Sadako didn't ask me to go home with her---she dragged me.

Pagkatapos kong magbigay ng assignment sa kanila, isa-isa nang tumayo ang mga estudyante para umalis.

"Thanks Prof Everick!"

I smirked in response.

I don't have a degree in history, but I've lived through these events in the past---the Punic wars, assassination of monarchs, the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first landing on the moon, the world wars---yup, perks of being an immortal! So, taking over a stupid mortal history class is easy (plus a girl in the front row even winked at me after slipping a piece of paper with her phone number written on it).

Anyway, nang makalabas na ang mga kaklase niya, Kleo literally jumped out of nowhere and grabbed my hand.

"Tara na!"

Napapailing na lang ako.

'Damn. One of these days, she's gonna give me a heart attack!'

"Tsk. Sadako, slow down! Pwede naman tayong lumipad pauwi sa---"

"Tinatamad ka lang maglakad. Hindi porke't kaya mong mag-half transform, aabusuhin mo na ito. Besides, someone might see you. And your other brother might get angry at you again if you risk exposing your existence."

Natigilan ako sa kanyang sinabi. Walang dudang si Evil ang tinutukoy niya. Kaya nang lumiko kami sa isang pasilyo, I leaned closer to her until I was invading her personal space.

"You were even eavesdropping in our conversation yesterday? My, what a bad girl you are... Should I 'punish' you, mortal?" I purred into her ear.

Natahimik si Kleo.

Lalong lumawak ang ngiti ko. Mukhang tumatalab na ang charms ko sa kanya---

"Punish me? Hmm... Pwede naman, pero limitado lang ang torture equipment sa bodega ko at hindi pa dumarating 'yong in-order kong axe." Inosente niyang sabi. "I'm just curious... How do you immortals punish humans? Totoo bang kinakain ninyo ang mga laman-loob namin at ginagawang souvenir ang mga mata?"

What the fuck?

Napasapo na lang ako sa noo ko. Hindi ko alam kung immune ba talaga siya sa charms ko o talagang hindi talaga ito tumatalab sa mga Sadako version 2.0. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung matutuwa ba ako o hindi. Tsk!

"How interesting."

*

Sadako's room looks just like how I expected it to be...

Para isang horror house na naka-compress sa isang silid.

"Sweetheart, wala bang nakapagsabi sa'yong isang beses sa isang taon lang ang Halloween?" I teased.

"Wala bang nakapagsabi sa'yong nailibing ko nang buhay ang huling nilalang na tumawag sa'kin ng 'sweetheart'?"

"Touché."

To be honest, I've been to a lot of women's rooms before. But right now, I'm not sure if we're still on the same planet. Hindi ako nagbibiro, para talaga kaming tumagos sa isang portal nang pumasok kami rito! Walang bintana, walang ingay, at walang nag-aabalang alisin ang mga agiw.

Kung hindi nga lang siguro sinindihan ni Sadako 'yong mga kandila sa sahig, baka wala pa rin akong naaaninag sa paligid. Doon ko napansin ang mga horror at supernatural DVD's na naka-display sa isang cabinet, katabi ng ilang lumang aklat. A dozen letters wedged between the vintage pages.

"May dugo ka bang mangkukulam?"

Sadako peeked at me from under her bed---no, I don't know what the hell she's doing there---and simply answered, "Nope."

"Are you a necromancer?"

"Nope."

"A faith healer?"

"Nope."

"Do you have superpowers?"

"Nope."

Napahalukipkip na lang ako. "Kung ganoon, paano mo nagagawang buhayin ang patay?"

Sa kabila ng kasundaan namin, hindi ko pa rin maiwasang magduda kung paano ito magagawa ng isang mortal. You can't blame me, now, can you? Kung ang kapangyarihan ko nga may "restrictions" sa pagbuhay ng mga patay, I'm really damn curious to know how Kleopatra is gonna do it. Sensing my hesitation, Sadako smiled and took out a small cage from under her bed.

Inside, a hamster stared back at me.

Mabilis niya itong nilapag sa desk sa harap ko sabay lahad ng kamay.

"Knife."

I raised an eyebrow at her. What the hell? Pero nang mukhang wala pa rin siyang balak sumuko, I quickly took out a carving knife from my sleeve and handed it to her.

"Ano naman ang---?"

She stabbed the hamster...

She stabbed the fucking hamster!

Well, shit.

Tumalsik pa ang dugo ng kaawa-awang hayop sa pisngi ko. I watched in confusion as she pulled out the knife from its body and handed it back to me.

Walang imik ko na lang itong kinuha.

"Now, we wait." She smiled, as if killing a hamster doesn't go against their mortal laws. Hindi na nga siguro ako magugulat kung bigla na lang siyang sugurin ng mga animal welfare advocates bukas sa campus.

Lumipas ang higit isang oras at mananatili pa rin ang nakakakilabot na ngiti ni Sadako.

"Watch this, crow-shifter."

Kleo reached into the cage and carefully held the dead hamster. Ilang sandali pa, ipinikit niya ang kanyang mga mata at hinalikan ang noo ng patay na hamster. Mangha kong pinagmasdan ang matamlay na liwanag na bumalot sa hayop. Soon, the little corpse started glowing in a pale yellow light.

And after a few seconds, the wound healed on its own and the hamster opened its eyes.

Ibinalik ni Kleo ang hamster sa kulungan at binigyan pa ito ng pagkain. To my astonishment, the creature ate and acted like nothing happened. Her kiss can revive the dead? That's interesting, indeed! Magkukumento na sana ako nang bigla na lang bumukas ang pinto.

"Kleo, nasa labas 'yong pinsan mo. Hinahanap 'yong hamster niya. Nasa iyo ba?" Nang makita ako ng tiyahin ni Sadako, she paused and rubbed her eyes, as if making sure I wasn't a hallucination. Nakanganga siyang bumaling sa kanyang pamangkin. "Susmaryosep, hija! Kailan ka pa nagka-interes na magdala ng lalaki rito? Ay, mali pala...kailan ka pa nagka-interes na magdala ng tao rito?!"

Nagkibit naman ng balikat si Sadako at inabot sa kanya ang hamster.

"He'll be leaving soon, Tita Elvie. 'Wag po kayong mag-alala. Wala naman siyang gagawing masama sa'kin."

Napapailing na lang ang ginang. "Sus. Nag-aalala lang ako dahil baka ikaw ang may gawing masama sa kanya."

Tita Elvie turned to me with a worried look, "Hijo, tumakas ka agad kapag sinubukan kang gawing alay ng pamangkin ko. Sayang ang kagwapuhan mo. Kapag may kahina-hinala sa mga kilos niya, tawagin mo lang ako sa baba."

"No worries po, tita. I think I can handle her."

"Aba, kung ganoon good luck na lang... O, sige na, at magluluto pa ako ng hapunan."

Matapos 'non, dala ang hamster na binuhay kanina ni Sadako, tuluyan nang umalis si Tita Elvie. Leaving us alone in her niece's bedroom.

Dahil dito, hindi ko na napigilang tumawa.

"HAHAHA! Mukhang kilala ka nga ng tita mo!"

Sadako frowned and sat on the edge of her black bed.

Matagal siyang hindi nakapagsalita. She looked like she was lost in her own thoughts, though I couldn't be too sure since I can't see her eyes. Mas madaling kilatisin ang isang tao kapag nakikita ang kanyang mga mata. Nang umayos ako ng upo, napabuntong-hininga na lang si Sadako.

"So...what do you think?"

I smirked and rested my elbows on my knees, giving her my full attention. Hindi ko pa alam kung paano niya ito nagawa, o kung ilang beses na niya itong ginagawa, pero iisa lang ang sigurado ako...

"I think this might actually work, and that you're no ordinary human, Kleo."

"Sana sinabi mo na lang na abnormal ako."

"Hindi ka abnormal. You're just gifted," I replied. That was a truth. Sa tagal na naming pamamalagi sa mundo, my brothers and I have already seen the strangest things and met the strangest humans. Hindi na bago sa'min ang makakilala ng mga "gifted" humans na kagaya ni Kleo.

Still, this is the first time I've seen someone who can surpass my own powers and revive the dead without time constraints.

With just a contact with her lips.

Nakakamangha.

"Kung ganon, ano nang sunod nating gagawin?" She asked in excitement.

Lalong lumawak ang ngiti ko. "Siguro naman may mga pala ka rin diyan sa ilalim ng kama mo, hindi ba?"

"Bakit?"

I stood up and grinned, "Since you can revive dead bodies, I'm sure you don't mind if we dig one out of the cemetery..."

---

So you think it's easier to let it go,
and forgive all past mistakes?
That's just an excuse most people use,
to numb the pain and shitty heart aches.

---Kleopatra Claveria