Chained to the Past

Chapter 18

So far, what are your theories? Lemme know in the comments.

#ChainedtothePastWP

Chapter 18
Stars

Alastair and I decided to continue our conversation inside his apartment. Silence embraced us both. I was determined to tell him the truth but now, I didn't even know where to start. Alastair, on the other hand, was quiet and ready to hear whatever I had to say.

Exhaling a deep sigh, I intertwined my fingers together. Tiningnan ko ang pinangalahatian kong baso ng tubig na pinainom sa akin kanina ni Alastair upang kahit papaano'y makatulong sa pagpapakalma sa akin.

"You don't have to force yourself to tell me anything."

Sa gitna nang katahimikan ay bigla siyang nagsalita. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kanya at dama kong nag-iingat siya sa kanyang mga sinasabi.

Umiling ako at tipid na ngumiti. "Gusto kong ilabas ang lahat ng kinikimkim ko," paliwanag ko. "At nagtititwala ako sa'yo."

His jaw clenched and slightly averted his gaze away from me. "If that's what pleases you..."

Ngumuso ako bahagya dahil mukhang hindi naman talaga siya interasado sa kung ano ang sasabihin ko. Maybe he's thinking that it was just a normal secret or something very trivial. Well, I guess that's why I felt like it was alright for me to reveal everything to him. He's not the type of person to gossip or spread rumors about another person and that's why I trusted him.

Feeling that I was finally ready to start, I drank water again and took a deep breath. Mahigpit kong hinawakan ang baso ng tubig na aking ininuman at nanatiling nakatitig doon.

"Ang kuwento sa akin ni nanay nang magising ako mula sa coma pagkatapos ng walong buwan, natagpuan ako ni tatay na halos wala nang buhay noong pauwi siya galing biyahe. They didn't know what exactly happened to me, and I don't know how I ended up on the road, too."

Ang huling alaala ko ay ang pagtakbo ko sa kagubatan habang tumatakas para sa buhay ko. Dra. Sienna said that I might fell from the highland or rolled over. It actually made sense because San Isidro was situated in the lowlands. Pero ang sabi rin ni doktora na ang suwerte ko dahil buhay pa ako lalo na kung talagang gumulong ako pababa.

I didn't know exactly where those kidnappers put me in hostage, but I guessed it wouldn't be far from here. Natagpuan ako ni tatay sa gitna ng daan mula Ibayo papunta rito sa San Isidro. If I fell from the highland, most probably, I came from Santa Rosario―that's the province where the map took me when I tried to study the terrain and geography out of curiosity.

"I couldn't speak for the first few months after waking up because I was also traumatized. Takot na takot din ako noon dahil wala akong maalalang kahit ano. Hindi ko alam kung sino ako, kung saan ako galing at kung ano ang nangyari sa akin..." sabi ko. "I suffered from amnesia, but it was only temporary, and my adoptive parents don't have any clue about it until now. Nagsinungaling ako sa kanila."

Alastair slightly shifted on his seat, maybe after realizing how serious this was... That my secret wasn't just a common thing to be shared to random people.

Nag-angat ako ng tingin kay Alastair at mapait na ngumiti. "I chose to stay here even after I remembered everything about me and my real family. I chose to pretend that I was still suffering from amnesia," pag-amin ko. "Kasi... pakiramdam ko... wala akong karapatang bumalik o natatakot akong bumalik."

Sa gitna ng pilit na pagngiti ay nagsimula ulit kumawala ang aking luha. Agad ko itong pinawi pero sunod-sunod na itong bumagsak kaya naman hinayaan ko na lang.