by ALYANNA YSABEL DV. SACRAMENTO
A WAVE of fear whirls in the pit of his stomach. Just earlier that day, he was walking hand in hand with his mother. For a young boy like Iñigo, getting strayed away from his mother is the last thing he wanted to happen.
With only a few hours before dusk falls upon him, beads of sweat cascade from his temple along with the pounding in his chest as he walks down the path of fetid, wet ground.
“Arf!”
Moments ago, only his rustling footsteps can be heard. Now, he is joined by this tiny creature, who is just as lonely and afraid as him.
Something about keeping each other company in the midst of uncertainty washes away whatever fear used to swim inside him—a small speck of light illuminating the dark alleyway. For a split moment, he forgets that he is far away from home.
Just before the sky completely swallows the sun, his mother appears before him, enveloping him in a warm embrace, like a fireplace during winter.
The sun sinks, the sky now a shade of gray. Suddenly, rain falls and his mother is dragging him away. Unwillingly, Iñigo leaves this moment behind as he settles back to where he belongs, with nothing but the memory of it.
He glances and sees the dog staring back at him, then to his mother with wide, watery eyes.
He turns away and does not look back. F
