Beauty is your Curse

49th Curse

Christine was the dead wife. And I am the girl with the doves.

Bluebeard.

Nagulat ako ng biglang may panyong tumakip sa bibig ko. At isang pamilyar na boses ang narinig ko sa tenga ko.

"How dare you touch my Christine's body?" Boses ni Ceejay. "You tainted her body. So you'll replace her, my white dove."

I tried to fight, but the only thing I can do is listen to his laughter as I lost consciousness.

[Dennis' POV]

They say I play for everyone, yet I only play for my self.

In the middle of this web of lies.

Nagising ako sa isang kwarto. Or better yet, sa isang tower. Wearing the same clothes I have this morning. This is not my fairytale. As obvious, I am not an Elite. Wala akong role. Hindi ako invited.

Am I the uninvited? Kung ganoon, bakit noong binoto ako ni Glimmer ay di ako natanggal? It's simple. Wala man akong role, but I am not the uninvited. I came here, without a role and took someone elses place. I am a substitute for an elite that wasn't able to attend.

It's perfectly allowed. As long as Eventyr knows. Those elites didn't know about it. Pero nagawa na ito sa unang laro.

Madali na lang para sa isang di elite ang kumidnap ng isang elite at kunin ang lugar nito.

I looked around and found the letter. Binasa ko ito ng ilang sandali.

"Ganoon lang sya kadali? Hanapin ang sulat ng uninvited at ilagay ang pangalan nito. Tapos dalhin sa tower?" Malakas kong sabi, napahagalpak ako ng tawa.

"So, di na ako bababa dito at aantayin ko na lang ang makakasolve nito."

Because I am already in the tower.

"You are not doing shit. You are going down there like the elite you are. I am staying here. I will wait for anyone who solved it and ambush them."

There she is. Dressed in pink and a wig. A very long long long blonde wig.

Ang elite na kinuha ko ang lugar. Not because I kidnap her, but because we work together.

"Alam mo, matatakot sana ako kung di ka nakabihis na tila Rapunzel." She grabbed the pan na nasa malapit at binato sa akin.

"Bumaba ka dun at makiramdam ka. I told you."

Because she has my strings. The mastermind. Who told me to work with Glimmer. To work with Erin and Mira. To work with Alden.

"Fine, but let down your long hair first."

"Gago."

[Psaricka's POV]

"It's two o'clock. There should be six awake elites by now besides the two of us."

"Psa, I saw Kristine earlier. Ayaw nyang sumama sa atin. Meaning may tatlo pang gising na hindi natin nakikita."

Alex and I found pieces of paper and a pen sa isa sa mga rooms. Nandito kami ngayon sa hall area, na tila hall area ng isang palasyo at naguusap.

We wrote down the rooms we saw around. Most are closed, but you can somehow see through the windows, holes and just the design of the doors, what kind of room are they.

"There's a blank room.." sabi pa ni Alex, and I flinched, "it must be the uninvited."

To distract her I chimed in, "There is a room filled with coffins."

"Anong fairytale yun?"

"I don't know." But it is creepy.

"Oh, I saw a tree trunk. With a hole."

Rabbit hole?

"Ah, alice in wonderland." And she wrote it down.

"A house made of candies." Sabi ni Alex.

It's my time for me to write. "Hansel and Gretel."

"A tower."

"Rapun- nakita mo na ang tower?" Ang tower kung saan namin ilalagay ang aming sagot.

"No. But it is obvious that there is a tower. Nakalagay sa sulat."

"Ah.. What else?"

"Saw a pond. Man made pond?"

"Ano yun?"

"Don't know." Sabi pa ni Alex, "Ah, there was this very large beanstalk sa taas."

Jack and the beanstalk.

We continued writing, noting down every thing we saw, even the smallest details.

"Hey girls!" Napatili si Alex sa gulat ng makita namin si Dennis.

"Nangugulat ka." Ani ko pa. Si Alex naman ay agad sinulat sa papel ang mga pangalan nila.

"Kayo pa lang?" Tanong pa nito. Napatango kami.

Here we all are, friendly, but each of us will go to extreme lengths to either protect our secrets or to win.

I just want to win. I never lose.

"Tatlo pa lang tayo? Di ba dapat anim?" He is sniffing, looking for answers.

"Nakita ko si Kristine kanina, but that's it." Sagot pa ni Alex.

"Eh.. too bad. What are you two doing?"

I answered, "Brainstorming. Inaalam ang role ng lahat."

"That's not necessary. We just need to find the uninvited. You don't need to know our roles. Unless you are—"

Both of them look at me. Alex stiffled a gasp.

"The uninvited!"

"Of course not!"

"Syempre, idedeny yun ng uninvited."

"You idiots. Think." I am thinking as well kung paano ko lulusutan to. Dennis is right, I don't have to find the roles unless I am the uninvited.

"If we managed to find the roles, we can make an easy deduction. Madala nating maeeliminate sa pagpipilian ang walang role."

"Well, it makes sense." That is Alex.

Pero nakatingin pa rin sa akin ng masama si Dennis.

I wouldn't let anyone know that I am the uninvited. I must win. No matter the cost.

Naputol ang pagiisip naming tatlo ng biglang may malakas na lagabag kaming narinig.

The three of us run towards that direction.

Mula sa taas, isang sako ang bumagsak. Pero habang papalapit kaming tatlo ay narealize namin na hindi ito sako.

It's a person.