Malediction

A Perfect Replica

The sun was high but the sky was a relaxing hue of blue.  It was the only thing keeping me from being sane because it was loud here. Really loud. The peaceful sleep I had yesterday wasn't enough to compensate for the noise the university students make as they rally their way to CHED that morning. We were still in the university where the undergraduates came from, with half of their team making more slogans and life-size crafts just to burn later on. It was about lessening subject loads that would be aligned with other international universities for the college programs. These kids wanted to have equal time for study and social life or work without being late to graduate or becoming a health risk later in life. There were different sets of reasons I had to write about, but it was my job. They are doing theirs as well, molding the future. 

It was a state university situated in Manila called Deramiya University that was known to labor their students with full loads of subjects with only Sunday as a break, in respect for the church goers. After decades, this was the student body's first time to actually dive into the topic for evaluation. I guess they're trying to implement 'study smart' now, not the cliched 'study hard'. 

Tim continued to take pictures of the whole chaos we were in. It was continuously packed with students from left and right so he had a longer time taking good shots than usual. Angles of different sorts were taken, he was fast for his physique. A camera and experienced hands can do wonders, bringing life to his work, to those who weren't there to see. He said to me that he took his craft seriously from a hobby when he was a teenager as soon as he revealed to his lawyer parents he wasn't taking the same path as them. He was in love with photography. His parents, well, not so much. There was no conversation, just his packed bags out of the house. He never looked back and pursued an arts degree with a scholarship. It was 10 years ago, now he's a happy broke photographer, away from their high expectations.

I walked around, looking for active participants to interview, leaving Tim to do his magic. Depending on our editor, it may be sent to our tv outlet affiliate for evening news or written for our social media account and newspaper in Sun Bulletin so both pictures and videos were needed for the report. Andrea was covering another story, an interview with a celebrity, which was safe so I let her do it with Bennie, our lady writer with a knack for the right questions.

Deramiya University was a large university holding a great record for high-caliber students of different courses they offered. It was a pressuring environment to always work hard with their high passing rates for every exam taken. Only the best or the rich were here. Seeing the students individually, it was noticeably more of the rich now than it was before. Yes, before. This campus was familiar. The gold covered name of every building glimmered straight to my eyes. It made me trigger something back to my memories. A rush came surging in me that my heart palpitates with excitement. I was so happy to recognize something from the past. I know I studied here. It was the same campus the moment I saw it. I could remember every corner of every building or park it had. I could remember something. I was so happy. The stress from the never-ending noise began to fade away as my mood brightened. I really wanted to wander about but it wasn’t a good day to do so. I came closer to one of the college students who resembled most of those with strong will. It intimidated me a little even with our age gap, her aura as a person of justice was just on another level. 

Her name was Terese. She willingly accepted the interview so I called Tim to record what seemed like a conversation, but was an interview about the ongoing rally. It was swift because she was a natural. I thanked Terese and walked away to find another person for a variety of opinions in the report. Moments later, a sweet voice came calling her name. It caught my attention. The caller’s voice was high and cute, like those female characters in anime. It was annoying but adorable. Before reaching out to another student, I glanced to see who it was. And to my surprise, she looked like the person of my nightmares. That girl looked exactly like the witch, just alive and healthy. From facial bone structure to the curve of her lips, she was identical, it frightened me. Her height and body shape didn't fail either. Our eyes met due to my long stare. She caught me looking at her, I felt uneasy. I hadn't noticed my glance was now a stare. Somewhere in my mind I think it was her in a human disguise. Witches can do that. I know they could.

I didn’t let it linger any longer. I lost the last of my good mood. My heart was beating crazy and I was sweating. It looked like I was nervous with a girl I like, but it wasn't. I wish it was just that simple. This was fear, pure and lucid. I wasn't scared for my well being, it was for the college kids out here. What if she messes with my head again? What could I do or who could I hurt now? I walked further, out of sight. I chugged water from my own bottle in a comfortable distance, still around others. My sweating worsened with the heat of the high sun. I got dizzy. I need to calm down, but I still have a job to do.

I wiped the sweat away with my arm and sat in the shade. I greeted other students in a friendly manner for more opinions. As my heart rate went down, my collection of opinions increased. I wrote them down, satisfied and kept the audio recorder back in my pocket. Just one more interview and I'm done. How was Tim? 

"Hi!" I froze in recognition of her voice, forgetting what I thought earlier. No way. That sweet, adorable but annoying voice was one thing I did not want to hear again. 

I faked a smile. I repeated the word 'professionalism' in my head multiple times to maintain my composure. "How can I help you?" I asked politely then clenched my teeth in a small smile again.  How was I able to not notice someone approaching me? I hate myself.

She got all bubbly and excited just from being acknowledged. Her smile was as sweet as voice. Her energy didn't match mine at all, who was scared of her presence. Poor kid, she didn't deserve this judgement from me. "I want to be interviewed for the rally coverage. I want my opinion to be heard." She said enthusiastically but I know she wasn't doing it for show. She looked serious after those words.

"It may not look like it but I'm actually the leader of the rally, not Terese. I'm Maddie." The kid-like demeanor disappeared from her face gradually. She meant business. I sighed. I pulled out my audio recorder and turned a new page. 

It was lengthy and detailed, which was perfect for the article. It was actually a waste that Tim wasn't there since her face was so expressive it may persuade people of their cause. After the interview with Maddie, her bubbly character came back, it scared me on top of her looking like my worst nightmare. That sudden flip of character was just as frightening. 

"I hope you put that to good use in your article and be fair with your views." She said, sounding like everything was all good and dandy, but it wasn't. "Okay."  I smirked. She was not to be messed with. Her bright eyes told a different story.

There was a moment of awkward silence. I was still checking if I had everything in order before wandering in the university as planned but she didn't leave her spot when she was supposed to. I can feel her gaze towards me. The back of my neck burned in embarrassment. "You have to do something, aren't you?" I asked, implying the ongoing rally. She doesn't have to look that intently on my work but her eyes remain fixed on my figure.

"Terese will be taking over the second half. I already did mine. I am not sure if you noticed after checking me out back there." She replied.

I didn't give her what she wanted. My face remained inquisitive. "But you're the leader, things can happen in a rally. It's unpredictable."

"It's not like we're flipping the whole society's norms upside down. We'll be fine." She waved her hand to the wind, like sweeping it away. "And your necklace, it's a unique design I'm studying. Can I have it back? Uh, I mean, can I have a look?" She asked ever so politely but she was making me extremely careful with my movements and words. In her face, I could see she regretted that her true intensions slipped her lips. "I heard that."

"No, it was a mistake. It's just that I have the exact same one that I lost when I was young." Same one? Was she cursed as well? It piqued my interest.

"It was a necklace made for my dad from the northern islands. It was a charm." She said. Her eyes were now focused elsewhere. It was probably to a blank space reminiscing her memories. Why is she telling me these? Moments before, I was a stranger. I disagree with her, this necklace didn't bring me luck, it brought me nightmares that looked like her. But I couldn't stop being persuaded by her pleading eyes, I gave up.

I pulled it out of my shirt so she could get a proper look at it. Maddie was shocked to see the necklace to be so identical to the one her father wore. Her eyes were glued on it like gold on the bottom of an ocean. She was in a trance as she slowly lifted her arms to me.  Her hands slowly reached for it. Her fingers were even shaking. It alarmed me. I didn't mention she should take it. She just truly wanted the necklace and steal it from me. For some unknown reason, I felt like keeping the necklace with unknown origins on me rather than passing the nightmares to Maddie. I don't want her to become so unhinged like me. It won't do her any good. I hid it in my shirt and stood up. This was something beyond her, beyond us.