Whispers of Deja Vu

Episode 2

Ten years later...

Almost a decade had passed since the incident. Now, in the same familiar place, the friends had planned to meet again. One of their childhood friends had invited them to his birthday after returning from abroad, and they weren't about to miss the chance to reunite. It was also their last day in the village before heading back to Manila the next day.

A lot had changed—back then, they were just high schoolers, but now they each had their own jobs. The once quiet road was now bustling with activity. Where Mrs. Hena's small store once stood alone, neighboring houses and shops had now sprung up around it.

"Wow, Mrs. Hena, you've got a second floor now! Next time we visit, don't be surprised if we find a whole underground level too," Keiffer joked.

"Oh, you never change!" Mrs. Hena laughed. "But truly, by God's grace, I was able to renovate this place two years ago."

"Well, at this rate, next time we come back, you'll have a five-story building," Keiffer teased.

"Oh, I sure hope so!" she replied with a chuckle.

"I'll get a Zesto and a Clover, Mrs. Hena. You guys want anything?" Nicole asked.

"Nah, I'm still full," Neil said.

"We're going to be eating a ton later anyway!" Keiffer added excitedly.

"Here you go, 23 pesos. Oh, Nicole, your hair looks really nice," Mrs. Hena complimented.

"Thank you! I'm glad you noticed. My sister influenced me—she decided to experiment on my hair while I was in Manila."

"Well, it suits you! Makes you look even fairer," Mrs. Hena said warmly.

"Oh, you're too kind. By the way, is this pickup truck yours? Mind if I sit in the back for a bit? I need to find some signal," Nicole asked, already checking her phone.

"Of course, go ahead. Just be careful climbing up, dear," Mrs. Hena said as she busied herself with the store.

"By the way, where's Samantha?" Neil asked.

"She stayed behind to bond with her grandma last night. She didn't feel like coming with me, so she said Jepoy would bring her later," Keiffer explained.

"And what about your girlfriend, Neil?" Nicole asked curiously.

"She's busy reviewing for her finals. I didn't want to distract her. Looks like I'm the fifth wheel again," Neil said with a laugh.

"That's what you get for dating someone younger," Keiffer teased.

"Speaking of dating—Nicole, where's Alex?" Neil asked.

10 years ago...

Alex was being rushed into the emergency room on a stretcher, with Keiffer and Neil trailing behind in panic. Meanwhile, Samantha stayed beside Nicole, who was still passed out in the ambulance.

The next day, Alex's entire family crowded his hospital room, anxiously monitoring his condition. Though he had taken a severe hit, thankfully, his head wasn't too badly injured—just a collection of bruises and a couple of nasty wounds on his shoulder and stomach.

When Alex's parents allowed his friends to visit, Nicole hesitated at the door. She didn't want to see him in such a state. But after taking a deep breath, she gathered the courage to step inside.

Once Alex's parents stepped out, the group wasted no time huddling around their friend. The moment they saw him lying unconscious, they broke into tears. Even though the doctor assured them he would recover, the sight of him unresponsive was heartbreaking.

As the next day passed with no change, the routine remained the same. His parents stayed by his side in the mornings, and his friends took turns watching over him in the afternoons.

Keiffer and Neil had just returned from grabbing food, and Samantha had just come from the restroom when they coincidentally met outside Alex's room. Just as they were about to step in, they overheard Nicole talking to him.

"If you don't wake up this week, I won't be able to review with you. If you don't review, you won't pass, and if you don't pass, you won't graduate. And if you don't graduate..." Nicole paused dramatically, "...I will never talk to you."

Keiffer and Neil exchanged looks. They weren't sure whether to laugh or tear up. Naturally, they chose to eavesdrop.

"Wake up... we miss you. And of course, I miss you too," Nicole added, her voice cracking slightly.

Keiffer could no longer contain himself. He burst through the door with a mischievous grin. "Bro, wake up... Nics is losing it over here!" he said, giving Alex's arm a light smack.

"Kei! What the heck? Why are you slapping him?" Samantha scolded, glaring at him.

"Don't worry, Nicole, we totally didn't hear anything," Keiffer teased with a wink.

Neil shook his head. "So that's why he beat me by six points last week! He was getting free tutoring from you!" he said, acting dramatically betrayed as he placed the food on the table.

Nicole groaned and covered her face. "You guys are impossible."

"If I were you, man, I'd wake up now," Keiffer continued, grinning. "Nicole only gets sentimental like this once in a blue moon. But seriously, dude, we miss you. And let's be real—Nics misses you the most."

"Can you not?" Nicole huffed, her face burning with embarrassment.

"Too bad I didn't record that," Neil mused, shaking his head.

"Oh, just eat already!" Nicole snapped.

"There she goes, bro, she's getting cranky. It's—" Keiffer's teasing was cut off by Samantha's sudden gasp.

"Oh my gosh! He moved!" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I saw it too!" Neil yelled, almost knocking over the food.

"Really?" Nicole instantly grabbed Alex's fingers, her heart pounding.

They all froze as Alex's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, his eyes opened.

"Call the doctor! Hurry!" Nicole shouted, her voice a mix of shock and excitement.

End of flashback

"Is that Alex?" Aling Hena asked, squinting at the young man at the end of the street. Her vision was a bit blurry, so she wasn't sure.

"Yow!" Alex shouted from afar.

"Yes, that's Alex," Neil replied with a laugh.

Nicole turned to him and yelled, "Why are you so slow? And whose scooter are you using this time?" she asked, bewildered, seeing Alex on an electric scooter.

"My bike got a flat tire, babe!" Alex shouted back to his girlfriend.

"He's such a cheater, we agreed to walk, so we left our car!" Neil complained.

But their attention shifted when a tricycle stopped, and Samantha got out.

"Sorry, am I too late?" Samantha said apologetically while handing money to the driver. She was carrying a lot of stuff: a shoulder bag, a suitcase, and a gift bag for their friend's birthday.

"Oh, I thought Jepoy was giving you a ride?" Keiffer asked worriedly, standing up to meet Samantha.

"My brother left last night, I forgot to tell you," Samantha explained.

"Finally, we're complete!" Neil said happily, standing up and straightening his polo shirt.

"Hurry up, Alex, you're so slow with that scooter!" Nicole called out.

Samantha was about to cross the street when a black van suddenly stopped in front of her, and her belongings were snatched away.

Samantha couldn't do anything as the thieves moved quickly, and one even pointed a knife at her. Once they got her stuff, they sped off.

She was left stunned, looking at her now-empty hands. She quickly turned to the other side of the street and looked at her friends.

"Those bastards!" Alex shouted as he passed by them, chasing the van.

"What? OH MY GOSH!" Nicole screamed.

Keiffer immediately took off running as he processed what had just happened.

"Samantha, cross the street!" Mrs. Hena called out, snapping Samantha out of her shock.

"s**t! How are we supposed to catch them?" Nicole asked frantically.

"Mrs. Hena, I'm sorry, but can we borrow your truck? I didn't bring the car, and—" Neil didn't even finish his sentence before Mrs. Hena tossed him the keys. He caught them in one swift motion.

"My goodness, go ahead, hurry!" she urged, her voice laced with worry.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hena! Hold on tight, Nics," Neil said as he rushed to the pickup truck and started it.

As they backed up, Nicole helped Samantha climb in. "Careful," she said, making sure she was seated properly.

"What was in your bags?" Nicole asked urgently.

"E-Everything! My phone, tablet, clothes, and my laptop!" Samantha replied regretfully. She had brought all her stuff, thinking she would only be at her grandmother's for a day. Now she wished she had left it all behind.

"Phone, clothes, laptop—everything's in there, Neil! We have to catch that van!" Nicole told him, urgency rising in her voice.

Neil wasted no time—he floored it.

"Be careful! Goodluck!" Mrs. Hena's voice rang out from behind them.

Something about the way she called after them sent a chill down Nicole's spine. It wasn't just concern—it was the way Mrs. Hena was staring at them. Intently. Almost knowingly. A shiver crawled up Nicole's back as unease settled in her chest. Had this happened before?

"I can see Keiffer!" Neil shouted, snapping Nicole out of her thoughts.

She looked ahead and, sure enough, Keiffer was still running.

Even that felt strangely familiar. Too familiar.

Nicole frowned, her mind spinning. Was she remembering something? Or was this déjà vu? It was as if she had been thrown back into the past, reliving a moment she couldn't quite place.

Neil sped up, forcing everyone to grip the truck's frame tightly. In seconds, they had caught up to Keiffer.

"Come on, man!" Neil called as they skidded to a stop beside him.

Panting heavily, Keiffer didn't hesitate—he climbed into the back of the pickup truck, gripping the sides tightly as they sped off.

"Dang it, they're getting away!" Keiffer said in frustration.

Suddenly, the words hit Nicole like a shockwave.

"Damn, they're getting away!" Keiffer couldn't stop himself from saying.

Her mind flashed back to a different time, a different chase. The past and present blurred together, sending a shiver down her spine.

"No way..." Nicole muttered in disbelief, still trying to grasp the situation. Her heart was pounding, and she was starting to feel anxious.