JINX

EPISODE 32 [pt.3]

"How long is this road again? It seems to me that this is leading us in an unending ricefield with only a dead-end of tall coconut trees ahead of us." Carlo doubted as his patience starts to wear thin. Ash, on the other hand, has been keeping a straight face, but Carlo knew she's just faking the expression she's holding right now. 

"We're almost there, mister Carlo. You just have to stretch your forbearance more because I didn't give you this direction without any reason." Ash explains as Carlo nods his head like an immature adult to keep the conversation light and, at the same time, keep it going.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. . . Like you're not telling me that for like what? For the REST of this travel!" He exclaims before Ash bursts out laughing. Carlo follows as they laugh in sync, just enjoying the ride. But that particular fun didn't last them long as the reality snaps them out of happiness, now realizing how sad they are ever since.

"D*mn. . . It's so hard to convince myself to be happy because I know that I'm not. . . I can't be happy, not at this moment." Carlo mumbles as he keeps his gaze straight ahead. Ash turns to him, wearing the same sadness as him.

"Yeah, it sure is, mister Carlo. . . And that's a good thing because we know to ourselves that we can never fake our emotions because we are known to be true." Ash agrees and adds a little of her insight to keep the conversation not awkward, even if their conversation is on the verge of getting ungainly.

Silence then fills the air almost immediately. It wasn't as awkward as expected, but the silence is just the thing they wanted to have a slight sense of privacy between them.

As Carlo continues driving, it only took him just about a minute and a half more before seeing the area's first house. Carlo is now curious to see one roof topping some smaller trees, but as they approach the house, he's even more surprised to see a few more homes made on pure and plain wood in there. He then throws a glance at Ash, who is already looking at him.

"I didn't even expect few families are living in here. . . This place seems secretive and private, but at the same time, it's a bit creepy too." He explains as Ash nods at him.

"Yep. . . A town that's not registered on the map." She says as Carlo avert his eyes into the road in a split second of looking at Ash. "There. . . Stop right there, mister," Ash says as she points to a specific house three blocks away from them. And when they're in front of it, Ash requests him to stop. As Ash is about to get out, Carlo stops the kid by gripping her wrist.

"Kid, I don't know where the f*ck we are. Mind telling where this is that you made me drive into?" Carlo asks as he feels a bit wary of the creepy surroundings. But instead, Ash gives him an encouraging look that he should trust him as she trusted him in the first place. And that look makes him give up.

"Okay. . . Okay, I'll trust you. But if I feel something odd with the person living in that house, I'm pulling you straight to the car, and we are driving off and forget that we ever got here. Okay?" He suggests that Ash gladly nods.

"If it'll make you feel at ease, then we will. Now let's go before everything slips away." She says as they get out of the car. Ash rushes her way into the door as Carlo follows from behind after sliding his gun at his back part of his pants. He watches as Ash presses the doorbell that it only took them five seconds before a person answers the door. But at those five seconds of waiting, Carlo prepares himself as he secretly places his hand on his back, gripping into his gun.

"A-Ashley? Is that- is that you?"

As soon as Carlo hears the voice, he already knows that he's heard of that voice before but unsure when and where.

"Grandpa!" Ash exclaims that makes him snap out of his plan, aborting his plan on taking out the gun. The door is now finally open as the dark living room greets them. But as soon as the man Ssh claims to be her grandfather, Carlo's eyes widen.

"No f*cking way—" he mumbles to himself as Ash and her grandfather run into each other's arms. He stood there as he just watches them, not being able to process everything that's happening at the moment.

"I thought I'd lost you forever, my angel." The aged man says as he caresses Ash's cheeks.

"And I thought I wouldn't be able to come back, grandpa. . ." she replied as she held onto his hands. "But grandpa, I want you to meet someone." She says as she pulls him to stand up. And as soon as he's standing, Ash points over at Carlo. That made the man recognize his presence. As their eyes meet, so is a smile of hope, and excitement creeps into the older man's lips.

"You're. . . I swear your that guy I saw from there." Carlo exhales as he is confident that the man he's facing right now is the same as the man he met from the closed, poorly made gate of the Rummu Prison.

"He's the one that saved me, grandpa," Ash says as she runs into Carlo, pulling him closer to his grandfather. When only a few steps are keeping them apart, Ash stops and turns to face her grandfather.

"His name is Carlo, and I call him Mister Carlo, just like what you've taught me. . . To always call them mister or miss." She says with a proud smile on her face.

"So, maybe it's fate. . ." The older man says before taking a step forward as he extends his hand for him to shake. "We meet again, mister Carlo."

•••

"You shouldn't have provoked him, mister." Ion speaks up the moment they're already back on their cell. "Are you thinking what they might go to do with us now that you made him mad!?" He continues to argue, but none of them seems to want to support him. Ion then turns to Benji and Kitty, who are beside him but are both zipping their mouths.

"Can you just shut the f*ck up, newbie? You don't know anything of what's happening." Briar talks back with furrowed brows and a look that felt like a dagger.

"Alam mo, mas maganda talagang tumahimik ka nalang, Ion. Tama ang sinabi ni sir. . . Wala pa tayong ganoong alam sa mga nangyayari. Malay mo, isa palang gameplan ang kaniyang ginawa kanina." [You know, it's better that you just shut up, Ion. Sir here is right. . . We don’t yet know that much about what’s going on. Maybe what he just did earlier is a gameplan.]  Benji decided to express his emotion and speak in his language, making Ion raise a brow in his direction.

"What the f*ck are you talking about, Benji? We're you making fun of me!?" He raises his voice as he glares in his direction. Benji raises his hands on a shoulder level, a message sent that he's surrendering.

"No, man. I'm just trying to—"

"Guys, that's enough! Do you seriously need to raise arguments right now?" Melissa finally found her voice as she decided to speak for them to turn to her.

"Look, guys. . . WE ARE LOSING TIME, and the longer we stay in here, the more we face the possibility that we WILL DIE in here. . . Do you want to die in here? Because clearly, I DON'T WANT to just to catch my last breath in here and that those stupid rescues will only find my cold and lifeless, violet-ish body lying on the cold hard floor."

They all went silent just by hearing her raise her concern. They can all see her vulnerability, but they can also see the flame of determination still burning inside her soul.

"Look. . . It hurts so much to see everyone dying. It's too painful for me to say goodbye, and I might go f*cking crazy if I ever bid another goodbye to another one. And I am just so, SO TIRED to just say goodbye. Guys, I just want to go home, okay? I just want to escape in this sh*thole and go to my parents. . . I just want to hug them and feel their touch; I just want to hear their voice once again; I want to feel secured again! And I hope you have the exact wishes as me because there's nothing to wish for other than to attain freedom!"

Silence. . . it wasn't a peaceful silence now that Melissa is expecting someone to talk. She could feel her body slowly trembling as she stares at the persons in front of her, patiently waiting for them to reply. . . It was then too silent for her to take, making her feel her tears starting to assemble once again. Melissa's about to cry when someone decided to speak.

"Melissa has a point, guys," Miguel speaks as he stands up, stopping beside Melissa. Melissa then looks at him as a small smile forms on her lips. Miguel nods as he responds with a.small smile before turning to the others.

"I have a family back home, and they're enough of a reason for me to go home. . . And I agree with Melissa that the longer we stay here, the possibility of dying here is growing twice every single day. . . So unless you choose to stay and die here, I suggest that we do something before it's too late for us even to make a move." He continues as Miguel feels Melissa smiling secretly beside him.

Kyle and Blake stood up as they stand beside Melissa and Kyle, an assurance for them that they agree on making a move. Mister Valentine follows just after almost ten seconds after Kyle and Blake joined them.

"Then I guess I want to escape this sh*t too." He says before nodding in his direction.

"I mean, who would want to stay here, right? I'm sure nobody wants to rot in here." Briar says but continues to be seated.

"So, kiddo. . . What's the plan?" He asks as he stares at Melissa. Melissa then turns to Miguel as they try to communicate using their eyes. The three newbies observe as they were already convinced to join but are being considerate to other factors too.

"For now? I guess we'll have to play along. . ."

•••

The older man invited Carlo and Ash inside as he doesn't trust his surroundings anymore. Luckily, he's just about time for snacks; that's why he quickly made sandwiches for them. Ash also offered her help as she focuses her attention on the juice gleefully.

Sitting on both opposite of the square table and Ash in between them, the older man decided to start the conversation.

"So Ashley, sweetie. Can you tell me how you met this guy?" He asks as Ash nods before engaging herself in storytelling.

"Well, all I can remember that night us that, I got shot, and I thought I'm already dead. . . But then suddenly, I realize that I'm still breathing so, I called for help. And he came willingly. . . I wasn't even expecting that someone is around to save me rather than waiting for assurance if I'm alive or already dead. . . So, that's why we git to know each other." She continues as Carol pays attention to his food, but his ears are also sharp into the conversation.

"Then he's the one who brought me to the hospital, and now, he willingly took me here but, he's a bit creeped out with our place. . . Grandpa, can you convince him that this place is harmless?" She asks. She shows hints of concern for him, which made her grandfather nod before Carlo lifts his gaze to look at them, and now, Ash is focused on her food.

"Thank you for saving my grandchild, Carlo. . . Because of you, it wouldn't have been able to see her again." He gratefully thanks him, making Carlo nod.

"Yeah, sure, no problem." He replies.

"But mister Carlo, I need you to do this for me, okay?"

"Anything, mister. . . Anything," He says as he's about to take a bit of his sandwich when Ash is still busy with her food.

"I know you're going back. . . And I want to come with you."

"Who wha—"