Dream Slaughters 7

"I brought you some flowers. I found it at the riverside," he said as he welcomed himself from the terrace.

It was eight in the morning and I am still eating my breakfast while reading a book. Napatingin ako sa malaking bintana na kung saan isang pulang dragon ang pumapagaspas. Sakay sa likod nito ang isang lalaki na hindi ko pa nakikilala kahit ilang araw na siyang b.u.mabalik-balik sa lugar na ito. Tumalon siya mula sa likod habang hawak hawak ang isang k.u.mpol ng makulay na bulaklak.

"You know, in the real world this flower only grows during winter. Kaya nga tuw.a.n.g tuwa ako ng makita koi to sa gilid ng sapa. Hindi ka kakaiba?" Sambit niya sabay pakita ng bulaklak sa akin. He turned around to look for a vase. He found one at the corner and went to take it.

I heaved a sigh. He's always saying the words 'real world' and 'this world' like he's emphasizing that this world is really my dream. He returned with the vase in his hands and put it at the table. He sat on the other opposite side with the three legged stool. He spread the flowers beside the face.

"You're really having fun, huh?" I asked. I continued eating. Nasanay na naman kasi akong marami siyang ginagawa na wala ang pahintulot ko.

"Of course, I am. Minsan lang na may makilala kang prinsesa," he took a sharp knife from his satchel and started cutting the stems of flowers. Pinagmasdan ko lang ang mga kamay niya habang inaayos ang mga bulaklak. Maganda ang ginagawa niyang disenyo na para bang sanay na sanay na siya sa ginagawa.

The usual day happens like this. Lagi siyang dumarating na may daldalang mga bagay. Minsan nagdala siya ng isang garapon ng matatamis na mga bola. May pagkakataon na nagdala rin siya ng isang kulay asul na plawta. May pagkakataon rin, tulad nung isang araw, na nagdala siya ng hayop. Isa itong pusa na ayon sa kanya ay napulot niya sa daan. Hindi ko alam kung saan pumupunta ang lalaki na ito na nakakapulot ng kahit anong bagay sa daan.

Kung gaano siya kadalas dumalaw gayun rin ang minsanang pagkawala niya. May mga panahon na tatlong araw siyang di dumadalaw. Minsan naman dalaw.a.n.g araw. Pero ang pinakamahaba sa lahat ay limang araw na kung saan pagbalik niya dala dala na niya yung pusa na sinabi ko. Ang pusa ay nasa pangangalaga ko na na ngayon ay nasa higaan ko mahimbing na natutulog.

He said that those disappearances are due to his work. As far as I know he rides a dragon. So there's a possibility that he is a jouster or a soldier. Or he might be messenger because he always flies high round and round sending something to all. All of those are possible explanation. What bothers me is that fact that he's saying that he's from the real world. Then, how come that he is in my dream telling me that this is a dream?

"Mukhang ang lalim ng iniisip mo prinsesa," sabi niya. I snapped from my thoughts.

"I am just thinking for a while," I responded.

"Tell me about it. Baka matulungan kita sa pag-iisip mo."

I stared at my book for a while. Isinara ko ito sabay buntong hininga.

"Who are you?" The very first thing I asked.

"Hmmm?" he just raised his eyebrow out of trifles.

"I wanted to know what your name is."

He nodded. Inilagay niya ang huling bulaklak sa vase. Pinagmasdan niya ito ng ilang sandali bago tumayo at pumunta sa lababo. k.u.muha siya ng baso at nilagyan ng tubig. Pagkatapos, ibinuhos niya ito sa gilid ng bulaklak.

"My name's not important. You'll just forget it anyway," he said at last.

"I won't forget," I snorted. "And I wonder what I will call you."

"Then call me Apprentice. I am an apprentice after all," he turned around happily showing the vase. Nilagay niya ito sa gitna ng mesa. Umupo siya uli pero sa pagkakaton na ito ay sa tabi ko.

"Apprentice? So you are really working. Is it fun being a dragon boy?" I asked.

"Ah no, no. I am not a dragon boy. I am an apprentice," he corrected.

"Yeah? Hindi ba ang tawag sa apprentice ng mga jouster ay dragon boy?"

"I'm not a dragon boy, princess. I am just an apprentice," he snickered.

"Huh? Eh bakit may dragon ka? Hindi ba mga dragon boys at jousters lang ang may dragon?"

"Uh... paano ko ba ipapaliwanag sa iyo..."

He scratched his head. Tinignan muna niya ang malaking bintana ng matagal. Ano ba ang trabaho niya at kailangan pang pag-isipan ang paliwanag? Inayos niya ang tayo niya at sinampal ang sarili. Nagulat ako sa ginawa niya kaya napakunot noo ako.

"I'm a Dream Slaughter," he finally answered.

"What?"

"I'm a dream slaughter. Though, I am still an apprentice. So, I'm an apprentice dream slaughter."

Napanganga ako sa sinabi niya. It's my first time hearing that job. I mean, I never know that there's such thing as that. Ano ba ang dream slaughter? He slaughters dream?

"Pasensiya na pero hindi kasi medyo malinaw ang pagkakarinig ko. Anong ibig mong sabihin na dream slaughter ang trabaho mo? Ano ba ang dream slaughter," I asked.

"That's why it's very hard to explain," he said scratching his head again.

"Makikinig ako. Sige na, sabihin mo na," I insisted. He heaved a sigh.

"But you won't believe me anyway," He said. Apprentice gave me a scholarly face.

"Dream Slaughter is the combination of the word 'dream' and 'slaughter'. Dream, is something that happens when you sleep. I know you already know what a dream is. Second is the word slaughter. The name itself gives the negative feeling. It means carnage. In short, I kill dreams."

"Uh... okay. So, you kill dreams?" I asked.

"Yep, that's right. I kill dreams," he agreed.

"This whole time you are saying that I am dreaming, right? So, does it mean that you're going to kill me?" I pointed myself. He furrows his brows. He disagrees.

"No, no, no! As what I have told you the word 'slaughter' gave a negative feeling. But I am not really killing dreams. My kill is not killing kill. It's the other kill," he gestured his hands like he's differentiating objects.

"Sorry but that confused me. Pwede bang simplihen mo ang pagpapaliwanag?" I asked.

"You see all people dream. There's no exception. Even animals dream, you get it?"

"Yeah..."

"Then we know what dreams are. They are visions of our thoughts. Napupunta tayo sa mga lugar na imposibleng mapuntahan. Nakakalipad tayo. Nakakahinga sa ilalim ng tubig. Those are the impossible tasks to the real world. And somehow, because of that, a lot of people wish to stay."

I nodded. He continued.

"Staying in your dream world means not waking up at all. The world will be sleeping forever. Dream Slaughters are the one who're responsible for waking them up."

"Wait... wait... wait... Ang dahilan kung bakit nagigising ang mga tao ay dahil sa mga dream slaughters?"

"Yes, I guess you already took the picture of it," he nodded.

"Apprentice, tell me, if everyone likes to be in their dreams then don't you think it is a good idea to let them sleep? Wala naman sigurong problema kung hahayaan na lang matulog ang tao diba?"

"If we let that thing to happen, we will die," he said.

"What? Who's going to die?"

"Us, dream slaughters."

"How come?"

"It is exchanging of lives. People who are deceived by their dreams are more likely to die. All people who sleep and dream are dying. It is our responsibility to return their lives back in exchange of their dreams. You know the reason why people often forget their dreams the moment they woke up?"

"You mean that..."

"Yes, we took the memory of your dreams. It is food for us and the only thing that keeps us from existing. Every day, during dusk, I travel round and round just to collect dreams and to wake people up. I feed myself with food. You gain your life back. It is a very complicated exchange that's why there are people who are not able to wake up and die."

"So... you're not joking this time, right?" I said.

He just gave me a see-I-told-you-that-you-won't-believe-me eyes. Napabuntonghininga siya at tumayo. Nag stretching siya ng mga kamay sabay giling sa beyw.a.n.g. Pagkatapos humarap siya sa akin.

"Oh well, that's my work. Dream Slaughters travel through dreams the reason why you can see me and I can talk to you. Lahat siguro ng tao nakita na ako sa panaginip nila. People forget their dreams so there's no danger in it."

Naglakad siya papunta sa terrace. Tumingin siya sa baba at pumito. May narinig ako na pagaspas ng pakpak. Ilang sandal, nasa may terrace na ang dragon. Tumalon siya papunta sa likod nito.

"Well princess, it's waking up time to the other side so I have to go now. See you later," he said.

Umalis na si Apprentice sakay ang dragon niya iniwan akong mag-isa sa torre. Honestly, I still don't believe this dream theory that he's saying.