Haunted

twenty eight

Pagmulat ko sa mga mata ko, kakaibang lamig ang naramdaman ko. Isa lang agad ang naisip ko..

Andito si Rhian sa kwarto ko, at sigurado akong binantayan niya nanaman ako habang natutulog ako.

As I sit up on my bed, I realized that here are 2 blankets that are covering me..

"I made that to you" a sweet loving voice answered my confusion.

I immediately understand why. "Sorry for the cold, if you only saw me before while I'm still alive.. Im so damn hot" Rhian braggingly said with her crossed arms, staring at me.

Hindi ko na napigilang matawa sakanya, pero totoo naman yung sinabi niya dahil sure akong grabe ang ganda nitong multong to nung buhay pa siya.

"Ano nanaman yang nasa isip mo?" Sabi ni Rhian habang unti unti siyang lumalapit sakin hanggang sa magkatabi na kami sa kama ko.

Teka, ano nga ba tong nasa isip ko ngayon? Yung pag-uusap namin kagabi? Na itigil ko nalang yung pagtulong sa kanya? Nasabi ko na sa sarili ko na itutuloy ko ang pagtulong sa kanya hindi dahil ayaw ko siya sa piling, dahil alam kong mas kailangan niya yung dati niyang sinabi sakin na "fulfillment".

Ang dami ko ng alam sa mga pwedeng dahilan ng pagkamatay niya. Hindi ko lang alam kung paano ko pagtatagpi-tagpiin.

"Syempre ikaw.." Dahilan kong sinabi sa kanya..

"I know hahaha. Can we please stay like this? Like forever?" She asks as if she was a seven year old kid asking her mother to not leave her.

"Hahaha of course we can, but I have to go to school.."

"No you don't have to, my family have lots of money and we can just ask amounts from them. Imagine that we'll build business here and we'll just live happily till we get old."

"Are you crazy? Hahaha I have to go to school, para masustentuhan kita..." Sinakyan ko naman ang imagination niya..

Sana nga pwede pa namin gawin yun..

"Fine fine". She looked down and we both giggled.
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I sit quietly beside Sace at lunch, she's busy eating her large fries and I'm busy eating my hash brown.

"Sace, namimiss niyo ba si Rhian?" I asked her boldly.

"Ang random naman ng tanong mo Glai.. Hahaha" she laughed in the most awkward way. "Pero, syempre oo namimiss ko siya.. Namin pala."

"Nagkaroon ba ng something si Rhian tsaka si Benjamin?"

"Hala saan nanggaling yan? Hahaha. Sobrang walang something sa kanila no. Kung alam mo lang kung gaano ka-plain yung turingan nung dalawa dati." Sace explained while still eating hear fries

"Paanong plain?"

"Ano, parang co-officers lang talaga, co-students ganon? Pero minsan ang weird niyang si Benjamin eh. Minsan mahuhuli namin siyang tulala nalang ganon, or minsan mahuhuli namin nila Keith na nakatitig siya kay Denise."

So baka tama nga yun hunch ko na may relationship tong si Denise at Benjamin?

"Kaya minsan tinutukso namin si Benjamin kay Denise and vice versa. Pero ulit! Never ata naging type ni Denise si Benjamin." She added.

"Bakit naman? May gusto ba siyang iba?"

"Eto ha feeling ko lang to or baka nagoover conclude lang ako. Feeling ko sa sobrang close ni Denise kay Rhian, nagkaroon ng gusto tong si Denise kay girl."

Wait lalong gumugulo.. Kung totoo ngang may gusto tong si Denise sa Rhian ko.. Paanong mapapatay niya si Rhian?

Someone called my name from behind. "Glaiza"

I recognized it immediately, Sace and I looked behind and saw her coming to our place.

"Glaiza we need to talk" Denise says, looking at me in her most plain tone.

Anong meron? Bakit parang may ibang mangyayari? Sabay pa kaming napatingin ni Sace sa isa't isa at ibinalik ang tingin kay Denise.

"Uhm, okay sige" I answer

"Privately" Denise added.

Bigla nalang siyang naglakad paalis samin na parang bang dapat ko siyang sundan agad..

"Anong problema nun?" Tanong ni Sace habang nakanuot ang noo niya.

"Di ko alam, sige we need to talk daw eh? I'll just follow her. Bye Sace"

We headed straight to the grounds, it's still drizzling and the air smells weird and damp.

"Okay Glaiza" she says with her arms cross over her chest and her voice is very cold.

"Anong meron Denise?" Sabi ko habang pinipilit kong ngumiti sa sitwasyon namin ngayon.

"You did something to me"

I feel very nervous and every memory I did flash backed in my mind. It is as if I'm doing mind palace trying to remember every single thing I did.

"What something?" I ask in my utmost confusion

"Oh come on Glaiza"

"Wait hindi ko talaga alam"

Denise freed her arms and made a very awkward gesture in front of me "You just stole a property from me, a photo from me to be exact"

Now I get it. Yes I did stole a photo. Pero kailangan kong kumalma, I have to act normal. Tsaka paanong nalaman niya na kumuha ako ng picture niya, I mean ng picture nila ni Rhian.

"Anong photo?"

"Let's stop this nonsense Glaiza, just admit that you took my photo and I won't be mad. I just want to know where that damn photo went." She's trying to cool down herself.

Ano naman kung ako kumuha ng picture, as if namang ako lang dito saming dalawa ang may nagawang krimen.. Well maybe she's the one who took Rhian's precious life. Im just being cautious here.

"Please Glaiza, just tell me that you have it.."

Hindi ko alam gagawin ko, na stuck yung utak ko kasi nagdadalawang isip ako kung sasabihin ko ba yung totoo o ipagpapatuloy ko tong pagmamaang-maangan ko.

"Okay, I did took the photo. Your photo to be exact."

Sa sandaling sinabi kong nasa akin nga, bigla namang naging magaan ang pakiramdam ni Denise as if she was relieved to something.

"Bakit? I mean bakit mo kinuha?"

"Uhm... I was just curious... With Rhian."

"I know, everyone's still curious about her and not even an individual tried to sneak in a photo of us before. Just like what you did"

"I was curious to what happened to her.."

Biglang nagbago ang expression sa mukha niya and her looks right now are somehow terrifying and dangerous.

Dangerous to kill her bestfriend? Or I guess her unrequited love.. I don't know.

"Eto lang Glaiza ha. Habang maaga pa, better stop being curious about Rhian. It's for everyone's good. Hanggang ngayon madami paring nagtataka sa pagakawala niya.. Kahit ako.."

Kahit ikaw? Wag mo kong lokohin Denise..

"You can't stop me Denise." Ngayon ko lang naramdaman tong tapang na meron ako ngayon. Ipaglalaban ko si Rhian kahit anong mangyari.. Katulad nalang sa mga taong kagaya mo Denise..

We're both startled as my phone started to ring. I quickly checked my phone to see that Rhian's sister, Nadine, is calling me. 

Tinignan ko agad si Denise at lumayo sakanya.

"Yes ate Nadine?" I answered

I looked back at where Denise was and she was gone. I guess umalis narin siya.

"Glaiza" Her voice is squeaking. "I finally got the autopsy of my sister, I finally broke the barrier my parents made para sa death ni Rhian."

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Sorry nawala ako ng halos isang taon... :( wag na kayo magalit hehehe. Babawi ako promise