Forget Me Not

Chapter Three

KATE woke up when she felt a chill. It's like there's a cold blanket covering her.

As she opened her eyes, she realized that she was the only person there. She briefly scanned the surroundings. She was in the small living room where Melissa's coffin was, where her wake was being held. She also noticed that the sun was setting outside.

She hugged herself and stood up. She looked around, searching for her friends.

She decided to go outside to look for her friends when she suddenly stopped in her tracks upon hearing something.

She quickly turned her gaze towards Melissa's coffin as a picture frame fell on top of the mirror.

She approached it. She set up the picture frame and gazed at the photo for a moment, and sadness enveloped her heart.

She gasped as she felt tears welling up. It was a Polaroid shot of them, friends before they parted ways last semester. Melissa took seven shots so that they all had a copy as a remembrance. She couldn't have imagined that it would be the last photo they would all be together in.

She quickly wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes and returned the picture frame to its original position. Once again, she glanced at her friend lying in the coffin.

"I'm sorry, Melissa," she whispered. She still couldn't believe that her best friend was really gone. She placed her palm on the mirror as if trying to carry her feelings through it. "I'll miss you..."

She stopped mid-sentence as she noticed something unusual at the back of Melissa's head. She leaned in to get a closer look at what it could be. Uncertain if it was real or just her imagination, she could make out what seemed like a dark and thick strand of hair sticking out.

Suddenly, she screamed as she realized those were eyes staring back at her, and they were glaring fiercely!

She quickly backed away from the coffin, overcome with intense fear as if she were being possessed by it.

The chill that settled in the room seemed to deepen, a cold that crept into her bones. Her breath felt like fog, and for a moment, she wondered if the temperature had actually dropped or if it was all in her head. The picture frame’s cracked glass glistened eerily in the dim light, reflecting shadows that danced like spirits. She felt as if Melissa’s eyes were watching her, even from beyond the grave.

She stopped when she bumped into Kayla. She immediately embraced her.

"What is happening to you?" Kayla asked worriedly. "You're trembling..."

She swallowed hard and attempted to glance back at Melissa's coffin, but fear quickly made her avert her gaze. Her knees were trembling, and the image she saw kept replaying in her mind, making her feel weak.

"What happened, dear?" Melissa's mother asked with bewilderment, following closely behind Kayla. "Why did you scream?"

She looked up. How will she describe what she saw? But did she really see what she saw, or perhaps her mind was not fully awake yet? Yet why does she struggle to breathe in intense fear?

A sudden thump on the roof made everyone freeze. It was as if something heavy had landed on the old wooden beams, sending dust and fragments of dried leaves cascading down. The noise reverberated through the room, and even the candles flickered as though disturbed by an unseen presence. Gilbert’s eyes darted to the ceiling, his lips forming a silent prayer, while Brennen instinctively moved closer to the others.

"What happened? Who screamed?" Rico asked in a hurry as he came from outside. Following him were Gilbert, Irene, and Brennen.

Kate kept tilting back and forth, and she wiped her palms on her face. It was then that she realized she was cold and sweating.

"S-sorry. I fell asleep, and... I had a bad dream..." she explained in a hoarse voice.

"Oh, I thought something had happened—" Gilbert was interrupted by a noise. Everyone turned to Melissa's coffin. Suddenly, the picture frame that Kate had just placed upright fell down again.

Aling Telma approached and stood the picture frame up again. However, it was her gasp that caused everyone to look at the elderly woman.

"My God..." she murmured, a sudden sense of concern evident in her voice. She stared at what she was holding for a few seconds before glancing briefly at her friends.

Kate cannot explain why the fear reigning in her heart strengthens even more as she tries to read the eyes of Melissa's mother.

"Why...?" Kayla was the one who managed to ask.

"Listen to me," Aling Telma said in a hushed but clear voice. "Before you go to sleep tonight, never forget to say your prayers."

Kate looked at the old woman, feeling confused. It was then that she noticed the glass in the picture frame had cracked.