CHAPTER 8

Chapter Eight

THE DEATH QUESTION

[WIN]

SAKTONG ALAS-nuebe nang makalabas kami ng mansyon. Katherin locked the mansyon para walang magtangkang bumalik. We are really going to spend three hours outside para magsaya.

Tsaka yung cemetery? It wasn't actually na pagpunta mo sa likod ng mansyon ay nando'n na. Medyo malayo daw.

Madilim na ang buong lugar at tanging sinag lang mula sa buwan ang aming liwanag. Kahit saang parte ng gubat naming tignan ay madilim na din. Tanging ingay ng tawanan at reklamo ang naririnig ko pero rinig pa din ang tunog ng mga insekto sa paligid. Malamig ding hangin ang dumadampi sa aking balat na nakapagdagdag ng nakakatakot na sensasyon.

I was wearing a sando for Pete's sake. 'di na ako nakapagbihis dahil baka iwanan nila ako at ilock na lang sa loob ng mansyon at patayan ng kuryente. Kahit naman kasi maganda ang mansyon ay nakakatakot ito lalo na 'pag walang ilaw.

I remember kaninang madaling araw ay maaga akong nagising at walang ilaw sa mansyon.

As I went out from my room, darkness covered all. Madilim ang hallway at kapa-kapa ako kung maglakad dahil sa dilim. When I get in the stairs, I slowly walked down since medyo madulas ang hagdanan. Sa pagdating ko sa baba ay may kung ano-ano akong narinig na tunog at lalo akong natakot kaya nagmadali ako.

I almost actually jumped out of fear nang akala ko ay may tao pero yung maskara lang pala 'yon, yung ghostface mask?

Nagsimula na kaming maglakad at pinagpares-pares ang lalaki at babae. I was paired with Archi. Minsan na lang kaming nagkakausap dahil sa lagi kong kasama si Helen at Rina. He is so nice but annoying sometimes.

"You're distancing yourself to me lately,"he said made me look at him. Here comes again his annoying smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"It's because you are annoying,"I said and his smirk faded as I smirked. He always tease me. Mabait naman sya kaya lang, alam nyo 'yon? Mapang-asar? I would have punched him if he wasn't just nice to me.

Napawi ang pagkaseryoso nya at ngumiti uli." It's nice hearing that you are annoyed because of me."

Naglakad na kami at 'di ko na pinansin ang huli nyang sinabi. Only those at the front got the flashlights. Why? Apat lang ang flashlights at pinagbawalan na magdala kami ng phone.

Habang naglalakad ay napatingin ako kay Paulo. He's in front with Rina who is clinging at him. Helen was with Akashi. James with Selene. Gino with Venice. Rudolf with Agnes. Luis and Anica, obiviously sila talaga ang magiging magpartner. Tristan and Amelia. While Katherin with Manong Pete.

Yes, Manong Pete was with us. Hinayaan syang manuluyan sa mansyon dahil may katandaan na at nang hindi na sya laging bumbyahe mula sa kabilang isla papunta dito.

Nang pumasok na kami sa gubat ay madilim. As in sobrang dilim. The tall and grown trees forbids the light from the moon to come in. Dahil sa puno ay wala ni isang liwanag mula sa buwan ang nasa gubat. It seems like we are walking at a big dark hall.

Kun' 'di dahil siguro sa flashlights na hawak nila Manong Pete, Katherin, Amelia, at Tristan ay baka kanina pa ako nagtatakbo dahil wala akong makita. Pero kahit may liwanag kami ay mahirap pa ring maglakad ng maayos. Bakit? We are nine pairs and the four flashilights were held by the first two pairs. Archi and I were at the back so who could expect that atleast we can have a light from our place?

"Dito pa lang sa gubat ang creepy na,"Venice said while her hands were at the hem of Gino's shirt.

"Ano ba Rudolf?!"rinig kong saway ni Agnes kay Rudolf. Maybe Rudolf was taking chances again to harass her.

I stepped on something hard at I thought it wouldn't break but it did. Napasigaw ako dahilan para matapat ang flashlights sa akin. I got tripped. Nadapa ako dahil sa naapakan ko pero nasurpresa ako nang may mga bubog sa tuhod kaya dumugo ito.

"Shit!"Tristan exclaimed. Nagulat sila sa pagsigaw ko and now I was tripped with my knees bleeding because of broken glasses.

Itinapat sa sugat ko ang flashlight at iniupo ako ng maayos ni Archi. We can't go back dahil nakalayo na rin kami, I think. 'di ko na kasi nakikita ang daang pinasukan namin kaya 'di namin sure kung malapit lang ba kami sa mansyon o nakalayo na.

All of them get beside me. Venice being a girlscout had an alcohol with her kaya nilagyan nila ang sugat ko.

"Ah shit! Argh! Tama na! 'wag nyong damihan!"I screamed. Argh! Didn't they know how much it hurts when you are wounded and someone just pour an alcohol on it like he was just pouring water? Malaki ang sugat ko at umaagos ang dugo no'n but still I don't want to be a killjoy in their squad kaya tumanggi ako na bumalik kami.

Agnes had a handkerchief with her so she tied it in my knees kaya nagpasalamat ako. Archi volunteered to carry me kaya pumayag na lang din ako kahit na gusto na nyang ibalik ako sa mansyon kanina pa.

We started again to walk at nasa harapan na kami. I winced in pain but not that much. Hindi naman yung bubog yung masakit eh, yung alcohol.

Nag-aalala pa rin sila sa akin pero sinabi kong okay lang ako. We should be fun right now and not worried about my wound. Also, kahit kanina ay takot ako ay nawala naman ito. Remember? We are going to the 'creepy' cemetery the boys were just saying? Pero nawala ang kaba ko mas okay na siguro. I am thinking how a cemetery been so creepy when it really does at the first place lalo na 'pag gabi.

Nakailang hakbang pa kami at saka biglang huminto sa harap sila Katherin at Manong Pete. I saw it. Nanlaki ang mata ko. It looked like a park but no, it is really scary. Not enoygh to describe it as creepy but it is scary.

Parang gusto ko na ngang tumakbo pabalik kung hindi lang ako nay sugat eh. All of us gasped seeing the cemetery. It was one of a kind yet so scary that I think that being locked in a mansion is the great and wisest decision if I wasn't just so hardheaded.

Lumabas kami sa gubat at isang open area ang tumabad sa amin. There are seven statues with demons on it. May isa sa gitna habang yung anim ay nakapwesto paikot. Ang mas nakakatakot ay ang sementadong mga hugis parihaba that I think patay na tao ang laman. No crosses and I think people who lived here before didn't know God and Jesus.

"Ibalik nyo na ako! Nakakatakot!"I heard Amelia crying with Tristan. The boys were just quiet pero ramdam ko ang takot. Umaga nila ito binisita at 'di siguro nila ineexpect na ganito ito sa gabi.

We went it at napalunok ako. The demon statues eyes feels like staring at us. Ang mga estatwa din ay 'di kulay puti o itim but it is red. Red as blood.

Umupo kami sa mga sementadong part ng statwa. Ang gitnang statwa kasi ay may parisukat na malaking sementado na maari naming upuan o patungan.

"Ghad! Is this what you called creepy?! It's more like scary to me!"Rina just exclaimed. Yeah, same Rina. Gan'yan din ang naisip ko. 'di lang ito creepy dahil mas nakakatakot pa ito sa word na 'nakakatakot'.

Muntikan na akong mapatalon nang malakas na tugtugin ang aming narinig.

"Kath!"

"Katherin!"

All of us yelled at her nang magpatugtog sya ng malakas at rock 'n roll pa kaya muntik na akong mapatalon.

"I almost run!"Akashi said at napatawa ang mga lalaki. Kahit natatakot kami ay medyo napatawa din kami dahil mas mukang takot pa si Akashi sa kahit na sinong babae sa amin lalo na kay Helen na kahit kalmado ay pawisan na.

Among girls, Selene and Katherin weren't frightened. Habang sa mga boys naman ay si Akashi lang ang natatakot.

Paulo open a snack at kumain kami. Yes, we are eating here at the cemetery like no one's grave is under us. Crazy? Yeah it is!

I was drinking my juice and I could only hear the sound of music and the squad talking. Nakatingin ako sa tuhod ko. The blood passed in Agnes' hankerchief.

Napataas ang tingin ko nang may lumapit sa harap ko. I look up and it's Gino. He forced a smile and I smiled too. We weren't close pero compared sa lahat sya ang pinakatahimik. It's just that I hate him smoking.

"Want some?"tanong nya habang ipinakita ang platito kung saan nay pizza." Then get yours."I frowned hearing what he said kaya natawa sya. He handed me the saucer at umalis din sya. They were starting to talk nang biglang wala na yata silang maisip na itanong o pag-usapan.

I was munching my pizza when I heard Katherin asked a question that me stopped.

"Paano nyo gustong mamatay?"she let out a naughty smile after she asked. Gone was our happy smiles and made our face serious.

What did she just said?

How we want ourselves to die?

[CHAPTER 8]