ASH'S VIEWPOINT
"Lie down, Ms. Griffin." utos ng Doktor kay Lori nang makapasok kami sa kabuoan ng infirmary, malawak ito kumpara sa average infirmary ng mga normal na schools.
"Dr. Hudson, what will happen to her?" I asked him, nagiging visible na ang veins ni Lori mula batok hangang sa kaliwang braso nito.
'and it's black'
"We'll see," he answered.
"It's spreading." the nurse stated.
"Wala bang pwedeng gawin?" Filch asked at nakakita ako ng takot sa kanyang mata, sinong hindi matatakot sa hunter's poisonous arrow.
'nakakamatay ito.'
Nakarinig kami ng pag bukas ng pinto, at iniluwa nito si Thrill, kagaya ng kay Lori, nangingitim narin ang ugat nito sa kanang braso ngunit mas minalas si Lori, dahil malala na ang sugat nito, samahan pa ng atake ni Zariah, kanina sa duelo nila.
"She's unbelievably strong." the doctor commented, kasalukuyan kaming nakatingin sa unconscious na si Lori. "Kung nagkataong lumaki siyang normal, she'll be dead in an instant the moment she got hit by the hunter's arrow." Dr. Hudson added.
"What do you mean, Doc?" Filch asked.
"She has an amazing ability and she's fighting it," he answered.
Wala kaming maaaring gawin, walang visible na lunas ang lason na ito ikaw mismo ang papatay sa lason sa pamamagitan ng ibibigay sayo nitong hallucinations, magiging posible ang lahat ng imposible at kapag naniwala ka at nagpatalo sa panlilinlang na ibibigay nito sayo, you'll die, at kapag nagawa mo naman itong labanan... the poison will die inside your body.
'you'll live.'
But, Lori... she's brave.
No wonder, she passed the entrance trial safe and sound, bilang lamang ang nakakapasa sa entrance trial. Pinagmasdan ko na lamang ang paligid, nakabantay lang ang nurses sa gilid pati si, Dr. Hudson.
Ngunit dalawa lang ang nakapasok sa En-Tri ngayong taon, I wonder kung sino ang pangalawa.
Si Filch ay nakatingin lang sa sahig na tila mayroon itong malalim na iniisip, si Thrill naman ay blangkong nakatingin sa babaeng kanyang iniligtas kani-kanina lang, ngunit hindi siya nagtagumpay, napuruhan parin si Lori.
Thrill has the ability to heal fast and his second ability is what we called cursed ability, it's still a mystery up until now dahil mas pinili niyang huwag ipakita.
Tatlo lamang ang may ganitong abilidad ngunit ang dalawa palang ang kilala naming mayroon nito. Habang nasa gitna kami ng pag-iisip ng mga posibleng resulta bumukas muli ang pintuan.
Nakita naming pumasok si Kamil, may kasama ito ngunit hindi ko kilala. "This is Lana, Lori's sister sila ang En-Tri passers." hindi na ako nagtaka pa dahil pareho silang may dark at fierce na aura, hindi rin siguro ito basta-basta dahil katulad ni Lori naka survive rin ito sa En-Tri.
"Lori," nagaalalang lumapit si Lana sa kapatid niyang kasalukuyang nakikipag laban kay kamatayan. "You're a strong kid sis! I believe in you." dagdag nito habang hinahawakan ang kamay ni Lori.
"Tawagin mo si Zariah, Filch. I need her here." Kamil demanded, agad namang sumunod si Filch at lumabas ng pinto. "Maybe I can give her enough amount of energy and time." paglilinaw sa amin ni Kamil. Sa grupo namin is Kamil, ang energy provider, she's not a witch nor a healer, she's just a far-from-a-normal kid... she's like a human power bank.
"What do you want?" nakasimangot na pumasok si Zariah sa loob ng infirmary. "Can you feel her energy?" Kamil asked, lahat kami ay nakatingin lang sa pangyayari, walang may planong kumontra o gumawa ng ingay bukod sa kanila. "I can't detect her energy," she answered in frustration. "What do you mean you can't?" Kamil asked.
"She's covered," Thrill answered.
Lahat kami napaisip, mind control ba ang abilidad ni Lori kaya ba ganoon? "Lana, what is her ability?" I asked. "She can endure a high amount of pain, less than the average," she answered, her ability isn't a mental ability it's a body endurance ability how can she blocked Zariah's detector without doing anything at all unless she's the third one.
"Iyon ang rason kung bakit hindi parin sumusuko ang katawan niya up until now." the doctor reacted. "I'll try," lumapit si Kamil kay Lori at hinawakan ang ulo at kamay nito. She's trying to convert her energy to Lori.
'I hope it works.'
"Lubayan mo na ako!!!" lahat kami ay nagulantang sa naging pagsigaw ni Lori. Her body was affected by her unconscious mind. Kusang gumalaw ang kanyang kanang kamay inaabot niya ang kanyang kwintas mula sa kanyang leeg at pinigtas ito.
'a crescent moon necklace.'
Ginamit niya ang matulis na parte nito upang sugatan ang kanyang pulso. "What the hell?!" Filch reacted at akmang pipigilan is Lori. "Let her." malamig na utos sa kanya ni Thrill, hindi niya inaalis ang tingin kay Lori tila may alam siya sa ginagawa nito.
"I can feel her, damn it, I can feel her now! But no threats, just the energy you've given Kamil." wala sa sariling tugon ni Zariah, puno ito ng emosyon at pagkagulat. "Lori has decided to shut her ability off including her other weird ability." paglilinaw naman ni Kamil sa amin.
"Which means—" panimula ni Filch. "She can feel every pain in her body right at this moment." I cut in.
'what she did is extremely dangerous.'
"Damn it! She's in rage! I can't handle her energy," aligagang tugon ni Zariah. "Hindi ko siya matatagalan, I should leave right away before I drain them both, continue the transferring Kamil, you're helping her," Zariah said and then she left in rapid.
Kahit nahirapan siyang talunin si Lori, she's still kind, mas inuuna niya parin ang kaligtasan ng ibang tao bukod sa sarili niya.
'that's what I admired about her.'
"Ahhh!!!!!"
"Lori!!" halos sabay sabay naming reaksyon sa kanya. "Come on sis, you can make it," pilit pagpapakalma ni Lana, sa kapatid niya, pigil hininga naming pinagmamasdan ang bawat daing, pagwawala, at pagsigaw ni Lori kahit si Kamil ay nasasaktan niya na.
"I am not gonna let you out!!!" sigaw nito, tila nagiwan sa amin si Lori, ng isang malaking palaisipan.
'sino ang hindi niya pakakawalan?'
~~~
LORI'S VIEWPOINT
"Lori."
"Lori."
"Lori."
Pilit kong hinahanap ang sarili kong tinig sa gitna ng madilim na gabi dito sa kakahuyan it sounds like an echo. Kanina pa ako paikot-ikot, hindi ako makalabas. "I'm lost," bulong ko sa sarili ko.
"Are you really lost Lori?" palapit nang palapit ang tinig ko. "I can help you find your true self, Lori?" nasa tapat ko na siya, I can see myself it looks like I was looking straight at the mirror.
"Tell me, what's your greatest fear?" the other me ask my current self. "Or should I say who is your greatest fear?" she added.
"You are terrified of me, but I am you, Lori, I am your demon... we are one."
"Leave me alone!"
"You want to get rid of me? Let me out and then you'll see."
'she kept on saying things to me.'
'my greatest fear is myself.'
'hindi ko pwedeng pakawalan ang pinakamasamang parte ng pagkatao ko, hindi maaari.'
'dahil kapag ginawa ko 'yon... mawawala ako.'
"Pakawalan mo na ako, Lori," she demanded.
'Once you release the demon, mahihirapan kanang makabalik Lori at masasaktan mo ang mga taong mahalaga sayo.'
I remember what my Mom told me.
"Lubayan mo na ako!!!"
This isn't real.
I remove my necklace.
'a crescent moon necklace.'
Sinugatan ko ang sarili kong pulso. Wala akong maramdaman, kailangan makaramdam ako ng sakit upang masabi kong may totoo parin sa nangyayari sa akin.
I have to shut it down.
It's crucial but there's no other way.
"You always chose to run away, you don't face your own dilemma you just kept on running away from it. YOU ARE WEAK!!" she screamed.
"Ahhh!!!!!" I can feel everything.
Every fucking damn pain!
"I'm not weak, beast, I am extremely wiser than you, you can't mess with my mind anymore, maybe you're real! But I am not gonna let you out!!!" I yelled at her. I've already shut my ability off but it is somehow strange that I can feel this energy inside me it feels like I was recharged.
"Maybe not today, but remember this day Lori, palalayain mo rin ako pagdating ng panahon and you know what? You're gonna be gone for good." my reflection stated, and then she faded away.
I took a deep breath and let myself fall unto the ground.
~~~
"Lori, babalik kami ha, ipinapatawag lang kami upang ibalitang nakaligtas ka." I heard my sister's soft voice.
I heard the door closed.
I can hear them.
But I chose to conserve my energy before I decided to open my eyes. My ability is back and all I can feel right now is complete numbness.
"Never let your demon's out."
I heard someone, I can feel his soft breathing in my ears, at hindi ako pwedeng magkamali I know it's him. I'm not with him that long but I already knew the sound of his voice.
Thrill.
Siya ang nakagawang magpamulat ng aking mga mata. Blurry and dizziness are filling my head but I know, I'm better now.
"Thrill." I murmured when I finally recovered from my blurriness.
"Don't call me unless you're dying." He stated in a direct manner, no emotions at all but his eyes aren't lying it is visible that he looks relieved and somewhat in peace now.
He looked at me straight at tsaka lumabas ng pintuan, but wait up! What the hell is he saying? Mula sa paglabas nito saka naman pumasok ang isang magandang babae.
'who is she?'
"How are you, Lori?" She asked me at hinawakan ang kamay ko, I startled when her hand touches mine. "It's okay, you'll be okay trust me," pagpapakalma nito sa akin. I somehow felt energy transferring to me, parang nakaramdam na ako nito.
"You have been sleeping since yesterday but you're in a good condition now." she declared. "Who are you?" I asked. "I'm Kamil Humpries," she answered.
"Thank you, Kamil," I whispered. She just nods.
"Lori!"
"Lana," inambahan niya ako ng yakap, yeah knowing na mahina pa ako. "Careful," I said. "Oh sorry, I'm just happy that you're okay now, you have no idea how worried I was!" she kept on talking which I barely missed. "I know," I replied.
"Oh, this is Ash Malcolm and Filch Fortner. They're with me when I was in a panic." my sister stated.
So they are Ash and Filch.
"Ms. Griffin, as a result, I've gathered, you can leave any time soon. I was hoping this would be the last time I see you here." Dr. Hudson remarked.
~~~
Nang magbalik ang lakas ko, napagdesisyonan ko ng lumabas nang infirmary, kahit malakas na ako hindi parin ako magawang tantanan nitong OA kong kapatid.
"Lana, okay pa ako sa okay." sermon ko naman dito. "Baka naman kasi diba, you need my assistance." she offered.
Hindi ko na lamang siya pinansin at diretsong pumasok sa loob nang dorm. Nasa loob parin kami ng Academy, hindi ka maaaring lumabas mula sa lugar na ito, ngunit kapag mayroon ka namang sapat na dahilan para lumiban maaari ka nilang payagan, we're supposed to be on our 12th grade, pero ang huling taon na 'yan ng high school ay gugugulin namin dito sa loob ng Brookshire kung saan hindi literature subject ang pag-aaralan namin kung hindi ang makipag patayan laban sa kapwa namin estudyante.
"I'll be back in a bit, sis," pagpapaalam nito at lumabas na ng dorm, the dorm is quite big for the two of us. Hindi ko maiwasang lingunin ang bintana, I have a weird feeling.
'I saw a royal blue envelope.'
Out of curiosity, I opened it.
To:  Lori Griffin
You've survived the poison.
You never fail to amaze me L, at bilang premyo hahayaan kitang mabuhay at lumakad sa mundong ito ng malaya, but not long enough, we still have business to deal.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
— nightmare
Nabitawan ko ng wala sa sarili ang sulat.
Damn it!
'who the heck are you nightmare?!'