One Of Them

Intro

My life was normal. I had a happy family and almost had a fine life. People said that I was too lucky to have 'hindi mahirap pero hindi rin mayaman. Saktong nabubuhay lang.'

Not until the night I dreamed about one of the members of my family was going to die. I dreamed that on May 12, someone was going to be dead. When I woke up from that dream, I was bothered ever since. I wished it won't be true and wished that it was just a normal dream.

The day after I dreamed about it, my father got hospitalised. Kinabahan ako kasi baka totoo ang nasa panaghinip ko. So then, everyday I prayed, every single day. May 12 came and I was so glad that no one died but three days after, my father got complications. The doctor said that the only way for him to survive was through a machine but also said that it would be hard for him, so they suggested another choice and that was to let him sleep, forever. We did not agree, we want him to survive and we were waiting for a miracle. I was hoping for a miracle but then I saw him everyday, struggling.

Days counted, slowly I accepted that no miracles gonna happen. Slowly, pinipilit ko ang sarili ko at unti-unti kong tinggap na mawawala na siya. But the moment I accepted his death, the next day, he was gone.

Simula noong araw na iyon, hindi na ako naging normal. Sa burol ng tatay ko, napapatulala nalang ako sa mga mukha ng tao.

Natulala ako sa mukha ng tita ko, kapatid ng tatay ko. The next day, na wala na rin ang tita ko. I just ignored it but, nang nasa burol kami ng tita ko, natulala ulit ako sa mukha ng kaibigan niya. Weeks passed nabalitaan namin na namatay rin ang kaibigan niya.

Ever since then, kapag natutulala ako sa isang mukha ng tao, nawawala sila. Namamatay. Kilala ko man sila o hindi. I got this investigated, everytime I have stared a person for a couple or more minutes straight, everytime they glanced at me, they were giving me chills on my nape and making my hands cold, the next day, they will be gone.

I ignored people's face, I ignored people's eyes but when I got to see their faces and looked into their eyes. Kahit anong pilit kong tanggalin ang paningin sakanila, hindi ko magawa, it is like a magnet. Hinahatak ako ng mga tingin nila. Madalas, mapapa-angat nalang ako ng tingin sa isang tao at hindi ko na maiiwas ang tingin ko sakanya. It is like a magnet to metal.

That.. is not normal. I am not normal. I don't want this. I don't want to be a.. killer.