Chapter 2 - Hostage

Third person’s point of view

Nagsimulang dumagundong ang puso ni Sariel sa kanyang dibdib habang bumubuhos ang takot sa kanyang daluyan ng dugo.

“Sariel.” Maddox’s powerful voice rings across the car.

“Do you know that my parents are as cold as icebergs right now? It’s all because of you and your uncle, hmm?” Sinubukan ni Sariel na ibalik ang kanyang pagkakalmado at muling huminga ng malalim, ngunit ang tanging nakikita niya ay puro pula nang mariing niyang ipikit ang kanyang mga mata.

“I- didn’t… That’s what my uncle’s all idea, wala akong kinalaman sa nangyari,” Sariel’s murmurs under her breathing.

“The hell you’re talking? You’re with him inside the car, pwedi mo siyang pigilan pero hindi mo ginawa!” Maddox’s thunderous voice swirls again. He doesn’t care if the girl he’s yelling at right now is the same person he once cherished. Dahil sa babaeng ito ay namatay ang mga magulang nila.

“For the fact that I don’t have to make any freaking choice! He actually held captive my mother,” Sariel spats, her nostrils flaring.

Maddox’s nose wrinkled, and he chewed on his bottom lip. “Hah! Do you think I will believe what you say?”

“Please, believe me, Maddy. I don’t have a freaking choice, all I could think is to save my mother in his hands,” Sariel’s murmurs.

“Don’t, Maddy, me! No one is going to believe you, from now on, you are going to be our hostage too,” Maddox quips, his voice breaking at the end.

“Dude, calm the freaking down, Finn’s out of the sights, he’s so fast at hiding ha,” Marlowe says through clenched teeth.

“Stop the car!” Sigaw bigla ni Maddox kay Lowe.

“what?” Naguguluhan na tanong ni Lowe.

“You heard me, ako ang magmamaneho at maghahabol sa kanya.stop.the.car.” hindi na nag-aalangan si Lowe at inihinto na si gilid ang sasakyan. At lumipat na nga sa passenger seat si Lowe habang si Sariel ay nasa likod parin na may mga luhang lumalandas sa pisngi niya.

“What are you going to do?” Lowe ask.

“Let me freaking maneuver this,” Maddox says with his clenched jaw. At pinaharurot na nga ni Maddox ang sasakyan para habulin ang sasakyan ni Finn na malayo na sa paningin nila. Biglang napakapit ng mahigpit si Lowe sa seatbelt niya habang si Sariel naman ay mahigpit ang kapit sa kinauupuan niya dahil hindi siya naka seatbelt.

“Sandali lang, please…kailangan kong hanapin si mommy bago pa may gawin si tito sa kanya,” Sariel’s plead, her soft voice merely a whisper.

“Shut the hell up! No! Walang aalis, sa pagkakaalam ko okay ang mommy mo sa bahay nyo.”

“Hindi… maraming kasabwat si tito. Gayon pang pumalpak ang plano niya ngayon sayo. Please… I need to see my mom.”

“Well, if we catch up to him, we are going to see your mom. So, shut the hell up! Naiirita ako sayo.”

“You don’t understand!” Sariel shrieks back at him. She went forward in the middle of where they were sitting and grabbed Maddox’s arm while he was still driving.

“Let go,” he hisses at her through clenched teeth.

“Please… Hindi mo kasi naiintindihan,” Sariel cried out.

“I do! Finn’s running away his sins, so you’re going to pay for it,” Maddox’s snaps, his rusty voice sending shivers down Sariel’s spine.

Maddox comes to an abrupt stop at the center of the road. If Lowe hadn’t taken action right away, Sariel would have fallen in between both of them.

“Sh*t!” Maddox runs a hand over his entire face and pinches the bridge of his nose out of frustration.

“What happened?” Lowe asks.

“The car happened,” Maddox quips. Bigla siyang bumaba at sinundan naman ni Lowe para tingnan kong ano ang nangyari sa sasakyan nila.

Given that the tires of their vehicles are flattened, they fear they won’t be able to follow Finn’s car.

On the other hand, Sariel’s eyes filled with tears, pinunasan naman niya kaagad ito. Sariel knew she deserved Maddox’s anger for her, yet it still hurts her deeply. Due to Finn’s incident with Maddox’s parents’ car, they also caused a powerful impact, so nakaramdam si Sariel ng pagkahilo with blood still running from her forehead. Ipipikit lang sana niya ‘yung mga mata niya since she has to endure physical pain all over her body, not realizing that she had fallen asleep.

✧✧✧

AN HOUR LATER, Nagising si Sariel sa isang kwarto, nakipagtitigan sa kisame. She tried to recall everything that exactly happened. Started with her uncle ordering something, the flash drive, an accident, Maddy’s parents dying, and his abducting her—‘abducting me what?! ‘ That was Sariel screaming inside her head.

Inilibot niya ang tingin niya sa mukhang Asylum pero aesthetic na kwarto. “Damn. Mukha ba akong criminal na baliw? Pero mas better na ‘to kesa sa dungeon nila ako ilagay.” Sariel mumbles to herself.

She rose up, but she held her temple when it suddenly throbbed. Naramdaman rin niya na meron na pala siyang benda sa ulo, pero tiningnan niya ‘yung damit niya na hindi pa napapalitan, duguan parin.

A floral-patterned lettuce-trimmed PJ set on a nearby chair caught her gaze. Kahit nahihilo ay nilapitan niya parin ito. She need to change since her clothes are sticky from tears, sweat, and blood that she caused herself. Hinanap ng mga mata niya ang bathroom, When she saw it, she began to cursed herself inside.

“Why is it seemingly so far away from me? I am still feeling dizzy. Aissh, ang arte ko talaga,” she grunts.

When she arrived at the bathroom, she could finally take off her moist garments. She just slowly wiped her body, given that there were so many shades of purple from the car incident.

When she’s relaxed with herself, she promptly go out of the bathroom. Pero ganon nalang ang paglaglag ng panga niya ng makita si Maddox na may hawak na ball python. A fvcking 6-foot ball python.

“Don’t you dare get near me with such an animal as that!” sigaw niya kay Maddox at bahagyang umatras.

Maddox solely cracked a laugh at her. “Why? Isn’t she better than you? I truly want to leave her here and sleep close to you. Do you want that?”

Sariel puckered her lips and glanced at Maddox in discomfort. “You knows it makes me anxious about snakes, and you’re going to leave me with it? Are you crazy?”

Maddox shoots her a scowl. “Nahh, this is your first punishment for betraying me.”

Sariel’s breath hitched with what Maddox meant to say to her. “Sinabi ko naman na sayo na plano lang ni tito ‘yun, wala lang akong choice.”

“Well, too late to explain. The damage has done. You can kiss my baby for me, come on.”