n. an image that somehow becomes lodged deep in your brain—maybe washed there by a dream, or smuggled inside a book, or planted during a casual conversation—which then grows into a wild and impractical vision that keeps scrambling back and forth in your head like a dog stuck in a car that's about to arrive home, just itching for a chance to leap headlong into reality.

* * *

I try to avoid Goyo at all cost. But, with him being the general, with him living on the same house as I currently am, and with him whose room is just next to mine... I find it impossible to do so. Despite my trial, I am left with nothing but to comply and take in meeting him.

I meet him every morning at the breakfast table; there are a few instances that we leave our rooms at the same time for breakfast. I am to follow wherever he is to go in looking around the town, heeding the words of the townspeople for us to be able to help in whatever we can. Even in lunch and dinner, whenever he is invited by a rich person in town, it seems some courtesy to invite me along. I somehow earned the reputation, of being the only woman in Goyo's close circle, of being the only woman Goyo truly trusts. Others gossip that I am Goyo's mistress or chosen bride, at the same time that many young women around Dagupan fawn over his handsome features, his gallant stories of battle and his chivalrous qualities.

I hate being the center of attention. Despite my trial of ducking away from the prying eyes, being farther away from him whenever I am to join the group, others continue having their own opinions over the matter. The good thing is that I am not to deal with talking to him just to feel being part of the group.

To be honest, whenever we are inside the walls of the house, the seven musketeers keep their attention to me. Telling stories of bravery and things that they've heard of and jokes and showcasing their manly strengths; well, courtesy of those who are actually loud from the group while the others remain quiet, listening, as well as Goyo. Whenever outside, in the face of the public, Felix, Lesyo, Gabriel and Isidro keep me company. The remaining others with Goyo. And still, I don't know how come people have the audacity to suspect that there's something between me and him than me being involved with the others.

One evening, during a dinner at home, since no one had invited Goyo for another dinner at the house of another rich family, the dark eerie shadows that the flame casts only makes the current discussion a heavy one. Especially, how it had been opened up adds to the tension.

"Ilang araw na noong namatay si Heneral Antonio Luna," Julian starts in between eating his dinner, "Pero wala pa ring balita doon sa magkapatid na Bernal."

"Maging yung isa. Yung nakakabata," Totoy agrees before smirking dangerously. "Mas madali siguro na hanapin muna ang bunso kaysa sa mga kuya niyang sundalo."

"Wala namang kaso sa atin yung bunsong Bernal, di ba?" Lesyo inquires, worried.

Totoy looks surprised with the question before frowning a little. "Sigurado na hahanapin nung bunso ang mga kuya niya. At magpapaalam sila sa isa't isa. Ibig-sabihin, alam nung bunso kung nasaan ang kanyang mga kuya. Kumpara sa mga kuya niyang sundalo, siya na walang kasanayan sa gawain ng isang sundalo... mas madali siyang matutunton. Masasabi natin na magiging padalos-dalos ang kanyang mga ikikilos."

"Pero ang idamay ang isang bata?"

"Tinaguriang mga traydor ang kanyang mga kuya. Kung talagang hindi sila mga traydor, bakit sila tumakas? Bakit hanggang ngayon, nagtatago sila at hindi natin sila makita?"

The question causes a heavy pause among everyone.

"Tama na iyan," Goyo remarks a few seconds later. He sighs heavily. "Maliit lamang ang maari nilang puntahan. Makikita't makikita natin sila kung talagang nararapat na sila'y matugis."

No one objects him at that. And we continue on our meals as we are surrounded by silence again.

Roughly three minutes later, when we're all almost done with our meals, Goyo stands from his seat, halfway finished from eating. His action causes all of us to look at him, and we're all expecting him to finally leave right away. However, he lingers a moment longer, gulps in hard and calls, "Kuya Julian, Enteng, Totoy."

The three perk their ears upon being called, like students in a class wherein a professor is about to ask them to answer something that they are truly unaware of what to say.

"Tumungo kayong Bayambang bukas. Nabalitaan ko na may isang sikat na potograpo doon. Maigi na kuhanin natin siya at bayaran sa kanyang ipagkakaloob na serbisyo upang kumuha ng mga litrato natin. Lalo na para sa mga labanan," he adds.

"Goyong," Enteng starts. "Magkano ang ibabayad natin sa kanyang serbisyo? Sakaling siya'y magtanong?"

"Magkasundo kayo ni Isidro sa natitirang pera ng brigada," he answers. "Kayo na ang bahala." Before finally leaving, he bows his head a little. "Magpapahinga na ako. Magandang gabi."

As Goyo leaves the dining table, and before Enteng could even turn to Isidro for the question that had been asked for the two of them to deal with, I and Isidro share a look. Somehow, he doesn't even need to ask this of me, because whether with his instructions or not, I am going to find my answers.

By the time I finish dinner and I bid my goodnight with the others as we retire for the night, I wait for all of them to finally make it to their rooms before heading to Goyo's room first. My questions will not make me sleep, I know it, and I need to rest myself right now than be needing to trash around the bed in vain of sleeping with a troubled mind.

Surprisingly, just after my first knock, he opens the door. I am expecting that he is already asleep since it had been roughly half an hour since he had said that he'll be retiring early for tonight, when I've been caught with the others still chatting and I need to be the last one to leave in order to do this.

Goyo looks a little surprise that it is me behind the knocking. He is surely expecting Enteng to question him about the funding and what made him decide to take a photographer right away. He presses his lips into a straight line and opens the door much wider, allowing me entry. He moves away from the door as he allows me to stand with the closed door behind me. He crosses his arms across his chest, breathes in heavily and asks, "Pendejo... anong mayroon?"

It had been a few days already since the last time that we've talked with just the two of us, or even acknowledged one another. His words back then still troubles me, making me insecure and worrisome. The reminder that Gregory had told me about what could've been lost with the breaking of the disc and him repairing it rests heavily to me, but Goyo's words that time seems to be a contradictory. However, I am not here to dwell onto a discussion as that.

So, with my hands pressed behind me to the wooden door, I look at him intently and gain the courage to speak up. "Goyo... talagang gagawin mo iyon?"

"Yung ano?" He scoffs. "Baka gusto mong mas maging mas tiyak sa kung anong bagay ang tinatanong mo."

"Yung sinabi ni Totoy kanina," I clarify. "Ang gamitin ang nakakabatang Bernal para malaman kung nasaan ang mga kuya niya. Talaga bang mga traydor ang mga kuya niya? Hindi naman nabanggit na traydor si Heneral Luna, di ba? Ibig-sabihin, hindi rin traydor ang magkapatid na Bernal. O totoo ang mga kumakalat na balita na pinaghahanap ang lahat ng mga tauhan ni Heneral Luna upang isakdal sila bilang subersibo?" I look away. "O baka dahil utos ni Presidente kaya—"

He interrupts me right away as he presses a finger against my lips. Him standing immediately a few inches from me as he presses his other hand against the door just beside my head. "Shh..." He whispers.

I gulp in hard and look at him intently despite the heavy pounding of my heart.

In the darkness of the room, the shadows play well with his features, heightening his boyish looks. His dark almond-shaped eyes boring straight at me right now. His brows a little furrowed and his lips a little turned down, somehow disappointed. He is practically breathing the same air that I am breathing with how close we are with each other now.

He slowly pulls his finger away from my lips and sighs heavily. "Mas maigi na matuto kang tumahimik sa mga akusasyon na bumabalot sa iyong isipan. Mahirap na at kung may makarinig sa iyo at kung ano pa ang isipin." He frowns a little. "Baka ikaw pa ang sabihan na subersibo."

I sigh heavily, trying to calm myself and speak, "Kaya nga tinatanong kita." I pull away from the door, causing him to move away as well. "Walang kalaban-laban ang bata. Para sa akin, mali na gamitin siya laban sa kanyang mga kuya."

"Pendejo..."

I raise a hand at him, stopping him before he can say anything. "Ano bang nagawa ng mga kuya niya? Sumunod lamang sila kay Heneral Luna, hindi ba?" I tense up a little before looking back at him. "Mga taga-Kawit ang pumatay kay Heneral Luna, 'di ba? Ibig-sabihin ba... napag-utusan kang patayin ang mga malalapit na tauhan niya?"

At that, his face seems to grow darker. He clears his throat. "Pinapahanap lamang sila ni Presidente Aguinaldo. Nais niyang malaman kung kasama pa rin natin sila sa labanan na ito."

"At anong gagawin sa kanila kung hindi?"

He didn't answer at that, and it seems I already know where it is heading.

* * *

A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)

#GoyoDeadReckoning || #GoyoAngBatangHeneralStories || #ProjectAguilaStories