CHAPTER 10: As She Lay Dying
BLAIR WADSON
This is what Detective Jude Arson found in the middle of the forest somewhere in one of the islands in Japan. We were told not to name it and make it anonymous, so as not to cause any panic. Is this one of the ploys of the Government? Or is this really part of their New World Order agenda?
Tinigil ko na ang pagbabasa ng article. I noticed that almost all of the users who commented on the article were saying it was a load of bullshit. They're just trying to scare the students from going out.
Mabilis kong sinara ang tab ng article and closed my laptop as well. I blinked a couple of times to steady my vision. Naroon pa rin ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko. I can now feel drops of sweat trickling down my cheeks. Mabilis kong pinunasan iyon.
Takot ba itong nararamdaman ko? Why would I even believe an article that was posted by an anonymous site? Right, maybe it was just posted for the reason to scare the young ones from what will happen if they go out to have fun.
Nakagat ko ang ibaba kong labi. Nakamarka na ang imahe ng mga katawang nakasabit sa puno sa isipan ko. I firmly closed my eyes, hoping that the image will go away on its own. The sound of silence filled my ears.
Mrs Chua, our principal, knows about this New World Order agenda. I'm sure of it. Narinig kong binanggit iyon ng lalaking kausap niya sa kanyang opisina. She had to know it. Or else, she would've asked him that time I heard them talking what it means. Which she didn't.
When I opened my eyes, my laptop was now open. It revealed the same picture I saw a few seconds ago. But this time, one of the hooded figures twitched and moved towards the camera. At nanatili lang akong nakaupo roon. Hanggang sa tuluyan nang inilapit ng hooded figure ang mukha niya sa camera. Napasinghap ako nang inilabas niya ang isa niyang kamay sa laptop screen ko. Slowly, his hooded face was inching closer to mine.
Napabalikwas ako ng bangon. Mabilis kong pinasadahan ng tingin ang paligid ko. I was still inside my room. Nasa harap pa rin ako ng laptop pero nakasara iyon. Marahas akong napabuga ng hininga. My heart was rapidly beating in my chest. Basang-basa ang shirt na suot ko.
"It's just a dream," I reminded myself. "Just a dream. "
Tumayo na ako mula sa upuan at kumuha ng bagong shirt sa cabinet at sinuot iyon. Ibinagsak ko ang aking katawan sa kama, nasa isip pa rin ang pigura at ang nakakatakot na imahe sa article na 'yon. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Inisang lagok ko ang baso ng tubig sa nightstand at muling pumikit. I silently prayed that I won't be dreaming that same dream again.
*****
Napaaga yata ako ng pasok. Nilakad ko ang mahabang pasilyo ng fifth floor, where our first class would take place today. May mga ilang estudyante akong nadaanan sa harap ng hanay ng mga lockers sa kanan ko.
Nang marating ko ang harap ng silid namin, pinihit ko pabukas ang door knob. Bumungad sa 'kin ang katahimikan. As I suspected, I was the first one to come in for today. I checked the desks neatly organized around the room to confirm if I was really the first one. Wala naman akong makitang mga bag.
"Hello, silence, my old friend," I muttered under my breath.
I climbed up to our desk. Hindi ako sumabay kay Celaena ngayong araw. She texted me last night na baka ma-late siya nang malala—it means, she'd probably miss the first period. Kaya naman I took the bus from our house.
Napabuntong-hininga ako at sumandal sa upuan. I didn't get enough sleep last night. Parang naka-marka na sa utak ko ang mga imaheng nakita ko sa article na 'yon. It was traumatizing, yes. And the same dream appeared again. I woke up at least a few times with beads of sweat trickling down on every part of my body.
I rubbed my aching temples.
Then I took out my earphone and connected it to my phone. I played some music. Ang kasalukuyang nagpe-play ay ang "My Favourite Clothes" by Rini. I put on my earphones and closed my eyes.
There's something about silence that I found soothing. It's like how a summer breeze caressed your skin, smoothing your soul in the process and filling your senses with this overwhelming serene calmness.
🎵Cause I can't make you stay if you wanna go… but I will wait for you to say "come home"🎶
And for a moment, I didn't care about anything. No strange images flashed in my mind. Just plain… darkness. Is it really possible to find calmness and peace in darkness? A strange thing to ask.
Napakislot na lang ako nang biglang may kumuha ng isang earphone ko sa kabila kong tainga. Nang magmulat ako, nasa tabi ko na si John. He put on my other pair of earphones on his one ear and closed his eyes at prente siyang umupo. Humalukipkip pa ang mokong. Magpo-protesta pa sana ako pero tinikom ko na lang ang aking bibig at muling sumandal sa upuan.
.Great. A guy always ruins any girl's day.
Galit na bumaling ako sa kanya. But my expression became soft when I studied his face. Medyo basa pa ang buhok niya na naka-brush up. His thick eyes lashes and thick eyebrows. Ang mahulma niyang jawline. He had that kind of face that stops you in your tracks. Siguro ay sanay na siya roon—sa biglaang pagtigil ng mga taong makakasalubong niya at ang pagbabago ng expression sa mukha ng mga taong yon when they looked his way. John Emmanuel is every girl's dream guy, I admitted to myself.
🎶 Now might not just be the time for us… But know that what we have will always last… Now might not just be the time for us… But know that what we have will always last 🎶
I was busy studying his features when his adam's apple bobbed. And when I looked up to his eyes, it was now staring back at me. Ako naman ang napalunok at mabilis na nag-iwas ng tingin.
"M-may kanin ka sa l-labi mo," nauutal na sabi ko at muling sumandal sa upuan.
He chuckled softly. "Hindi ako kumain sa bahay," sabi niya.
"Eh, ano 'yan, kulangot na puti?" I retorted.
Mahina siyang tumawa at iniabot sa 'kin ang earphone na kinuha niya. "A great song, Wadson. Thank you for lending me your earphone," aniya.
"May bayad 'to. P45 per minute," sabi ko na hindi pa rin nakatingin sa kanya.
"Ang mahal naman," saad niya.
Tumayo siya mula sa tabi ko. When I looked at him, I only saw his figure walking down to the door. Pero bago siya lumabas, muli siyang lumingon.
"Do you want to paint me?"
"Huh?"
"Wala. I thought you want to paint me. Kasi palagi mo 'kong tinitingnan," he said before walking out the door.
Before I can make out a reply, he's already gone. Well, that was extremely embarrassing.
*****
I looked at the empty seats beside me. Hindi pa rin pumapasok si Brooke. I was starting to get worried. At si Celaena naman, totoong na-late sa first class namin.
Nasa kalagitnaan kami ng klase ni Ms Alagos nang biglang magtaas ng kamay si Sabrina. Ngayon ko lang napansin ang nangingitim niyang eyebags. Her eyes seemed like red—like she had been crying all night. Nagtama ang tingin namin pero mabilis din siyang nag-iwas at lumabas na ng silid nang payagang mag-rest room.
Pinanood ko lang ang papalayong pigura niya hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang makalabas ng silid.
"Continuing, as Leo Tolstoy quoted…" Ms Alagos was saying.
Kahapon, Sabrina seemed shocked, horrified even. Muling bumalik ang tingin ko sa pinto. Her expression yesterday looked like she'd seen a ghost. She looked pale. Maaari kayang nakita niya rin ang nakita ko sa mass kahapon sa chapel? That seems possible. But as far as I can remember, she went back there to get her handkerchief.
Noon naman kami nakarinig ng sigaw. It was the kind of scream that made your blood run cold. Napatigil si Ms Alagos sa pagsasalita. Sabay-sabay kaming napabaling sa labas ng bintana. And then another scream.
"Stay where you are—" Ms Alagos tried to stop my classmates from going out the door. Pero tuluyan nang nakalabas ang karamihan sa amin.
I stood up from my seat and headed for the door. The scream was coming from the school grounds. It was the loudest most piercing scream I had ever heard. Dumungaw ako sa labas ng bintana ng pasilyo. Si Evangelyn ang nangunguna sa pagkuha ng video sa kung sino man ang sumisigaw sa baba, followed by her minions.
"Sabrina's gone cray cray," narinig kong sabi ni Ryan. "Poor girl. She's kinda cute, though."
At doon ko nakita si Sabrina. She was kneeling on the ground, still screaming.
May mga estudyanteng pumalibot sa kanya. Some guy tried to step in to help Sabrina stand up but she held a knife in front of them. Nasugatan ang lalaking sumubok na tulungan siya.
My heart hammering in my chest, I quickly ran down the stairs. Sa hindi ko malamang dahilan, nakaramdam ako ng takot. Something was about to happen. I know it.
Humahangos na narating ko ang unang palapag. That was when I saw Sabrina in the middle of the crowd. She turned to my direction and she started shaking her head.
"No," halos pabulong na sabi ko.
Mabilis akong tumakbo patungo sa puwesto niya. I squeezed my way through the thick crowd around her.
"They're going to kill us all! They're doing it for the fucking President!" she shouted at the people around her. Nanlalaki ang mga mata niya at nakikita ko na ang mga ugat sa kanyang kamay dahil sa mahigpit niyang pagkakahawak sa patalim. "It's all for the New World Order! And I refuse to die in the hands of the government!"
New world order… I repeated those words in my head.
"Sabrina, no—" I was about to step in to take the knife out of her hands when someone took my by the arm.
"Are you crazy?" bulyaw sa 'kin ng humigit sa braso ko.
"Let go of me!" I shouted back. Bumaling ako sa kanya at nakitang si John pala iyon. "John, she'll kill herself. Let me go, please," nagmamakaawang sabi ko.
Madiin siyang umiling sa 'kin. Bumalik ang tingin niya kay Sabrina saka niya ako marahas na hinila palayo. Pilit akong kumakawala sa pagkakahawak niya pero masyadong siyang malakas.
"What are you doing, John? Let me go!" I kept on shouting at him.
"Stay here," he said, his voice serious now. He gently pushed me away from him. Nang subukan ko uling maglakad, he was quick to stop me. "Stay here, Wadson."
And then someone in the crowd screamed. "YAAAHHH!!!"
When I looked back at their direction, the crowd was now parted. A body was lying on the ground. It was Sabrina. She was choking out blood from her mouth. Natutop ko ang aking bibig sa nasaksihan. I felt hot tears stream down my cheeks.
"N-no…" anas ko.
Sabrina's eyes met mine. And for a split second, I thought she smiled at me.
Naramdaman ko ang panlalambot ng mga tuhod ko. I let myself fall to the ground, my eyes still looking at Sabrina.
Her other hand was holding her neck, trying to stop the blood. But it continued to pour out onto the grass. Her body twitched one last time before I saw the life slowly drained out of her eyes.
I realized I was sobbing.
The crowd parted once again. Mrs Chua emerged from the crowd. Naglakad siya palapit sa katawan ni Sabrina. Nagtama ang mga mata namin. The look on her face was different. It seemed emotionless.
Naitanong ko sa sarili ko, did she already know this would happen?