You can never run away
I looked at Saint.
There are hundreds of people inside the auditorium but my eyes knew exactly where to look. It's still him. It had always been him and it will forever be him, even if there's no longer us.
My gaze then shifted to the lady sitting beside her. Isa sa mga kaklase niya na matagal ko nang alam na may gusto sa kaniya kahit noong kami pa. Ang balita ko, nagkakamabutihan na sila. Pero hindi ako naniniwala. Limang buwan pa lang mula nang matapos ang limang taon na kami. It's impossible that someone can move on that fast. Right?
Because I haven't. I can't.
Maybe because up until now, I never had the chance to process it. And so I was not able to fight for us. To save whatever's left of us. Because I'm still stuck on that day. On that place. I'm still with Wren, Chad, Kurt, Krista, Sean, Isla, and Justin.
In that carnival.
"Congratulations again, fellow graduates," I said as my eyes moved on to the empty seats at the back. Nicolas University still assigned chairs for those six graduates who died more than five months ago. They're now filled with flowers given by the other graduates who felt bad that they're not here with us today.
But only two people inside the auditorium know exactly what happened to them.
I happened to them.
"Thank you," I ended my speech and the whole crowd gave me a standing ovation. Nag-bow ako at pumeke ng ngiti, habang minamadali ang pagkuha sa three-pages-long na speech notes ko mula sa ibabaw ng podium. Inayos ko ang pagkakasalansan ng mga papel nang mapansing hindi lang 'yon tatatlo.
There was a fourth paper. It was black and was folded in half.
At first I thought the paper was for the emcees so I just put it back at the podium. But when I noticed what's written on it, I knew that it was intentionally placed there for me.
You can never run away
I froze.
Memories of those four hours of terror flashed back inside my mind. I couldn't breathe. I looked around and everybody was still clapping for me, unaware of the horror that's flooding my mind right now.
I tried to look for Saint again. He was looking at me just like everybody else. But, not like them, he immediately noticed that something's wrong. Worry quickly covered his eyes.
But then, he looked away.
"Ms. Alejandro." I snapped back to reality when one of the professors on stage called me. He pointed the center stage on me where the other professors, the university president, and the guest of honor were waiting for me.
Mabilis kong inipit ang itim na papel sa folder na pinaglalagyan ng speech ko. Nakipagkamay ako sa mga taong nasa stage at sumama sa picture.
But the moment I got down from the stage and back to my seat, I wasted no second to open the folded black paper.
Scarper House would like to congratulate you on your graduation, Trace and Saint!
For your graduation gift, you're in on a little game.
We've found Waldo, but not the red dot.
You have 30 minutes.
Scarper House says good luck.
Napatitig lang ako sa papel matapos basahin ang nakasulat. Para sa 'min ni Saint. Mula sa Scarper House. Ibig sabihin... hindi pa tapos?
I held my breath as I remembered what happened to us in every task inside that house—we lost someone everytime. If this is another game, then... one of us will die.
I turned at Saint's direction and he was busy talking to that girl beside him, so I looked back on the paper. If I'm the only one to play, he's out of the game, right? I could save him that way, right?
Decided that I'm doing this alone, I read the contents of the black paper again. We've found Waldo but not the red dot.
What the hell does that supposed to mean?
What red dot? I know about Where's Waldo. Pictures in that game looks exactly like the auditorium right now—full of people. Am I supposed to find a red dot here?
Natapos ang graduation nang hindi ko alam ang gagawin. At five minutes na lang ang natitira mula nang basahin ko ang sulat. Ano bang red dot?
"Congrats, pres."
Napalingon ako sa isa sa mga student council officers na lumapit sa 'kin sa labas ng auditorium para batiin ako. Instead of greeting her back I just stared at her black toga which had a tiny red mark near the end of its sleeve. "W-What's that?"
"Ah, eto? Stain lang," sabi niya. Medyo tumawa pa siya. "Sabi nga ng mga kaklase ko kanina akala raw nila may nantututok sa 'kin ng laser."
Laser...
My lips parted.
"M-May... May stain din ba 'ko?" My co-officer looked so confused when I suddenly turned in front of her. "May nakikita ka bang pulang tuldok?"
"W-Wala..." sabi niya. "Okay ka lang?"
I couldn't answer her as my eyes quickly searched for Saint again. He was standing with his classmates, taking pictures with their caps on.
I almost ran towards them, not looking back on my co-officer who kept calling my name. And then I felt the whole world stopping when I saw a tiny red dot on Saint's cap.
Naglolokohan silang magkakaklase, galaw nang galaw si Saint pero sunod din nang sunod 'yong red dot sa graduation cap niya. Wala na akong oras pa para makapag-isip, tumakbo na lang ako at kinuha ang cap niya.
"Trace?!" litong-litong pagtawag sa 'kin ni Saint pero nagpatuloy lang ako sa pagtakbo. Tinignan ko ang graduation cap niya na hawak ko at tama nga ang hinala ko, nandito pa rin ang pulang tuldok.
I have no idea where the source of that red dot is but I knew I had to take it away from the auditorium, from the people, and at least from Saint.
But he followed me.
"Trace! Trace, ano ba?!"
I tried so hard to run but he was still able to catch up to me. Hindi na rin ako nakapalag nang hilahin niya ako. Hingal na hingal ako sa pagtakbo.
"Ano'ng problema mo?!"
His tone crushed my heart. Malayong-malayo sa Saint na palaging nagpapa-baby sa 'kin noon. For a moment there, I forgot that we were in a life and death situation.
"I..." I was contemplating if I was gonna tell him. But then I remembered the time. "C-Congratulations, Saint."
His forehead creased even more and he looked at me like I'm some crazy person. I've figured that's how people would treat me I they found out about what really happened 12 years ago. I told myself I'd be okay with that. But only Saint knew. And I was never prepared to receive that kind of treatment from him.
"Ano?"
Instead of answering him, I just took off my graduation cap and gave it to him. He hesitated at first, but then he accepted it. The I put his cap on.
And everything went black.
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