Thank you very much for coming this far. This is the final chapter before the epilogue.

#ChainedtothePastWP

Final Chapter
Truth

Ragged breath, terrified heart―I found myself running for my life inside a very dark forest. When we got deep inside the forest, thinking that we'd lost our pursuers, we stopped by a massive tree to catch our breaths and rest for a few seconds.

My eyes darted on the man's arm bleeding. Para akong pinagpapawisan nang malamig nang makita ko kung gaano karaming dugo ang nawawala sa kanya.

"Ayos ka lang?" nag-aalalang tanong sa akin ng lalaking nagpatakas sa amin sa kamay ng mga masasamang tao. "Hindi ka tinamaan?"

My whole body was trembling in fear, especially my lips. Nanunuyo rin ang aking lalamunan kaya hindi ko magawang makapagsalita. To assure the man that I was safe, I just shook my head to tell him that I wasn't shot.

He also checked Arlene who was having an asthma attack. He used his hands to fan her and unbuttoned her shorts to let her breathe properly.

He got shot, but he didn't give that much attention to his wound. Sa aming dalawa lang ni Arlene nakatuon ang kanyang buong atensyon.

"My team will be here soon," he assured me. "We─"

"Wala na kayong tatakbuhan! Lumabas na kayo!"

Napatigil ang lalaki sa pagsasalita at agad na nanahimik habang pinapakiramdaman ang paligid. Sinikop niya kami ni Arlene papalapit sa kanya. Since Arlene was frantically breathing because of her asthma, the man lightly covered her mouth with his massive palm.

We heard heavy footsteps gradually getting closer. My senses alerted when I heard our pursuers. I prayed for our dear lives. The rapid beating of my heart felt like it was up to its maximum already.

"Makinig kayo sa akin..." mahinang bulong ng lalaki sa aming dalawa ni Arlene. "You two need to survive. Magtago kayong dalawa. Pagkarating dito ng team, hahanapin nila kayo. Pag sinabi kong tumakbo kayo, tumakbo agad kayo. Huwag na kayong mag-aksaya ng oras."

"P-paano po kayo?"

I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him here to deal with the kidnappers alone, when he was the one who set us free from the lair. But I also knew that I wouldn't be of any use. I would just get in his way.

His eyes slightly widened a bit, but he just smiled and caressed my cheek softly. I felt his warmth spread over my cheek. His earnest gaze reminded me of how my father liked to look at me.

"Huwag mo na akong alalahanin. Kayong dalawa ang importante," marahan niyang sabi.

In a split of second, his expression hardened, showing determination, braveness, and courage.

"Ngayon, tumakbo na kayo! Takbo!" mariin niyang utos sa amin ni Arlene.

Due to the adrenaline, I ran with Arlene. Even when she couldn't run properly, she still did her best to follow me and stay on track. We hadn't gotten that far yet, when we heard consecutive gunshots.

Though the sound was slightly faint from our distance, it still revibrated in my ears.

The image of the man who helped us being shot to death horrified me. Pakiramdam ko ay binuhusan ako nang malamig na tubig. Hindi ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko.

Bago pa ako makabalik sa tamang disposisyon ay nadinig ko nang papalapit ang mga humahabol sa amin. I forced myself to lead Arlene and I as we ran for our lives.

"Tara na, Arlene!"

I tried to ran as fast as I could, while holding Arlene's hand. However, since she couldn't breathe properly, she was having a hard time catching up with my speed. Minsan ay nabibitawan ko siya dahil bigla-bigla siyang humihinto para makahinga nang malalim. Nagulat ako nang bigla niyang tinapik ang aking kamay palayo sa kanya.

"Iwan... m-mo na ako, Clem..." she said, while her hand was placed on her chest.

Hindi ko na napigilan ang pagbuhos ng aking luha sa takot. "Hindi kita iiwan..." Umiling-iling ako. "Tara na, Arlene... Tumakbo na tayo... Kaya natin 'to..."

I tried to grab her hand again, but she still pushed me away. "Tumakbo ka na, Clem!" she clearly said this time, not stuttering. "Tumakbo ka na!"

"Ayoko, Arlene─"

"Tumakbo ka na!" Malakas niya akong itinulak muli.

I was taken aback and couldn't keep my balance when she pushed me that I fell to the ground. Her eyes were pleading me to run without her, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't leave her here, but she also didn't want me to stay.

"Please, Clem... Run..." she pleaded.

"Nandoon siguro sila!"

I looked up in the dark forest, trying to find where the voice came from. Mahigpit kong niyakap ang aking kaibigan. I didn't want to let go, but Arlene forced me to.

When I heard the pursuers got even closer to where we were, terrified that I would get killed, I scampered away from her. Ngunit hindi pa ako nakakalayo ay agad akong binalot ng konsensya. Tumigil ako sa pagtakbo. While I struggled to breathe, I looked back where I left Arlene.

"No..." I whispered to myself. "I won't leave her... No..."

I didn't know where I got the courage to turn around and go back to Arlene, even though I knew that decision would certainly risk my life.

Nang matanaw ko ulit si Arlene ay nakita kong may lumapit sa kanyang pamilyar na babae. She was holding a gun on her hand.

"Nasaan si Clementine?" tanong ng babae kay Arlene.

That's when I realized that it was Tita Drizelda! I recognized her voice!

Out of relief, I exhaled deeply and plastered a huge smile on my face. Finally, we're safe!

"Tita Drizelda, nandito ako! Tita Drizelda!" sigaw ko habang papalapit sa kanilang dalawa.

Arlene's face beamed up when she saw me coming back, while Tita Drizelda snapped her head at me. I thought she would warmly welcome me in her arms, but the next thing I knew, her gun was already pointed at me.

Agad akong napahinto sa pagtakbo nang makitang nakatutok sa akin ang baril. Naglaho ang aking suot na ngiti. I got even more scared when someone, who's very familiar to me, was pointing her gun at me. I preferred getting aimed and shot by those evil strangers.

"T-Tita Drizelda..." I stuttered big time. "T-this me... Clementine..." Thinking that she might had mistaken me for an enemy, I introduced myself to her.

"Yes, I know you're Clementine," Tita Drizelda simply said.

Sinubukan ko ulit humakbang papalapit, pero umabante siya palapit sa akin habang nakatutok pa rin ang baril.

"Don't come closer," she threatened me.

"M-mom..." Arlene called out to her mother and held her arm. "Mommy, that's Clem... Let's go home..."

"Quiet down, Arlene," sipat ni Tita Drizelda kay Arlene.

"Tita..." I cried, feeling completely helpless. "Tita, please..."

I tried to take another step, but then Tita Drizelda suddenly fired the gun up to the sky.

"Ah!" Arlene and I screamed in unison.

The gunshot sound rang in my ears so bad that it actually hurt. I covered both my ears, hoping that it would stop.

Habang nakatakip pa rin ako sa aking tainga ay muling itinutok sa akin ni Tita Drizelda ang baril. Umiling-iling ako at ang pagbuhos ng aking luha ay walang tigil.

I had no idea why Tita Drizelda was trying to threaten me with my life. I was so, so scared. I kept thinking what I did wrong. My knees were turning jelly that I almost couldn't stand on my own. My hands were shaking as I pressed them against my ears.

"Mommy, no..." Arlene also cried with me, while she was still having difficulty in breathing. She was pushing away Tita Drizelda's hand to stop pointing the gun at me.

Tita Drizelda changed her stance and stared directly at me, without any hint of remorse.

"Run, Clementine," she told me, her words piercing. "Run and never comeback. If you ever come back, I will not spare you again."

Nanginig ako lalo dahil sa kanyang mga banta sa aking buhay.

"Now, run, Clementine, while I'm still being nice to you for being my daughter's best friend. Run."

Hindi pa rin ako agad kumilos. Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kanya, nagmamakaawa para itigil na niya ang pagbabanta sa akin.

"I said run!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "In the count of five, if you're still standing right in front of me. I will shoot you dead. One!"

"Mommy, no! Mommy, please, no!" sigaw ni Arlene, sinusubukan pa ring pigilan si Drizelda.

"Two!"

Knowing that she would never change her mind, I turned my back and ran.

"Three!"

Halos madapa-dapa na ako sa pagtakbo nang mabilis pero hindi ako tumigil. I kept looking back to check if Tita Drizelda was following me, but I didn't see her and I couldn't hear her voice anymore. Hindi ko alam kung gaano ako katagal na tumatakbo sa takot kahit na pagod na pagod. I just wanted to make sure that I was finally safe.

But then, with just one step, I found myself falling down.

"No!" I shouted.

The moment I opened my eyes, I found Kalcifer looking so worried, and I was frantically breathing because of the nightmare.

What did I just dream of? What about those happenings in my dream about the incident before?

"What's wrong?" Kalcifer asked, in a concerned tone.

"S-si Drizelda..." nauutal kong sabi at napakunot ang kanyang noo. "Nandoon siya Kalcifer! She was there!"

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" He was so confused as I babbled without context. "Calm down first, Clem... I don't want you going unconscious again."

"She threatened to kill me before! When we were still kids... Binalikan ko si Arlene... I didn't leave her alone... I came back for her..."

To think that I suffered all these years, feeling guilty and blaming myself for Arlene's death, thinking I left her helpless to die while I saved myself... The truth washed away the guilt I had kept inside me for so long.

"Noong binalikan ko siya, nandoon si Drizelda... I thought she was going to save us, but she aimed her gun at me," sabi ko sa kanya at ang pag-aalala sa mga mata ni Kalcifer ay napalitan ng galit. "She told me to run and never come back. Ang sabi niya'y kapag bumalik ako, hindi na niya ako pagbibigyan pa ulit. Kalcifer, she was there! Bakit ngayon ko lang 'to naalala? Bakit ngayon lang?!"

I didn't know why that part of the incident was omitted from my memories, but I guessed it's because that memory was the one which triggered my trauma. Kaya lang ay hindi ko mapigilan ang manghinayang. I was feeling so frustrated.

If I only knew this way back...

My line of thought was interrupted when Kalcifer suddenly pulled me for an embrace. His arms were strong but gentle and warm, enough to calm my troubled mind and heart. It was like he stopped the time for me. He immediately pulled me out from the abyss.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," he said, his voice soft, that I almost didn't recognize it. Though he already spoke to me with a gentle voice before, I felt like there was something different about it now. "Drizelda's going to pay the price for everything that she did."

His fingers started to comb my hair, making me feel so relaxed that I even closed my eyes.

"And you have me now..." he added.

Wanting to see his face, I abruptly opened my eyes, but my face was pressed on his broad chest. Bahagya ko siyang tinulak palayo sa akin upang makita siya nang maayos. I was almost speechless when I saw him slightly teary-eyed.

Seeing me shocked, he smiled.

My eyes twinkled in disbelief when I saw that rare, genuine smile of his. I never thought I could see him smiling at me like this.

"You don't know how afraid I was when I saw you being taken away from me," he told me, expressing his regret, and reached out for my cheek.

It brought me back to that same feeling when his father also put his hand on my cheek before.

"I thought I fear nothing and no one anymore, but during that moment, it was like my fears were all in front of me. I was so terrified that something might happen. I was so scared of the thought of losing you."

"K-Kalcifer..." I didn't know what to say and how to react.

I never knew that too much happiness could hurt until now. It made my heart start to feel numb.

"I will never take my eyes off you ever again, Clementine," he assured me.

Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi.

Was I just hearing things or did he really just say that?

"I will never let danger come near you again like that..." He shook his head. "Never again... I promise you..."

Hearing his promises, warmed my heart. But then, I suddenly remembered what happened before I lost unconscious. The anxiety immediately kicked up.

"K-Kalcifer, nasaan nga pala sina mommy at daddy? Are they safe?"

"They are both fine," he answered. "Mayroon silang importanteng inaasikaso. You were unconscious for two days..."

"How about Arlene?" I asked about my sister next. "I saw it... I saw the b-blood. She was shot! Maayos lang ba siya? Puwede ba natin siyang bisitahin?"

Kalcifer's lips parted. It seemed like he was having a hard time answering my question. It was just a simple question. He could straightly tell me that she's fine. Why was he giving me silence instead?

"K-Kalcifer, bakit ayaw mong sautin ang tanong ko?" nauutal kong tanong sa kanya, napakapit pa ako sa kanyang braso. "Ayos lang siya, 'di ba? Please, tell me that she's fine."

"Clem..." He tried to sound calm, not to make me panic. "Arlene tried to fight... She fought so hard, but... I'm sorry..."

My hand gripping on his arm fell on my lap.

"Arlene passed away last night..."