JINX

EPISODE 27 [pt.2]

"Mister Gomez?" As soon as Carlo hears his surname, he immediately lifts his gaze to only to see the nurse who talked him out of getting out of the room. He immediately stands up as he clears his throat.

"The patient demands your presence." She says with a small yet genuine smile carved on her lips.

"Oh, is that so?" He doubts as he clasps his hands together. "Is she sure about it, though? Maybe you misheard her—"

"Oh no, mister Gomez. She surely does call for your presence. Maybe she's just shocked to wake up seeing you, but don't worry. This time, she'll be calmer." The nurse chuckles for a second to assure Carlo that she meant it.

"Okay. . . Thank you, nurse."

"I'll be going then, Mister. Just page us if you need an emergency." The nurse finally notifies before walking away from him and heading back to their desks. Carlo then takes a deep breath and wiggles her hand, hoping it would somehow ease the distress he is currently feeling. When he is feeling less tensed, he starts walking towards the door. Passing through the windows, Carlo could see some part of what's inside, and that includes the kid who is peacefully lying on the hospital bed with her eyes closed. When Carlo is already standing by the door, he releases a long sigh and doesn't waste another second as he does the door. He noticed the kid opening her eyes as he enters, closing the door behind him.

"The nurse said you wanted to see me?" He asks, buthethe kid just looks at him skeptically that made him smile awkwardly and halts himself from taking another step forward. "I- I'm sorry. If you don't want to se me yet, I can come back—"

"No, mister. . . Please stay." She says that makes Carlo stop from getting out. He slowly and unsurely turns to look at the kid. "Because the last thing I would want right now is to be left alone."

The kid shyly looks away, as if what she just said is something that sounds embarrassing to others. But for Carlo, it is the sound of trauma that he fully understands, and at the same time, the strength that she possesses and that she's still breathing.

Carlo awkwardly stores inside as he sits on the empty chair beside the bed. He rests both palms on his jeans to keep it dry, now that it's starting to get palsied again.

Silence quickly fills the air as Carlo couldn't seem to find the words to formulate a question. He is as if he has forgotten about letters and meanings. Starting to get impatient of waiting for the man to ask her, the kid positions herself to sit as Carlo immediately assists her to it. When she's comfortable, Carlo sits back and rests both pals on his tighs as the kid took the opportunity to talk.

"Miguel. . ." she starts that makes him shift his full attention on her.

"How did you know him?" The common question immediately finds its way to come out of Carlo's mouth without a second thought. He then hears the kid sigh.

"Well, I knew him because I was in for the game, Sam as his. . ." that answer made him confirm already that they saw each other. "How about you, mister? How did you know Mister Miguel?" This time, it was her who asks back.

"He is my. . ." he tries his best not to c***k his voice, as he feels his vulnerable side starting to control him again. "He's my non-biological son."

"Oh." She says, not expecting to meet Miguel's father.

"Kid, I know you might not believe me, but I may be his step father, but he is and always be my son. I went there, in hopes of seeing him, but I got disappointed to find nothing but a used bullet and a destroyed van into ashes." He explains, trying to persuade the kid, but she just nods.

"That insane pastor pulled that trigger because of me." She answers. "That's why I got this bruise." She clarifies as she pushes her hospital gown down from the collar to reveal the cured cut.

"Oh my goodness. . ."

"And I am indeed lucky to have met you, mister. Without you, I might have been lying cold there, probably died due to drowning if not for those big rocks, or losing too much blood might also be the cost of my death. . . Maybe it was fate that brought us together. Maybe life doesn't want me dead yet." She says as she pulls back to covering her bruise.

"So, how is my son doing? Is he hurt?" Carlo asks, which makes the kid chuckle.

"Of course he's hurt. . . All of us are." She says as her tone died down into sorrow. She looks down on her intertwined fingers for a second before looking back at him.

"He's a tough son if you ask me. . . Though sometimes he could be someone who is almost losing his mind, he is determined. . . And you're one hell of a lucky father, mister. . . what's your name again?"

"Carlo. . . You can call me Carlo." He shortly replies, which makes the kid nod again.

"It's nice to best you, mister Carlos." She says.

"It's also nice to meet you. . ."

"Ash. . . You can call me Ash." She replies as they both extend their hands for a shake.

"And I am so sorry if I wasn't able to bring Miguel with me. . . But, he has something for you." She says as she takes out a ziplock bag from her pillow. Ash then hands him the ziplock bag with a folded paper in it.

"What is this?" He asks as he takes the ziplock bag in his hands.

"That, mister Carlo, is for you to find out." She answers back as she watches him opens it with inquisitiveness and skepticism. A small smile forms on her lips as she remembers what happened just last night.

‘The plan is starting to lie perfectly on our lap, mister Miguel. . . Just hang on tight.’ she says to herself.

•••

"Oh, damn! I look so freaking hot on this black suit! It's like going on a prom night." Chris says as he admires himself from the given full-length mirror on the edge of their room.

"And I think if pretty on this tight floral dress." Melissa runs beside Chris and turns around to see her reflection. When she does, she turns to face Kyle, Blake, and Miguel, who are just finishing up. When they're done, they all face them serves in the mirror.

"We all like a bunch of high school kids who are having fun tonight." Miguel heavily sighs as he fixes his coat. With a slumped shoulder, they all stare at themselves with the sadness that seems to be crawling inside their system since yesterday night.

"Yeah. . . we most definitely are." Blake releases a long sigh before moving away from the mirror. "Now I wonder where the f*ck mister Valentine and Briar is. Are they dead already?"

"If only that insane Briar or so once called MISTER CLOCK is the one who died, I'll even be happier tonight. . . But like Miguel here, I have my own plans of killing that motherf*cker." Kyle says as he follows Blake towards the door. The rest follows as they wait for the door to open. Miguel decided to freeze on his position to see himself fully.

'Hey, pretty boy. . . You look awful!'

'You don't BELONG here! Don't you understand that?'

'YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH!'

All the voices in his head start to talk as if darkness is reaching out to envelope his soul, to cover the small fraction of hope that's left inside his soul. The noises that he has never heard of for th past few days now decided to come back to either visit him or come back permanently.

"Then cheers to sleepless nights once again." He says before hearing his friends call for him.

"You okay there, Miguel?" Melissa asks in which he unsurely nodded.

"I think I am." He says before all of their attention focuses on the door that's opening.

The door swings open as the man who smells sweat and dust now is also wearing a clean black suit and tie, his aura screaming expensive guard. They all stare at him for a couple of seconds before he starts walking, a cue for them to follow.

Now that they weren't any cloth in their heads to cover their eyes, they can now see the place clearly, but couldn't fully grasp where they are yet.

"This place looks more decent than the first place we have gone." Chris compliments the place as he sees the difference between the areas they were held against their wills. "And it smells nicer too!"

"Tais-toi, ou je te coupe la gorge putain!" [Shut up, or I will cut your motherf*cking throat!] The man from behind them warns as Melisssa immediately nudge Chris for him to look at her, cutting him from talking back at the decent-looking guard. She then pulls her close and whispers.

"He just told you to shut up, or he will not take a second thought to kill you. And he means cutting your throat." She explains that makes Chris nod in fear.

They continue walking until the guard in front of them stops. He signals one sentry who is shielding a two-opened door. They all wonder what lies on the other side, but they have no choice any way round but to wait and see it for themselves.

"Ouvre la porte, Charli" [Open the door, Charli.] he announces. The man nods as he opens his walkie-talkie. as the static radio sound comes to sound for a split second, he speaks.

"Patron, c'est Chali. Demande d'accès à la porte de la pièce principale." [Boss, this is Chali. Requesting for door access to the main room.] He says as he presses another button. Seconds of silence later, they once hear the sound of a radio.

"Procéder." [Proceed.] The man from the other line replies. The man, who calls himself CHARLIE, nods before pressing a big red button. The door opens automatically, making them all stare at it as it slowly opens, revealing what's inside the room.

All of them are surprised to see what's inside. All were speechless, especially Melissa and Miguel, who knew their Religions. Miguel instantly finds his gaze focused on Melissa, whose eyes are also in him. As if their eyes say the words, they had come to a full understanding that they're thinking of the same thought.

THE LAST SUPPER.

"My lambs! You arrived at last! Come and join us!" Pastor Roman, who is sitting on the POWER SEAT. Beside him is Ruther, who is now wearing a maroon long sleeve ad black slacks, still wearing his big nerdy glasses and his shoulder bag beside him. On his left side is Joseff, who has his long hair tucked behind him, fixing it temporarily with gel.

"You seem comfortable, Joseff. Tell us, how does it feel like to betray your own?" The question immediately finds itself escaping into his mouth, as the irritation of Blake just by seeing him sitting there with a smile in his face.

"You don't want to ruin dinner for the rest of us because of your bad temper, Mister Fall." Ruther, this time, decided to speak for them, but instead of shutting up, Blake laughed harder.

"And now what, puppy? You suddenly became strong after we slapped you with words that sting right into your heart? Or are you trying your best to impress your boss?" He asks, which makes Ruther clench his fist. "What? Have I pulled a vein of animosity in you? have I pulled yet another trigger?"

Ruther became silent for a second. He's already gritting his teeth ad he couldn't seem to take the humiliation any longer. It's either he continues defending himself or ends up being silent and feel defeated.

"Your words seem to sting, especially when it triggers negativity and past that I didn't want to be pulled away to the grave that I made for it. . . I must say, you're quite good at messing with other people. . ." Ruther says as he stands up and turns to them. "But am I the only one who buried his past to a self-made grave? With the tombstone of IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY PAST? Tell me if I'm wrong but, haven't you had fragile yore that you buried deep into your consciousness?"

Blake couldn't seem to reply any longer as his past comes back to its memory. Ruther already has teary eyes, but he decided to continue.

"Now tell me, Mister Fall. . . How does it feel like for someone to kill you with the past that made you dead for so many times?"

The rest turns to Blake, who feels the pain of yesterday. It didn't make Ruther grin to see his expression as he succeeded in payback, but it made him perceive sadness at some point. Something deep inside his consciousness already that something is indeed wrong. But then, he decided to curve his lips in a sile and talk.

"Let's have dinner, shall we?" He inquires as he gestures to the empty chairs before them. And without waiting for another second, they take a seat. When they're all settled, women wearing white comes to serve dinner. But before they could even eat, the door opens wide again. That's the Pastor Roman snaps.

"Oh, and I almost forgot about our two genius friends!" he says, which makes them all look at the two men entering the room.

"Briar and Valentine! Hurry up there and join us! We are just about to say our prayers!"