YSABELL'S POV
Muli akong napahawak sa aking sentido nang bigla na namang kumirot ang ulo ko. It feels like my veins are being electrocuted by my own flowing blood. Every twinge that occurs in my head is erasing a certain memory of mine.
But it doesn't change the fact that Clay is nowhere to be found. He's supposed to be lying beside me, but he's not in here. Not even in any part of the kitchen.
Is it possible that...
I shake my head with my own thought. No. Clay won't do things like this to us. Matagal na kaming magkakilala at wala akong alam na rason para gawin niya ang ganitong bagay sa amin.
I flinch when someone grabs my shoulders. As I turn my head, I see Noah with his mushy eyes. I know that his head is aching too because he keeps on wincing his mouth whenever he moves it an inch.
"A-are you o-okay?" he asks in a husky and tired voice.
I shake my head, because I'm really not fine and there's no point denying it.
He fakes a chuckle. "W-we a-all aren't," he says jokingly, but his voice trails off.
I remain silent because I don't know what to say. Everything that happened a while ago is still blurry in my mind at patuloy sila sa paglabo kasabay ng pagkirot ng aking ulo.
Green gas.
Did I see one?
Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata at pinilit ang sarili kong alalahanin ang lahat ng nasaksihan ko kanina. I clench my fist as I struggle to bring them back pero unti-unti ay nagkakaroon ng liwanag ang madilim na parte ng aking alaala.
I saw someone, who isn't our friend.
I open my eyes in terror. Naramdaman ko ang paglapit ng lalaking iyon sa amin kanina. I am certain that I saw someone. His presence, is giving me chills until now.
Did he took Clay with him? But why-
Natigil ako nang mapagtanto ang isang bagay. A memory flashes back in my mind as I am staring at the hallway where the man walked and might took our friend.
"The clues will be given once the chess piece has been chosen."
My eyes widen as I feel my blood drips down to my feet.
My body feels heavy when I realized what that phrase meant.
Clay is the first chosen chess piece.
Napasampal ako sa aking bibig upang pigilan ang aking sigaw pero huli na ang lahat. Sa sobrang lakas ng aking paghiyaw ay hindi sapat ang dalawang kamay upang itago ang aking takot at nanginginig na boses.
Before I fall to the floor, Noah managed to catch my back. I can feel my body trembling. My breathing is becoming thick and heavy like a person who is asthmatic.
"W-what happened?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Noah kasabay ng pagyakap niya sa akin.
I try to speak, but there are no words coming out of my mouth except for an ugly squeak.
"Ysabell y-you have t-to tell m-me!" he shouts to get my attention because I'm just blankly staring at the hallway while my body is shaking and my tears are flowing down on my cheeks.
I force myself to speak even if I feel like my throat is becoming dry. "C-clay..." I stutter as I mutter his name. Muli na naman akong napahagulgol nang maisip na si Clay ang unang paglalaruan nila. Siya ang unang makararanas kung gaano kalupit ang mga demonyong 'to.
Noah hugs me in the back and I can feel his breath on the top of my head. He moves his head behind us before talking, "W-what happened to C-clay-"
He shuts his mouth at naramdaman ko ang paggalaw ng kaniyang ulo. "W-where is C-clay?" he asks in confusion at nararamdaman kong nagsisimula na rin siyang mabalot ng takot at kaba.
"He's... h-he's the first chess piece," I declare and I squeeze his hands that are around my shoulders to restrain myself from crying.
Napasalampak siya sa sahig at medyo lumuwag ang yakap sa akin ni Noah. He lets out a sigh, but he didn't cry. "S-so, w-what now?" he asks more to himself and his voice came out like another sigh.
"I don't know-" I stop talking when I hear something in the living room.
Mabilis kong tinanggal ang akap sa akin ni Noah at dali-dali akong tumakbo palabas ng kusina. I ignore my throbbing head as I use all my force to rush towards where the sound is coming. I don't want to waste any second. I know if they took Clay, they will be gone already. But what am I hearing? Or who am I hearing?
Natapilok ako nang marating ko ang living room. Good thing that I tripped with the ankle that isn't injured dahil kung hindi ay mas lalong lalala ang lagay nitong isa. It doesn't hurt because I managed to hold on to the sofa.
I stop again. Not to rest. But because I see nobody. There's no one in the living room.
Except for the open television that flashes our faces in grid.
They probably got them from our IDs. So they have a connection with the school, huh. They really planned this well. The first two pictures are Gia and Clay. The next ones are me and Danielle followed by Leighton and Noah, and on the last row, Ylise and Agnes.
Clay's photo is different from ours. Its borderline is gleaming in green, making him stand out among us.
I hear Noah's footsteps from the kitchen. He's with the whole gang. And obviously, Gia is weeping.
"Where did they take him?" she asks while sobbing in Danielle's arms.
Danielle didn't answer, because none of us knows the hell where.
All of them are holding their heads, they are probably aching, too. The chemical from the gas really made me feel nauseated.
"What's that?" asks Ylise when she noticed our faces that are flashed on the TV.
I shake my head, because I have no idea what this thing in front of us is for.
"A-are you sure that they took Clay? Maybe, maybe he's just using the, the, the restroom-" Gia's words is cut off by her own sob dahil alam niyang nagsasayang lang siya ng laway sa mga sinasabi niya.
They took Clay. And we won't be able to change that fact.
Tumulong na din si Agnes sa pag-alo sa kaniya.
"Calm. We still have no idea what kind of game it is," Leighton blurts out as he strides in front of the TV. He sits down on the sofa while staring at our pictures.
"Calm down? Leighton those guys are insane! Their intention is to kill people! To kill us! And they, they took Clay," Gia shrieks and she collapse on her knees.
"We won't die, if we survive their game," Ylise exclaims as she helps Gia to stand up. Inalalayan nila itong makaupo sa sofa katabi ni Leighton.
"That's what the gamemaker said," I agree while nodding my head at them. I prevent myself from crying dahil ayoko nang dumagdag pa sa kailangan nilang pakalmahin.
"So anong gagawin natin? Maghintay para malaman kung naka-survive ba si Clay sa kademonyohan nila?!" sigaw ni Gia. She's trying to calm herself, but she can't. I understand why she's acting like this. She loves Clay so much that she can't afford to lose him.
None of us could, actually.
Especially if he'll brutally die in the hands of those freak murderers.
"I-I don't know," I say before lowering my head. I know none of this is my fault, but I just can't accept the fact that I know nothing to solve this shit and to find our friend.
Wherever he is right now, I know he's looking for us. He's alone.
And I know the feeling of being left alone.
It's tormenting.
"Kukuha lang ako ng tubig," saad ni Agnes bago naglakad papuntang kusina.
The moment she disappeared from our sight, the speaker rumbles.
"Sinners," says the gamemaker with a chuckle.
We all shut our mouth. I can see Agnes in my peripheral vision. She's rushing towards us while holding a glass of water. Nang makalapit siya kay Gia ay marahan niyang iniabot ang tubig sa kaniya pero hindi ito tinanggap ni Gia. Her attention is fixated on the voice of the gamemaker inside the speaker.
"The first chess piece has been chosen," he says at muli na naman siyang nagpakawala ng isip batang tawa.
"Fuck you," Gia snorts.
"I know, Gia. I know," he answers before chuckling.
"So what are we supposed to do, then? Wait here and be a coward like you?" Leighton mutters. He and Clay aren't in good terms but I can feel that he wants him to be back safe and sound.
The gamemaker sighs on the microphone, well, I hear his breath. "Of course not, Leighton. The game won't be fun if you will be just waiting, will it?" he asks while chuckling.
"Can you fucking stop laughing?! You creep," dire-diretsong saad ko dahil hindi ko na napigilan pa ang sarili ko.
It's not making me tremble anymore, it's starting to piss me off.
He stops. Then he chuckles louder than earlier. "Hahaha, sorry. Can't help it."
Noah scratches my back, telling me to stop messing with this guy because we have no idea what worst things he and his pawns could do.
So I just sigh even if my fingers are itching to strangle him to death.
"Ano ngang pwede naming gawin?!" piyok na sigaw ni Gia sa nakaririnding tono. I can sense in her voice that she's exhausted and worried about his boyfriend's condition.
"Don't be impulsive, Gia," says the gamemaker.
"How can't I- God! Just say it!" Gia slumps her back on the sofa that creates an annoying noise. Danielle is soothing her shoulder, but it doesn't lessen her rage.
The gamemaker cackles first before proceeding. "I'll let you watch," he says on the other line.
"Watch him die?!" nanggigigil na tanong ko.
"Well, that is if, he can't... hmm... " his voice pretends like he's thinking, but I doubt if he has a brain. I know he's pissing the hell out of us. And I won't let him see me biting his bait. So I straighten my back with a sigh that I hope will remove all the rage that I have for this man. But it didn't. Mas lalo lang akong nangating pagsasampalin siya because he's even controlling our emotions unconsciously.
"He can't what?" asks Noah.
"If he can't survive the game, then you'll definitely watch him die," saad nito bago humalakhak.
"Can't we watch you die instead?" asks Ylise, who's clenching her fist to stop herself from attacking the TV because it will do no good.
The gamemaker ignores her words and proceeds talking. "Well, since I am not that cruel, we'll just give you the preview of the game," he exclaims at narinig ko ang pagpalakpak ng mga kamay niya, as if he's enjoying the spotlight given to him.
"A-anong ibig-sabihin no'n?" nanginginig na bulalas ni Agnes habang hawak ang basong may tubig. Her hands are shaking, causing some of the water to drip from the glass.
"I appreciate you for talking, Agnes," saad ng gamemaker bago nagpatuloy sa pagsasalita. "You won't witness everything. Only the first part of it," he adds and I can feel my teeth gritting.
"So how will we be able to know if he lived?" asks Leighton calmly. His feet are crossed. He's acting cool, but I know he's worried about Clay. His eyes are telling me that he is.
"You will type the word on the lock of room three and if the door opens, then congratulations, he's alive. But if it doesn't, let's just hope he rest in peace," saad nito saka muling natawa.
A memory flashes in my mind.
That third bloody-red room and the alphabet on its lockscreen, that's what they are for.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask while trying to calm myself.
No answer.
"Why are you doing this?!" sigaw ko ulit at hindi ko na naitago pa ang mga luhang bunga ng galit at pag-aalala kay Clay.
"Why?" he asks in a creepy tone. "...because you're sinners," he adds and it made me feel chills throughout my whole body.
I can't deny it anymore, I'm afraid of his presence.
Gia fakes a laugh. "What do you know about us, huh?" she spits with an exhausted sigh saka ipinasada ang kaniyang palad sa kaniyang magulong buhok.
"Everything... that will certainly ruin your relationships with each other," the gamemaker answers with a chuckle.
Gia halts like as if the gamemaker just said a fact. My eyebrows furrow while staring at her shocked face. When she noticed that my eyes are locked at her, she lowers her head to stop our eyes from gazing with each other.
She's really hiding something.
"Wait," sabat ni Ylise dahilan para lumipat ang tingin ko mula kay Gia patungo sa kaniya.
"You said that in order to open the door of the third room, we have to type a word, right? Where will we get that word?" she asks with her face more confused than afraid.
"You're really observant, Ylise," papuri ng gamemaker sa kaniya. "You have to answer a question. The answer you will get will be the code for the lock of the door. Also, it will serve as your pass," he adds.
"Pass from what?" I ask while drastically wiping my tears. My voice came out with a sniff.
"From watching the game," he answers.
"What?!" asks Noah at napaurong ako dahil sa biglaang pagsigaw niya.
"The game, you can't watch the preview of it if you aren't able to answer the prepared riddle. Also, if that's case, in order for you to know if your friend survived, you have to wait for twenty four hours and the door will open itself since you don't have the word," he explains from the speaker with a satisfied chuckle. It must be satisfying for him to see us devastated, huh.
"Also..."
All of our attentions are gazed at the speakers. What again?!
"The answer will serve as your clue about the conflict that your friend is going to encounter," he adds followed by a chuckle.
"That's all I have to say. Good luck, sinners," he eerily exclaims before the speaker rumbles again and finally shuts off.
Our photo suddenly fades except for Clay's. Pumosisyon ito sa gitna at sa ibaba nito'y biglang lumitaw ang isang pulang timer.
One minute is ticking on it. This is probably the countdown kung kailan magsisimula ang nakamamatay nilang laro.
We all gasp while waiting. Gia is weeping hardly while Ylise, Danielle, and Agnes is trying to calm her down and I can't help but to walk unconsciously while biting my fingernails. The sound of the ticking clock reminds me of our first encounter with them when I was with Leighton at the tree house.
Noah rubs my shoulders but he doesn't say anything to ease me because this situation is just insane and none of us can calm.
Someone is trying to kill us. And their target now is Clay.
When the timer stops at zero, a question appears in the middle.
"What does an Island and the letter T have in common?" I read the phrase while blinking my eyes.
"They're both in the middle of water," Ylise answers in just a few seconds.
Then the TV reveals a check which means we got it correctly. I sigh in relief at parang medyo nabawasan ang bigat na nararamdaman ko knowing that we have Ylise who's clever enough to answer every riddle that the gamemaker will give us.
But can we really call it as our advantage? She can't do anything but to let us watch our friend while suffering from their deadly game.
We can't help each other survive. We'll just be able to witness them fight for their lives. I think the ace of cards is still in the gamemaker's hands.
The TV flashes a dark room. Ang kalahati ng pader nito'y gawa sa tiles na puno ng pinaghalong kalawang at dugo at ang kalahati naman na abot hanggang kisame ay naninilaw na pader. I want to puke on how dirty the room is. But I am more anxious about what will happen to Clay inside that room.
There's no window. I can only see one metal door on its side that has at least five locks on it. There's a red digital clock on top of it. Speakers and cameras are everywhere. May mga nagkalat ding kadenang may posas na malayang nakasabit sa kisame ng kuwarto. It's wide, but we can see everything clearly. Ang mga kable at wire ng kuryente ay nagkalat ding nakadikit sa pader. Kumunot ang aking noo nang may maaninag akong lababo at timba ng tubig sa bandang dulo ng kuwarto. This looks like an abandoned cell.
The room is eerie. There are no lightbulbs, the only thing that gives light is the black chandelier in the middle of the room that is above the bed.
And the bed, someone is lying there.
Clay.
He's naked and he wears nothing except for his swimming trunks. His arms and feet are tied on the bed with a black strap that looks like a belt. He doesn't look harmed, he seems peacefully sleeping. My brows furrow, not because he seems fine, but because he's wearing the same swimming trunks that he wore on the day of Ylise's competition, when the director almost died.
Then, we hear footsteps that made our hearts beat rapidly. Hindi na matigil sa pag-iyak si Gia habang tinititigan ang walang malay niyang nobyo na mag-isang nakahiga sa isang madilim na kuwarto.
Three pawns walk from the camera towards Clay. They are all wearing a uniform of a brown jumper with a dirty-white shirt inside and the are all wearing their rabbit masks.
One of them stops when he reached the bed where Clay is lying, but the other two continue walking inside the room. They stopped in front of the sink. One of them grabs something on it and the other one lowers his back to carry the bucket of water.
Everything makes sense now. All my questions are being answered by their actions.
The gamemaker said that the answer to his riddle will serve as our clue on what he's about to encounter.
The answer is water.
Clay is wearing swimming trunks.
There's a sink.
A bucket of water.
And I peek at the thing that one of the pawns is holding.
A towel.
They're going to drown him.
Chills starts flowing around my spine. Unti-unti akong nakaramdam ng takot. Nangangamba ako na baka hindi kayanin ni Clay ang gagawin nila sa kaniya. At baka sa susunod naming pagkikita'y hindi na siya humihinga.
I shake my head to despise the thought. I need to be strong. So must be Clay. He needs to fight for his life.
Nang makalapit ang dalawa sa natutulog na si Clay ay sinampal siya ng isa sa kanila. Umalingawngaw ang lutong ng pagdampi ng kaniyang palad sa ngayo'y namumula nang mukha ni Clay.
"No! No! I'm gonna kill you!" Gia yells habang nagpupumiglas kina Danielle and I notice the shoulders of the one who slapped Clay.
It moves.
"You bitch, look at me!" sigaw ko para makuha ang atensyon nila. I grin when I see them look at the speaker above them.
They can hear us.
"Clay can hear us," I mutter with hope while staring at the TV. One of the pawns just shakes his head while his shoulders are moving. Go laugh, bitch, and don't let me see your face because if I get out of here alive, I promise to screw your life.
Gia's eyes gleam. "R-really?" she asks with a bit of glee, but her voice is still cracked.
I nod, but I'm not sure if I should smile so I just maintain my stern reaction.
Because of the slap, Clay is now awake. And he's shouting something that I can't figure out.
He can hear us, but we can't hear him.
"Babe! Y-you can do that!" shouts Gia while weeping. Danielle tells her to stop crying so Clay won't think that we're in danger, too.
Gia sniffs as she tried to stop herself from breaking down as she sees her boyfriend surrounded by three murderers and she can't do anything but to wait and see if he will survive. Alone.
Well, he's not completely alone. He can hear us. And maybe hearing our voices can motivate him in fighting for his life.
He can't die, not here.
He smiles unconsciously then he mutters the words 'I love you'. Napayakap na lang si Gia kay Agnes upang hindi marinig sa kabilang linya ang kaniyang paghagulgol. Agnes seems shocked, but she then later caresses Gia's hair to calm her down.
I gasp when Clay's face hides under the towel that one of the pawns put on his head. He didn't say anything, but before he closes his eyes, I notice a tear that slides down from his eyes. I know he's terrified, but he's still smiling because he knows that we can see him.
He doesn't want us to worry, but who wouldn't be?
Napapikit na lang ako nang biglang magbuhos ng isang tabong tubig ang lalaki sa mukha ni Clay habang nakapatong ang basang towel dito. I saw bubbles forming on the towel which means he's struggling to breathe. His abs is flexing, because he's running out of air.
"No! No! No, please no!" Gia squeaks. Her voice is tired, but it doesn't stop her from shouting.
I can't see him in that position. He's slowly dying and here I am, doing nothing.
"Please! I beg you! Stop it!" sigaw ni Gia saka itinulak palayo sina Danielle. The glass of water that Agnes is holding flies from her hand to the floor, causing it to shatter in pieces. Gia kneels down, and I can't stand watching my two universe dying. "I beg you," she pleads habang pinagdidikit ang mga kamay niya.
Iniyuko ko ang aking ulo at tinakpan ang aking dalawang tenga. Gia's mourn is killing me emotionally. Tears starts flowing down my cheeks, but there's no Noah who usually consoles me, because he's also weeping.
We all are, even Leighton whose head is downwards.
No one should witness someone's death. No fucking one! Galit na galit ako sa mga taong gumagawa nito sa amin, sa kanila. But we can't fight back, they're gripping us on our necks.
But I have faith in Clay. I know he'll survive this.
I hope he will.
I don't want to see Clay dying, but I want to figure out if I'm right. That he'll survive and live.
So I gaze my head upward and I see his chest shaking uncountably. He's struggling for air. I saw the pawns laughing base from the movements of their shoulders.
When will they stop torturing him?!
I take a glance at the timer above the door. 4 minutes and 50 seconds. It felt like hours already.
Muli na namang kumuha ng isang tabong tubig ang lalaki at itinapat ito sa mukha ni Clay na natatakpan ng puti at basang towel pero bago pa man niya ito maibuhos ay bigla nang namatay ang telebisyon.
"What?! Turn it on!" I yell out of rage while staring at the TV, hoping that they will grant my wish.
But I know they won't. That's all we can witness, a five minute part of the torture, of their game.
Napasalampak ako sa sahig at tuluyan kong inihilamos ang aking mga nanginginig at nanlalamig na mga palad sa aking mukha. I can't hear Gia's voice anymore and when I look at her, I confirm that she passed out. Danielle, Ylise, and Agnes is holding her body while trying to wake her up.
Suddenly, I hear nothing but the sound of the song that played before they made us unconscious a while ago.
Hinampas ko ang aking ulo nang ayaw akong tantanan ng nakaririnding tunog na 'yon. I am the only one who's crying loudly because I can't control my voice. They all are sniffing while silently crying.
Someone grabs my hand to stop me from beating my head. I saw Noah with red and tired eyes. Kasabay ng pagsinok niya ay iniling niya ang kaniyang ulo.
I stop, and let my hands drop from the cold tiles.
My friend, is dying.
Niyakap ko si Noah and it somehow ease up my feelings. I feel a bit of relief, because I know that I still have them. That I am not alone. He stops himself from crying and scrubs my back while muttering that everything's gonna be okay, but I doubt about it.
I glance at Leighton at the back of Noah. He's facing the door habang nakatulalang nakaupo sa sofa. His nose is pink and he continues on sniffing while hiding his eyes from us. He didn't say anything a while ago when Clay still had the chance to hear us. He was just silently staring at the TV while his tears are falling down freely from his now swelling eyes.
I shut my eyes because I'm tired both physically and emotionally but I open them abruptly when I hear the speaker rumbles.
Will they get another one of us again?
No.
"It's time to find out, sinners. Go and check room number three," orders the bitch and he chuckles before his voice totally fades away.
Nagmamadali akong kumalas kay Noah nang marinig ko ang sinabi ng gamemaker at mabilis na nagtungo sa tapat ng kuwartong tinutukoy niya.
I stop in front of the door.
I hear everyone running from the back except for Gia who's still unconscious and now lying inside their room.
I stare at the bloody-red door. The others aren't moving, so I guess they're letting me type the word. Naramdaman ko ang hininga ni Noah sa aking batok kasabay ng pagdikit ng aking nanginginig na hintuturo sa lockscreen na nakadikit sa pintuan.
In any moment, this door will let us know if Clay survived, or if he's a cold corpse by this moment. I hear voices from my back, they're hoping that the door will open because if it didn't, we all know what that means.
Every time that my finger is kissing the cold screen as I type the word, my heartbeat increases. When I type the last letter which is R, tuluyan nang nawalan ng lakas ang aking mga binti at napasalampak na ako sa sahig.
I close my eyes, waiting for the door to give us any of the two answers. But a few seconds have passed and I'm still hearing nothing. Every seconds that's ticking in my head is the hope that I'm losing that Clay is inside this room, alive and breathing.
My world is starting to shatter... until I hear a click in front of me.
The door opens.