Dangerous Gentlemen II: The Damned

THE SIN

"Paige!" nanlalaki ang matang bulalas ko nang makita ko siya na nakatayo sa may tuktok ng hagdan. She is crying heavily while looking down on me.

"I have to tell you something, Krystina." Kumabog ang puso ko when she started to get closer on to the first step. Base sa itsura niya ay mukhang wala siya sa tamang wisyo. She didn't even bother to look at the stairs dahil sa akin lang ang tingin niya.

"Alright! Alright. I will come up there to you and listen to what you will say, okay?" pilit ang ngiting sabi ko sa kaniya and immediately ran up the stairs. Paige on advancing further that for a moment, I felt afraid that she might fall.

"Krystina," paos ang boses na sabi ni Paige and advanced her feet even more. I saw how her eyes widened when she realized that she is falling.

"I got you!" nakanghinga ako nang maluwag nang nakarating ako sa tuktok sa tamang oras kung hindi ay baka na-injure na si Paige.

"Krystina, I have something to tell you," muling sabi niya sa akin habang nakatingala. I looked at her and saw guilt all over her face.

"Alright. Let's go back to my room and talk about it, okay?" kalmadong sabi ko at inakay na si Paige pabalik ng kwarto ko. She is shaking. I am still in shock kung paano siya bigla na lamang nagising. Ilang oras pa ngalang ang lumilipas at gising na siya.

I helped Paige sit on top of my bed at inayos ang buhok niya na gulong-gulo. "What is it, Paige?"

Paige blinked many times. Yumuko siya nang bigla na naman siyang naiyak. "Does it have something to do about what happened last night?" Nag-aalalang tanong ko but she didn't respond. "You don't have to force yourself to tell me, Paige. I can wait whenever you are ready." Nag-aalalang sabi ko sa kaniya but she simply shook her head.

I saw her swallowed hard at humugot ng malalim na hininga. She looks so determine to tell me kung ano man ang gusto niyang sabihin. "Last night, I was asleep in my office after I did a rounds to all of our patients. I was awaken by a scream and a sound of gunning."

THIRD PERSON'S POV:

12:59 am

Napabalikwas ng bangon si Paige na hindi napansin na nakatulog na pala siya dala ng pagod. Her heart pounding so fast after she was awaken by the loud sound of a gun. "HELP!" She heard someone screamed.

'What is going on?' Paige thought at nagmamadaling tumayo pagkatapos punasan ang laway niya na tumulo sa gilid ng labi niya.

Paige was frozen to her ground as soon as she opened the door. The hallway is filled with blood and body of people. Some of them are still grunting in pain habang ang iba naman ay wala nang buhay. Some even have decapitated part of their body. "Help, Help me." One of the nurses she knew cried while trying to hold to her neck na may malalim na sugat.

Paige don't know what to do. She started cry while her body is panicking. Nagmamadali siyang tumakbo pabalik ng opisina niya at kinuha ang cellphone niya. She tried to dial the police but her call wouldn't go through.

"Come on! COME ON!" Malutong na napamura si Paige nang ayaw talagang ma-connect ng tawag niya sa pulis. She is shaking so bad na hindi na niya mahawakan ng maayos ang cellphone niya. "Damn it!" She almost threw her phone due to her frustration but she realized she couldn't do that.

Nanghihina niyang nabitawan ang cellphone niya at napaupo sa sahig. She embraced herself and cried. Nasa ganoon siyang pwesto nang marinig niya ang mahinang boses ni Krystina.

"Hello," Kahit na mahina lang ang boses ni Krystina ay alam niya na kakagising lang nito. She looked around and saw her phone. There is an on going call between her and Krystina. Hindi niya namalayan na napindot pala niya ang dial button sa number ni Krystina.

Paige picked up the phone and placed it to her ear. "K-Krystina,"

"Paige?" Paige cried when she heard the voice of her friend. She somehow felt relieve that there is someone who she can talk to about what is happening.

"K-Krystina. It's all a mess. T-The place is full of blood and dead bodies everywhere. I-I'm scared. I-" Hindi na alam ni Paige kung ano ang pinagsasabi niya. She is just saying whatever that comes into her mind first. Sobrang natatakot siya sa nangyayari lalo na at hindi pa rin tumitigil ang ingay na naririnig niya sa labas. She is not sure pero may idea na si Paige kung sino ang punot-dulo ng lahat kahit malabo mang mangyari iyon.

"Calm down, Paige. Where are you?" Kalmadong sabi sa kaniya ng kaibigan.

Na-alerto si Paige nang bigla niyang marinig ang mabigat ng yabag papunta sa direksyon ng opisina niya. Pakiramdam niya ay parang nalaglag ang puso niya sa kaba nang marinig niya ang mahinang pagragitnit ng pinto ng opisina niya. Which means someone opened it.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Paige nang sinundan iyon ng yabag na papunta sa kung sana siya nagtatago. A pair of shoes suddenly appeared in front of Pagie. She looked up and saw Adrian smiling widely at him. Base from the expression of his face, it was not Adrian. It is Felix who's standing in front of her.

'I knew it.' Paige thought when her suspicion was confirmed. 'Pero paano?'

Felix smiled while enjoying himself with the look of fear on Paige's face.

"Paige, answer me. Where are you?" She heard Krystina said from the other line.

Paige swallowed hard tried to find her voice to speak. "Hospital. I-I'm at the hospital."

"Alright. I want you to hide and calm down, okay? Papunta na ako!" Nanghina si Paige nang biglang in-end ni Krystina ang tawag nila. Napansin naman iyon ni Felix na mas lalong lumapad ang ngisi nang makita ang unti-unting pagkawala ng pag-asa sa mga mata ni Paige.

"Was that Krystina you were talking to?" curious na tanong nito.

Paige fought the urge to answer his question. Imbis na maasar ay natawang lamang si Felix sa pagmamatigas ni Paige. She couldn't even afford to look at him due to fear. Paano ba naman, Felix is covered in blood. Even his face is covered in splattered blood.

'Oh god.' Paige thought.

"Your god is not here," nanlaki ang mga mata ni Paige sa narinig. Nagtaas siya ng tingin and realized that Felix is looking directly at her while reading her mind.

Malakas na napasinghap si Paige nang magtama ang tingin nila ni Felix. She feels like she is being sucked into the depths of his dark orbs which turned red for a moment. Paige saw her past, all her sins and mistakes that she have done. That moment which only lasted for a few seconds felt like years to Paige who experienced hell for a moment.

Nanghihina siyang napasalampak sa sahig habang umiiyak when she remembered the biggest mistake that she have committed.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, what kind of doctor are you?" mapanuyang tanong ni Felix habang nakatingin sa kaniya.

Suddenly, Paige could hear a cry of a baby. It started faint pero sa huli ay mas lalo iyong lumakas hanggang sa pakiramdam ni Paige ay umiiyak iyon sa mismong tenga niya. "Aghh!" She groaned and covered her ears while crying. She is being tortured by her mistake. The sin that she have always wanted to forget. The sin that she could never repent.

"Poor you." Paige heard Felix said. She opened her eyes and saw a bloody small figure came out in between her legs. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Paige nang gumalaw ito na parang uod at sinubukang lumapit sa kaniya.

Tears fell on Paige's eyes while watching the leech like figure locomoting towards her. Kung iba ang makakakita nito ay mandidiri. But Paige knew what it is. "My baby," Paige whispered and tried to reach for the it. For the first time in her life, Paige felt warmth in her heart while she is starting to accept the sin that she did.

The solution to her problem is not to run away but to embrace it. Her innocent mistake.

Paige was close to touching the fruit of her mistake when Felix grabbed it and crushed it mercilessly. "NOOOO!" Paige cried when she saw it crushed.

"Too late for that, don't you think?" Felix said to her at malapad na ngumisi.

Paige feels heartbroken. Nanginginig na pinulot niya ang natira sa maliit na katawan nito na dinurog ni Felix. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" Paige cried while repeating those words. Kahit na ilang taon na ang dumaan ay nagsisisi pa rin siya sa kasalanan na ginawa niya. If only she could turn back time, she would choose not to do the mistake that she did. But what can she do? she is just a mere human who always regrets at the end after a sin has been done.

"You humans are all the same. You never changed," naiiling na sabi ni Felix. Nanayo ang balahibo ni Paige when his voice suddenly changed into an unearthly tone. Paige looked up and saw Felix breathing hard and fast. The light flickered and Paige saw another figure in the dark in Felix's stand.

It was not human. It was the figure of the devil. "Y-You're a demon!"

Natatarantang umatras is Paige, trying to get away from him. Felix simple smiled and looked back at her. "Don't come close to me! Diyan ka lang!" Sabi ni Paige kay Felix pero hindi manlang siya nito pinakinggan.

"Oh god." Paige muttered under her breathe when Felix started to step closer to her. Every time the lights flicker, she could see the other inhuman figure in him. It was big and scary. It has a horn and red eyes.

Paige screamed and close her eyes. Kung panaginip lang iyon ay gusto na niyang gumising but it's not. All she could do is stick in the corner and cry in fear.

Felix placed his hand in the air. Paige coughed when she suddenly felt something tightening around her neck. Sa isang iglap lang ay tumaas ang katawan niya. "Akk!" sinapo ni Paige ang leeg niya at sinubukang alisin ang kung ano man ang nasa leeg niya but she couldn't feel anything. There is nothing there but she can feel it.

"Tell your friend I will see her again. Very, very soon," makahulugang sabi ni Felix at mas lalong nilapit ang mukha niya kay Paige. The light flickered one more time and Paige had a close up look on what the inhumane creature in Felix body looks like.

"AGHHH!" Sa sobrang takot ay bigla na lamang nawalan ng malay si Paige at nagising na lamang nang makita siya ng mga pulis na nag-rescue sa kaniya.

END OF FLASHBACK

Kung nakatayo lang siguro si Krystina ay kanina pa siya natumba sa sobrang panghihina niya nang marinig ang kabuoan ng kwento mula kay Paige. She didn't expect things to be like that lalo na sa sikreto ng kaibigan niya na ngayon lang nito binunyag. All those years she had no idea that Page went through that kind of pain.

"P-Paige, I'm sorry I didn't know. I'm so sorry for being a bad friend. I'm sorry if I fail to be with you during that time of your life," naiiyak na sabi ni Krystina sa kaibigan.

Paige shook her head hard at umiiyak na tinignan ang kaibigan niya. "No, Krystina. You are not at fault. In fact, I-I should be the one w-who should ask your forgiveness." Natigilan si Krystina sa narinig.

Paige cried even more while looking at the confused look on Krystina's face. "What do you mean?" naguguluhang tanong ni Krystina.

Kinuha ni Paige ang kamay ni Krystina. "I'm so sorry, Krystina. Please forgive me. Please don't leave me!" pagmamakaawa ni Paige kau Krystina.

Bumilis ang paghinga ni Krystina na nagsimula nang kutuban ng masama dahil sa sinasabi ni Paige. "W-What are you talking about, Paige? Hindi kita maintindihan."

Paige closed her eyes at humugot ng malalim na hininga. She wanted to tell Krystina the biggest sin that she committed but she couldn't. She couldn't afford to look at her best friend's eyes while telling her the truth.

"T-The father of my child, i-it was Tyler's."