Chapter 8 : Jacq's Diary Part 2
1617 Words
Page 7
"Can I ask where are Illiana and her mom?"
"Illiana is still missing while her mom is... murdered"
"By whom?" I asked again pero hindi na niya ako sinagot kaya iniba ko nalang ang tanong, "Can you tell me why she ended up here?"
"Bakit mo gustong malaman?"
"I want to"
"You can't" agad na sagot niya kahit hindi pa ako tapos magsalita. What's wrong with her?
"I want to help her. Why are you stopping me?" Pero hindi na siya muling nagsalita. Tinapos niya lang ang ginagawa niya at umalis na ng kwarto.
Tumayo ako mula sa pagkakahiga at nagtungo sa cr. Ilang segundo kong tinignan ang aking sarili sa salamin tiyaka ko siya tinawag, "Jacq"
Kung ayaw sabihin saakin ni Valerie, si Jacq nalang ang tatanungin ko. Nag-iba ang itsura ng reflection ko.
She's my real opposite. She looks so tired and weak.
"I know what you want to know but no, I'm scared that I might lose her too"
Page 8
While looking at her, I feel so guilty about how bad I behave towards her these past few months.
Tama nga si Valerie, I should have not compared myself to her because she's been through a lot harder than I do. At kung tutusin, mas matapang pa siya kaysa saakin.
"Help me" agad na nag-iba ang expresyon ng mukha niya, bigla akong nanginig at nakaramdam ng takot.
"H-how?"
"No, I cannot trust anyone. They will all just hurt me. All of them!" Pag-iiba agad nito ng isip pero sa isang segundo lang ay nagbago ulit ito.
"Help me. Take all my memories. I want to forget everything. I don't want to remember how they all hurt and betrayed me!" pagmamakaawa nito.
"Who? Who are they?"
"No, you can't help me, you're just my imagination"
Page 9
Hindi ko na muling naramdaman si Jacq after that night. I guess, she's sleeping again
"Are you ready? Oren is calling you" I nooded
Oren is back which means I'm also back to my normal routine. Wake up - eat - experiment - eat - sleep. Ganyan ko lang palipasin ang buong araw ko.
"You okay? Ilang araw ka ng matamlay"
"How can- I'm fine"
Valerie betrayed her but why she's still protecting her? Napabuntong hininga ako at humiga na lang sa aking kama para matapos na ang hindi matapos tapos na experiment nila.
But then...
"Sir Oren, we finally made it to 60 percent! Kunting kunti nalang. Matatapos na natin!"
"Good to hear, right, Jacq?"
Then I saw him. For the first time--- "Ahh! Stay away from me! D-don't touch me! N-no, no!"
"Jacq?! What's happening?! Jacq!"
Page 10
"Buti naman gising kana. Gutom ka na ba? Inihanda ko na ang pagkain mo" I sat down from my bed and look around the room.
"Where am I?"
"Oren decided to change your room. Mas maganda at komportable"
She's right. But outside this room is still the dark and frightening building. Beauty can blind us from its true darkness.
"Napansin ko na hindi muna ako masyado kinaka-usap gaya ng dati. Is there something wrong?" She added.
Should I tell her or not?
"Can you now tell me how she ended up here?" I asked her the same question I asked before.
"I still can't tell you" just like what I expected. She will never tell me her side, her reason. "Anyways, about what happened awhile ago. Takot ka ba kay Oren?"
Bigla akong napahawak ng mahigpit sa aking kutsara ng maalala ko ang nangyari kanina.
"S-stay away from Oren. He's a m-monster"
Page 11
I can't sleep. Kanina pa ako inaantok pero kada ipipikit ko ang mga mata ko ay nakikita ko si Oren. Ang mga titig niya saakin kanina, ang boses niya. Hindi ko alam pero takot na takot ako.
It's already 3 in the morning yet I'm still wide awake. Instead of sleeping because tomorrow is another hell day, I choose to stare at the ceiling all night.
"She's still sleeping, it's okay"
I heard Valerie's voice outside the room and to my surprise, I also heard not just one but two unfamiliar voices.
New people, I guess.
"Will she be okay here?"
"There's nothing to worry about Mrs. Forsell because as long as I'm here she will be okay"
"Thank you so much, Valerie" woman's voice
"Aalis na kami. Salamat ulit" then a man's voice
They made a wrong choice letting her in. But at some point, I'm happy. I'm happy because I will not be alone anymore.
The new test subject? Tsk.
Page 12
"Hi! My name is Jacq and you are?"
I said while giving her my brightest and biggest smile. But she only stared at me with confusing eyes.
"Can't you speak? Sor-"
"Vanessa. Vanessa Forsell"
And at that moment I finally have a friend but in the wrong place and the wrong time.
"Andito ako para mag training. May misyon kasi akong dapat tapusin. Ikaw din ba?"
Training? As a test subject of Oren, I am not trained to fight but I am trained to endure the pain.
"Y-yeah"
Pero habang tumatagal siya dito ay unti-unti rin siyang nagbabago.
From jolly to gloomy.
From talkative to reticent.
From Vanessa to Vergne.
A month had passed and I can tell that she really changed a lot. She doesn't even recognize me anymore.
She did not come here to be trained as she told me. She's here to become a test subject for the new invention of Oren.
But before everything we made a promise to each other, "Let's promise that we will get out of here and live a life we wanted"
"I promised"
"Thank you for being my friend, Jacq"
Page 13
"Jacq, halika na"
They will now transfer to my body the 20% of AEL then the other 20% next week. Kunting hakbang nalang at magtatagumpay na si Oren.
As I entered the laboratory it's not only the three of us anymore. I saw many people in their lab gowns while doing something.
"Everything is ready"
Pinapasok nila ako sa isang capsule shape na salamin at ikinandado ang paa at kamay ko.
For the last time, Valerie came closer to me. I'm expecting her to help me but instead, she injected something into my body that makes me feel weird
Bigla nanlamig ang pakiramdam ko at kitang kita ko ang pagbabago ng kulay ng aking balat. And before she closed the door she whispered in my ear
"Everything's gonna be fine, dear"
Just like that, she immediately removed all the fears from my system. I smiled at her. A smile of revenge
Page 14
"You made it. Thank you for being stro-"
"I'm leaving. Nauna ng umalis sina Illiana at Jacquie. Kaya pagkatapos ng plano natin, aalis narin ako"
I want her to ask me not to leave, to stop me, or even cry but she smiled as if this is what she's been waiting for me to say.
"Thank you fo--"
"That's my job. If Jacquie is her mom and Illiana is her older sister, well, I am Samora her imaginary friend. Ginawa niya ako dati para may makasama siya tuwing mag-isa siya dahil tuwing wala ang mga magulang niya may isang lalaki na laging binabantayan siya sa malayo. And now, she made me again because of the same reason and same person"
There was this creepy man who is always watching and following her. Pero nawala din nung ibinigay siya kay Lola Cecile. I thought she's finally safe, so I decided to leave but that man came back again and now hurting her, "Oren"
Kaya rin siguro ako natakot sakanya nung unang makita ko siya dahil naalala ko ang mga titig niya dati kay Jacq. His eyes are full of anger, hatred, and revenge. Pero hindi ko alam kung bakit.
"I know you are more than her imaginary friend. You are her hero"
A hero? Tsk, whatever.
"Now it's your turn. Tell me the other side of the story"
"I was supposed to bring you back to your father but Oren came and took you away. So to save you, I need to betray you. Kailanman hindi ko ginustong ilagay ka dito"
"So that's the reason why Jacq still wants you safe because it's not entirely your fault, very considerate of her. Well, fortunately, the table is now turned, makakabawi ka na sa kasalanan mo. It's now time to betray Oren and turn everything into ashes"
I am now holding the smallest but destructible thing in the world. Once I let this go, all the hard works of Oren will be gone in just a blink.
This is for you Jacq, Valerie, and Vanessa. We all suffered enough.
It is now his turn...
Page 15
I endured it all for almost one and a half years because this is the real reason why she made me. To protect and keep her alive.
We already ended everything now so that she will not lie on the same bed anymore and will not feel the same pain.
I will not forget but she will forget. She will not remember all about Oren, Valerie, Vanessa, and my existence just like she wanted. But I'll leave her one reason to live and run for her life. Illiana, her sister.
My only wish now is that Jacq will meet Valerie again and will make a new story together.
It's now time for me to bid goodbye. My eyes can't take it any longer. I feel so tired and all I wanted now is to fall asleep deeply. And once I open my eyes again, she's back.
My story may end now but not my existence.
I shall return...
- Writer
