Fated Souls

III.

It's dark

It's quiet

I don't know where I am

I don't know why I am here

I don't know how I end up here

I just know that the fog together with the killer silence feels nice and cozy

I feel safe with someone

Someone I don't even know who

Suddenly, the fog that is embracing the killer silence is hugging us with it. 

But I'm not suffocating. 

I can't absorb anything that is happening around me. 

He's on the verge of dying. 

"I-I think... I think I can't m-make it." He breathlessly muttered. 

"Shh. Hang in there, they're close. Just trust me." I let out a sly smile and continued caressing his face while endlessly crying because of our situation. 

It doesn't feel right. 

Everything that is happening is screaming something I can recognize. 

This doesn't feel right. 

The fog that is hugging us together  with the killer silence turned the things I felt safe with into something that I didn't know will crash me into pieces. 

Again. 

Sapphire's POV 

I woke up with the slight tap on my face. 

Nakatulog pala 'ko because of crying. That Zeke jerk is testing my patience. Masyadong matalim ang dila niya.  But I didn't cry because of that. I cried because I remember him. 

I looked at the person who woke me up and there I saw Elijah. He was smiling at me while standing beside where I am seated. 

"Why are you here?" I asked him. 

"Why? Am I not allowed here?"

"You didn't answer my question." Sagot ko rito at nagbaling ng tingin sa kabilang gilid. 

"About what happened earlier and about what Zeke said, I want to say so-"

"I don't accept apologies, Mr. Evans." I cut him off.

"I want to say sobra siya." pagtutuloy nito. I looked at him and I saw his mischievous smile kaya natawa ako at umiiling na humarap ulit sa kabilang gilid. 

"So, I supposed that ring is so important to you, isn't it?" Pag basag niya sa katahimikan. 

"Everything that I have is important to me." 

"Well, yeah. That make sense." Pagsang ayon niya at nagpamulsa at tumingin sa taas. 

"Wala bang nag turo sa kaibigan mo to value everything? Hindi porket maliit na bagay lang wala nang halaga. Stupid ass." I told him.

"You know, Zeke have his own way of valuing the things that he own. He's a private person tulad ni Chase. They will just tell you what they want you to know. Maybe because he doesn't want to lose something or someone again."

I looked at Elijah, "Again?" I asked. He just took a deep breath and offered his hand to me. "Zia and Cali are looking for you."

I accepted it and stood up. "Thank you."

"Anong thank you? Kinukuha ko na yung polo ko." Sabi nito kaya inismiran ko siya at pinulot yung polo niya sa sahig na kinumot pala niya sa akin kanina. 

"You're welcome." he said while smiling kaya napa 'tss' na lang ako at inunahan siyang bumaba galing sa rooftop. 

I was on my way down the stairs nang makasalubong ko sina Cali na nakakapit na sa handrail paakyat at hinihinhgal. 

"Saan ba kasing nagpunta yung unggoy na yon? Hindi na walk out ginawa niya, travelling na yon." Si Cali.

"Ewan ko ba don e kung malala pa mood non sinapak na lang niya si Zeke. Ang lamig na pa naman. Oo no." Sabi ni Zia at niyakap ang sarili. 

Nakatayo lang ako sa may step sa bandang taas nila at hindi pa rin nila ako napapansin. Magsisimula na sana ulit silang umakyat nang makita nila ako at napaatras sa gulat. 

"Gage nagulat ako." Sabi ni Zia habang hawak ang dibdib.

"Gagu akala ko maligno e, unggoy lang pala." Sabi ni Cali kaya tinanggal ko  ang heels ko atsaka siya tumakbo pababa. 

"Calista Hale Peterson! Magtago ka nang mabuti hayop ka sasakalin kita!" Sabi ko rito habang hinahabol pa rin siya pababa. Nakita ko pa siyang tumigil at tarantang tinanggal ang heels niya. Nang mahabol ko siya, sinakal niya ako gamit ang braso niya tsaka ako pinagkukutos. Teka, bakit baligtad? Ako dapat ang gumagawa non ah. Gago.

Tinulak ko siya tsaka lang kami tumawa na parang mga naka shabu. Napansin namin si Zia na pababa ng hagdan at pagod na pagod. Tumigil siya sa huling step ng hagdan at nagpamewang habang ang isa niyang kamay ay bitbit ang heels niya. 

"Isn't it amazing?~" Sabi ko rito habang naka ngiti pa ng nakakaloko.

"Isn't it surprising?~" Pag gatong naman ni Cali.

"Isn't it exciting?~"

"Isn't it?" Sabay naming sabi ni Cali atsaka kami pabiglang tumakbo dahil alam naming ihahampas niya sa amin ang mga heels niya na hawak niya. Nagtutulakan pa kami ni Cali palabas habang nasa hallway dahil gusto naming maunahan ang isa't isa. Tumatawa lang kami habang tinitignan sa likuran namin si Zia.

Nang makalabas na kami ng building at nang mapagod na kami ay tumigil na kami sa pag takbo. Tumatawa lang kami sa mga kagaguhang naiisip namin kahit wala naman kami non. 

We decided to go to the nearest convenience store and ate there. Dahil wala naman kaming mapapala sa party na yon because they will just serve a lot of different beverages for the people to get wasted.

May catering naman, but who would eat there in that kind of party? E ang lalaswa nilang tignan because they were kissing here and there.  Shame. 

And with just that, our day ended. 

Calista's POV

It's Monday at nasa cafeteria kami naka tambay while eating breakfast. Okay sige, breakfast number two. E kasi naman, napa aga kaming pumasok dahil nakalimutan namin na wala pala ang prof. namin sa first subject namin. We're classmates in two of our subjects, I guess?

We're in college and I am taking BS in Architecture while Zia is taking BS in Tourism and BS in Psychology for Saph. We're actually on our third year. 

"So, anong plano mo after taking Psychology? Have you decided?" I asked Saph.

"I'm not yet sure. Hmm, maybe Law? Or I'll be a Psychiatrist? I don't know." Tsaka siya nag kibit balikat and continued. "Pwede rin namang baliw na lang." Sabi nito ko kaya tumawa kami. She sipped in her drink and started talking again. 

"O baka Criminal Profiler?" she said and continued drinking. 

"Pwede rin namang kriminal na lang." Biglang sulpot ni Elijah sa gilid namin. "Pwede rin. Ikaw uunahin ko." Sagot naman ni Saph. Elijah just laughed on what Saph said and sat beside Zia. Wala ba 'tong magawa sa buhay at nakikisali siya sa amin?

"Wala ka bang kaibigan at sa amin ka sumasali?" Tanong ni Zia sa kaniya.

"Hindi naman ako nakikisali sa inyo, nakikiupo lang ako. And yes, I have friends." Sagot naman nito. 

"Whatever break boy." Sabi ni Zia. 

"Sinabi na ngan-" Elijah was cut off bago pa niya madefend ang sarili niya sa pangaasar ni Zia. 

"Saph? Can we talk?" Asked the familiar guy. Nag kunot lang ng noo si Saph before talking.

"About what? And It's Sapphire for you." She said. 

"About what happened last Friday. I uhh... I just w-want to say sor-"

"She doesn't accept apologies." He was cut off by Elijah. 

"Hindi ka kasali sa usapan tol, kaya wag kang sumabat."

"I'm just saying. Dahil kahit maihi ka pa sa salawal mo sa kaba kakahingi ng sorry she won't take your apology." Sabi ni Elijah at uminom sa inumin ni Zia kaya tinampal siya nito sa kamay. Hindi na lang siya pinansin nung lalaki at tumingin ulit kay Saph na walang pakealam at umiinom  lang. 

"So, S-Saph. I mean, Sapphire. I want to apolog-" Binagsak ng malakas ni Saph ang inumin niya sa table making the guy stopped talking. "I don't accept apologies." 

"I told you." Sabat ulit ni Elijah na hawak ang inumin ni Zia at naka pasak pa sa bibig niya yung straw.

"Especially when the apology is not sincere." Pagpapatuloy ni Saph.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You're apologizing because you're scared that you might end up in jail, right? You're not saying sorry because you mean it. You're saying sorry because you want to cover up what you've done. Am I right or wrong?"

"P-pinilit lang ako to say sorry because he told me that I wouldn't like it kapag siya ang nagalit. So please, accept my apology para mawala na sa blacklist ang pangalan ko." Pagmamakaawa nito kay Saph. 

"Good for you then. Blacklist? Nino? That's interesting. I want to know what will happen to you next. Now, you can leave." Sabi ni Saph and continued drinking. Wala nang nagawa yung lalaki and he just left. 

"Blacklist?" Bulong ni Elijah, hawak pa rin ang inumin ni Zia habang nagtataka yung pagmumukha niya. 

"Ah!" Sabi nito na parang naaalala na yung iniisip niya. Meron ba siya non?

"Anong a-" Hindi na natukoy ni Zia ang pagtatanong niya nang biglang tumayo si Elijah at umalis na rin sa cafeteria. 

"Ano bang hinihithit non?" tanong ni Zia. I was just drinking my coffee while looking outside the cafeteria at tinitignan ang papalabas na si Elijah. I saw a shadow na galing sa may bintana ng cafeteria.

It was a man. It's as if he's watching us.

Elijah followed him running and with just that, they disappeared from my sight. 

Who the hell is that? His figures looks familiar.