28: One, Two, One, Two
(South Korean Urban Legend)

⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆

"YOU HAVE TO make extra efforts, Sunny," saad ng nanay ni Sunny na isang abogada habang naghahapunan sila. "You're only the second in your class. Hindi pa sa buong school 'yan. Tandaan mo ang motto ng pamilya natin. It's number one or never. Kailangan mo nang mas magsipag pa sa pag-aaral sa edad mong 'yan kung gusto mong maging abogada."

Tahimik na tumango lang si Sunny bilang tugon sa ina. Masaya sana siya ngayong gabi dahil nakasabay niya sa hapunan ang laging busy niyang nanay. She just did not expect her to openly express her dissatisfaction about her being the second rank in their class.

Pagkatapos ni Sunny na tila nawalan na rin ng gana sa paulit-ulit na paalala ng kanyang ina tungkol sa kanyang pag-aaral at ang importansya ng pagiging top student ay tumayo na siya at isinukbit sa isang balikat ang strap ng backpack.

"Where are you going?" her mother asked.

"May group study po kami ng mga kaibigan ko sa school library ngayon."

"It's good that you're spending most of your time studying, but stop hanging out with the top student. She's your biggest competitor. Kapag pareho kayo ng pinag-aralan, hinding-hindi mo talaga siya malalamangan."

Sunny looked at her mom in disbelief. She didn't want to argue openly because her mom claimed to always know best despite not knowing about Sunny's shrimp allergy. Still, she appreciated her mom's efforts to cook dinner and chose to keep mum about it. But reflecting on everything now, she couldn't help but wonder if her late dad was the only one who truly understood her.

Pinalagpas na lamang ni Sunny ang sinabing iyon ng kanyang ina at bumalik na sa school library nila na bukas 24/7 upang tulungan ang mga estudyanteng nagtatrabaho sa umaga at nag-aaral sa gabi.

Their academic institution was also renowned as the top school for the brightest students in the country. This reputation led them to open their school library for students like Sunny, who wished to dedicate extra time to studying.

"Hi, Sunny!" agad na bati ng mga kaibigan ni Sunny pagdating niya ng library.

Ngumiti rin ang best friend niyang si Ara na siyang top student din ng klase at buong school nila sa kanya. Ara was a kindhearted girl who aimed to devote her time to studying in order to share her knowledge with street children every weekend through her simple education-on-wheels initiative.

Sunny had no reason to feel envious or compete with her because Ara was a compassionate person with supportive parents and a meaningful cause. She impacted their community by proving that education is a powerful tool that should be accessible to everyone who dares to dream.

"Namumula ka. Okay ka lang ba?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Ara sa kanyang best friend pagkaupo nito sa harapang banda niya.

Kinapa naman agad ni Sunny ang mukha. "Talaga?"

Tinupi niya rin ang manggas ng kanyang cardigan upang tingnan ang kanyang mga braso. Totoo nga ang sinabi ni Ara dahil may rashes na rin siya roon. Ramdam na rin niya ang pangangati at pamamaga ng mga labi niya dahil sa allergies niya mula sa hapunang niluto ng mommy niya.

"Pupunta muna ako sa banyo," paalam niya saka dinampot ang first-aid kit niya at water tumbler at nagtungo na sa banyo.

Pagdating doon ay uminom kaagad ng gamot si Sunny upang pahupain ang allergic reaction niya, lalo na at talagang namamaga na ang mga labi niya at medyo nangangati na rin siya. She didn't want others to see her in that state, and she didn't want Ara to worry about her condition.

Habang nasa banyo naman siya ay nahinto si Ara sa pagbabasa nang marinig ang katok mula sa pinto ng library. Sinulyapan niya ang mga kasamang tutok pa rin ang atensyon sa pag-aaral para sa prelims nila sa second semester.

Hindi pa rin tumitigil ang katok kaya naisip niya na baka si Sunny na iyon at hindi makapasok sa loob ng library. Tumayo siya at nilapitan ang pintuan upang pagbuksan ang kaibigan.

Only when she got to the door did she realize that the constant knocking was actually coming from the window. Ara headed towards it and glimpsed a shadow of a hand with sharp fingernails tapping the closed glass.

She slowly set aside the curtain, trailed the hand's owner with her vision, and found a tall woman with messy, long black hair, a pale face, and closed eyes there. She stepped back in shock when the tall woman crouched as if trying to get a better look at her while mouthing something. She cautiously approached and studied the movement of the woman's lips that repeated the words, 'One, two.'

One, the woman mouthed again.

Two.

One.

Two.

One.

On the final 'two,' she forcefully banged her face against the glass and shattered it. She opened her eyes and exposed their hollow sockets to Ara. The student screamed as darkness enveloped the entire library.

Nang tuluyan nang humupa ang allergic reaction ni Sunny ay lumabas na siya ng banyo. Natigilan siya sa hamba no'n nang mapansing nakapatay ang lahat ng ilaw sa buong hallway. She took out her phone and used the flashlight to illuminate the dark hallway.

Nahinto siya sa paglalakad nang marinig ang malakas na sigaw ng mga kaibigan niya mula sa library. Without hesitation, Sunny sprinted to the library, but what awaited her was all chaos and carnage.

Her lips quivered, and her legs trembled as she surveyed the gruesome scene with the feeble light she clutched in her hand. The lifeless bodies of her friends lay scattered, some gruesomely sprawled on the floor, while others were carelessly tossed atop lockers and shelves. All the corpses also shared the haunting feature of hollow eyes.

Sunny's heart sank at the sight of her best friend Ara's body-lifeless and impaled through the stomach by the leg of an overturned table. She was shocked and paralyzed with fear and unsure of what to do next, but the sound of approaching footsteps prompted her to act swiftly. She switched off her phone, dropped to the floor beside her lifeless friends, closed her eyes, and pretended to be dead.

She calmed herself while holding her breath, as the mysterious woman entered the room. The tall figure moved around and even stepped on the corpses while counting, "One, two... One, two..."

Sunny bit her tongue to stifle any screams brought by pain as the malevolent presence stepped on her. A mental sigh of relief finally escaped her as the heavy foot lifted from her aching back. She also seized the chance to open her eyes and peek at the person responsible for the brutal murder of her friends.

"One, two... One, two..." the murderer repeated.

Fear washed over her when she saw the tall woman with hollow eyes and dressed in white. She silently closed her eyes and fought her tears back.

"One, two... One, two..."

What killed her friends was not human at all...

"One, two... One, two..."

The mysterious woman drew nearer to Sunny, who silently wished for the unknown monster to vanish soon. When the student felt the eerie presence already beside her, she did not move an inch and held her breath again.

It was then that the counting stopped suddenly. Sunny did not hear any more noise, but she waited several minutes to make sure that the monster was gone. When she finally dared to open her eyes, she found the woman crouched behind her and bent over to face her. The woman then pointed her sharp index finger at Sunny's horrified expression.

"One..." she counted again, "Two..." Just as she was about to gouge out Sunny's eye, her index finger snapped upward while being surrounded by a violet force.

"This is the last Urban Legend in the 50 Sites of Fright," declared Keena. She gestured her mana-covered hand to slice the Urban Legend in half, finally bringing their mission to a complete end. "Makakauwi na tayo."

The 'One, Two, One, Two' urban legend they faced originated from Korea, a place where kids face a lot of pressure to get good grades. Parents expect academic success, so they enforce strict education rules. Students also often hire tutors or organize group studies at the school library. Curfews are typically set at 10 pm, as many students stay up late to study during that time.

The Sagrado Sisters observed in a corner as police cars arrived at the crime scene. Sunny, the only survivor, was quickly embraced by her anxious mother, who had rushed there upon hearing the news. The mother and daughter cried in each other's arms as they honestly expressed their worries and apologies.

After ensuring the characters' safety, the sisters held each other's hands and closed their eyes as a bright and blinding light engulfed them. Sa muling pagdilat ng mga mata nila ay nakabalik na sila sa kwarto ni Keena. The 50 Sites of Fright closed on its own, and the author immediately took it away from her sisters.

"Hindi pa ba kayo aalis?" tanong naman ng ama nilang si Levi na pumasok na sa bahay nila upang kumustahin ang mga anak. Sa pagkakaalam niya kasi ay paalis na sana ang mga ito papunta sa kanilang planong bakasyon.

Nagkatinginan ang magkapatid. Totoo ngang ang halos tatlong buwan nilang nilagi sa loob ng libro ay ilang segundo lang sa totoong mundo. Dito ay hindi pa sila umaalis papunta sa plano nilang bakasyon. Lingid sa kaalaman ng kanilang ama ay sobra pa sa bakasyon ang napuntahan nila sa ilang segundong nagdaan.

Napabuntong-hininga si Alohi at nag-inat na lang ng mga kamay niya. "Nagbago na po ang isip namin. Gusto ko na lang pong matulog ng tatlong araw sa loob ng kwarto ko. How I miss my room!" anito at tuluyan nang lumabas ng kwarto ng kanyang Ate Keena upang tunguhin ang kanya.

Umiling din si Tavleen at nginitian ang ama. "Ayoko na rin pong umalis. Sige po, matutulog muna ako sa kwarto ko," paalam din nito bago umalis.

Nagtatakang binalingan naman ni Levi ang panganay na anak. "Keena, anong nangyari sa mga kapatid mo?"

"Pa, please don't be mad at me," panimula ni Keena. Natuon naman ang atensyon ni Levi sa librong hawak ng anak.

"What did you do, Keena?" seryosong tanong ng ama nang matanto ang nangyayari.

"I'm so sorry, Pa. I should have known better. Hindi ko na po uulitin. I will use my ability more responsibly this time," Keena sincerely apologized with her head down and handed over the 50 Sites of Fright to her father.

Kinuha ni Levi ang librong kinatha ng anak. Of course, Keena wasn't let off easily. Her father delivered a lengthy lecture while emphasizing her immense responsibility as the Writer and the crucial discipline needed to become the next Librarian.

Lahat ng mga aral na iyon ay isinapuso na ni Keena sa pagkakataong iyon. Ayaw na niyang may mga inosenteng mapadpad sa loob ng libro niya at manganib ang buhay. She had already learned her lesson through an exhausting and challenging experience, which her other two sisters had as well.

NAABUTAN NI RAEGAN si Keena na naglilinis ng Library kinabukasan bilang parusa sa ginawa niya. Grounded din siya at bawal magsulat sa buong bakasyon dapat sana nila bilang disiplina ayon sa ama.

Wala rin si Levi sa Library dahil dumalo sa meeting ng Sagrado clan samantalang kasama naman ni Tavleen si Kiho at namimili ng mga art material. Si Alohi ay abala rin sa pag-aasikaso ng concern ng mga kliyente nila sa may counter ng araw na iyon.

"Hindi na kayo natuloy sa bakasyon niyo?" tanong ni Raegan kay Keena.

"If we did, you wouldn't see us here now."

Napailing na lang si Raegan. Maling umasa pa siyang makakausap nang maayos ang dalaga gayung kahit na noong sila pa ay hobby na talaga nitong mamilosopa. Tumalikod ang binata at lalapitan na sana si Alohi upang dito na lang ibahagi ang bagong kasong dala niya.

"Is that a new case?" tanong ni Keena nang mapansin ang brown envelope na hawak ng binata. "Give it to me. Alohi's still busy."

Bumalik ang binata kay Keena na dinala naman siya palayo kay Alohi upang hindi sila marinig nito. Tavleen made Keena aware of her observation about Alohi. Pagkatapos ng breakdown ni Alohi noong kaharap nila ang Krasue ay doon pa lang talagang napansin ni Keena ang tunay na nararamdaman ng kapatid.

She recognized how her sister was often treated like a shield and tasked with handling challenging and emotionally-exhausting responsibilities, like finishing harmless Urban Legends within the 50 Sites of Fright. It honestly made her feel guilty. From that moment on, she vowed to become stronger and protect her sister so that she didn't have to bear those untold feelings alone.

"What are you doing?" Keena asked Raegan when she noticed him preparing a seat for her.

"Hinahanda ang upuan mo, mahal na reyna."

"Hindi mo naman ginagawa 'yan kina Alohi ha," she pointed out.

Natigilan naman si Raegan nang matantong tama nga ang dalaga. "Siguro nakasanayan ko lang basta ikaw..."

Mabilis na ng-iwas ng tingin ng dalaga. Raegan even tried clearing his throat loudly to ease the awkwardness between them.

"What about these cases?" she asked Raegan as they sat in the farthest corners of the table, respectively. She flipped through the documents and tried to change the subject quickly.

"They're missing cases of women. One was last seen at an acquaintance party, while the other two were at a bar," Raegan began explaining. "All the witnesses said they last saw the victims dancing with a handsome man, but no one there could identify who he was."

"Why do you think they are related to an Urban Legend? They could be ordinary missing cases."

"The incidents happened on a Friday night, and all of the victims also came from religious families. We also found traces of sulfur on the floor where they were last seen," Raegan replied. "If I remember it right, there's an urban legend that centers around a young girl who liked to go out on the weekends. Despite her parents' warnings about not going out during Holy Week, she ended up at the most popular nightclub in their place on the night of Good Friday in 1979. There she met a tall, handsome-"

"You already did your research about the matter," Keena cut him off. "And you're right. It's the famous urban legend from Texas, the Dance with the Devil, also known as the Devil at the Disco. So, what should we do about it?"

「 ✦ 𝓛𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓪 𝓟𝓲𝓷𝓴𝓸 ✦ 」

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We're now down to our last six Urban Legends before the final showdown. See you!