CHAPTER 03

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THERE WAS NOTHING else to do. I didn't want to go outside and roam around since the place was unfamiliar, so I tried searching for my things inside. I couldn't even remember if did I bring any, but that was the first thing that came to mind when I decided on what to do while staying inside the room.

Napakurap ako nang pagkabukas ko ng cabinet, may iilang damit ang nakatupi at naka-hanger. Sigurado akong hindi sa 'kin ang mga 'to. Sinubukan ko ring maghanap ng communication devices o kahit ang smartphone ko, pero wala akong mahanap.

What were we even doing here? We were wearing school uniforms, and I couldn't recognize which school we're in. Ni hindi ko rin masabi kung weekday ba ngayon, o weekend.

Wala akong ibang malalaman tungkol sa lugar na ito, kaya naisipan kong maglibot na. Nahanap ko ang itim na school shoes na nasa ilalim ng kama, kaya sinuot ko bago ako tuluyang lumabas ng kwarto.

The hallway was so silent. Kahit 'yong Anderson Guevarra, hindi ko nakita. Nagdududa na rin ako kung totoo ba siya o hindi.

I went down the stairs. My room was at the fourth floor. At kahit nakarating na akong ground floor, wala pa ring ni anino ng kahit sino ang nagpakita.

Nakabukas lang ang glass door ng ground floor kaya lumabas na rin ako ng building. It was still morning. The surrounding seemed normal. The grasses were alive. The trees were slowly swaying with the gentle yet cold wind. The fountain at the center, though, had a bit of green molds and vines that ended at the statue of an angel holding a sword at the top.

Lumakad ako papalapit sa fountain. Nang tingnan ko, may tubig pala ito pero mukhang matagal na dahil nagkukulay green na dahil sa mga halamang tumubo sa ilalim. 

Aside from that Anderson Guevarra guy, these tadpoles were the only living and moving thing I saw today.

Umupo ako sa gilid ng fountain at sinubukang manghuli ng isa gamit ang palad ko. I laughed silently when one got stuck in between my fingers.

Noong binalik ko na ang tadpole, napaangat ako ng tingin sa direksyon ng school building at napahinto ako nang makitang may taong naglalakad mula sa pinakadulong corner ng building.

I blinked. I couldn't see his face because he was wearing a dark blue jacket with the hoodie covering his entire head. Nakasabit lang sa leeg niya ang kulay pulang headset, at nakapamulsa siyang naglalakad. Pagkarating niya sa entrance, lumiko kaagad siya at pumasok.

“W-Wait!” Mabilis akong tumayo at tumakbo kaagad para masundan siya.

He was oddly familiar, but I couldn't remember where I saw him. At may bumubulong sa 'king lapitan at tanungin ang lalaki.

Was he the same as me and Anderson Guevarra? If he was, why wasn't he wearing a school uniform, unlike us?

Umakyat siya sa staircase kaya napaakyat na rin ako. Hindi ko alam kung ilang floors itong building, pero napadpad na akong rooftop, hindi ko na nakita ni anino niya.

“Nasaan na 'yon? Pumasok ba sa dorm?” Mabilis akong tumakbo pababa.

Was he just an illusion? Maybe... a ghost? Imposible.

Nalibot ko na yata lahat ng hallways at floors, pero hindi ko na siya nahanap. Kaya pagod akong bumalik sa kwarto ko at humiga na lang sa kama. I didn't even get to remove my shoes, I was instantly pulled to sleep.

And when I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in front a familiar living room. The dead body of my father bathing in his own pool of blood. The heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning outside.

I inhaled sharply and my breathing hitched. Ang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko na parang kakawala na ang puso ko mula sa dibdib ko.

“H-Hanabi...”

It was the same shaky voice of my mother with the little strength in her body, begging me to run away.

The same person in a black hoodie. His arm around my mother's neck while the other was pointing the gun on her temple and ready to pull the trigger.

Nag-unahan ang mga luha ko. Gusto kong igalaw ang katawan ko pero bawat pitik ng puso ko, bumibigat ang katawan ko kaya hindi ako makagalaw. Kahit mga daliri ko, hindi ko maigalaw. Tanging ang mga mata ko lang ang nakakagalaw.

I opened my mouth and tried to shout, but nothing would come out of my mouth. I desperately tried again and again, but I couldn't.

My mother's face was starting to get blurry dahil sa patuloy na pag-agos ng mga luha ko.

And then, he pulled the trigger. When the loud sound it made echoed in my ears, bumukas ang mga mata ko at marahas akong napasinghap.

My body was cold and shaking. I couldn't breathe.

“M-My pi...” I couldn't even finish my sentence as I tried to push myself up. “M-My pills...”

Lumagabog ako sa sahig nang diretso akong bumagsak pagkatayo ko. My hands were shaking as I tried to open the drawer in the night stand.

Someone then grabbed my hand and pulled me to a hug. He wrapped his arms around me.

“M-My...” My voice cracked. “M-My pills...”

“Sssh...” he whispered as he gently rubbed by shoulder and the other hand was gripping my other shoulder. “It's alright. Ssssh. It's just a nightmare.”

I gripped his shirt tightly. My whole body was till shaking and my tears wouldn't stopped from streaming down.  My breathing was fast and heavy. I tightly closed my eyes and bit my quivering lips.

Without my pills, I wouldn't be able to calm down.

Or so I thought.

“Sssh... It's just a nightmare. Sssh...” he kept whispering in my ears.

Dahil sa malambing niyang boses at marahang paghagod sa balikat ko, unti-unting bumabalik sa normal ang paghinga ko. Nawawala na rin ang panginginig ng buong katawan ko, at kumakalma na ang puso ko.

“Sssh... It's just a nightmare...”

My grip on his shirt loosened. My whole body loosened. With the sudden feeling of security and comfort, I went back to sleep without a problem. The nightmare didn't come back for the first time.

Noong nagising ako, nasa kama pa rin ako. Nang tingnan ko ang bintana, nalaman kong papalubog na ang araw.

The door was open, and I heard clicking sounds coming from the kitchen outside. Kaya bumangon ako at lumabas.

Papaliko na sana ako papuntang kusina pero nahinto ako nang makita ko ang pulang headphones na nasa ibabaw ng sofa. Napabaling kaagad ako ng tingin sa taong busy kumilos sa kusina. Nang humarap siya sa direksyon ko, natigilan siya.

“Roommates?” simpleng tanong ko.

Tumango siya bago nagpatuloy sa pagsasalin ng scrambled egg mula sa pan papuntang plato. “I was inside my room right beside yours when I heard you scream. You kept calling someone.”

Nakagat ko na lang ang ibabang labi.

I didn't know I had a roommate. I was busy being wary of the whole place that I forgot to check my own space.

“Kailan ka dumating dito?” tanong ko ulit.

“I don't know,” simpleng sagot niya. “Kanina lang ako nagising, when I heard you crying.”

Napabaling ako ng tingin sa headphones na nasa sofa. “This is yours?”

“Ah, yes,” tipid niyang sagot. “Pero hindi ko rin magagamit dahil wala ang cellphone at ibang gadget ko.”

Binalik ko ang paningin ko sa kaniya. “Have we... met before?”

Napaangat na rin siya ng tingin sa 'kin. I blinked when our eyes met. There was a weird feeling that attacked me, making my heart skip a beat.

What the hell was that?

Umiling siya. “This is the first time.”

Tumango na lang ako bago lumakad papalapit sa dining table. Tanging toast at scrambled egg lang ang nasa hapag.

“Sorry,” aniya. “These were all I could find here.”

Hindi ako sumagot. Kumuha lang ako ng toast, ginawang palaman ang scrambled egg at nagsimula nang kumain.

Hindi na rin siya nagsalita at kumain na rin. We were both silent the whole time. I volunteered to wash the dishes and he went back to his room. After I was done, I went back to room, too.

It's strange. May pulang headphones din siya but I was sure he didn't look like the guy that I was chasing earlier. Their headphones didn't have the same design except for the color. And my roommate was wearing the school uniform, too.

Ang sabi niya, kanina lang siya nagising. It sounded believable, but he could be lying. But why would he even lie? Napabuga na lang ako ng hangin.

Well... there's nothing wrong with having company in an unfamiliar place. Although I wasn't good at socializing and I didn't know how to make friends with people.

And... I still didn't know anything about this place aside from it looked like a boarding school. I hope tomorrow, I could find something else.

***

[Edited: 06/07/2024]