The Letter

Liza's eyes twitched. Looking very suspicious at a single piece of neat paper inside the drawer, couldn't possibly be just a coincidence. Liza licks her bottom lip then she swallows as she extends her arm, reaching out for a thin paper inside the drawer.

Successfully reaching it out, she takes the paper along with her hand as she reads the contents.

Charlie, Rue, Thylane and Amelie, watches Liza widens her eyes—reading the contexts.

Amelie walks nearer to Liza but slowly, "Well... What does it.. say?" A little bit nervous, she asks.

Charlie, Rue and Thylane awaits for Liza's answer.

"..A... Ang gulo. Teka–" She pauses. "..It says.." She takes a moment of silence and takes a breath out.

"...Hello. You might be thinking you're kidnapped. Well, you're not wrong..." Liza took a pause.

"..Saglit nga lang." Amelie butts in. "Nagbibiro ba siya? Is he seriously, committing that he kidnapped us?!" She adds to her sentence. Everyone can sense her anger.

"Sa sitwasyon na ito, hindi na nakakapagtaka kung maadmit niyang kinidnap niya tayo." Thylane comments at Amelie's rumbling.

As a response, Amelie, shakes her head and rolls her eyes at the same time.

"I'll continue... You might also be thinking why you are kidnapped, am I right? Then, I will tell you why. Solely, because it has a purpose. Of course I know the five of you. All of you, your contents are the total opposite of who you are, aren't you? Arlie, you posts a lot of women empowerment in social media. Thylane posts about body positivity. Rue about sports activities. Amelie, reaction videos, mostly about pedophiles and sexual assaults. Lastly, Liza. You help abandoned children and also donates charity. Why would you even post that on social media? Well, in reality, those five are trash. Yep! Ya'll are trash." Liza pauses again. Her expression is unreadable and as if she doesn't know what to react.

"What the fuck...?" Amelie mutters to herself. She clenches her fists and bites her lip as if restraining herself on raging.

Meanwhile, Charlie is shocked that every one of them in this room are influencers. No wonder they will be kidnapped. But, why would they be kidnapped? She thought.

Liza continues, "Don't worry. It's not that im going to kill you and sell your organs. I'm not that heartless. But, I'm not also that merciful. Let's play a game..–A game...? Anong ibig sabihin nito..?! Wala akong maintindihan..!" Liza exclaims.

"Paki-tuloy." Thylane says to Liza. Liza gives Thylane a glance then Liza nods. She turns her head towards the paper as she reads it out loud again even though she looks like she wants to stop now.

Liza continues, "A game where it determines life or death. I'll explain, as I said, it is a game which means, it's a game. The five of you are the players and if you die, you die. There's no revival in real life, right? Don't be dumb so you can live. You will have to play five games per day and you have to finish them in five days—Which means, you're going to be playing, twenty-five games overall in five days. The objective is simple, escape. But! You can't escape by escaping through the window, or planning something mischievous. I am always one step ahead of you. You'll see why once you started playing the games." Liza stops—dumbfounded.

"A game where it determines life or death...." Rue whispers.

"What happens when you reached five days and failed to play twenty-five games? Oh dear, don't make me say it... YOU DIE! HAHAHA!.... Ayun ang sabi... Hindi ko gets bat kailangan niya pang tumawa... Pero..." Liza says.

"Naniniwala ba kayo sa walang kwenta na 'to? Hindi totoo yan!" Amelie retorts.

"Ahh—kilala na natin kung sino unang mamamatay." Thylane mumbles.

Amelie quickly looks at her and comes closer to Thylane. Amelie moves her head closer to Thylane's. Thylane accepted her challenge, they glare at each other, glares as if they're ready to kill each other.

"May problema ka ba sakin?" Amelie asks in an arrogant way.

"Ang ingay mo kasi." Thylane replies, very calmly.

The tension between them are getting hotter and, for a little second, no one is stopping them. Charlie, wanted to but, she can't, she's afraid.

Fortunately, Rue steps in, placing herself between them as those two were about to snap. "Chill lang. Akala ko ba magtutulungan tayo dito?" Says Rue.

Thylane didn't hesitate to step back while Amelie just stayed at her location. "Kung hindi kasi papansin yung isa, baka maayos pa." Amelie comments.

Thylane deeply sighs in annoyance—decided not to retort back.

"Itutuloy ko...—"

"Meron pa? Ugh." Amelie butts in. Cutting Liza's sentence off. She is indeed pretty annoying.

"You have no choice but to play the game if you want to live. You can't escape through petty tricks nor can you even call neighbors for help. No police to help you. Just us. We're watching and I hope you give my guests a good show for five days.... Oh, I almost forgot, if you wish to give up playing the games, you can always tell your deepest secret you know, like, your DEEPEST SECRET. The juicy one. Of course I know them, but wouldn't it be boring if it did not come from your mouths? So, if you lie about it—hmm, who knows what will happen. You guess it. That's all, have fun! Once you've read this letter, in thirty minutes, you will be starting... Love, X.." Liza places down the paper at the top of the drawer as she turns around the four, watching their hopeless and terror faces.

Liza does not know what to say. She had no idea that, this kind of ridiculous situation would befall on her.

Now... What will happen to them? Will they choose life over death? Will they choose to play the game over their deepest secret? Will they... Trust each other and escape together?

Interesting... Which one would it be....?