Chapter 7

Rulebook

VINEA

Before I enter this freakin' house, may pinabasa sa aking rulebook. I don't know what was that for, ako lang ba ang pinabasa ng rulebook dahil pansin ko ay wala naman silang pakelam sa mga bagay bagay na nandito sa loob. Ang mas natatandaan ko lang lang doon ay ang list of violations whom if I failed to succeed ay may punishment itong katumbas.

One of the violations was, "To kill someone will occur back."

I don't know what is the real meaning of it pero mukhang gano'n na nga. If you did it to others, I would return what also you did to them. Just like karma or what confucious said.

The first thing I do when I'm freed from the people who kidnapped me is to find someone who I can lean on but when I found out that Tyda was also here, I was so shock to see her for a long time. Hindi na kami nagkikita for about three years, nagkaroon kami ng away noon at hindi na naayos dahil siya naman itong ma-pride.

I don't care kung anong gawin niya o kung hindi man kami magka-ayos, hindi naman ako mawawalan. Marami akong pinsan and Tyda wasn't belong to the person I care the most kaya when I have the chance to do it, I did it without conscience.

I have no guilt doing that kind of thing, matagal ko na sana iyong ginawa.

"What was it Cobert?" tanong ni Gyllia. Takang taka na sila sa reaction ni Cobert. Kahit ako, hindi ko makuha kung bakit gano'n ang mga titig niya sa akin. Pansin ko ang pawis nito at pagkabalisa. Ano bang nangyayari sa isang 'to?

"Si Vinea." Umigting pa ang panga nito ng sabihin ang pangalan ko.

"Oh?! Anong meron sa akin?" taka ko pa.

"Oo nga, anong meron kay Vinea?" taka pa ni Marco.

Cobert glares at me, "she killed Tyda."

They gasped of what he said. Halatang gulat sa sinabi ni Cobert, napangisi na lang din naman ako sa sinabi niya. How could he know na ako ang pumatay sa pinsan ko? They never knew it was me, pa'nong ako ang gagawin niyang suspect? Hindi porque ex niya si Tyda ay ipagtatanggol na niya ito. For fucking sake, patay na si Tyda!

"Wow, you conclude so much things Cobert, huh? Without any evidences, bilib na ako sayo but how sure you are na ako? Nakita mo ba?"

"Oh, wow, this is so magulo!" ani Steph.

"I'm sure of it, Vinea." Aniya, "from the way you react, alam kong ikaw na."

"Wait nga lang Cobert," tumayo na si Marco at hinarap si Cobert. Hinawakan niya ito sa balikat, "pa'no mo nasabing si Vinea? Wala naman tayo no'ng nangyari 'yon."

Inalis naman ni Cobert ang kamay ni Marco sa balikat niya, "yes, wala tayo doon but I can tell you na si Vinea ang killer ni Tyda."

I stood up and crossed my arms. I raised an eyebrow to him. I wanna test his instincts and his suspicious thoughts.

"Tell me, spill it out to us, Cobert." I smirked.

"I go to the basement to find Erense and the twins, but the white cloth where Tyda was caught my attention. I did my thing."

Lahat kami ay nagulat sa sinabi pag-amin ni Cobert.

"What you mean Cobert?" takang tanong ni Gyllia.

"I sexed with her body." Cobert said.

"Ang baboy mo pre." Iling na sabi naman ni Marco sa kaya.

The looks on the twins were disgusted as they knew that Cobert sexed with a dead body. Kage was only terrified on that confession. Natawa na lang din naman. Too bad for him, siguro hindi niya naranasan iyon kay Tyda noong buhay pa ito.

"Oh, you're such—"

"I'm not done, Vinea." Aniya.

"Okay!" saka ako nanahimik at umirap sa kanya.

"And when I'm having sex with her body, except from the stabs on her stomach there's a trace of hands on her neck. Hindi ako magkakamali na ikaw ang paghinalaan Vinea. I can see the anger on your eyes right now. Don't deny it, don't hide your lies."

Natawa na lang din naman ako.

"Oh, what now? You're laughing?" ani Stefen na naguguluhan din.

"Vinea," Marco said. "Please, be honest."

I rolled my eyes, "you know, Cobert is right." And when I admit it, their reaction was priceless and good to see those faces. "When I read the rule book, there's a punishment for every person who killed someone then I choose to violate that rule."

"Wait, what rule?" Marco asked.

Napakunot noo naman ako sa tanong niyang iyon, "you don't read any rulebook?" tiningnan ko naman sila at inilingan naman nila ako. Wala silang alam sa rulebook na sinasabi ko. "At anong ibigsabihin nito? Ako lang ang nakabasa ng rulebook na 'yon?"

"We didn't even know what rulebook you are saying, Vinea." Ani Gyllia. "We came here without knowledge of what we're doing here, basta nandito na lang kami pagkagising namin." Aniya.

"So this was a game."

Bakit ko lang iyon na-realize?

"Wait!" Cobert interrupted. "Before we came to that, bumalik tayo. Why did you kill your cousin?"

"She's the reason why I'm always been the underdog, we've been rival for years and that night, I find a way to end that fight."

"Wow, killing her is your only way?" ngisi pa ni Cobert.

"That's the only thing to end things in an easy way."

"Then when you killed her," Stefen said. "Whose the guy in black cloth trying to enter our room last night?"

Napag-isip isip din ng mga kasama ko iyon. Kung ako nga daw ang pumatay sa pinsan ko, sino ang gustong pumasok sa kwarto noon? Hindi sila matahimik kaya naman sinabi ko na sa kanila 'yong totoo. On the rulebook—na ako lang ang nakakaalam. I killed someone so babalik sa akin ang ginawa ko. I don't know whose the killer pero iyon ang papatay sa akin to punish me.

It's a game after all.

"We're doomed here." Napatingin naman kaming lahat kay Kage. "Guys, actually we're not alone here."

"Anong ibigsabihin mo?" ani Steph.

"I can show you." sumunod naman kaming lahat kay Kage at dinala kami nito sa isnag pintuan malapit sa hagdan. "That's where I came from."

Natawa naman ang kambal sa sinabi ni Kage, "of course, you save us from Erense right?"

Muli namang umiling itong si Kage, "there's a whole new people over there and I'm part of them."

"Ha?" we actually don't know how to registered on our mind all of he's saying. "Ibig sabihin ba nito, hindi lang tayo ang naririto sa ngayon?"

Kage nodded and he counted us, "we're already 15 here in this mansion. Plus the dead one and the psycho, all in all, 16 of us will die just like Tyda herself."