Dream Slaughters

"WEST!" I called.

"I guess you already know my name..." He chuckled.

"Y... yo-your back," I pointed the roots.

"Uh... wait a minute..." He murmured some words. It made the roots break behind him.

Nang mawala ang ugat, napaluhod siya sa harapan ko. Sinikap ko na gumapang para mapuntahan lang siya. He opened his arms wide and accepted me with a wide hug. I can see the bloods in his clothes. He"s been stabbed by those heartless monsters.

"I thought that you"ll die,"I said as I started crying again.

"I told you... dream slaughters only die when they sleep..." he chuckled.

Pinunasan niya ang mga luhang pumapatak. His hands are cold. He must be very scared.

"Mukhang nalaman mo na ang tunay kong pangalan," sabi niya.

"Of course, you idiot. Your brothers told me," I said.

"Those guys must be very angry with me," West.

"They called you the foolest among them," I said.

"Serve me right. I fell in love with you that"s why..."

Tinignan niya ang mga binti ko. Nagulat siya ng makita ang pagwawalbalik nito. Pero alam niya na mangyayari ito sa akin. Umakyat na sa hanggang hita ko ang pagkakawala balik. Napayuko siya. Nagsimula na rin siyang umiyak.

"You know the reason why I didn"t tell you my name until now?" He asked.

"Bakit...?" He raised his face up. Indeed, he"s crying. I never expected that face to cry.

"I already know that you"ll forget me after this. Don"t you think it"s better for me to know that you"ll forget me without knowing my name than knowing it and forget afterwards? I"m being selfish. I"m scared that after this I"ll feel pain," he said.

"It"s your first time being honest," I chuckled.

"Dream slaughters don"t tell lies," He said.

Pumalibot na sa amin ang mga ugat ng mga puno. Hindi na kami gumalaw pa sa kinauupuan namin. Inikot na lang ng tingin ang mga matutulis na bagay na marahil ay papatay sa aming dalawa. O baka ako lang ang nag-iisip nun. Tumayo si West kahit na hindi na kaya ng katawan niya. Hinarang niya ang buong katawan niya sa mga ito ipinapakita ang hamon na kaya niyang tanggapin ang lahat.

"West, what are you doing?" I asked.

"My mission is still not done. I"m not ending this story in this way," he said bravely.

"Pero mamamatay ka niyan! Baka hindi na sapat ang paggising ko para mailigtas ka!"

"You said that you wanted me to become the prince, right? Now, I am here being your prince. And a prince never makes his princess cry. And if he did, he must pay the price. I"m paying the price for making you cry," he said with a smile.

"NO!"

The roots attacked him at once. Of course, natamaan siya. Natilapon siya palayo. Nakita ko pa ngang naputol ang isang paa niya ng hiniwa ito ng isang ugat. Blood started to ooze from the broken leg. I can"t keep my eyes from seeing this. I wanted to wake up! Somebody, please wake me up from this nightmare.

"Holy momma!" Sigaw ng isang boses.

A guy in winter clothes ( especifically North) came flying behind. He saw the roots attacking West so he started charging some fire b.a.l.l.s to it. Sumunod si East sa kanya na naging seryoso. It looks like these guys are non-combat in a case. But if a family is hurt, I guess they"re scarier than any nightmare a kid could have.

"Whatdid you do to him?" North shouted as he slashes the roots away.

"You know what big brothers are for, idiot!" Sabat ni East na tinulungan si North.

Nakita ko si South na tumakbo papunta kay West. Mukhang nagulat siya ng makita ang putol na paa ng kapatid. Hindi na ako makatayo dahil sa naglalaho na rin ako. Sinubukan kong gumapang sa hanggang makarating sa lugar na kung saan umiiyak si South. May sinasabi siyang kung ano. Naliliwanag si West. Ganito rin ang ginawa ni West para magamot ang mga sugat ko.

"There"s no use!" Iyak ni South.

Pumunta ako sa may ulo ni West. Tinapik ko ng mahina ang pisngi niya.

"West... West..." tawag ko.

Dahan dahan niyang minulat ang kanyang mga mata. Nakita niya ang mukha kong umiiyak. He smiled.

"I did everything to not make you cry. Maybe I"m not the proper prince for you," patawa niyang sabi.

"Hey, stop joking," sabi ko.

He smiled.

"Aurora... I"m sleepy..." He said.

"No," I shook my head. "No..."

"It"s okay. If I sleep I will dream of you..."

"No..."

"And in my dream I will be your prince..."

"Please..."

"And you will be my princess..."

"..."

I touched his cheeks. Nakita kong nawawala na rin ang mga kamay ko. He also looked at it. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko, pagkatapos ay ang mga pisngi ko. It seems that my waking up is very close at this very moment.

"Hey... don"t forget..." He stammered. Barado na ng sugat ang lalamunan niya kaya hindi na siya nakakahinga ng maayos.

"Of course, I won"t..." I replied.

"Then... I hope we will meet again..."

Wala na akong maramdaman pa. Basta ang alam ko sa pagkakataong ito nahihila na ang katawan ko sa kung saan. Nawawala na rin siya sa paningin ko na unti-unting dumidilim. Inilapit ko ang mukha ko sa mukha niya para mas makita siya ng malinaw. Nanghihina na talaga siya. Kailangan na niyang k.u.main.

"I love you..." Bulong niya.

Inilapit ko ang mga labi ko sa kanya. The world started to fade back. I can hear something crumbling. I can hear shouts. I can hear calls. I feel like I"m about to die. But before that happened I gave my final wish – the love that we shared together.

A true love"s kiss.