Shades Of Black

Chapter 17. Scripted

P  H  O  E  X  E

. . .

"Henry, I saw him-!"

"Fvck him." he cursed and I felt like silence would be the first thing to do in that moment. I can see how dark his aura is, even though I can't fully see his face.

What is it again? Didn't he catch Epiales' thoughts? Did he already know that he's there? Did he also see him with my feature? What did he hear on his head?

Pero hindi mahalaga kung ano man ang narinig niya kay Epiales o kung ano man ang kinagalit niya. Maaring makatakas si Epiales kung sakaling hindi namin ihinto ang kotse. I can't let him run like that! Hindi pwedeng siya na lang ang nanalo! Damn him!

"Stop the car, Mr. Walter." seryosong sabi ko at nakita ko sa rear mirror na naasulyap sa akin si Mr. Walter. Ang akala ko ay ihihinto nito ang sasakyan pero bigla na lamang nitong binilisan ang pagpapaandar. Naging balisa rin ang kaniyang itsura.

It doesn't matter! All we need to do right now is to catch Epiales!

"We can't let Epiales run! Stop the car now, Mr. Walter!" sinubukan ko siyang utusan pero hindi pa rin ito humihinto. Hindi na siya sumulyap sa akin sa halip ay mas binilisan niya pa ang pagpapaandar ng kotse.

"I said stop the car!" I shouted, and Mr. Walter finally hit the brake. And I almost hit my head on the front chair but someone held my shoulder. It was so cold, it calmed me. Few seconds later, he let go of me.

Nilingon ko ang taong humawak sa akin pero napakunot na lang ang noo ko ng makita ko na hinawakan ako ni Arius. Yet I didn't feel sleepy or tired. Why. . .

Paanong nangyaring hindi ako nakatulog?

"The first thing to do right now is to save Lina, Phoexe. That was a fvckin' trap." napatigil naman ako nang seryosong sinabi ni Arius iyon.

Trap.

Biglang pumasok sa isip ko ang napanaginipan ko, at muntik na akong mapamura noong maramdaman ko ang sinag ng araw na tumatama sa aking mukha. Sa mga nanlalaking mata ay bumaba ako sa nakahintong kotse at doon ko nakita si Lina na hawak ang isang basong kape at kumakaway ito sa direksyon namin. Medyo malayo ang pinaghintuan ng kotse pero mula rito ay matatanaw mo na ang bahay ni Scarlet.

Mabilis akong naglakad papunta doon, habang sinusuri ang buong paligid. Wala akong nakitang kahit anong kakaiba sa lugar. Ngunit katulad ng nasa aking panaginip, nakatayo si Lina kung saan siya papatayin ni Epiales. She was waving her hand at our direction while holding a cup of hot coffee on the other hand.

"SCARLET!" Tuwang-tuwa nitong sigaw habang patakbong pumunta sa amin. Bahagya pang natapon ang kape niya dahil tumatakbo siya. Kaya naman napahinto ito dahil napaso. "Aw! Aw! Aw!"

Napalingon naman ako kay Scarlet na naglalakad na papunta sa direksyon ni Lina, hindi pa rin nakatakas sa aking mata ang stiff nitong braso. Naalerto naman ako noong bumukas ang pinto ng bahay ni Scarlet. Nakita ko sila Kuya Gerin na tuloy-tuloy na lumabas ng pinto.

Pero napatigil ako noong may mapansin akong kakaiba sa may pinto, merong manilis lubid doon at mukhang mapapatid si Kuya Gerin dahil hindi niya ito nakita. Nakatingin lang silang lahat kay Scarlet na naglalakad sa kanilang direksyon. .

Mukhang hindi nila napansin ang kanilang paligid. Wala sa sariling napatingin ako sa may bubong at may nakita ako doon na nakapagpakaba sa akin ng husto. There was a knife on the roof door and if it fall from the top, it will hit Lina's top head. She was shaking her hand while feeling the burnt on her hand due to her idiotic act. And I think the thin thread that was on the lower front of the door would pull the knife to fall. If she's not going to step back or change her position, she'll going to die!

For a moment, I felt like the time stops and give me a moment to think, react at the situation

I can't stop kuya Gerin to take another step, Lina will never survive. I can't shout because their action is faster than my words, it will just confuse them. I can't pull Lina to take a step and change it's position, I am a few meters away from them. What should I do?

Sa sobrang bilis ng pangyayari ay kusa na lamang gumalaw ang aking katawan. Kinuha ko ang bato malapit sa akin at hinagis ito ng ubod ng lakas sa direksyon ni Lina na nakatingin parin kay Scarlet.

Sa mga oras na iyon, pakiramdam ko ay bumagal ang oras at nakisama ito sa akin. Tumakbo ako ng mabilis at sumigaw ng malakas sa kanilang direksyon.

"WATCH OUT!" napatingin silang lahat sa akin. But it didn't stop Kuya Gerin to take a step, the invisible string was stretched. And the knife on the roof fall.

Nang sabihin ko iyon ay ang batong hinagis ko ay tumama sa balikat ni Lina, kinakabahan ako dahil gumalaw lamang ang balikat nito. The gap in the falling knife and on Lina's head is approximately 7 inches. I can't help my knees not to shake. She's not moving!

She'll be dead!

Her body fell on the ground, stiffed. Shocked of what actually happen. She's lying there, doesn't have any strength to stand up and stay away. Her eyes were glued at the knife between her knees. It landed on the ground.

Sa sobrang lakas ng impact ng spring sa kutsilyo, bumaon ang halos kalahati ng katawan ng kutsilyo sa damuhan. Kita ko ang panginginig ng tuhod ni Lina, nadaplisan ng kutsilyo ang pajama nito. Malapit sa kaniyang kaliwang tuhod.

"a. AAAH!" She finally screamed at the top of her lungs and tears rolls down her cheek while looking at us with horrored face.

Everyone was still on a stage of shock, unable to react. Maski ako ay hindi ko alam ang gagawin sa mga oras na iyon. Buhay si Lina, nakasigaw siya, nakareact siya, nanginginig siya! Walang dugo ang kumakalat ngayon sa damuhan, walang buhay ang nawalan!

"Lina!" Kuya Gerin run on her side, and help her to stand away from the buried knife. He was the first to do an action, and he manage to calm Lina who was already hyperventilating.

Natauhan naman na ang iba at nilapitan kaagad nila si Lina. Narinig ko pa si Kuya Gerin na nag-utos na lumayo sila dahil hindi na makahinga si Lina. Ramdam ko pa rin ang pagkagulat at pagtataka nila sa nangyari.

"What the heck did just happened?!" Lindsay freaked out, she was shaking her hand.

"There's a string..." Manuel said, looking at the door that was left hanging open. From here, the light of the sun reflects of the tiny thread that makes my eye blinked.

Napansin ni Manuel ang string at hindi ako makapaniwala na agad niyang mapapansin iyon.

"Look at the door, there's an invisible string. And it was connected at the veranda's roof. From there, the knife suddenly fell, and I think stretching that string triggered the knife to fall."

Ngayon ko lang napansin mayroong lever doon kung saan magbibigay ng pwersa sa spring para magbounce at para mabigyan ng impact ang knife na mahulog ng mabilis. Kapag nastretch ang maliit na sinulid doon ay malamang ay mahihila ang maliit na lever na pumipigil sa spring para mabigay ang pinakahugis nito. Kapag nahila ito, hindi na mapipigil ang spring na magbounce para maattain nito ang kaniyang pinakahugis. At kapag nangyari iyon, matutulak ng spring ang knife para bumulusok pababa.

No one can survive that, but Lina did.

***

6: 01 AM

"FOR REAL, what is that?" hindi na mapakali ang tao sa loob ng bahay ni Scarlet. Nakatayo ako malapit sa pinto, habang sila Lina, Maggie, at Lindsay ay nakaupo sa sofa. Nakapagitna si Lindsay na pinapakalma si Maggie na hindi na natigil sa kaiiyak. Nawalan ng malay si Lina at hindi pa rin siya gumigising, hindi na namin alam ang gagawin. Habang si Scarlet ay nasa likod ng sofa at tinatapik-tapik ang pisngi ni Lina.

Sila Manuel at Kuya Gerin ay nakatayo lang din habang nakatingin kay Lina na bumabalik na ang kulay. Kanina lamang, halos mawalan na ng kulay ang mukha niya. Nagwala talaga siya at humagulgol sa bisig ni Kuya Gerin. Si Kuya Gerin din ang nagutos sa amin na pumasok kaming lahat sa bahay ni Scarlet, at maging maingat sa bawat paggalaw. Nang sandaling makatapak na si Lina sa loob ay tsaka ito nawalan ng malay.

"Who would dare to do that fvckin' trap?" Maggie exclaimed in horror.

"That a hell sht." Manuel cursed, "Only an expert can do that set up. Hence, it can't be done in just one night."

"Sinasabi mo ba na matagal nang plinano 'to?" Kuya Gerin asked.

"Probably. Even me, I can't do that." sagot ni Manuel habang seryoso ang mukha.

"Kung matagal nang may nagmamanman dito, ibig sabihin si Scarlet ang target nung killer?"

"But she wasn't home. Bakit ngayon pa na tayo lang ang nandito?"

"We need to do something." Lindsay said in a worried tone.

"We could just report it to the police and let them investigate this place." Kuya Gerin suggested.

"Wait, that would cause us a lot of hold-ups. May project ako na kailangang tapusin ngayong buwan." Manuel said. Silang dalawa ni Kuya Gerin ang may mga trabaho na pero hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ko siya matawag na Kuya kahit na mas matanda siya. Siguro nahawa na lang sa pagpapakilala sa akin ni Lina kay Manuel.

"We're in danger, hindi ba mas importante 'yon?" his girlfriend, Lindsay, countered.

"We need protection." Kuya Gerin said. "Okay. Is it fine to you, Scarlet? Maaring maimbestigahan 'tong buong bahay mo?"

Was Kuya Gerin a police?

"I think we only need protection. I don't want anyone to know my Mom's place." Sagot ni Scarlet.

"Are you serious? Pwedeng bumalik 'yung mga taong nasa likod nito." Maggie said.

"Wala rin namang lead kung sino ang maaring gumawa nito. Walang magagawa ang mga pulis kungdi bantayan tayo." Pagdadahilan pa ni Scarlet. Kinakabahan tuloy ako dahil parang kahit anong minuto ay mapapaamin siya. Sht, this isn't good.

"I'll take my team to investigate. This case will be confidential." by Kuya Gerin's tone, I knew that he's really a police officer with a high rank, maybe a detective inspector or a chief superintendent.

I remain silent like I'm invisible. Hindi ko rin naman alam kung anong sasabihin ko.

"It's okay, Kuya Gerin." Scarlet heaved a deep sigh, "Matagal na rin naman na akong nakakatanggap ng death threats."

Kumunot ang noo ko at mukhang nagulat din sila sa sinabi ni Scarlet.

"What?!" Maggie exclaimed again. Lindsay, on the other hand, was also shocked that her jaw dropped.

"I appreciate your help but I don't need it." Scarlet look sympathetic. "It was just my family's rivalry."

Everyone waited for Scarlet's explanation. What is she saying? This is Epiales' doing!

"I don't want you to get involved by this so let us just keep it a secret. All I want to the all of you is to go home and not to make any contact with this place anymore."

"Are you crazy, Scarlet?" Kuya Gerin hissed, "That was a dangerous death threat, there's something—"

"That is nothing compared to what happened last night. I broke my arm, they attacked me and they almost hurt Phoexe but I managed it all. My sibling helped us to escape and provided the protection that we need. I am very sorry for the inconvenience, pero hindi ko nasabihan si Kuya na nandito kayo dahil nawalan ako ng malay. Si Phoexe lang ang may malay at natawagan nila kayo. I didn't know that this will happen." she broke down into tears.

"I'm sorry, but you need to leave. Please, it's not safe here." Kuya Gerin hugged her and no one uttered any words and just let her cry for a few minutes.

"You said your family is gone," maingat na sabi ni Lindsay, tumigil na rin sa pag-iyak si Maggie.

"I'm sorry but there's just something that has a limitation. Usapang pamilya na 'to at ayokong madamay pa kayo kaya please, umuwi na lang kayo."

The room became silent and as I looked at the window. Henry's voice ecchoed in my mind; 'Let their home protect them.'

I pursed my lips tighter as I looked back at Scarlet who have swelling eyes right now. Nakita niya rin ako kaya binigyan niya na lang ako ng maliit na ngiti.

Ngumiti rin ako at sumunod sa plano ni Henry.

That's not what happened last night, she lied effectively. All of this were for their sake and the final goal of what Henry planned. To let them leave the place.

What she said were all scripted. . .

. . .

UNEDITED