27th Door

I walked with my shadow,

I ran with my shadow,

I danced with my shadow

I did.

Then a cloud came over k

And the sun went under

And my shadow stopped playing

And hid.

-Anonymous

I have tried sending messages through all social media outlets using my laptop. It's all blocked! All outgoing messages and transactions were blocked. It came to a realization that what's really going on was somewhat perfectly plotted. No one even responded to the SOS posted by Thrina on the window pane. Mukhang walang nakakapansin sa building ng MOS. Ano na bang nagyayari? How could an over angry lunatic possibly plot this perfectly? I see no loophole. None at all.

Muli kong binalikan ang mga listahan sa aking laptop pagkababang-pagkababa namin sa 27th floor. Everyone was shaking after what had happened on the 28th. My boss Ryanne and Michonne looked ten years older than their age. Andreas was panting so hard and so as the rest. Simond's shoulders sagged down and his head sunk into his clavicle. Everyone was fidgety. Except, of course, Minalyn who's head held high and a face ensemble of strong texture. I can confirm that's her normal state. Natas was gasping for air. He was the last person to come down from upstairs.

Everyone became a suspect. I need to figure out what has had caused Nyl's death. Who were the last people she spoke with before she got poisoned? It could be Rielle or Minalyn; but between the two, Minalyn is a greater suspect. She could have killed her friend.

I shook my head fervently. I need to find more evidence. I can't just jump into a gun and accuse someone of murder just because she's the closest person to the dying party. I looked around and foraged. I got no clue yet. So I gave it a rest, temporary surrender as I figure other ways to find the prime cause of this. I decided to isolate myself and be seated on a cubicle that is far from everyone. Nang walang makakita saakin.

This is getting critical. Naririnig ko pa ang malakas na emergency alarm sa itaas. Ilang minuto ay natigil din ito. I heaved a breath as I stared down at the names. I highlighted the possible suspects. I have eight names.

Thrina Kronos

Maddielyn Saragoza

Michonne Grenne

Ryanne De Guzman

Greyson Andreas Choi

Simond Lockhart

Minalyn Itoshiki

And...

Natas Vandergouh

What's happened was definitely preposterous! Really preposterous!

One of them is the killer. One must be identified before the innocent get killed!

But how? How many more lives could possibly be wasted before I can even get a clue?

Nakailang titig na ako sa code na nakasulat sa maliit na piraso ng papel. I have tried deciphering it with a lot of algorithms I know. Walang pumapasok sa utak ko. There is no Morse code with this. Siguro ay ayaw ng sender ng mga ganoong codes at mas gusto niya ng Maths and Riddles which is very weird. I seldom know people who both love riddles and numbers. There can be a few but I have never met someone as such.

I cannot afford to see others dying. I have had seen enough. Kailan matatapos ang patayang ito?

Per Mr. Laryson Perey, based on the data of the HR, there are exactly forty-seven employees ang nasa 31st floor nang magsimula ang patayan.

The mastermind of this crazy, demonic practical joke is a master manipulator. Alam niya kung paano pupuntiryahin ang bawat isa saamin. Magaling siyang magtago.

All of us are a target. The mastermind can use each of us to kill one another. He'd use those who are vulnerable first.

We're being manipulated. We all are, and that's crazy. What's even scarier is that we do not know who is manipulating us.

Now everyone in this building has a goal. Someone might have known each other's hidden agenda and the suspect using that to manipulate and trick us. Nyl might have been manipulated. Someone close to her might have been controlled and forced to kill her. It's a bit calculating, but it's right out of the equation, it can be derived that the mastermind gets all he/she wants in life, if he helps enough other people get what they want. He is in control. Pero sino? Malutong akong napamura sa isip.

He might have been socializing. Asking favors in an informal manner to hide the obvious. He might be using a decoy for us to buy his or her drama.

Dramas. An act. A decoy.

Ilang oras na ang lumilipas. Palubog na ang araw. Tahimik pa rin ang lahat at naghihintay ng kung sakloo o ng kamatayan.

Napatingala ako sa dingding na parang nadoon ang sagot sa lahat ng mga katanungan ko. I revisited the list. I was missing some names. If the suspect is using some decoys and other manipulation techniques to lure us away from accusing him, these people could possibly be the suspect: Mildred Cortez, Claina Piencenaves and Mr. Laryson Perey.

I may have felt guilty for accusing them but I have my reconsidered grounds. Mildred can be a suspect. She appears to be humble and caring and very accommodating to everyone but she might have put on Nyl's food earlier. That can be one valid reason. Mr. Perey can be making a valid point on this. She's also in need of money. I did not want to judge her because of the crisis she's into but it left me no choice! I can't be kind and considerate when everybody is about to die.

Claina Piencenaves, though she was very motherly, I heard she has had conflicts with the President and even threatened to destroy the company a few months ago. Sa ilang taong nakilala ko siya sa MOS, wala akong maipipintas sa kabaitan niya. But the fact that she's threatened the administration and had a husband who became a rebel; that made her land a spot to be a suspect too.

Mr. Laryson Perey, hindi ba't hindi siya empleyado sa 31st floor? Oo, may scheduled focus group discussion siya with us, I received the memo, pero papaano niya nakuha ang mga listahan ng mga naroon? I know he's HR boss and he's got access to the database. Among all of us here, he was the only one who's got the chance to talk to everyone.

He's got kids which he mentioned. Kids who are waiting for him; but can it be just a part of the drama? Everyone knows that family-related concerns are always effective. Was he using it to convince me he was helping? Was it effective? Yes. Was it manipulative? Yes.

Now I got three more suspects added to the bunch. Imbes na mabawasan, nadadagdagan! Goddamnit!

Napapahampas ako sa hangin at halos maibato ko na ang hawak kong Macbook nang muling nagpadala ng email ang spammer. Nagsimula na namang bumilis ang tibok ng aking puso. I will never get used to it. Every mail seems like a death note sent to me.

Why did the flashlight, the camera, and the remote-controlled car attend the funeral? The riddle asked.

Napaisip ako. What do these things have in common? Battery. I typed in the answer. It might spare a life. Battery.

Why did the flashlight, the camera, and the remote-controlled car attend the funeral? Inulit nito ang pinadalang tanong.

They grieve for the batteries. I answered. I stared at the monitor closely like my life depends on that screen.

"Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead." Two will die as the day dies. Hide and seek for answers. Seek answers and die. Natigilan ako sa pinadalang huling email ng mastermind. Dalawa ang banta nitong mamamatay ngayong gabi.

"G-guys!" malakas kong tawag sa mga naroon. Natigagal na naman ako.

All the others crowded after me. Inilatag ko ang computer sa isang cabinet malapit sa cubicle na kinalalagyan ko. Each murmured the phrases sent to me. Then buzzing voices turned into a complete silence.

"It tells you about batteries," Mina started talking before the others. She really knows what all of these are about. "That means it will run out of light. Now the next riddle about a secret. Two of us will die as the light turns out." She said with no emotion.

Most of the girls gasped in fear. Bella, Maxine and Angelyn were hugging each other. We stood there for a couple of minutes exchanging gazes, trying to figure out what could be the next move.

"Hide and seek for answers. Seek for answers and die." Mina repeated. "Kailangang magtago tayo before it could hunt us. It is telling something about hide and seek. The lights will turn out base from the riddle. Either we stay together or we look for our own safe place."

'"We should stick together!" suhestiyong ni Kyziel na hinila si Zyril sa tabi nito at kumapit ng mahigpit sa braso niya. Nangiginig na ito dahil sa nalamang maaaring dalawa saamin ang mamamatay ngayong gabi.

"I should go find my own place. Walang group effort sa hide and seek. Unless the majority is picking on a single person. No is to blame if I die because I am alone." Katwiran ni Mina na nagsimula nang lumakad palayo saamin.

Hinabol ito ni Rielle --ang tanging taong nakakaintindi sa pag-uugali niya. "Mina, we should stick together!"

"I should find my own place too." Andreas moved away. Walang pumigil sa lalaki.

Naghanap naman ng iba pang pwesto ang ilan. Naiwan sa tabi ko sina Zyril, ang tatlong magkakaibigan na sina Bella, Maxine at Angelyn, ang magtiyahing sina Emerald at Claina, si Kid at Satana pati na rin and nurse na si Athena at si Nicolla.

We moved to the Eastern portion of the 27th floor. Doon kasi mas liblib may maluwang na espasyo para sa aming mga nagdesisyong magsama-sama. Malapit iyon sa bintana kaya kahit na mawala pa ang ilaw, may liwanag paring mangagaling sa labas.

Umupo sa pinakasulok si Claina na nakahawak ng mahigpit sa pamangkin. Kasunod no'n ang tatlong magkakaibigan. Bago pa man makaupo ang iba'y mabilis nang namatay ang lahat ng ilaw sa 27th floor. Nagsitilian ang mga naroon. Nagmadaling sumiksik ang iba pa sa gawi nina Bella, Maxine at Angelyn.

Naupo ako sa karapan ng magkayakap na sina Athena at Nicolla. Nakabukas pa rin ang hawak kong laptop na siyang nagsisilbing liwanag sa madilim na paligid. Hindi masyadong nakatulong ang liwanag sa labas dahil mataas ang kinaroroonan namin.

"Vlad, tiklopin mo 'yang laptop." Suhestiyon ni Athena na nabosesan ko lang.

"Why?" I asked.

"This is supposed to be hide and seek. Mahahanap tayo niyan sa ginagawa mo!" she hissed.

The girl made sense. Tama nga naman. Hide and seek ito. Kailangan naming magtago. Pero papaano kung isa sa mga nasa likuran ko ang killer?

After all the self debate, I folded my Mac and decided to just stay alert. Nakakabingi ang katahimikang sumakop sa buong 27th floor. Tanging ang mga paghinga ang naririnig. There was no movement on the first ten minutes.

Habang tumatagal ay mas lalong bumibilis ang kabog ng dibdib ko. This is slowly torturing our sanity.

The door on the fire exit suddenly creaked. We heard it opened and then closed back. Wala kaming marinig na yapak dahil fully carpeted ang floor. I gathered my left palm into fist. Napahigpit din ang hawak ko sa laptop. Ihahampas ko ito sa oras na sumugod ang kung sinomang killer na magtangkang lumapit saamin.

"I'm scared," Nicolla whispered nervously.

"Don't move. Stay alert."

Ilang minuto pa'y may narinig kaming kumalabog mula sa kabilang dako ng office. Sinundan iyon ng isa pang kalabog sa gitnang bahagi. The killer, whoever he or she is, was moving so fast. Mas lalo kaming kinabahan dahil sa magkasunod na kalabog na 'yon. Malamig sa opisina pero pinagpawisan pa rin ako sa sobrang nerbyos.

Isa pang kalabog ang narinig ko. Ngayon nama'y sa likuran ko. Pagkatapos no'n ay isang malagkit at mainit na likido ang tumalsik sa aking pisngi. It smelled copper with traces of iron. It tasted like a rusting iron in my mouth.

Nang punasan ko ang malagkit na likidong iyon sa aking mukha'y biglang bumukas ang ilaw. I saw my hand tinted with red fresh blood. Someone got killed!

Tumili si Claina kasunod nina Maxine, Bella at Angelyn na kapwa may talsik ng dugo mula sa biktima. Sumigaw din sa sobrang takot sina Athena at Nicolla habang gulat na gulat sina Satana at Kid sa isang sulok. Emerald is dead. A cut on the throat killed her and her blood was splattered everywhere! Holly shit!

Humahagulgol na si Claina habang nakayakap sa wala nang malay na pamangkin nang sinundan iyon ng isa pang tili sa kabilang dako ng office. Mula iyon sa dalawang receptionist na sina Maddie at Thrina.

"Kyziel!" Kyziel! Kyziel is dead! Tulungan niyo kami!" Malakas na sigaw ni Maddielyn na halos may bahid ng dugo sa kanyang mukha at damit.

###