Four More Minutes of Air

Chapter 3

We can literally see what's behind the thick forest. It is like what they called "city". Nakikita ko lang ito sa libro dati pero ngayon, literal na nakikita ko na. It is so bright even though it's night.

"Where is your house here?" Kendrick asked Deux while he was removing the remaining debris from his hairs and clothes, "Tita Meng will definitely know where we went."

"I guess they're having dinner right now," I said as we walked through a small house a little far away from the city, "And I guess, Tita Meng is worrying us now."

The breeze of the cold air is different here. It feels like I can't breath and it is suffocating. My sweat are falling down from my temple so I wiped it using the back of my right hand.

"Skye, are you okay? Why are you panting so hard?" sunod-sunod na tanong ni Kendrick habang inaalalayan ako, "Hold on, we're near."

"No, we're not," singit ni Deux.

"What? Sandali! Magpahinga muna tayo," rinig kong sigaw ni Kendrick kay Deux.

Pinaupo ako ni Kendrick sa malaking ugat ng puno. Napatingala ako sa taas dahil hindi ako makahinga. Una kong hinanap ang malaking buwan pero hindi iyon natanaw ng mata ko. Sa pagkakatanda ko, may buwan kanina ah. Bakit bigla na lang nawala?

"Dumb weakling," mahinang sabi ni Deux sa gilid habang nakatingin sa akin. 

"Shut up! Wala kang ambag sa lipunan," I said kahit na nahihirapan na ako huminga. Hindi ako magpapatalo sa kaniya kahit na naghihingalo na ako.

Tumawa siya nang malakas kaya nairita ako doon, "Watch your words honey, hindi mo ako kilala." aniya.

Because of what he said, I sarcastically laughed out loud then I choked and coughed, "Are you joking?" sabi ko sa pagitan ng pag-ubo ko.

I saw him not paying attention to me. Luminga-linga siya na parang may hinahanap kaya napatingin din ako sa direksyon kung saan siya tumitingin.

"Bakit? Sinong hinahanap mo?" I asked him. Parang medyo gumaan na ang pakiramdam ko dahil nakapagpahinga naman na ako.

"Where is your friend?" tanong niya habang lumilinga - linga pa rin. Nagising ang diwa ko dahil sa sinabi niya kaya bigla akong napatayo. Dahil biglaan ang pagtayo ko, unti-unting lumabo ang paningin ko at unti-unti rin nawala ang pandinig ko.

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Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto or oras ako nakatulog. As I open my eyes, I slowly realize that this ceiling is not familiar. Unti-unti kong naalala ang nangyari kanina o kahapon. 

"Am I good at acting?" rinig kong sabi ng isang tao sa gilid. "You shouldn't have trust a stranger, you really are dumb."

Tamad na tinignan ko siya sa gilid. He is seated on a chair with his left leg on top of his right leg. His eyes don't look like the way he saw me when we first met. He really is someone, he is not Deux.

"There are so many clues that I have shown you yet you didn't notice it," he said, "I wonder how you'll face the real world soon."

"Are you done?" mula sa pagakahiga, umayos ako ng upo nang hindi ko pa rin tinatanggal ang tamad na tingin ko sa kaniya dahil kung ipapakita ko ang takot ko, mas magiging madali iyon para sa kaniya, "Where is Kendrick?"

"Do you think I'm going to tell you where he is right now?" he sarcastically said.

"So, what am I supposed to do here?" 

"Any ideas?"

"I don't know what kind of nonsense you want to do."

"So, wala ka pa lang alam sa nangyayari ngayon?" tumawa siya nang malakas matapos niya sabihin iyon sa akin, "Let me introduce myself to you, again."

Nilahad niya ang kamay niya sa akin at inis na tinignan ko iyon. "I'm Dominic, Deux's older twin brother." Hindi na ako nagulat sa sinabi niya dahil napansin ko rin iyon.

I familiarized every corner of this room and I gathered information. There are no fragile things like mirrors and vases. The window and door are made up of metal.

"The government implies the one-child policy because of the countless populations. There are kids like you-" I interrupted him.

"I am no longer a kid,"  I interrupted him.

His lazy eyes looked at me, "So as I was saying, there are kids that became the guinea pigs of the government," he's walking back and forth while saying that to me.

"What? Why?" 

"Oh, a guinea pig is interested!" he teased., "When someone turns 18 years old, they may either die or become a guinea pig."

"How many months is 18 years old?" I asked. My hands are trembling but I didn't show it to him because if he knows that I am weak and scared, he'll be more confident.

"216 months old," he answered. Umupo na ulit siya at humarap sa lamesa niya. He is browsing on something, "Skye Vermont, 203 months old right? So, you're 16 years old in another term. March 9, 2018 is your birthday. Oh so you're turning 17 next month!"

"Where did you get that information?" 

"Okay, let's not wander around anymore," tumayo siya mula sa pagkakaupo niya at lumapit sa akin, "If you want your friend to live, come with me."

"Are you blackmailing me?" I can't feel the cold breeze of the wind outside but I can't also feel the heat of the atmosphere.

'Well, kinda," then he smiled like a psychopath. 

"What do you want from me?" I asked him again.

"As a son of one of the officials, I need to grow up successful," aniya at umupo siya sa tabi ko, "According to the information about you, you're smart ever since you were born but you don't want to show it. So, I want you to cooperate."

"Yeah, what is it? Maaari mo bang sabihin sa akin nang diretso ang nais mong ipahiwatig?" I asked him.

"Hold on! I'll explain it to you so shut your mouth for a second," umayos siya ng upo at nagsimula nang magsalita, "Your fate depends on your grade. If your grade is low, you'll die but if your grade is high, you'll become a guinea pig."

Parang biglang tumigil ang oras dahil ang tagal kong nakatingin sa kaniya. Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan ang mga sinabi niya sa akin dahil hindi pa iyon nagsisink-in sa utak ko. Bakit kailangan pa nila iyon gawin sa ibang tao na gustong mabuhay?

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