Death Trap Pandemonium (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

New Game, New Players

October 31, 2015; Saturday
Blue Bay Retreat House, Azulan City
9:30 pm

"Kasalanan talaga ni Denise ang lahat ng 'to, eh. Kung hindi niya sana ako sinabihan tungkol sa production ng pesteng theater org na 'yan, edi sana wala ako sa sitwasyong 'to. Tapos sila, asan sila ni Therese? Ligtas dahil nauna na silang umuwi—aaah! Aray, fuck!"

Ailee couldn't help but roll her eyes when Ashanti once again accidentally touched the metal bars of her cage during her rant and got herself electrocuted. Sa lahat talaga ng pwede kong makasama. . .wala na ba talagang ibang choice?

Nagkamalay si Ailee sa pakiramdam na mayroong kumakaladkad sa kanya paakyat ng hagdan. Ilang minuto rin siyang litong-lito sa mga nagaganap kaya't hindi kaagad niya naisip na manlaban. When she finally got her wits together, Ailee barely had time to wonder what happened to her brother before the masked figure bound her hands together. She was then blindfolded until she was dragged towards the screams of her mortal enemy.

A few hours later, here they were, in two separate metal cages that were dangling side by side several meters above the swimming pool. They could stand but there was not enough room to move around. Hindi maisip ni Ailee kung paano nagawa ng mga killer na ma-install ang mga aparatong nagpapagana sa mekanismo ng mga kulungan nang hindi manlang napapansin nilang mga nasa retreat house.

Nakatali ang kanilang mga kamay at paa kaya lalong hindi sila halos makagalaw. Nang sinubukan ni Ailee na kumbinsihin si Ashanti na ilapit sa kulungan niya mga kamay nito para makalagan siya ni Ailee, doon nila nadiskubre ang tungkol sa kuryente.

"Fuck! Walang-hiya ka, De Valerio! Siguro alam mo na ang tungkol do'n kaya pinagawa mo sa 'kin yon," asik ni Ashanti. "Just tell me if you still want revenge for what I did to your stupid relationship—!"

"You really think I'd think of something so trivial when our lives are on the line?!" Ailee couldn't help but yell back.

Pagkatapos noon, hindi na sila nagpansinan. Ailee knew that it would be pointless for them since they'd only scream at each other. Itinuon na lamang niya ang kanyang atensyon sa pagsubok na tanggalin sa pagkakatali ang kanyang kamay at paa.

"Would you stop that?" Ashanti hissed. "Ailee, stop moving! Umaalog! Baka bumigay itong mga kulungan natin at mahulog tayo sa pool! Do you not have any idea kung gaano kasamang combination ang tubig at kuryente? Hindi ba nila tinuro 'yan sa Russian elementary—"

"Alam mo, dapat yung bunganga mo yung tinalian ng mga killer," bulalas ni Ailee. Nauubos na ang pasensya niya sa kangangawa ni Ashanti kaya tumigil na siya sa paggalaw para lang matahimik ito.

She didn't want to spend another minute listening to the other woman's tirade. Nalaman niya na sa kaka-rant nito na magkasama sila ni Erza sa iisang kwarto hanggang sa kaladkarin ito palabas ng isa sa mga salarin. Ashanti's buried guilt at letting her friend be dragged off to who knows where was making her more aggravating to be around than ever.

"She should've listened to me and kept her mouth shut," she heard Ashanti muttering to herself. "Pero masyado siyang umasa na ililigtas kami ni Markus. The lovesick fool."

Matapos ang ilang sandaling katahimikan, muling nagsalita si Ailee. "Alam mo, imbes na nagbabangayan tayo, dapat nating planuhin kung paano tayo makakaalis dito."

Ashanti let out an aggravated sigh before turning around in her cage as carefully as she could to face Ailee. "Sige, bakit 'di mo sabihin sa 'kin kung paano sa tingin mo magagawa natin iyon."