Nightfall 5: Sanguis

                                    

                                          
"The curse has begun..."
                          
EURUS
                          
Mariin kong ipinikit ang mga mata ko habang hinihilot ang sintido. This day was the worst! Napilitan akong mag-commute dahil ipinaayos ko sa isang talyer ang kotse ko. Ginamit ko pa ang ipon ko para lang hindi magtaka sina Papa at Mama. Sinabi ko sa kanila na iniwan ko sa bahay ng kaklase ko ang kotse. 
                          
Ngayon naman, pinipiga ko ang utak ko dahil sa thesis namin. Hindi na sana ako sumama kina Alys noong Biyernes, pero mabuti na rin siguro na sumama ako dahil nakaiwas sila sa kapahamakan. 
                          
Wala pa sina Alys kaya naiinis ako. Nakatambay ako sa library ng Vaire University. The library was huge and comforting even though the design was quite old. The antique smell of old books lingered in my nose. Even if I was not in my werecat form, my senses were still sensitive. The only comfort I could get now was the calming scent of these books.
                          
There were more than thirty rows of bookshelves inside. Sa unahan ng malaking silid, mapapansin ang librarian na hindi man lang ngumingiti sa mga estudyante. It seemed she was not fond of students. She was just fond of books. In truth, she was very protective of these books.
                          
Mabigat akong bumuntonghininga. I already texted the girls, but I didn't get a single reply. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung papasok ba sila o hindi. We had different schedules, but I still didn't see them around this morning.
                          
Malapit ng mag-alas dose ng tanghali. The place I wanted to avoid the most in Vaire University was the cafeteria. Like the library, the cafeteria was also old-fashioned but magnificently elegant. The carvings and moldings on the wall looked like designs from the medieval period. The high ceiling was decorated with huge chandeliers, and the mahogany chairs and tables were placed like they were following successive circular paths. It was symmetrically designed.
                          
The old design was not what I was avoiding—there were a lot of cats inside Vaire University. Mas malakas ang amoy nila sa cafeteria. Most of them gathered in that place. Ginagawa ko ang makakaya ko upang iwasan sila. Kahit sa hallway, pilit ko rin silang iniiwasan sa tuwing maaamoy kong papalapit na sila.
                          
I had some werecat classmates too, but I stayed away from them as much as possible. Mabuti na lang wala kaming block section kaya hindi nila ako nabibigyang-pansin. I made myself invisible whenever they were around. I didn't want to mess with them. I didn't want any connections with them.
                          
Iminulat ko ang mga mata at muling tumipa sa netbook ko, pero muli akong napapikit nang maramdaman ko ang pagkalam ng sikmura ko. Hindi ako nakapagbaon ng pagkain dahil sa pagmamadali kanina. Naiinis na isinara ko ang netbook ko at inilagay sa backpack. Ibinalik ko rin ang mga librong kinuha ko. Kahit kailan, hindi ko talaga matiis ang gutom ko.
                          
Hindi naman siguro nila ako mapapansin kung pupunta ako sa cafeteria? They wouldn't pay me any attention. Pero ngayon, ang ikinakatakot ko ay ang sinabi ni White. What if they accidentally smelled my slipping power? I needed to be extra careful.
                          
My phone vibrated. I got a text from Celine.
                          
Lunch! We're in the cafeteria!
                          
Napailing ako. Nagmamadaling tinahak ko ang daan patungo sa cafeteria. Sa tuwing may madadaanan akong werecat, bahagya akong yumuyuko para hindi nila ako mapansin. Iniiwasan kong tumingin sa mga mata nila. One thing about werecats was that they didn't hunch their backs. They were prideful of their forms. They would always walk with pride. They always held their chins up, kaya naiinis ako kapag yumuyuko ako upang iwasan sila.
                          
Nang nasa harap na ako ng nakabukas na double door ng cafeteria. I could smell the strong mixed scents of a big group of werecats. Ramdam ko ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko. If they would all devour me, I doubted I would ever survive. I could feel that this double door was an entrance to hell—as if it was whispering, "Welcome to hell, Eurus."