Hugo's POV
I have a fateful encounter with someone who reminds me of my wife. Ang gaan n'ya kausap. She's listening to my story attentively. Teacher din s'ya. Just like her. Just like my wife. I wish I could meet her again. That kind of person is rare, someone who listens not just with her ears but with her heart. I wish I could go outside and talk to her again like a normal person but I think I can't describe myself as normal after that accident. An accident that changes my life.
My wife, Susan, died after a three-year battle with cancer. She was my life, and without her, I don't know who I am. I don't know my purpose. I don't know what it means to live again. And I can't get over it. Hindi ko kaya. Madaya ang tadhana. Kung kailan na hanap mo na ang para sayo, saka naman kukunin pa. Sometimes, I think ang mabigyan ng pangalawang pagkakataon mabuhay para hindi s'ya makasama sa kabilang buhay ay aking sumpa.
Nakatambay ako sa park ngayon. Naghihintay. Any minute from now nandito na s'ya. The tracker on my left arm stops flickering. She found me. That mad scientist found me again. Nag palinga-linga ako sa park at nakitang nakaparada ang kotse niya sa ilalim ng lampost. Mula sa anino sumulpot s'ya at naglakad papunta sa'kin. 
"Playtime is over, Hugo. Tara na. Baka makita ka pa ng maraming tao," ani n'ya. Ito na naman s'ya inuutusan na naman ako.
"Relax, Claire. It's Halloween night. No one will notice me. If they do, they'll want a picture because of how cool my costume is." I said while flexing my horrendous stitches all over my face.
"Dr. Santos, not Claire. I'm a licensed Neurosurgeon. Ilang beses ko bang uulitin sayo? And that isn't a costume? Walang masama sa pagiging cautious Hugo. Hinahanap pa rin nila tayo remember. Come on. Tara na," pagmamadali n'ya.
Tumayo ako sa swing na inuupuan ko. Sabay kaming naglakad papunta sa kotse n'ya. After naming makapasok sa loob, she analyzes my vitals and asks me questions about how I feel and everything. Everything is recorded for the sake of her experiment. And who's the subject? I am.
She's Claire DeLos Santos, a neurosurgeon. She saved my life without my consent. She brought me back to life, which I know is impossible and only happened in fictional stories. But she did bring me back to life using galvanism and her infinite knowledge on science. She's experimenting on me, my body, my brain, stitching me up without my permission. Hindi ko alam ang mararamdaman ko pero sabi n'ya utang ko sa kanya ang buhay ko at dapat pa akong magpasalamat. That I should not waste it but I think it's primarily for the greatness of science. 
She's gifted, after all, but I don't think there's much emotion or ethical sensitivity left in her. Minsan, kapag nakahiga ako sa experimenting table n'ya habang panay may nakasabit na tubes sa katawan ko, pinagmamasdan ko s'ya habang nagcoconduct ng research. I guess, I understand her. She's alone. To avoid that loneliness, she distracts herself with experimenting until she becomes obsessed in it. 
Mabilis kaming nakarating sa ancestory house na pinagtataguan namin. Minsan. I ask Claire, kung hanggang kailan kami magtatago? Pero hindi n'ya ako sinasagot. Sometimes I ask her if I'm enough. If my reanimation is enough contribution to science. Sabi n'ya gindi pa. She says I'm merely a key to something significant that a human being can't comprehend, controlling life. Reanimation is just phase one of her experiment, there's more. Hindi ko na tinanong ang ibig nyang sabihin sa there's more and controlling life. Simula ng binuhay n'ya ako. My only purpose na lang ang maging test subject nya.
Kahit naman gusto kong umalis. Hindi ko magawa. I looked like a freak. Walang tatangap sa'kin sa labas. Every time I look in the mirror, I see my whole frame, my entire body is covered in stitches. Even my arms and legs weren't mine. Who knows where she got them. This second life means nothing if I can't return to a normal life. So I agreed to help her and stay by her side until it's over. This reanimation project is over.
"Tulala ka? Care to tell kung anong iniisip mo" she asks, while looking at her lab reports.
"Wala."
"Tell me. You can open up to me," she insists.
"This isn't like you. You're not interested in other people's feelings or opinions." Sarcastic na sabi ko.
"Yes, but you're different. You're my subject. It's important for me to record everything, to analyze how your brain functions. Your whole being is my priority right now."
"I know, Claire, for the greater good of science."
"Dr. Santos, not Claire. Ilang beses ko bang uulitin sayo? I'm a woman of science, not just an ordinary person," she say in return. Tapos nagsimula na siyang mag speech kung gaano n'ya kamahal ang science. Kung gaano s'ya dedicated sa project na ginagawa nya at kung paano ito makapag contribute sa buong mundo. Napailing lang ako. Some of the greatest minds is always prone to insanity.
"May nakilala akong babae. Sa labas kanina", I said, interrupting her. Natigilan s'ya, then she grabs her paper and pen to take notes.
"And how did that make you feel? You're a man, after all, unable to stop your sexual urges."
"Hindi 'yon ang ibig kong sabihin."
"Then what?"
"She just like my wife. She's kind. Alam kong maraming katulad n'ya outside. I'm hoping na baka matangap n'ya ako. Matangap nila ako"
"No. Please, Hugo, ‘wag kang umasa. You're just longing for acceptance. Especially in your current situation. Huhusgahan ka nila. Kakatakutan. They might even kill you again. Do you know what happens to the monster in the Frankenstein book, right?"
"Yeah. Pero hindi siya takot sa'kin. That girl that I met earlier."
"Kasi halloween. Akala n'ya costume suot mo. Who knows kung anong I react n'ya after n'ya malaman na ganyan ka talaga. Nakakatakot na halimaw. Look at me, Hugo. You're meant for something great now. Hindi mo kailangan ng validation ng tao. Wala silang pakialam sayo. Ako meron. Your purpose now is to be part of science."
"Anong progress na ba ng experimentation Claire?" I don't know much about her research, but sometimes I like to ask her. I want to know how long it will take to be over. Kung gaano pa ako katagal, magbabayad ng utang ng loob sa kanya.
"Malayo pa tayo sa Phase 2 but there's improvement. I've been monitoring your brain with CT scans for a few years now. I see some improvement. And if what I'm seeing confirms what I'm looking for, I'll have to perform brain surgery and cut your brain into tiny pieces."
"I expected that from you."
"Hugo, this is for science. I know you think I'm cruel, but I want you to understand that you don't have a choice because I saved your life. Dahil ito na Ang purpose mo. Not to be weakened by human emotions or your job as a pathetic reporter."
"Dr. Santos, ang trabaho ko bilang reporter ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nagkakilala. Wag mong kakalimutan yan." Inis na sabi ko.  
Huminga ng malalim si Claire. Inayos ang pagkakalagay ng kanyang salamin. “You’re right, Hugo. Kung hindi dahil sa trabaho mo, hindi kita makikilala. Kung hindi ka pumuslit sa laboratory ng araw na iyon hindi ka mamamatay. But maybe that was fate to the universe making sure your curiosity would kill you.”
“Or a proof that the universe can bring me back,” I replied.
She froze for a moment, staring at me not as her subject, but as something she created. “What happened to you was an accident. I accidentally brought you to life. I can't do that anymore.”
“Accident?” sarkastikong Tanong ko. “You talk like I’m a broken test tube that happened to explode in your lab.”
Nagsalubong ang kanyang kilay. “Don’t mock me, Hugo. You know what I mean. And all wonders of science come from accidents. Which makes you rare and special to this experiment.” Pagpapaliwag n'ya.
Pagkatapos nito tahimik kaming dalawa. Ang tanging maririnig lang ang huli ng kuliglig sa labas at Ang tunog ng orasan sa pader. Huminga ako ng malalim. Nahihirapan akong intindihin ang mga bagay na sinasabi ni Claire. Hanggang sa isang tanong ang sumagi sa isip ko. Tanong na kahit ako hindi ko alam ang kasagutan.
“Claire, minsan ba naisip mo kung tama ‘to? Kung tama bang bumuhay ng patay?” tanong ko habang nakatingin sa kanya.
She looked up from her notes. “There’s no such thing as right or wrong in science. Only results.”
Hindi na ako sumagot. Her eyes glimmered not with happiness, but with something I couldn’t define. Maybe madness. Maybe obsession through proving something. 
Tumalikod ako. Tumingin ako sa bintana. Malapit lang ang plaza dito. I could see the park from here, the same place where I met that woman earlier, the one who reminded me of Susan. A part of me wanted to run, to see her again, to talk to her again, But the stitches on my arms tugged when I moved, reminding me that I wasn’t supposed to exist. So I stayed. Watching the moon set by over the world I no longer belonged to.