Dinikdik ni Wicker ang kanyang sigarilyo sa ashtray mula sa kanyang side table para patayin ang baga nito. He has been smoking a lot these past nights. Hindi siya magawang patulugin nang malaman niya ang tungkol kay Adrian.
Annara had been keeping Adrian's corpse all this time. Kinain na siya ng kanyang kaisipan na itago si Adrian matapos nitong mamatay sa sunog. She did that for love, but it was literally a crime of keeping someone's body without any knowledge of the authorities.
She's good at hiding it, even Jed, the school investigator didn't know about something like this. Of course, Annara planned it all alone, so she won't get caught.
Wicker noticed some guilt in Annara's eyes. Alam nitong mali ang kanyang ginawa. Pero dahil kay Adrian, ayaw niyang pakawalan ito nang gano'n-gano'n lang. She loved him. She deeply in love with him.
But how come she told him about it? Ang ibig bang sabihin no'n ay malaki na ang tiwala ni Annara sa kanya? Na isa na siya sa mga taong pinagkakatiwalaan nito nang lubusan?
Wicker had been dreaming the same nightmare every night. It's about Adrian. It's everything about him.
Nagawa niya ring mag-research ng kung ano ang tungkol kay Adrian. Tama nga ang hinala niya na nagtutugma silang dalawa base sa mga naging reaksyon ni Annara mula sa kanya noon.
He read some articles, old news reports and past newspaper issues about Adrian. No one knows about him after the fire. They can't see anything, even his dust.
Reports always been saying; missing.
Adrian is missing for almost two years. There are no exact evidences to prove why his body found missing that night. Isang malaking pala-isipan ang nangyari noong gabing iyon. Isang misteryo.
Adrian served an impact to the school, that is why they can't believe about him gone. He's a student council president, he was popular, he did so many things to impress people and give recognition to the school. Kaya siguro ay karamihan sa mga babaeng estudyante ay nagugustuhan siya. He's admirably talented and smart. Lahat siguro ng katangian sa isang lalaki ay mahahanap mo kay Adrian. He's caring and gentleman at all times. Kaya siguro ay lumalim ang pagtingin ni Annara dito at ang kanyang pagsinta.
"Wicker, son, is everything alright?" Kumatok ang ama ni Wicker, saka binuksan ang pintuan ng kanyang k'warto.
Tumango siya at muling nagsindi ng sigarilyo noong gabing iyon mula sa tabi ng bintana.
Pumasok ang ama nito at lumapit sa kanya. His father took a stick of cigarette and lit it for himself. Nagyosi na rin ito kasama siya.
"You've been here in your room these past three days. May problema ba?" tanong nito, saka hinihit ang sigarilyo. "Nag-aalala na ako sa 'yo. Mabuti na lang at wala rito ang mommy mo, kung hindi . . ."
"I'm really okay, Dad. May iniisip lang ako."
"You could tell me," his father muttered, had a time to listen to him.
Wicker scoffed, scratching his temple. "It's just nothing, Dad. Medyo tambak lang ang activities sa school kaya medyo hirap ako. I can manage it myself," he lied.
"I don't believe you. Was it about Annara? Nag-away ba kayong dalawa?"
Natigilan siya nang maalala na naman niya si Annara dahil lang sa pagbanggit ng pangalan nito.
Wicker smiled slyly. "Dad, I'm tired. Can we talk about it some other time? It's been a long day, I wanted to rest now." He sighed in distress.
Tumango ang ama niya. "Okay. Sige na, magpahinga ka na." Saka marahang ginulo nito ang buhok niya at lumabas ng kanyang k'warto.
BINABASA MO ANG
Strange Voices of the Dead
Mystery / Thriller"I feel more than infinite with you." When Adrian died, Annara, a student library assistant, began hearing ghostly voices. Later in life, she meets Wicker, who resembles him, and this changes everything, making her realize that those strange voices...
