DOLLHOUSE

Dollhouse 074

The guy looks like he's around twenty to twenty-five years old. He is simply wearing a dark shirt and dark jeans. Pansin kong nakapaa lang siya at mukhang bagong gising lang dahil sa gulo-gulo niyang buhok. Humikab siya at kinusot ang mata.

Sino siya?

Napangisi siya mag-isa habang umiilaw sa maamo niyang mukha ang phone niya.

"She should die, too. Damn, these viewers are heartless," natatawa niyang sabi habang nakatutok ang mata sa screen. Ni-lock niya ang kwartong pinanggalingan saka naglakad papunta sa pwesto ko. Napatigil siya nang mapansin akong nakaharang sa daan.

Nagkatinginan kami.

"Oh. You're awake."

Hindi ko alam sasabihin ko.

Napaatras ako lalo.

Natawa lang siya. "Stay here. I will call someone. They will take you to the dining hall. We'll eat breakfast together. Maliligo lang muna 'ko."

Why is he saying it so casually?

I'm wearing a freaking ugly baby mask!

Nilampasan niya 'ko at nagpatuloy sa pag-gamit ng phone. Natampilok pa siya dahil hindi nakatingin sa daan.

"Ah, shit. I hate carpets."

Is he the person I think he is?

"P-Peter?" tawag ko.

Is he Peter?

Is he the moderator of the game?!

He stopped on his tracks and looked back. Teka. Siya nga?! Nagsalubong ang kanyang kilay nang tiningnan ako. Ang kaninang natatawa at maamo niyang mukha ay naging seryoso.

"What?" he asked.

"Ikaw si Peter?" tanong ko na kinakabahan. Mukha siyang bored habang tinitingnan ako.

He shrugged.

"Why are you asking?"

Peter, damn you.

"You..." tinuro ko siya saka naiyak nang malakas. "You killed my friends!"

Napangiwi siya sa sinabi ko saka napailing at naglakad na uli na parang walang pakialam.

"Your mask suits you, Babe."

"Why am I still here?!" I screamed.

─ And he just laughed.

. . . . . . . . .

Gaya nga ng sinabi niya ay may dumating na tao niya. The three weird monkeys. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, sila 'yong mga unggoy na kumausap kay Alpha at Java habang pinagsasaksak nila ang dalawa ng kutsilyo kung hindi kakain. Dalawa lang sila noon, ngayon ay tatlo na.

Pwersahan nila kong pinaliguan.

"Huwag mo ko hawakan," sabi ko.

"Bitch, I have a better ass. Shut up."

Binuhusan nila ko ng tubig na pagkalamig-lamig. "Can you remove my mask first?" pakiusap ko dahil nakakailang na suot ko 'to habang binabasa nila.

"Duh. You will wear that mask forever."

"W-What do you mean?"

Hindi siya sumagot. Nagtawanan lang silang tatlo saka binuhusan ulit ako ng tubig.

"You should look fresh if you're gonna eat breakfast with Peter. You better show some respect. He looks like a saint but I think you already know how evil he is, right?"

"He killed my friends. Bakit ko siya rerespetuhin?!" naiiyak kong sigaw. Naiinis ako. Bakit ba nandito pa rin ako?!

"Shhh. Shut up. You're in Dollhouse. He hears everything. He sees everything. He might kill you without hesitation."

"Patayin na lang niya 'ko!" sigaw ko.

Natawa silang lahat sa akin.

"That's an ugly escape for your sin so I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do it. You always run from your mistake and he hates people like that. Is it really that hard to admit that you're wrong instead of covering your sin with another sin?"

"Ugh. I hate this girl," komento ng isa sa akin saka ako binuhusan ulit ng tubig. Napaubo ako dahil may mga tubig na naiipon sa mask.

"Alright, time to change clothes. You need to be presentable."

The three girls gave me a doll-like dress. They sprayed perfumes on my skin and made me wear stilettos. The other girl also curled my hair. I'm still wearing this crying baby mask.

Tulala akong nakatingin sa salamin.

Naaalala ko ang bawat nangyari sa amin.

I'm sorry, Decagon.

I'm sorry.

Tila namanhid na 'ko sa lahat ng nangyari. Parang manika na lang ako na walang buhay habang dinadala ako ng tatlo sa dining hall. Pagkabukas ng pinto ay bumungad ang pagkahaba-habang mesa. Puro pagkain ang nandoon. Sa gitna nakaupo mag-isa ang lalaking nakita ko kanina.

Medyo basa pa ang kanyang buhok. He's now wearing a white shirt. Tila nakapang bahay lang siya. Is he really the puppeteer of this house?

Nakain na siya nang abutan namin.

"Peter is so...."

"Gosh."

"This is why I can't leave even though he already pushed me away and asked me to go home," the girl next to me said, dreamily.

"I mean, duh, we have no homes outside."

"Oh, right."

Hindi ko pinansin ang tatlong katabi ko. I'm really confused. Why am I here? Why are they still keeping me alive? Sana patayin na lang nila 'ko.

Napataas ang mukha ng lalaki at tiningnan kami.

"Finally," he said after he wiped his mouth.

Nag-alisan na ang tatlong babaeng kasama ko kanina. I am now all alone with him. Tahimik lang ako. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin.

May pinindot siyang maliit na remote.

Pagkapindot niya ay nagliwanag ang pagka-laki laking screen sa likod niya na tila parang pang sine. Sa screen naglabasan ang sampung litratong pinahulaan sa 'min. Bukod doon ay madami pang litratong makikita sa screen at hindi ko alam kung saan niya 'yon nakuha. The pictures. The way it was shot is kinda....

"Familiar. I know," he commented as if he was reading my mind. Peter, if that's really his name, eyed me again. His eyes are serious and piercing.

"Take a seat, Babe. We need to talk."

TO BE CONTINUED.