s-sobrang sakit ng nararamdaman ng puso ko!— I became a s*x toy after they sold me to the black market!!— I was beaten until I begged to die, But they didn't do it because I was able to satisfy their needs whenever I was in pain... Ganon sila kahalimaw! at pagkatapos nila akong pagsawaan— I was sent back to the first syndicate that first kidnapped us. Inalipin nila ako at sinaktan! Binuhusan ng asido at ang pinakamasaklap b-binaboy niya ako Agatha!!... Binaboy nila ang p********e ko!!... wala akong magawa dahil hawak niya ang Inay!" Bella shouted.
"A-araw araw! para akong pinapatay ng paulit-ulit!... Kung tutuusin nga mas masaklap pa ang mabuhay, g-gustuhin ko man na bawian na lang ng buhay kaso hindi pwede eh— H-hindi ko maaaring iwan ang Inay ko!." Bella said bitterly then burst into tears.
Ara can't speak, she feels guilty. She blames herself for what happened. She thought she was the only one suffering, but also the people around her.
"Araw-araw akong nagtitiis sa pambababoy niya!!... Takot na takot ako A-gatha... Sa tuwing g-ginagalaw niya ako... Pilit akong nagmamakaawa sa itaas na iligtas niya ang Inay ko sa kapahamakan!... I haven't done anything wrong! I became a good daughter! I try to be a good person, so why me ?!... Bakit kami pa ng Inay ko?" Bella's voice trembled as she spoke. Her fear was still there, it had not disappeared, because as long as the syndicate held her mother, her fear would not go away.
Ara closed her eyes to hold back her tears as if she was being crushed by every word and rebuke of Bella ... she can't blame Bella because she is really the one to blame. "I don't know what to say, it's all my fault— k-asalanan ko!."
"Even if you blame yourself now and beg, the past cannot be undone... Hindi mo na maibabalik ang lahat!!—" Bella said, full of anger, she couldn't help but punch Ara lightly while she was still crying.
Ara didn't fight back, she just let Bella blame her for all the suffering and pain she caused her. "I-am so s-sorry!" Ara murmured.
"Kasalanan mo!!... Ikaw!, Ikaw!, Mas pinili kang protektahan ni Inay kaya hanggang ngayon pinagsisilbihan niya ang mga tarantandong mga yon!!... K-kasalanan mo ang lahat!!" Bella stopped beating and cried hysterically "H-hindi ko man lang masabi kay Inay na... na ginagahasa ako ng demonyong yon!... At ngayon— kailangan ko pa ilagay sa bingid ng kamatayan ang sarili ko! para patayin ang taong naglabas sa akin sa impyernong yun!!... Sa impyernong iyon kung saan naiwan na mag-isa ang Nanay ko!."
Ara can't speak and can't look at Bella. She was even more devastated by what she saw, there was nothing she could do to alleviate the pain felt by her friend. "Forgive me if I have done nothing but ruin your life—" she uttered.
When Bella got tired, she stopped crying and just sat on the floor and hugged herself. Ara is also silent and just waiting for Bella to talk to her. She doesn't even care if her wounds are bleeding, she's more worried about Bella. She almost killed her earlier, it's a good thing she stopped herself... She needs to be more careful now, especially since she needs to take care of something. She's planning to save Bella's mother.
"How could you be a monster like that" Bella uttered suddenly, then looked at her "What I witnessed, it seems like you are no longer the Agatha I knew". she added.
Ara laughed sadly "Pati ikaw halimaw na din ang tingin sa akin—" Ara bowed slightly before speaking again "You see, This is what anger does to us, Bella... Huwag mong matulad sa akin, It's okay with me that you don't forgive me, just let me help you... You can't handle the first Archon Bella, you'll just die without your mother at your side."
Bella suddenly fell silent because Ara was right. He could not handle a man as powerful as the Archon. "But what can I do? Will I just let my mother die?!"
Ara shook her head and looked into Bella's eyes. "Just play like Thati, just like you first did when you entered this mansion..."
"I didn't mean to pretend. When I woke up, they called me by your name". Bella's confession "My only plan was to become a victim and kill the first archon because that was what I was ordered to do." Bella was slightly silent, then looked at Ara. "Do you know anything about Thati or Agatha... Whatever her name is?" Bella couldn't help but ask her.
"I don't know anything about that girl, but I'm sure she's not connected to me. To my knowledge, her family is a member of this organization... That's all I know", Ara replied, then looked intently at Bella. "Don't try to touch the first Archon. Just let them think what they first think of you... Pagkatapos noon ay itatakas ko kayo— " ani Ara.
Bella averted her eyes and couldn't promise Ara. "I can't promise. As time goes on, my mother's life is in danger, so I can't afford to promise something I can't—"
"We will save her as soon as possible", Ara interrupted.
"H-how?" Bella asked Ara back.
"Take me to him. I'm the first one they need, right? Ako, kapalit ninyong dalawa, that's the only thing I can do for you— To be bait." Ara exclaimed.
- Writer
