At Three AM (Short Story)

-At Three AM-

"Hmm," she responded while still her attention remained at the television. What's with that? Talagang maganda nga ang movie, ayaw kasi maialis ang attention niya.

I guess, it's time for story telling. I wasn't expecting that the prologue would be the clue about what will happen to the climax part. Kagaya rin nitong pinapanood niya.

As she picks up her past, the main character soon discovers a shocking secret that forces her to doubt everything she thought was true- about her neighbors, friends, families, and even her marriage.

This is just the summary of the story, ang haba rin no'n eh, that is why I can't tell the whole story.

It started two months earlier, before the tragedy. May trayduran din na magaganap and secret revelations, and also about her husband and her old bestfriend's affair. It's not the main thing, though. Mahaba pa ang kwento pero, teka lang kasi manonood pa muna ako sa pinapanood ng kakambal ko.

Yes, we're twins and our father is a public servant. While, our mother is an author. We have one older sister named Heather and one younger brother named Hanz and so we're all four.

Wala sila ngayon dahil may pinuntahan si mom for her writing while si dad nasa work naman. Ang mga kapatid naman namin ay nasa tita namin, doon sila palaging nakatambay kapag walang pasok. Now, nagkaroon kami ng time gawin ang kahit anong gusto namin gawin.

Ilang oras pa ang ginugol namin sa panonood at nang matapos ito, my sister turned off the television and just walked away. Talaga ba? May mga bagay ba akong hindi nalalaman? Himala lang siya at ang tahimik niya. Ganiyan naman siya, baka red days lang, shesh!

I followed her right away nang makita ko siyang umakyat sa stairways but then suddenly on my way upstairs, may nakita akong tao sa labas. Our house has a window sa tabi ng hagdanan kaya kitang-kita talaga kung sino ang tao sa labas which is katabi lang namin ang bahay ng bff ni mom. Oh, I almost forgot that they're not around and they just hired a person to look after their house habang wala pa sila. The owner of the house had a daughter at bata pa lamang ito. Three years old, I guess? Then I realized, it's them. Pero... nasaan ang anak nila?Aish, maybe nasa car kasi nakakotse naman sila. Hindi ko na lamang ito pinansin pa at patuloy lang sa paglakad paakyat at papasok sa kwarto ko. Yes, my room. Hindi kami magkasama sa iisang kwarto ng kakambal ko kahit pa naman magkakambal kami, we're still opposite.

After tidying my room, I took a deep breath and stared on the painting na nakasabit sa wall. The painting was painted by my friend three years ago and I don't know where she is now, because I and my family moved here at dito na tumira until now. Balita ko lang, my friend is now gone but I don't know how fact it is.

The paint she painted was a girl, wearing a tube and has a black butterfly tattoo on her right shoulder.

I am too sleepy to take time just to stare the painting, that's why I decided to lie down but the moment na hihiga na ako ay may nagbell galing sa labas ng door namin. Hindi na natuloy pa ang paghiga ko. Dahil alam kong makikita lang naman mula rito sa aking kinaroroonan ang door, I tried to open the sliding window slowly at sumilip dito. If I am not mistaken, the person standing in front of our door is no other but my mom's bestfriend. I have no choice but to let her in. Bumaba na ako sa kama at kinuha ang jacket ko na nakapatong sa upuan kaharap ng study table. Isinuot ko ito and next thing I did was turned on the light at pinatay naman ang lampshade. Naglakad na ako palabas ng aking kuwarto, at ang unang tumambad sa akin ay ang lamig kasi maulan sa labas. That's why I'm wondering kung ano ang kailangan ni Tita Grace, gabi na rin at maulan pa.