9 - The Drop
After offering popcorn to us, the voice didn't speak again. We were still in shock when I saw something in my peripheral vision. I looked at it and there was a hallway lit by yellow lights. I don't remember seeing it earlier, I thought the walls are closed and the only passage was the door where we entered.
The others were looking at that hallway too. They're probably wondering as well, about what's at the end of it.
"Putangina, Trace!" Nagulat ako nang biglang sumigaw si Kurt. Lumingon ako sa alam kong kinatatayuan niya at nagulat ako nang makitang nasa harapan ko na siya. Itinaas niya ang isa niyang kamay at napapikit na lang ako.
"Saint!" narinig kong sigaw ni Wren kaya napamulat ako ulit. Nakita kong nasa sahig na si Kurt habang nasa harapan ko ang hinihingal na si Saint, na nakakuyom pa rin ang kamao.
"Tangina ka ba?!" galit ding sigaw ni Saint kay Kurt. Kitang-kita ang mga ugat sa leeg niya. "10 years old lang siya no'n!"
"12 years ang pinalipas niya bago pagbayaran 'yon!" ganti ni Kurt. Tumayo siya at lumapit ulit sa 'min. Umiiyak pa rin siya. "Pinsan mo si Krista, Saint! Nakita mo siyang ginano'n!"
I know Saint was affected by that. Of course, his cousin died in front of him and he wasn't able to do anything to help her. Kurt hit him hard with those words.
"Hindi ka ba nagagalit?! Ha, Saint?!"
Saint wasn't able to answer and it broke me. He had to witness Krista like that because of me. He had to lose his friends and cousin because of me. He had to be here because of me.
It's all because of me.
"Sorry..." I said as I looked down in shame.
I didn't hear anything. But I felt eyes on me.
"Wow, what a nice drama—"
"Tama na!" Nagsisimula pa lang ulit magsalita ang boses na nasa likod ng lahat nang sumigaw ako. This ends here. "Ako lang ang may kasalanan kay Justin! Ako lang ang gusto niyang paghigantihan, so please! Please, let them go. Please..."
I kept on begging. I even knelt down. The voice kept speaking out of nowhere but that time it didn't give me any response. And that made me cry harder. Can't I really change the fate of my remaining friends?
"Kurt—"
Napaangat ang tingin ko nang marinig ang boses ni Wren. Muntik pa akong mapaatras nang makita ulit si Kurt sa harapan ko. Iginalaw niya ang isang kamay at awtomatikong pumikit ulit ako.
Pero walang nangyari. At least ten seconds have passed before I opened my eyes again. Kurt was still extending his hand at me, but in a manner that he's like offering me a hand to help me get up. I looked up at his eyes.
"Hindi ka rito magbabayad," he said calmly, tears still rolling down his cheeks. "Hindi sa ganitong paraan."
Lalo akong napaiyak. Alam kong ang kapal ng mukha ko kung aabutin ko ang kamay niya pero 'yon mismo ang ginawa ko. "Sorry, Kurt. I'm really really sorry..."
Ngumiti lang siya. 'Yong ngiti na halatang pagod na pagod na. Para bang sumuko na siya.
"Kurt..." I called pero tumalikod na siya sa 'kin. Tatawagin ko pa sana siya ulit nang may humawak sa kamay ko. "Saint."
"Sinong Saint?" kunot-noong tanong niya bago siya ngumisi. "Babe ako."
I wanted to smile at Saint but I couldn't. He's smirking, yes, but his eyes were just the same as Kurt's.
He's always that ray of sunshine and I hate myself for taking that glow in his eyes.
"Tara?" parang nag-aalangang tanong sa 'min ni Chad, hawak na rin ang kamay ni Wren. Walang sumagot pero nauna nang maglakad si Kurt. Sumunod din sila kaagad.
"'Wag kang mawawala," Saint said before pulling me to follow our friends to the hallway. And for the first time, I answered that favorite line of his.
"Ikaw din."
He stopped walking and looked at me. Instead of saying anything, he just squeezed my hand and smiled again.
It took almost a minute of walking before we reached the end of the hallway, which is actually outside. The sky was still dark but the same lamp posts from the carnival we entered earlier was enough for us to see the surroundings. It became brighter when the tall tower in the middle of the whole area suddenly lit up.
"Uh..." Wren suddenly took a step back. I was a little confused as to why so I squinted my eyes to look at the tower better.
Wait.
That's not a tower.
There were five seats attached to it near the ground. And I already have an idea what those are for.
Tumingin sa 'min si Wren. Umiling siya. "H-Hindi ako sumasakay sa extreme rides—"
"What was that?" the voice cut her off, feigning innocence. "I didn't hear anything, Wren."
Napalunok si Wren. "H-Hindi ko po kayang—"
"Choose your seats, players." I balled my free hand when the voice ignored her again. "Choose your fate."
"Rides lang 'yan, mahal. Tabi tayo. Hahawakan ko kamay mo, okay?" Sinubukan ni Chad na pakalmahin ang girlfriend niya habang papalapit kami sa ride na 'yon. Wala naman kasi kaming choice. Isa pa, ayaw na naming isipin kung ano ang gagawin nila kung may isa sa 'min na tatangging sumakay.
Wren was already crying as she sat on one of the five seats. None of them had a seatbelt which made me nervous too. I have no problem with extreme rides in carnivals and amusement parks, but that's as long as they have seatbelts or safety rails. This one just looked like a normal car seat.
But, yeah. Ang purpose nga pala ng lahat dito ay patayin kami.
"Babe," I couldn't help but call for Saint when our seats started to move up. Breathing became harder as the ground became farther and farther from us.
"Mahal, hindi ko talaga kaya! Please! Please!"
"Wren, kumalma ka! Huminga ka nang malalim! Hingang malalim!"
Lalo pa akong kinakabahan dahil sa sigawan nina Wren at Chad. Napapikit ako.
"Shit!" sigaw ni Kurt noong parang tumama na kami sa pinakatuktok ng ride. Umuga ang mga kinauupuan namin kasabay ng paghinto ng pagtaas niyon.
Napamulat ako. At nagsisi ako kaagad. We're too far from the ground.
Hindi naman siguro kami ihuhulog dito?
"Wren!"
Nasagot kaagad ang tanong sa isip ko nang biglang bumagsak ang kinauupuan ni Wren. Napasigaw kaming lahat, lalo na siya.
Nawala bigla ang takot ko na dumungaw sa baba kasi gusto kong makita na ayos lang siya. Hindi ako kumurap hanggang sa nakita ko siyang nagmamadaling tumayo mula sa kinauupuan niya. Natumba siya sa lupa, dala siguro ng takot, pero buhay siya.
"She's alive," I said as I breathed a sigh of relief. I closed my eyes again and I suddenly felt my soul living my body.
"Babe!" I heard Saint screaming as my seat dove to the ground. I wasn't able to scream for myself and just held on to the sides of my seat.
I prayed for all the Gods and I think I was heard when my seat suddenly slowed down, until it finally reached the ground. Wren looked at me in shock, before she cried out loud and got up. She pulled me away from my seat and hugged me. I hugged her back.
Nasa lupa pa rin kami ni Wren at magkayakap nang marinig namin na sumigaw si Chad.
"Santo!"
The whole time that Saint's seat was falling down, I wasn't breathing. What if he falls from that seat? What if it doesn't slow down? What if he dies?
"Babe. Babe." Napaiyak na lang ako ulit noong nasa harapan ko na si Saint. "Okay lang ako," sabi niya.
I just hugged him tight.
We only let go of our hug when we heard someone screaming from above. The moment we looked at the ride again was the exact same moment Chad's seat stopped moving.
"Oh my God, Chad!" Napatakbo si Wren papalapit at dinamba ng yakap ang boyfriend niya. "Okay ka lang?"
Ngumisi si Chad. "Ano ka ba, mahal," mayabang na sabi niya. "Rides lang 'to—"
Chad's words were cutoff by something falling beside him, and by some red liquid splashing on him and Wren. We looked at it and all froze upon realizing what... or who that is.
"Kurt Harris has fallen," the voice laughed at his own joke. We remained starring at Kurt's crashed remains. "Congratulations for advancing to the next round!"
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