Jessica
“What?” Lahat kami ay nagulat sa sinabi ni Alvin.
“A-Anong patay?” tanong ni Noel using his shaky voice. Alam kong hirap na hirap na rin siya sa lahat ng nangyayari sa amin.
“D-Doon,” sagot naman ni Alvin at agad na tumakbo. Wala na kaming nagawa kundi sundan siya.
As we venture hastily through the forest, I feel my heartbeat getting louder. Things are not getting any better, at alam kong our lives depend on every move we make.
Hindi nagtagal ay nakita na namin si Ryan na tulala habang nakasandal sa isang puno.
“Ryan! Where—” I didn’t even finish my sentence. Nakita ko silang nakatingala, at kaagad din akong tumingin sa itaas.
“Aaahhh!” I screamed as my legs gave out due to shock.
What met my eyes is the hanging body of Mark. A lengthy brown rope connected his neck to the branch of a tree. Nakatungo pa ang ulo niya at dilat na dilat ang mga mata. Our eyes met and it felt like he was staring at me, which startled me the most.
“Jessica,” pagbulong ni Noel as he assisted me on getting up.
“Ibaba natin siya!” Nagmamadali namang tumakbo si Steve. Umakyat siya sa mga sanga ng puno.
Noel brought me to a side at nagpunta sa ilalim ni Mark.
I... I can’t take this anymore.
Akala ko noong una, may chance pa na makaalis kami dito nang buhay at kumpleto, pero what happened? One by one, we stumble upon our lifeless friends!
I bit my lip as I tried to suppress my feelings, pero hindi nagtagal ay hindi ko na nakayanan kaya napatakip na lang ako sa bibig ko at tumalikod.
My tears started falling. I used both of my hands to soften my sobs.
Mark was a great friend. So was Kelly. We had spent years together making memories of a lifetime, but now it seems that our friendship will only remain in those memories.
I heard a sound of something falling. That must be Mark.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Narinig kong sumigaw si Noel mula sa likuran ko. It seems na may misunderstanding na naman sila ni Steve. They kept on arguing, but my ears don’t seem to be working properly. I can only hear my own muffled wails and those words...
“Si Jessica ang nakaisip na maggala kayo, ‘di ba? Bakit hindi siya ang sisihin niyo?”
Is it really my fault?
What if hindi ko sinabing maggala kami? What if we stayed by the road? Would it make any difference?
Oh, right. If we didn’t leave, we could have known why Mark and the van disappeared. Maybe Mark wouldn’t even go missing if we just stayed there.
It hurts. It’s choking me. Hindi na ako makahinga nang maayos dahil sa bigat ng nararamdaman ko. Bakit ba kasi I’m so stupid?
Stupid!
I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I turned around to see Jane, who’s also crying but she’s smiling at me.
Wala na akong nasabi at yumakap na lang sa kaniya.
How ironic. Kanina lang I was lecturing her for crying, but now, the tables have turned.
I felt another person approach us and before I knew it, Noel is hugging me, too. Bumitaw sa pagkakayakap si Jane as I buried my face into my babe’s chest.
I can feel his heart beating, and as he taps my back, I heard his whisper.
“It’s not your fault.”
I raised my head and looked at him in the eye. He then cupped my swollen face.
“Everything’s fucked up right now, but I assure you it’s not your fault. We’ll get over this together.”
Gosh. Alam niya talaga kung anong nararamdaman ko kahit hindi ko sabihin.
I refrained from breaking down again and just hugged him very tight. Gumaan na ang pakiramdam ko because of him.
I’m very lucky with this man.
After the hug, we held hands and I forced a smile in front of him.
“I love you.”
Napangiti naman siya at muli akong niyakap.
“I love you, too.”
I took a deep breath at kumalas na sa yakap. I swear, final na ‘yon.
Bumaling naman ako sa mga kasamahan namin. Mark’s body is lying on the ground, pero nakapikit na ang mata niyang kanina ay dilat. That’s indicative na his eyes will never open and he will never be with us again.
Si Alvin ay tulala lang ulit habang nakaupo sa lupa. I think he’s the most mentally unstable sa aming lahat. Since we met up with him dahil kay Kelly, he seems to have lost his self. Ni hindi siya nagsasalita nang maayos.
Tahimik na umiiyak si Ryan habang nakaharap sa punong pinagsabitan ni Mark. I can see his clenched fists na mukhang ilang beses niyang isinuntok sa puno kaya namumula.
Jane is hugging herself dito sa tabi namin ni Noel. She already stopped crying at nakatingin lang kay Ryan na gusto niya sigurong i-comfort.
Lastly, si Steve. He has this fierce expression na may halong pagkalungkot. He’s just staring at Mark’s body while standing.
After a few moments, tumingin-tingin siya sa paligid. Nakigaya naman ako and I saw something a few meters away from Steve’s back.
“W-what’s that?” utal kong tanong. Noel gave me a puzzled look at napansin naman ni Steve ang sinabi ko kaya nilingon niya ang direksyong ‘yon.
I saw his forehead crease before he went to the thing that looked like a black cloth laid across the ground. Pinulot niya ito at bumalik sa amin.
He’s inspecting it very closely before talking to us.
“A-Anong ibig sabihin nito?” saad niya.
“What’s that?” tanong ni Noel.
“Ang damit at itak ng umatake sa’tin.”
What?
Inilapag ni Steve sa harapan namin ang nakatuping itim na coat. Ibinuka niya ito and enclosed in it is a bloody bolo knife.
“M-Mark was the one who a-attacked us?” nangangatal na tanong ni Jane.
“H-Hindi ko alam,” sagot ni Steve.
“Are you sure na kay Mark ‘yan? The attacker could have placed it near Mark’s body to throw the suspicions on him,” pagdepensa ni Noel. Steve didn’t answer, instead ay hinalungkat niya ang mga bulsa ng coat. Then, his eyes widened and it seems na may nakuha siya.
Unti-unti niyang inilabas ang isang facemask at isang nakatuping papel. Binuksan niya ang papel at binasa ang nakasulat doon.
“I’m sorry... Nagawa ko lang ito dahil kailangan kong patahimikin sina Kayne at Kelly. I’ll take my secret to the grave. Live on, guys. F-Forgive me.”
A moment of silence occurred between us.
I can’t process it. Mark is behind everything? For real? Well... yes, naghinala ako noong nawala ang van at ayaw niyang sumagot sa tawag, pero to actually attack us and murder our friends?
“Wait... D-does this mean na... it’s the end? We’re safe?” I decided to speak out.
“D-Demonyo siya... Napakasama ni Mark! Why did he do this? I thought we were friends!” Napalingon naman kami kay Jane na umiiyak habang nakayakap sa sarili. I quickly felt the need to embrace her but when I did, she suddenly pushed me away.
“Jane, calm—”
“No, Jessica! I can never calm down after knowing this thing! Wala na si Kelly! She was butchered like a pig and I... I can feel the pain she experienced before dying...”
“Pero, Jane—”
“Shut up! You will never know how it feels to lose your best friend! Wala akong nagawa! I didn’t even see Kelly for the last time! I swear, pagbabayarin ko si Mark—”
“Hindi si Mark ang killer.” Naputol ang sasabihin ni Jane at napatingin kami kay Ryan na biglang nagsalita. His eyes are red from crying and his face is full of seriousness.
“Pero—”
“HINDI SI MARK ANG GUMAWA NITO!” Once again, Jane was cut off and now, Ryan is walking towards us.
“How did you say so?” tanong ni Noel.
“Kilala ko si Mark. Hindi niya—”
“Then what are those things—”
“Takot si Mark sa matataas!” gigil na sigaw ni Ryan kay Jane. “Hinding-hindi niya makakayang umakyat ng puno at magpakamatay! Pinatay siya!”
My eyes widened upon hearing his revelation.
“Then, pinatay rin si Mark ng killer?” I exclaimed.
“Oo! At sigurado akong hindi pa tapos ang mga kagaguhan ng killer na ‘yan. Hindi pa tayo ligtas!” sagot ni Ryan, na isa-isa kaming tinititigan.
“N-No...” Jane burst out more tears as she fell down to her knees. This time, I successfully wrapped my arms around her and tapped her back.
“Jane, please fix yourself... Kelly wouldn’t like to see you being like this... Please, don’t lose hope...” I whispered to her.
A moment later, lumapit si Ryan sa itak na nakalapag sa lupa at pinulot ito.
“Sabi sa sulat, si Kayne at Kelly lang daw ang pinatahimik, ‘di ba? Ibig sabihin, buhay pa si Catherine,” bigkas niya.
“Pero sabi mo nga, isinulat lang ‘yon ng killer. Paano kung patay na rin si Catherine at hindi niya isinulat?” Naningkit naman ang mga mata ni Ryan sa sinabing ‘yon ni Steve.
“Hindi ako maniniwalang patay na siya hangga’t hindi ko nakikita ang bangkay niya.”
After that, si Steve naman ang lumapit kay Ryan. We don’t know what he plans to do considering na nag-away sila ni Ryan kanina. But, it turned out na gusto lang niyang hiramin ang itak at inilahad ang kamay kay Ryan. Ryan stared at him distrustfully bago ibigay ang itak.
Kinilatis ni Steve ang itak na para bang may hinahanap. “Hindi ba... itak mo ‘to, Alvin?” tanong niya. Napalingon naman kaming lahat kay Alvin, na gulat na nakaharap sa amin. Nilapitan siya ni Steve.
“Ito ‘yong dala mo kanina ‘di ba? ‘Yong pinanghiwa ng prutas?”
Alvin didn’t answer. His expressions suggested na gulat na gulat siya sa mga sinabi ni Steve. Unti-unti rin siyang umaatras habang papalapit si Steve sa kaniya.
“Sumagot ka… iyo ‘to ‘di ba?” wika ni Steve at itinutok ang itak kay Alvin. Alvin’s eyes widened as he stared at the blade with traces of blood.
“H-hindi... A-Ayaw—” We didn’t expect what he did next. Bigla siyang sumigaw at tumakbo palayo.
“Alvin!” sigaw ni Noel at susundan sana si Alvin pero pinigilan siya ni Steve.
“Huwag. Malaki ang tsansa na si Alvin ang killer. Kita niyo naman ‘di ba? Mukhang nabaliw na siya. Baka may sakit siya sa utak at balak tayong patayin lahat,” aniya.
Wait, ngayon si Alvin naman? Why are we throwing the blame to each other as if we’re just tossing a ball?
“If he’s really losing his mind, do you think he can still plan about framing Mark? Naisip niya pa ‘yon? I’m not mocking Alvin, pero sa tingin ko he can’t do something like that,” komento naman ni Noel. I looked at him at seryosong-seryoso pa rin siya.
“Hindi ko alam, hindi ko sigurado. Pero, hindi rin naman natin malalaman ang takbo ng utak ng isang baliw na killer,” sagot naman ni Steve.
No one responded. We just stared at each other.
I tightened my embrace to Jane who is slowly ceasing from crying. I directed my sight to Noel and as our eyes met, I can also feel his fear and confusion.
I have no idea kung sino talaga ang killer, pero there’s one thing I’m sure of.
The killer is one of us.
•••