Chapter 23 -Highers

Her eyes were striking mine's intensely.. mouthing words without a sound and was shocked by what happened.

I shooked my head to her and mouthed 'it's alright' while tapping her hand to make her feel alright.

I looked out to the car's window and notices an unsual place that we're currently driving on.

Weird.

How did he know this place?

I'm also wondering.. kanina pa.

I clicked my tongue in awe and confusion.

Tall trees, vines and bushes.. pretty much a jungle. Wala sa itsura nya na may alam syang mga gantong lugar.

Even the path we're taking on looks like it's been here for long.. madalas na ba syang nadaan dito.

"I'm so sorry but I can't shut my mind.."

Silence got suddenly interrupted when Ava spoke as Elmer looked back to us a little.

"How are you like so knowledgable of this place and how did you know we're there? Hindi pwedeng napadaan ka lang don, it's well secluded"

Elmer smirked and shooked his head while he's looking at the road and at the car's rearview mirror back and forth.

"I knew Aiden will come"

He simply utter in front of us while we're left shocked and confused from what he said.

"H-how did you know? Don't tell me you've been spying on us"

I said and laughter quickly jumped out of his mouth as he started giggling hilariously.

Ava and I looked at each other with a wrinkled forehead, confused and weirded out of him.

What a joyful guy tho.

Well yeah kinda, and serious! I don't know but he's kinda moody last time I saw him on our house, sudden shift from a cheerful guy into a serious, advising guy who basically warns you out of thin air, HAHAHAHA.

"Funny, why would I even spy on you kiddos?"

He said while wiping his tears from his eyes..

I sighed in irritation then reached out from my bag at my back. I unzipped it and took out a card inside.

"You left this on our house.."

I raised it up, showing him his business card as he looks back and slowly grabbed it while staring on it plainly.

"Well yeah, I did.. but on purpose"

He uttered and gently put the card at his front car's table top.

I was left scratching my nape to what he said as countless questions popped out of my head.

"On purpose?"

He then nodded at me again from the rearview mirror wearing a smile.

"I know you when you're curious Aiden, you'll do anything to find an answer"

True.. very true bruh.

Oh really.. lol

"And I know i'm one of the persons you wanted to question besides Dale.. i'm sorry about him btw"

"I'm not an enemy.. Cedrick Dale Alvarez"

I bit my tongue when a phrase suddenly echoes again inside my mind.. his voice is really familiar with that person Dale is talking with, tsk.

"I know you'll come when I left that card.. took you long enough though"

He scoffed looking at me and back at the road again.

I immediately reached my back when I felt it ache and decided to lean back to the car's seat to relax myself, shet.

Every ounce of tiredness and pain a while a go.. it all started to kick in just now, lol HAHAHA.

Those bastard men in suits.

Oh wait..

"Hey, do you know those people a while ago?"

I asked calmly and he took a short glance at me from the mirror and back to the road as he became silent for a couple of seconds.

"Kuya Elmer?"

"I'll tell everything when we got there.. it's just not safe here yet"

He cuts me off as I was left staring at him gazing off to what he said..

Not safe?

You're probably in danger.

Lol HAHAHAHA--

Wtf.

My heart jumped and got startled when a loud bang from the window echoes inside the car.

"Hey, watch out on those branches"

"Sorry palabas na kase tayo, the roads just up ahead"

Pagdadahilan nya saken saka lalong binilisan pagdrive.

We immediately hold on to our seats when the car started to rattle and the road started getting bumpy.

"Hold tight"

He said saka kame nagkatitigan ni Ava at lalong napahigpit hawak sa upuan.

The path gets more and more messier each second that even the seatbelts have no effect on it and we're jumping from our seats like kangaroos in a bounce house.

"Small hill" Ava shouted sabay turo nya sa unahan.

"Shet" Elmer muttered.

Tsk.

Well, the road couldn't get worst enough than this, isn't it?!

Our world suddenly quake as our brains were shaken inside our head when a huge ass stone bumped on our car.

"Wow, this is a nice path to drive on to, isn't it!"

I bragged sarcasticly and laughed while Ava and Elmer hold on to their heads because of dizziness.

Arghh..

Well, it sure is a fun path.

Shut up.

"It'll get more bumpier now, hold tight"

"We are! Holding tight"

Shouted Ava and Elmer glanced back to her.

"Well, hold tighter!"

He immediately step on the gas pedal ferociously and we drove off throwing us a little back stick to our seats because of the speed.

Engines roar and the car shakes more and more as it accelerates forward, towards the small hill that Ava was pointing out a while a go.

We quickly had approached it and had briefly bumped on, as the car started climbing up towards it with it's wheel screeching from the dirt shouting out a battlecry.

"Oh, come on"

Elmer muttered underneath his breath as he forcely pedalled up again and drove, while car's the engine started to rev up wildly.

"Arghh, shet"

Biglang naman agad syang tumigil at bumitaw sa pedal as the car's engine calms down and he let the car slides back up from the hill.

"Need more speed"

He swiftly reversed, backing us up faster and quickly stopped from a few inches away.

"You holding tight?"

Agad naman kameng nagulat ng bigla syang lumingon samen pagtigil ng sasakyan with his eyebrow raising towards us.

Ilang segundo naman kameng hindi nakasagot sa kanya at nagkatitigan lang saka nalang ako tumango.

"Oh.. yeah we are--"

I was immediately cut off when he quickly revved up the engine and drove off again forward.

Napaurong naman ulet kame bahagya ni Ava sa bilis ng pagandar dahilan para mapahigpit kapit namen sa unahan as we quickly approached the hill again.

"Keep holding"

He said sabay harurot ulet ng sasakyan habang nagewang gewang na dahil sa mga bato sa daan.

"Oh shet one thing"

He gazed at us from the mirror for a few seconds then back to the road until he started speaking again.

"It'll kinda hurt a little so watch your heads--"

He was abruptly interrupted when the car bumped and finally climbed up the dirt mound, sending us flying an inch above the ground.

"Oh shet, it worked!"

Elmer said breathtaken, as we surpassed the hill

The amazement was quickly cut off when we we're immediately dragged down by gravity sending us back to the ground with our heads banged down.

"Aww--"

Ava exclaimed saka agad sya napahawak sa ulo nya as Elmer stopped the car.

"Shet that was cool!"

He said in an energetic tone saka sya biglang lumingon samen.

"I thought we wouldn't make it--"

Agad syang natigilan at natulala ng makita nya mga itsura nameng gulo gulo na at ani mo'y mga galing sa giyera yung mga mukha.

"I think we should probably go now to.. where you said we should go, kuys Elmer"

He blinked his eyes several times and was shaken up from his stare saka tumango tango saken.

"Right, sorry HAHAHA"

"Do you have a plastic bag o kaya ket ano?"

Agad naman kameng napatingin kay Ava at agad na nagulat ng mapansin nameng maputla mukha nya at nanghihina.

"Lah love?"

"Nahilo yan sa kakaalog ng sasakyan kanina"

Banggit ni Elmer saka may hinalungkat sa compartment ng sasakyan nya.

"Here"

Agad namang kinuha ni Ava yung plastic bag saka biglang sumuka sa loob.

"Oooohh, told you"

Sabay talikod nya samen at humarap na ulet sa unahan ng sasakyan.

Kumapa naman ako sa bulsa ko at dinukot yung phone saka ko tinignan yung oras at agad nagulat ng makita kong patapos na lunch time namen, shet.

"Ah, hey pwede idaan mo muna kame sa school? Iuuwi lang naten si Ava"

Nilingon naman nya agad ako ng may galet na mata dahilan para mapatigil sya sa pagsuka.

"No.. no i'm alright"

"You need to go back may classes ka pa"

Ava refuses saka umiling iling at tinapik kamay ko.

"Idaan mo muna kame sa campus kuys Elmer"

"No!"

Nagulat naman ako ng bigla nya kong sigawan dahilan para mapatahimik kameng lahat sa sasakyan.

"Woah, hey talk this out.. I don't wanna meddle, it's your relationship wag kayong magsigawan"

Napabuntong hininga naman ako ng mahina saka napayuko ng makaramdam ako bigla ng hiya sa sinabe nya.

He removed his glance to us then back to the front as he started the engine again and drove off towards the highway.

"Sorry Aiden" said Ava.

I shook my head and tapped her hand saka ko sya tinignan ng diretso sa mata.

"You need to go back"

She refuses again saka ako muling napabuntong hininga.

"But your studies"

"Wala pa pong masyadong ginagawa puro lessons pa, I can catch up"

"Pero si tita"

Napatahimik naman sya bigla ng ilang segundo saka napausog ng bahagya palayo saken.

"Sabe pa naman naten kila Ray lalabas lang tayo maggagala pano kung magtanong sila--"

"Our lives had already been at stake kanina.. aalalahanin ko pa ba yung sasabihin ni mama saken?"

She cut me off saka sya umiwas ng tingin saken leaving me speechless, staring at her.

"Atsaka as if hahanapin ako ni mama, wala naman lage sa campus yon"

Dugtong nya saka ako napayuko.

Namayani naman ng ilang segundo ang katahimikan sa buong kotse at tanging ingay lang ng sasakyan ang maririneg sa paligid.. aish.

You know, she got a point.

Yeah, but.. damn it.

I dropped my face in my hand and clicked my tongue in disagreement as my mind is in battle whether I let her come with me or nah..

Hays.

"Okay, okay.. diretso na tayo kung san man tayo pupunta kuya Elmer"

Bigla namang nagliwanag mukha ni Ava saka nya ko hinarap at tinapunan ng ngiti.

Cute.

"Oh hey, btw drop the 'kuya' HAHA.. nakakatanda eh ays lang ket wala di naman sya nakakabastos.."

Banggit ni Elmer saka nya den ako nginitian mula sa salamin.

"Nakakabata HAHAHAHA"

Sabay tawa nya ng malakas dahilan para mapatawa nalang den kame ni Ava sa kanya saka sya nagthumbs-up samen.

What a jolly guy, isn't he?

Yeah and so easy to get along with once we got to know him this close.. not like what happened on the restroom and on our house.

He's very different from those.

Basically an example of a 'don't judge the book by it's cover'

Yeah cause, he's probably not as bad as we thought.

Maybe he really wants to help.

Well maybe.. still don't trust easily

Yeah, I know.. besides, takot ka lang eh HAHAHA.

I just don't want a mess again in our life.

Well, too bad..

We are already in it.

...

"My resthouse.. tago and well protected that's why dito ako lage napunta when those men shows up on some time"

Pageexplain nya saka namen ginala gala paningin namen ni Ava sa paligid.

Warm and Cozy.

Definitely is.

White walls, ceilings and marble floors, carpets, paintings and stuffs. A typical luxurious house.. you can tell all of the things he have is expensive, sa itsura palang halata na.

Pretty much fruits from his work and labor on our company.. it all paid off.

"Now we're already here.. can we talk about what happened and what you know?"

Tinitigan naman nya ko ng saglet with his chin up high saka nya ko tinanguan at tumuro sa dining area ng bahay.

He waited on the doorway pointing inside habang naglalakad na kame ni Ava papunta sa kanya.

Agad naman akong nagulat ng harangin ako bigla dahilan para mapatigil ako sa paglalakad.

"Wha--?!"

He immediately covered my mouth saka lumingon sa direksyon ni Ava na dire-diretso lang na naglakad at di kame narinig.

"Quiet.."

My eyebrow furrows and I was confused to the way he is acting.

"W-why?"

"Do you trust the girl?"

Agad naman akong napaurong sa pagkairita sa tanong nya.

Wth weird question.. kala mong kakilala ka na den namen ah?

We should be the one asking you that.

Do we trust you?

'Can we' trust you? Psh.

I popped my fingers and look at him dead serious on the eyes.

"I've known Ava for long and trust me.. I trust her" I uttered in a cold voice.

"Ahh, hey?"

Napalingon naman kame parehas sa dining area at nakita namen si Ava na nakatingin samen.

"Ano ginagawa nyo?"

"No, sorry may napagusapan lang.. tara na"

Sagot ko sabay lakad ko papalapit sa kanya para iwan si Elmer sa likuran ko.

Tsk.

Maybe he is just taking precautional safety.

Well, okay.. or I dunno.. I just don't want the tone he gave off.

Meh HAHAHAHAHA.

"Okay, cut to the chase.. who are you, who are they.. what the hell is happening?"

Sunod sunod kong tanong sa kanya as he let out a small chuckle.

He fixed his sitting position and went a little close to the table as he looked at the both of us with consent.

"Are you really sure you want to know?"

Agad naman kameng tumango ni Ava sa kanya saka sya bahagyang napapikit at umurong.

"Aish, okay.. they didn't even hesitate"

He muttered underneath his breathe.

"So, who am I? I am Elie Amer Cohen.. I work at Aiden's Dad company 'Steeltech' and you probably already knew that. You probably wondering what I do well I stop Collectors and I--"

"Wait.. what?"

Agad kong putol sa kanya saka nya ko biglang tinaasan ng kilay.

"Wait.. whut?"

He repeated saka ko sya sinenyasan.

"What do you mean by Collectors?"

Tanong ko at nagtaka ako ng di agad sya nakasagot at napatulala lang sya saken gulat na gulat habang napapaatras palikod.

"What, hey? You good?"

"Oh yeah yeah, sorry.. it's nothing di na talaga ko nasanay, it's just your goddamn e--"

Nagulat naman kameng lahat ng biglang may magbeep sa kusina dahilan para mainterrupt usapan namen.

"Oh sorry probably the oven--"

"Wait"

Agad kong pigil sa kanya ng aktong tatayo sana sya papunta sa kusina.

"Leave it, answer my questions first.. what's a collector?"

Paguulit ko ng tanong sa kanya saka sya napabuntong hininga at muling dahan dahang umupo sa upuan.

"Okay sorry, ehem.. the collectors or what they so called themselves are the highers eyes and ears throughout the people--"

"Highers?"

Pagputol ko ulet sa kanya saka naman sya napapikit bigla sa pagkairita saken.

"Oh sorry.."

"You wanna know or not? Let me finish"

Tumango naman agad ako sa kanya at bahagyang napayuko saka sya muling napabuntong hininga.

"Okay.. The highers, they are the men you met a while ago" He said calmly.

I know it was mentioned by that guy Gundrick kuno kanina.

Yeah he did.

Oh so you're listening kanina ah? HAHAHA.

Ofcourse I am.. I am you lol.

"They called themselves like that cause they believe they are higher beings who are awake to the World's Reality HAHA"

He chuckled saka umiling iling.

"They are people like us who knows this world is a giant story all occuring at once, but they say they're basically higher kuno because they are under someone who they so call Arthur"

Napakunot naman agad noo ko sa narinig kong pangalan.

"What's so special with Arthur?"

Tanong ni Ava with her eye's now glowing crystal blue.

"I don't know yet but for sure it is their head of the org"

I clicked my tongue in awe and confusion saka ako lumapit ng konti sa table papunta sa kanya.

"What do they have to do with me and Ava?"

He smirked on my question saka nya biglang niluwagan yung tie nya at tinanggal yung isang butones ng polo.

"What do they have to do with 'us' is the word"

Agad naman akong nagulat ng may makita kameng balat sa gitna ng dibdib at leeg nya.

"They've done this to you? Bastards"

"No.. they didn't"

Putol nya bigla kay Ava saka nya kame parehas pinasadahan ng tingin.

"I did this to myself"

We're both shocked and found ourselves scratching our heads to whatever the fvck he said.

Is he serious? Did that to himself?

Weird, why would he.

"This is where the collector comes in.."

Agad akong nagulat ng mapansin kong magcolor-blue bigla yung mga mata nya.

"They found me on the ledge.. on the cliff ready to jump out of my sanity.. down to my death because of this crazy world. I even almost slashed my throat.. this scar"

He pointed inbetween his chest and neck.

Oh, that's why.

Hmmm.

"Then he came.. the so called collector, he offered me a better life, they told me I was special that only a few of us are opened eyes to the world, the ones who knew this world is a story that other people thought are crazy to believe in"

"No! I'm saying the Truth!"

"You don't understand!"

Arghh.. echoes fvck. It really hurts like hell when this happens.

"I am saying the truth!!"

Those phrases.

"Hindi nyo ko naiintindihan!!"

It is the time when me and my mother met him on the company.. back when I was just a child.

"They offered me a hand to help, i'm convinced, so I joined them.. I joined the Highers--"

He coughed interrupting him sabay napailing iling sya at napahampas hampas sa dibdib.

"and.. It was a bad idea.. for a couple of months I've been there they've helped me, but in return I'll become a servant to him.. following orders from him.. from Arthur"

"So you've already worked for him.."

He nodded at me saka kame natulala lang ni Ava sa kanya, we couldn't believe what we're hearing right now.

"But one time I refuses, I took a different path from the flow, I rebel.. barely got out and now i'm being chased by them but they can't touch me anymore because of my securities.. following me wherever I go"

He points out to his phone as he showed it to us, his securities names and id's in a photo.

"And after that I swore to myself to defy them to keep pissing them off.. so whenever I see people or know people who is getting knowledgable of the world.. I approach them early to be the first one even before the Collectors can get a chance to touch them"

I immediately grab the glass at my front and drank from it to calm myself from these things.

I breathe sharply in and out as I took a look to Elmer again straight in his skies inside his eyes.

"So that's why you approached me"

I uttered and they both redirect their gaze upon me.

"Yes Aiden, I told you I want to help--"

"And Dale too?"

He was quickly silenced as his eyes look onto me with mourning for him.

"Yes.. but i'm afraid that i'm too late"

Hahaha shet.

So he's the one Dale is talking to.

That time in the back of that building.

Haha... arghh shet.

"Why the fvck did you approached him like that.. and also me!!"

Ava quickly held my hand the moment I shouted as he bow down his head a little.

"Why!!?!"

"I thought if I would scare the both of you.. you would stop but.. I should've done better--"

"Yeah you should have!!"

I smashed the table standing up making the glasses fall and break down the floor.

Damn it.

"You could've simply said our lives is in danger!! You could've save him!! You could've.. aish.. You could've!!"

"I know! I'm sorry.. that's why I'm here in front of you now so I won't make that stupid mistake again!"

I stopped and I was left speechless as my anger started sobering down a little.. aish.

Fvck shet.. he could've saved him. Arghh..

"I can't bear someone dying again knowing I could do something to help" He uttered.

I slowly sat down the chair as I started calming myself to listen to the words he is saying.

He leaned forward to me from the table as he looked directly to my eyes.

"They're after you, Aiden"

I bit my tongue the moment I heard my name.

"Whether you like it or not.. the collector will come to collect.. you've known too much because of curiousity and you should be under them by now but still.. you're not in their org yet.. they're pissed"

I tightened my hold to Ava's hand as I exhaled a big heavy amount of air.

"The Highers can't take you anymore.. they'll come and get you until they let you decide if you want to join them.. and if you refuse like I did.."

He swallowed and blinked his eyes from uneasiness as he forced himself to speak.

"They'll assassinate you"

...