10 - Goodbye
"Did you really tell Seth and Kyle to register Chase for Scarper House?!"
"Calm down, Dean. My sister will only be mad for a minute but she will play with us."
"Charles, you shouldn't have done that."
"I still can't believe you fell for my sister. Tulo laway 'yon matulog."
"Charles."
"I know, I know. You're serious. I gave you permission to court her after our graduation, right? Why are you getting mad?"
"Charles, I searched for Scarper House when I got home last night. It's an illegal business from underground. And, Charles, we know very well how things work in underground. Asking help from the authorities, right now, is not an option."
"W-What do you mean?"
"Customers pay for Scarper House to kill people in the most brutal way. Whoever sent that link to Seth, they want us dead."
"B-But... who would want us dead?"
"I don't know. I'm very sure I have no enemies. How about you, Charles?"
"Are you..."
"Did the team had a fight I don't know of?"
"Dean—fuck... Y-You were on a quizbee competition that day..."
"What?! Akala ko ba hindi na kayo makikipag-basag ulo?! Sino ang binangga niyo?!"
"Dean, it already happened, okay? But do you really think those bastards paid for us to get killed?"
"I have no idea but I am sure whoever sent that link knows who we are. Someone went inside my house last night and that box is missing."
"What box?"
"The box I showed you! The box containing the locket with your sister's picture!"
"What? D-Dean... will Chase die? What should I do? Should I pull her out of the game?"
"I'm not sure if we can do that."
"What should I do? Fuck! What should I do?"
"There's no use of hiding her. If they know where I live, they sure know where your house is too. No matter what happens, bring Chase with you tomorrow. Hindi pwedeng maiwan siyang mag-isa, kahit saan."
"Then let's tell the others. Lahat tayo, wag na tayong pumunta!"
"Are you even listening? They know where we live! Do you want our families to die?"
"I...I don't. But fuck this!"
"I've also read that there's no escaping Scarper House. Once they are paid to kill us, they'll hunt us down anywhere in the world. We have to go and play."
"How about Chase?"
"We know nothing about what's going to happen, Charles. We'll see the situation tomorrow. Let's decide in there if running would be a better option that winning the game."
"But you said it yourself! We'll all die in Scarper House!"
"We may still have a chance to live if we win the game! They'll still disguise Scarper House as an escape house because that's what they told Seth and Kyle. We won't die if we manage to escape. We just need to pretend that we don't know the truth behind the game."
"Fuck! What have I done?"
"I'll do my best to get us out of that game, Charles. Do everything to protect Chase."
"I'm the brother, Dean. You don't have to remind me of my duties."
*****
"I'd love to watch your dramas, players, but I'm afraid we're running out of time."
The most annoying voice I've ever heard came out of the speaker again.
"Oh, by the way, Blade Anderson and Chemistry Collins were eliminated! Congratulations for advancing to this round!"
I felt my blood boiling. I balled my fists and took a deep breath.
"There would be no sweats required for the next task. But I need two teams."
What? Eh, tatlo na lang kami.
"Come on, group yourselves. Bawal parehong lalaki, ah? Walang thrill."
Tsk. Now Kuya Sullivan and Kuya Dean are both looking at me.
"Nice. How does it feel, Chase? Share mo naman kung anong pakiramdam na pag-agawan?"
That man and his dramatic mind! We're not even saying anything here. Where did he get that pinag-aagawan idea? Bullshit.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep sigh.
I took three steps and stopped.
"Oh, this is interesting." The voice sounded full of amusement.
I looked at Kuya Dean without showing any emotion. He's just as serious as me too.
"Are you sure you're coming with me, Chase?"
I took another deep breath. "Yes, Kuya Sol. I'm in your team."
The lights on the other side of the room went on, showing us two doors.
"I want each team to enter a door. Don't worry, same lang ang nasa loob."
Now, I started to get nervous. I looked at Kuya Dean. Whatever's behind those doors, he'll face it alone.
I don't like the idea of him dying alone inside that room but I can't take my decision back, can I?
Kuya Sullivan just gave Kuya Dean a nod as he held my hand. We walked quietly towards the first door. We didn't enter until Kuya Dean's facing the other door too.
"Get in. Come on, don't be shy," the man said teasingly.
Kuya Sullivan opened the door and Kuya Dean did too. Before we could enter, I heard him whispering.
"Please, don't die."
I cried. When the door behind Kuya Sullivan and I closed, those two words made me cry.
"Alright. Scarper House says Congratulations, Dean."
Wait, what?
Why is he being congratulated? He already finished the task?
"There's something on the table, players. You know what to do."
The loud noise blared again. But even before it did, my forehead is already creased.
Yes, there's something on the only table inside this room. But I don't know what to do.
What the fuck should I do with a gun?
I heard Kuya Sullivan sighing. We can both clearly see that the magazine's still out. And that it contains only one bullet.
Do they expect us to rush and get the gun to kill the other?
Hell, no! We won't do it.
Or so, I thought.
I only watched Kuya Sullivan as he went near the table and inserted the magazine in the gun.
"I'm sorry, Chase."
I looked down, blinking as I heard a clicking sound. When I looked up again, the gun was already pointed at me.
"I'm sorry, Chase, but my family needs me. I can't die. Not here, not now." Kuya Sullivan was crying. "I am really sorry, Chase. I'm so sorry."
I tried my best to smile. "It's okay."
I don't really have any negative feelings. He made the right decision. It's really okay. But now I understand.
I, now, understand why kuya told me to stay with Kuya Dean even though our cousin and the most responsible friend he had is also here. It's because he wanted me to live. It's because he knew that Kuya Sullivan won't sacrifice his life for me.
But does that mean he trusts that Kuya Dean would do everything for me?
Again, as if my thoughts were heard, the door slammed open. The next thing I heard was a gunshot.
I was so shocked I couldn't react.
The rooms really have the same things, I guess. When I turned to look at Kuya Dean, he was holding a similar gun, which he used to shot Kuya Sullivan.
"Are you alright?" he asked but all I did was hug him.
He just killed a friend. For me.
Before we went inside this house, they all respected Kuya Sullivan. He was their lifeline. He pulls the team together. He's not just their captain, he's everyone's big brother.
And I know...I know just how hard this must've been for Kuya Dean. To kill the person he respects the most.
"Are you okay?" I asked him the same question.
He didn't respond. He might still be in shock of what he did.
For a moment there, I really accepted my fate. I told myself that maybe, everything really ends here. I mean, what reason is still there to continue living?
This man, just showed up the very same moment I'm looking for a reason to live. And I, in a split second that I saw him, really changed my mind. I still want to live.
Everything happened so fast but I have already decided.
If he's still in this world, I will live.
The loud noise blared again. I broke our hug and turned to look at the speaker. Kuya Dean immediately held my hand.
"Congratulations, players! Scarper House says goodbye."
What?
Is that it?
Has it really ended?
Kuya Dean pulled me closer as we watched the walls fall down. We even saw the previous rooms as everything went down. The water that filled the room where Kuya Chem and Kuya Blade were left flowed everywhere, moving everything it touches. It's like the whole building crashed and all that's left are the furnitures on the floor. We can see the entirety of the house now, without it's divisions.
I just became aware of how big Scarper House really is. They sure spent money to build something like this...only to kill innocent people.
Without the walls, now, I can also clearly see the remains of everyone we lost in this game.
I cried again. Everything's starting to sink in. Every single thing that happened. All the blood spilled and all the loss.
How ten of us entered the house and how only two of us remained.
But one question still remains in my mind.
"Why us?" I whispered.
Kuya Dean cupped my face. "I'm sorry. I'll tell you everything I know. Let's just get out of here first."
I nodded, still crying, and let him lead the way.
As we passed through where the main door was before, I saw a familiar guy sitting on the stairs while smoking cigarette.
"Hi, Chase!" Theo had the audacity to smile and wave at me. Didn't he know what we've been though?
Before I could even say a word, Kuya Dean had already punched him. Theo fell on the floor, face first, but he just laughed. This bastard!
"Let's go, Chase," Kuya Dean said, offering his hand to me.
I took his hand but, before we could even take a step, Theo spoke again.
"Scarper House says you can never run away."
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