Infernum

↺ [13]

"It's not enough." Nyle suddenly shook his head and turned to Jensen. "Kuya Je, what if alibi lang nila 'to? Ginagamit nila 'tong pagkakaibigan natin para mapaniwala tayo sa pinagsasasabi nila! They're manipulating us—"

Nagulat kami nang biglang ibinato ni Johan ang inuupuan niya papunta sa board. Out of a sudden, the feedback from the speaker started. The alarm blared through the whole room too accompanied with red lights scattered all over the darkness.

Everyone covered their ears, except for Johan who marched towards the door. He opened it, stopping the alarm. I flinched when he suddenly slammed it shut after.

"Pakshet! Ano na?! Mag-aaway pa ba? O habulan na? Tangina! Ano?!" he screamed.

"J-Joh, kalma..." Lumapit sa kaniya si Silas but he just continued to stare at everyone, especially Nyle, with an exasperated look on his face.

"Nyle, kahit gawin pa akong punching bag ni Hideo, kailangan ko 'tong masabi sa 'yo ngayon." Johan took a deep, long breath. Nagulat kami nang tinaasan niya ng middle finger si Nyle. "Pakyu, motherfuckeeeer! Tropa kita pero shut the fuck up! Tangina ka! 'Di ka nakakatulong sa sitwasyon! Sabing inosente nga kami! Delusyonal kang hayop ka, gawa-gawa ka d'yan ng kwento! Continental pakyu, bitch!"

Johan said a lot more after that pero pinili ko na lang na lapitan siya at pakalmahin tulad ni Silas. But of course, Nyle isn't someone who just gives up during an argument. Next thing we know, both of them were already raising their middle fingers while cursing at each other.

"Tumigil kayo!"

Silence enveloped when Soren's scream filled the whole room. We all turned to look at him and to our surprise, he brought out printed pictures from a folder. Inilapag niya ito sa desk na malapit sa amin dahilan para muli naming makita ang mga ito — the seven pictures that he showed us last cycle.

"Tigilan na natin 'to. Umamin na ang mga dapat umamin."

I gulped, so did everyone else.

Soren grabbed a picture at ipinakita ito sa 'min. It was the seventh photo — the black one. "Hindi ako sigurado kung ano'ng ibig sabihin ng litrato na 'to, pero ia-assume ko na para 'to sa walang alam kung ano'ng nangyayari. I'll claim this as my picture because I have no idea what the hell is going on."

Bago pa may makapagsalita sa 'min, he suddenly raised the first picture "Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, kay Johannes ang painting na 'to. Ito 'yong painting na sinabing ninakaw ni Eurydice para sa contest na sinalihan nilang dalawa."

My eyes met with Johan's. He shook his head. All I could do was swallow hard.

He sighed. "Oo, tama ka. So that must be my picture kasi akin 'yang painting na 'yan. Nanakaw lang."

"Teka lang!" Nyle stared at Johan and Soren, forehead creased and eyebrows furrowed. "Masyado naman sigurong obvious kung sa 'yo nga 'yang picture na 'yan? At ikaw, Soren, I refuse to believe that that picture belongs to you. What would we know kung may ginawa ka na palang katarantaduhan. Baka nga may kinalaman ka sa nangyari kay Eury—"

"Walang ginagawa si Soren," Silas defended, but Nyle just scoffed.

"Sinasabi niyo lang 'yan kasi magkakakampi kayo. For all we know, maraming alam si Johannes pero hindi niya lang sinasabi kasi pinoprotektahan niya kayo — kasi may ginawa kayong mali."

"Nyle," Hideo scolded him, even grabbing him by the arm.

But Nyle didn't stop. He just grinned as he watched Johan staring back at him in silence. "Oh, ba't ka nanahimik? Tama ako, ano? May kinalaman kayong lahat sa nangyari sa babaeng 'yon. You probably know who really killed her, ayaw mo lang sabihin. Handa kang mahirapan tayo nang paulit-ulit para lang protektahan 'yang mga kaibigan mong mamamatay-tao!"