When Back In Time

"NOW, SPILL the bean," she said as she pinned the stick on his bruised face.

Agustin grunted in agony and told her to stop. He tried to hit her in anger but he could not as Esperanza bounded him tightly on the trunk of a tree.

Agustin looked around the forest and screamed to the top of his lungs.

"Scream all you want, people can't hear you anyway," she said and took a step back. She sat on a big rock and uttered, "We are far from the town so no one can hear you. People don't actually go as far as here, as what I've said. So save your saliva and energy."

Agustin looked at her and then continued screaming for help.

She held her forehead and heave a sigh.

"How did you do it?" he asked that make her lifted her head and looked at him. "How did you manage to get me unconscious?"

"I hit you with a thick branch so hard that even my arm aches after doing such excessive effort," she said, "I've practiced to swing it anyway for you."

"But," he replied not minding what she'd said, "How?"

"Like I told you, I hit you."

"You're a girl."

"So what if I'm a girl?"

"You are not capable to defeat me."

She laughed in irritation, "Do you believe women are not capable of doing such 'thing'?"  She looked at him, "Enough of that. Back to my question, where is my friend Pepe?"

He looked at her with a zipped mouth. She cackled in irritation, "So, you're going to treat me like this? Okay, okay."

She said and stood up. She pinned the stick on his wounded face and the latter screamed in agony. She halted and looked at him coldly, "You're going to answer or you want another one?"

He looked at her full of loathing and breath raggedly. He spoke, "As I told you before, I already killed him and left his corpse on the stream."

Her feet were about to buckle as she felt numb. She said, "I don't believe you."

"Whether you believe me or not, it's up to you."

"I've searched the stream and I didn't see his body. You're lying to me."

"The water could have dragged him further and further towards the sea," he said and a smirk formed on his face.

"That's not true," she said. Her hands balled in fury. 'I don't believe him. He's lying. I know Pepe is alive. I know that he's alive. He is alive.'

"Can't stomach it, eh?" he said to her mockingly, "That you pulled the poor, innocent guy to his demise."

She clenched her jaw.

"Painful isn't it?" he uttered

"Shut up."

"Oh, why are you angry at me? It isn't my fault if he met his end because of you----"

"Shut up."

"---Though it's partially my fault. Um, no, no. I mean, it's entirely my fault to be exact because I killed him," he looked at her and his entire eyes turned charcoal color.

"You-you're eyes. What happens to your eyes?" she said as she pointed her finger on it in horror.

"Changing the topic, eh? Do you enjoy dragging people to your problem?"

"What?"

He said, "Just like how you dragged him. And heaven knows, he should still be alive because of you."

"You----- shut the hell up."

"Guilty?"

"I said----"

"You just drag him to his grave."

"Shut up!"

"Eh? You-----" he halted as Esperanza's fist suddenly pounded his already bruised face. She backed away and held her aching fist.

"I'm going to kill you, you bastard," she said and took the stick and slammed it on his face. The sound of the stick hitting a flesh reverberated in the forest.

Agustin coughed blood. He chuckled.

Infuriated, Esperanza hit him again.

He laughed again.

"Are you enjori5this? You crazy bastard!" she said.

He continued laughing and coughed some crimson blood, "I can't believe that the time will come that I'll be beaten up by a girl. Hahaha. Imagine that, a girl? That's preposterous!"

Esperanza backed away as she let go of the stick.

Her heart was pumping so fast and her knees went numb. She sat on the ground to gather her thoughts.

'What have I done?' she asked herself.

She grabbed her hair and pulled it in frustration, 'What should I do? What have I done to Pepe?'

A realization came to her as she reflects on whar Agustin had said to her.

It is entirely her fault.

'I dragged him in this ridiculous quest. He is harmed because of me. He sacrificed everything, even his safety, just to accompany me in this stupid quest of that stupid god!' her tears started to fall, 'I drag him here in Visayas, far away from his home. I endangered him towards the cops. He got hurt because of me. He got shot because of me. He had suffered because of me. And he's ki... He is... He is kil..."

Her breath was shaky as she sobbed in despair, 'He died because of me. What have I done? What have I done to him? If only I didn't pull him in this situation. If only I knew that I will cause him pain and his life. If only I could stop my idiotic past self from doing such a stunt. This is all started because of that watch. If I haven't get my hands on that watch, I wouldn't be teleported in this era and wouldn't cause so much pain and trouble to Pepe. It is all that watch's fault. Yes! That watch. That wristwatch.'

Her head lifted up promptly as she remembered. Of course, how could she forgot. That wristwatch has the power to teleport her to another time.

'I could change the past. I could save him.'

She stood up but a strong voice whispered in her head. She could not use the wristwatch to change the past just like what the god of Time and Cosmos said.

Bangun Bangun had always warned to never tamper the timeline and drastically changing the history.

'But...'

She remembered he had told her that she had angered the gods for her stupid stunt.

'But this is not a stupid stunt. I'm going to save my friend. And you are not here to stop me,' she said as she referred to Bangun Bangun.

She faced Agustin and pulled the collar of his Barong Tagalog. "Where is the wristwatch?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Stop playing dumb or I will totally crush that face of yours."

He eyed the fist that Esperanza just lifted in the air, ready to strike.

He hesitated but sighed, he gives in, "I gave it to someone."

She raised her fist higher and was about to punch him. Her bruised fist stop in mid-air as he said, "I'm telling the truth. I gave the wristwatch to someone. I gave it to my friend."

"Who?"

*************

Esperanza found herself walking back home, back to Pepe 2's house, leaving the bruised Agustin still tied up in the trunk on that secluded forest, left him to die. Just like what he did to her.

It was noon when she finally gets herself on Pepe 2's home. She opened the door and went inside. The house was quiet.

"Pepe?" she said as she looked around.

**************

A while ago, Agustin told her that he gave his wristwatch to his friend.

**************

"Pepe?" she went towards the kitchen and saw that he wasn't there.

**************

Her mind drifted to what Agustín had said. The latter said that he gave it to the man who leave near the forest and the stream and far away from the town.

***************

Esperanza went to Pepe 2's study room and saw no one.

***************

Agustin said that he gave it to his curious friend.

***************

Esperanza run upstairs and stormed inside Pepe 2's bedroom. But he was also not here. Her face became more worried and worried.

***************

Agustin said, "His name is Pepe. He's a doctor like me. And he had the wristwatch right now."