Prologue

WALANG KATAPUSANG mga gabi na lagi akong binabagabag ng isang malagim na panaginip. It's the same thing as usual. I find myself walking in this dark path surrounded by large stacks of metal containers. The arrangement can be compared to a maze—or a warehouse perhaps.

Nakabuntot ako sa tatlong purong itim na pigura ng tao. Mabagal silang naglalakad habang maingat na nagmamasid sa paligid. Animo'y mayroon kaming hinahanap o tinataguan. Tila kami'y mga karakter sa isang action film, mga espiyang pinadala sa isang secret mission.

Pawang kadiliman lamang ang masisilayan sa kanilang mukha. Hindi ko sila makilala, ni hindi ko alam kung kaibigan sila o kaaway.

Tumatayo lagi ang aking mga balahibo tuwing pinagmamasdan ang nilalakaran naming nilamon ng anino. We only have our phone's flashlight to illuminate a portion of our path.

Every step and little sound I make felt like carrying tenfold of my weight. Dagdag mo pa na parang robot ako na naka-program na ang magiging galaw. My only duty is to watch the recurring nightmare.

Alam kong nasa ilalim lang ako ng isang panaginip. I'm hundred-percent sure. Nakabasa ako ng article patungkol dito. It was called lucid dreaming. Binibigyan nito ang tao ng kakayahang maging aware na siya'y nanaginip, pero mine is forbid from having control.

Can't I actually move on from this dream? I always thought every time this boring yet mystifying dream-worked film rolled in my subconscious.

Kapansin-pansin ang bawat paggalaw ng kanilang labi, animo'y pinaplano na nila ang gagawing aksiyon. Maybe, I am part of their conversation, but my ears are deaf. In fact, I could not even utter a single word. It is like I am hanging with my friends who do not see me as one of them.

Of course, I cannot actually set that as a basis since I have no other role except from watching. It's not like a puppet can resist the fingers that pull the strings.

Time dies. It's been a long walk already and this journey will soon face its end.

Kagaya ng sinabi ko kanina, this dream haunts me for numerous nights that I already lose count of how many times I went here. Hindi ko nga matandaan kung kailan ako huling dinalaw ng normal at ibang panaginip.

Five people who also appeared in silhouettes blocked our one-line path. They stood tall with murderous aura emanating from their whole. The cold breeze made the scenario even worse for a repetitive dream.

A scratching noise resonated from the top of the containers—a warning sound that set my knees to shiver. Shortly, a banging noise followed which forced me to step backward, head tilted up.

Death whispered to my ears habang inililibot ko ang aking mata sa paligid. Napalibutan na kami ng mga taong mayroong hawak-hawak na baril at baseball bat. A U-turn might not be possible as all routes turned into dead end.

Some began banging their bat on the containers which generated a deafening noise, while other aimed their gun at us. My chest almost exploded from a heart attack—if only this is the first time.

What's more terrifying is I couldn't even see the emotion hiding on their spotless face. Yet, I can feel the blood lust emanating from their rampage. They were lions coming out of the tall grasses to jump over and feast on their prey. These people truly prepared before initiating this terrorizing act. No wonder why the dear was forced to face the jaws of the forest king.

If we can't fight, we'll be eaten alive.

They welcomed us with heavy punches and kicks, inflicting gruesome pain to our muscles. Even if it was all a dream, my body suffered from every blow. Gusto kong tumakbo palayo pero hinaharangan kami ng mga nakatutok na baril. Wala na kaming matatakbuhan pa kahit na maglaban pa kami. Fighting is useless. It will only place us in greater pain.

I wondered, why are we still trying to fight? How ironic that fear can also stirs up courage.

After a vigorous beating, my feet drained all its strength. I fell to my knees before my whole body banged on the cold floor, head bumped on the concrete. It caused excruciating pain before turning into droplets of tear.

Nanlalabo ang aking paningin. Mabilis na tumitibok ang aking puso. I can sense the freezing entrance of the skull-faced thief. Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata.

Kung tunay na pangyayari ito, handa na akong harapin si Kamatayan, pero nanaginip lang naman ako. I'm not scared anymore unlike during the first night. Yet, sa tuwing nakikita ko ang pangyayaring ito, mayroong kirot sa aking dibdib na patuloy na hinihikayat akong magpatuloy pa.

For the last time, I poured out my remaining strength to turn my head and open my eyes. There, I saw a glimpse of someone walking towards me. Everything is blurry and loud, pero hindi ako nagkakamaling marinig ang kaniyang bulong.

"Sorry, Sebastian," a voice whispered in my almost-muted dream.

The voice wasn't clear like it was edited by a voice-modulating software, a static sound to be specific. Still, the grim words never fail to surprise and threaten me—the fact that the person knows me is enough to set a fire in my mind.

Who was that person?

I don't know what to think except for countless of questions flooding my head. Gusto kong magsalita at tawagan siya to clear all confusions, pero wala na akong magagawa. Hindi ko na kayang gumalaw pa.

Habang pinagmamasdan ang kaniyang paglayo, unti-unting binulag ng kadiliman ang aking mata. Sunod na pagmulat ko'y nasa tunay na mundo na. Kahit gustuhin ko mang ipagpatuloy ang panaginip, the ending will always be the same. It will always stop in that cliff-hanger.

The Dream. The Ambush. Those people. That enemy.

Sabi ng aking mga magulang, masamang panaginip lamang 'yon. I choose to believe that not until it continuously runs in my system. Pakiramdam ko'y may pinaparating 'yon sa akin. Something that is important, but I don't know what it is. But maybe, just maybe, is it a part of the previous owner of this godforsaken body?

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

This story was originally written last May 2018. At that time, it was not finished due to my lack of ample time to finish it. I thought it was already well-polished at that time, but it wasn't. Thus, I decided to reboot it this year including the re-plotting and re-titling. I encouraged old readers to reread since almost everything changed from the cases, characters and progression.

Sobrang daming hiatus ng story na ito pero I'll complete the volume 1 this year! Will take a while before ako makabalik sa last chapter since I need to re-read the story, and doing edits while doing so.

May you enjoy reading my first Mystery/Thriller Novel entitled, The Incomplete Detective. Thank you for giving this story a try!

Vote, Criticism and Comment are highly appreciated.