CHAPTER 02

~✡~

“KAPAG TAPOS NA ANG KLASE ninyo, diretso ka kaagad dito sa bahay. Ang alam ko half day lang ang classes ninyo. May bus pa namang dadaan dito ng mga ala una...”

Habang busy sa paghahabilin si Tita sa kalagitnaan ng paglalagay ng mga kailangan ko sa backpack ko, busy naman akong naglalaro sa cellphone ko. I was so focused on this indie game I was playing, where your character gets abducted and imprisoned in a mansion in the middle of a forest and you'll have to wrack your brains to think of a way to escape.

“Hanabi...” Tumayo si Tita at humarap sa 'kin pagkatapos niyang i-zip ang bag ko. “Nakikinig ka ba?”

“Oo,” simpleng sagot ko kahit hindi ko naman nakuha lahat ng sinabi niya.

Napabuga siya ng hangin. “Si Lawrence na ang sasama sa 'yo papuntang sakayan. Mabigat 'tong backpack mo dahil nandito pati breakfast at lunch box mo at ang tumbler. Kainin mo 'to, ah, kahit kalahati lang.”

Lawrence, who was sitting on the sofa with his arms spread on the headrest, sighed. “Bata ba 'yan? Ba't hindi niya kayang dalhin sarili niyang bag?”

“Lawrence!” suway sa kaniya ni Tita. “Lumakad na kayo. Dadating na ang bus maya-maya.”

Napipilitang tumayo si Lawrence at tinanggap ang backpack nang iabot sa kaniya ni Tita. Inirapan niya pa ako bago siya naunang lumabas. Sakto namang natapos ko na ang level na nilalaro ko kaya sumunod na ako kaagad. Nakapamulsa ako habang nakabuntot kay Lawrence.

“Alam mo, matalino ka naman talaga, sadyang tamad ka lang mag-aral,” ani Lawrence. “Kung may utak ako na kagaya mo, hindi ko sasayangin.”

“Gusto mo sa 'yo na?”

Napabaling siya ng tingin sa 'kin 'tsaka tumawa. “Kung pwede lang, eh.” Napabuga siya ng hangin. “Lalayas ka na sa bahay. Magiging peaceful na pala ang buhay ko dahil hindi na kita kailangang akyatin sa kwarto mo.”

“Mami-miss mo ko? Don't worry. Umuuwi ako sa gabi.”

He scoffed. “Miss? May sayad ako sa utak kung mami-miss kita. 'Wag ka nang bumalik.”

Hindi na ako gumanti dahil saktong nakarating na kami sa sakayan, at nagsisimula na rin ang panibagong level sa nilalaro ko.

“Iwan mo na 'yang bag ko. Umuwi ka na,” sabi ko sa kaniya sabay tapik sa balikat niya.

“Sure ka? Mabigat pa naman 'to. Baka mawasak buong skeletal system mo,” sarkastikong sagot niya.

Inirapan ko na lang siya bago inagaw sa kaniya ang bag ko at sinukbit sa balikat ko. Sinipa ko ang binti niya para paalisin na siya. Minura niya pa ako bago siya tuluyang umalis.

Nakatayo lang ako sa gilid ng poste habang nakayuko sa cellphone ko. Umaga pa naman at kakasibol pa lang ng araw, kaya hindi masyadong mainit kahit naka-hoodie jacket ako at nasa ilalim ang school uniform ko.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, nakita ko sa peripheral kong may paparating na bus at huminto 'yon sa tapat ko. Thinking it was the same bus that takes me to school, still looking at my phone, I instantly climbed up when the door opened.

I paused my game for a bit to look up and find any available seats. Siguro dahil maaga pa, halos lahat na pasahero ay tulog pa pwera sa isang may pulang headset sa ulo at nakatitig sa 'kin. The only available seat was the one beside him, so I went there and sat beside him.

When I comfortably sat beside him, he was still glancing at me. Thinking that he was bothered by my phone's volume, nilabas ko na lang ang earphones ko at sinaksak sa cellphone at sa mga taenga ko. While the bus was moving, I played with my game quietly.

I don't usually get dizzy or get sleepy when I ride busses kahit pa puyat ako but for the first time, I felt it. I kept blinking and rubbing my eyes to keep them open. Pinilit kong ibuka ang mga mata dahil hindi ko pa natatapos ang laro ko. Pero hindi ko namalayang tuluyan na pala akong nahila ng antok.

Naalimpungatan ako at kaagad napasinghap nang ma-realize na nakatulog akong nakasandal sa bintana. Nilibot ko kaagad ang paningin ko at napansin kong ako na lang mag-isa ang nasa loob. Sumilip ako sa labas at napakunot ang noo ko nang makitang puro mga puno ang nasa paligid at hindi  pamilyar sa 'kin ang lugar!

I didn't even bother to pick up my backpack and went straight out of the bus, pero pagkababa ko ay natigilan ako dahil sa nakita.

There were people in white hazmat suits carrying the unconscious passengers of the bus. Papasok sila sa gate ng isang building na mukhang skwelahan.

My heartbeat started to double, and my breathing getting heavy. I stepped back.

Fuck! Where am I? I definitely rode the wrong bus! Where the fuck is this place and what's happening?

“Miss, do you need some help?”

Napasinghap ako at kaagad na napabaling sa gilid nang may narinig na boses ng babae.

It was a woman with her hair neatly tied in a bun. She looked welcoming, yet creepy due to her unsettling smile, which didn't quite reach her eyes. Her round eyeglasses, reflecting the faint light seeping through the trees, added to her eerie aura.

“W-Who are you? Bakit n'yo kami dinala rito?”

She smiled. “You're quite strong. The drug didn't knock you out.”

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko. Drug?

Magsasalita na sana ako pero napasigaw na lang ako nang maramdamang may bumaon sa braso ko. Nang balingan ko, may taong naka-hazmat suit ang nagturok ng syringe sa braso ko na may lamang kung ano. At habang nararamdaman kong dumaloy sa ugat ko ang likido, unti-unti rin akong nakakaramdam ng pagkahilo at lumalabo ang paningin ko.

My knees wobbled at napasandal ako sa gilid ng bus. I tried gripping the metal bar, but my hands were weakened and I fell on the ground, with my vision becoming more blurry.

But just before my vision went black, I saw a familiar figure at the gate, wearing red headphones and a black hoodie jacket. He stared at me coldly, hands in pockets, before catching my gaze. With one last glance, he turned and walked away.

Nahihilo ako. Hindi ko alam kung gising ba ako o nananaginip. Everytime I try to open my eyes, it felt like I was watching a film and skipping scenes because the places kept changing.

The first time my eyes opened, it was a blurry vision of three people putting me on a bed.

The second time, we were passing through a hallway with blinding lights on a white ceiling.

The third time, a person in a hazmat suit  forced my eyes to open and he flashed a light to my eyes. I was starting to hear their muffled voices, and the beeping sound of some monitor.

“Is she conscious?”

“No.”

“Good. Which category again?”

“The highest.”

And the fourth time I opened my eyes, it wasn't blurry anymore. There weren't any blinding lights. There weren't any people in hazmat suits.

A brown ceiling reflecting the warm light coming from the glass window greeted me. Malawak na nakabuka ang mga mata ko, hindi kumukurap. Marahang nag-aangat-baba ang dibdib ko, at naririnig ko ang hangin na lumalabas sa bahagyang nakabukang bibig. Umiinit na ang likod kong nakalapat sa malambot na kama.

My brain couldn't function well. I couldn't remember where I was, how I got here, or why I was even here. I tried recalling anything, but all I got was fuzzy images of things flashing all at once, making me shut my eyes and a sudden pain shoot through my brain.

I groaned. Sinubukan kong itulak ang sarili patayo habang nakahawak pa rin sa ulo kong tumitibok sa sakit. Natigilan ako nang makitang nakasuot na ako ng uniform.

It was a white long sleeve blouse with a blue collar and red tie. The hem of the sleeves matched the collar and tie's color. The skirt was pleated, above the knee, and has the same blue as the collar.

Nilibot ko ang paningin sa paligid. There was nothing else here aside from a single bed, a nightstand, and a cabinet. There was only one window and door.

Napabuga ako ng hangin. May guts were telling me that something's not right here, but I couldn't tell what. Wala akong maalala kahit anong warak ko sa utak ko.

Tumayo na lang ako at lumakad palabas ng kwarto. Akala ko ay hallway na ang bubungad sa 'kin, pero living room pala at kitchen na magkatabi. So... I was in an apartment? Or was this a dorm?

May suot akong medyas na hanggang tuhod kaya kahit wala akong suot na sapatos o tsinelas na lumabas, hindi gaanong malamig ang semento at tiles. At noong lumabas ako ng silid, hallway na ang bumungad sa 'kin.

There were four more doors, with the room I was in as the last door from the stairs. And since my room was at the end, the balcony was just right beside me.

Mabilis akong tumakbo papuntang balcony at nilibot ang paningin. A wide grass field below, with a sea of trees beyond the large walls, were all I could see.

Kumabog nang malakas ang dibdib ko at humigpit ang pagkakahawak sa railing. The weird feeling that my guts were emitting started to worsen.

“Strange, right?”

Napaigtad ako at kaagad na pumihit paharap sa likuran ko. I was so ready to land a punch at him pero natigilan ako nang makitang naka-uniporme rin siya. Dark blue ang long sleeve na upper na may black na butones, at pati ang slacks ay dark blue.

His hair was jet black, messy, and thick. He had thick but a bit messy eyebrows, and his almond eyes had dark brown orbs. His nose were pointy, and his lips were reddish and a bit thin. Despite his dark looks, he didn't come off as intimidating.

He smirked. “Cute. What's your name?”

Kinunutan ko lang siya ng noo.

He just chuckled. “Kung iniisip mong nilalandi kita, you're a hundred percent wrong. Nagtatanong lang ako.” Nilahad niya ang kamay niya. “Anderson Guevarra nga pala.”

Bumaba ang mga mata ko sa kamay niya at tinitigan ko lang 'yon. He seemed to understand that I didn't want to accept it, so he just curled his hand into a ball before withdrawing it.

“Edi don't,” rinig kong bulong niya bago siya humakbang papalapit sa railing.

Humarap ulit ako sa tapat ng balcony at tumingin sa malayo. I couldn't see anything else beyond the trees. Kahit highway, wala. The chilly wind softly blew some of my hair, kaya hinuli ko.

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko nang makaamoy ako ng sigarilyong sinindihan. Nang magbaling ako ng tingin sa katabi ko, huminto rin siya sa pagpapailaw ng lighter niya pero nasindihan niya na ang sigarilyo.

Humakbang ako nang isang beses pagilid at sinimangutan siya para malaman niyang hindi ko gusto ang paninigarilyo niya sa tabi ko.

He just chuckled before he sucked the cigarette and slowly blew out the smoke through his nose and mouth. I had to fan the smoke away so it won't get near me.

“You see... hindi ako matalino, pero may utak akong kayang magmemorya kahit anong makita ng mga mata ko...”

“A photographic memory, huh. Good for you.”

Tumango siya. “Kaya nga nagtataka ako no'ng magising ako kanina, wala akong maalala kahit isa.”

Napabaling na ako ng tingin sa kaniya.

He just smirked. “Isn't it intriguing? Ang isang taong may photographic memory, walang maalala bago siya napadpad dito?” Pumihit siya paharap sa 'kin. “Ikaw? Wala ka bang nararamdamang kakaiba? Anything that bothers you?”

“The only thing that's bothering me right now is you.”

Hindi ko na siya hinayaang makaganti pa. Tinalikuran ko na siya at lumakad na ako pabalik sa kwarto ko.

Napapikit na lang ako at napabuga ng hangin kasabay ng paghigpit ng pagkakahawak ko sa siradura ng pinto.

***

[ Edited: 06/07/2024]