Happy Red Celebration

5

8:02 A.M, Sunday
February 24, 2019

Zyra's POV:

I woke up, before my alarm clock even rang. Sobrang aga pa.

I rinsed my face and did my bed up. But still, I feel...I feel...I don't know.

I've been like this ever since the accident. Wala ako sa sarili ko at naguguluhan. At kahit na tatlong linggo na ang nakalipas, I still don't want to hear anything regarding the accident, plus, Dad doesn't allow me hearing so much too. Alam niyang the news affects me and my brain. I'm still coping up.

All I know now is that they say six of my friends died and only Ceelyn and I survived, and only we can tell the truth.

Gulong gulo na ang isip ko dahil pinipilit ko talagang alalahanin ang nangyari 'non. Ayaw ko nang maalala. Kaya naman nung tinanong ako ng mga inspector ay isa lang ang naisasagot ko; ang babaeng naka-pula.

Inis na inis ako sa sarili ko kasi kung matatandaan ko lang ng malinaw ang mukha 'non ay sinabi ko na kung ano ang mukha, malalaman namin kung sino ay totoong may sala nung gabi na iyon. Makakatulong na sana ako sa ikapapayapa ng lahat. And that's the last thing I can do to help my dead friends.

Then suddenly someone knocked on the door, making me come back to my sense. "Anak. Anak are you awake?"

I immediately got up and opened the door showing my Dad Frank. "Why po, dad?"

"Oh. Ang aga mo na naman nagising." Dad sipped his coffee. "I was just going to tell you na you can visit the mortuary later. Doctors and officials gave me consent. Nandon din mamaya ang mga magulang nila..."

Napatango na lang ako kay Dad. He knows na meeting my deceased friends' families will be tough, considering I was the last conscious person that made contact with their daughters.

"Kumain kana din, ha. I'll be going na, I still have many things to do. Drive there with Manong Al." I hugged my dad before he left.

I feel sorry kay for Dad. I don't wanna be a nuisance. He's a busy man. He have a lot of works to do. He handles a lot of things. At ngayon he needs to take care of me and the mess I was involved to.

I calmed myself and started to get ready.

This will be the first time I get to meet my friends and this will also be the first time I'll be hearing about their parents.

Time passed and it was already time to go to the hospital.

On the way there, I felt this scary feeling inside of me. I think their parents will be mad at me. I don't know.

When I arrived at the hospital's lobby, Tita Anna was there; Anne's mother, embraced me. "Thank God you were alright, Zyra."

"Tita." I embraced her back. "I was just going to visit the morgue."

"Ako din. I just bought something. Halika na, nasa taas sila." Tita Anna says as we entered the elevator to the basement.

"Tita...are they mad at me po...?" I asked faintly.

"Ija...no. The mother's are not mad at you but some of their dads are...don't worry they aren't all here." She pats my back as we left the elevator.

On the end of the hall, I can see 5 women and 2 men. Yon na ata sina Tita at Tito.

"My goodness, it was true. You were alive!" Tita Cherie; Athena's mama, was shocked to see me. It seems like hindi niya alam na nakaligtas ako.

"I knew she was alive." May puot naman ang pagkakasabi ng tatay ni Victoria, na si Tito Victor. I think he's mad.

"Don't be like that Victor. Zyra was just also a victim." Tita Lydia said as she pat my back. She's Lhynn's mother. Out of all of them si Tita Lyds talaga ang pinaka-close ko.

"Thank the Lord as thou survived." Ika ni Ma'am Evelyn; Elle's mom.

"We should proceed." Malamig na sabi ni Tita Ally; Armie's mother.

"Whenever you are ready po." Sabi naman ng morgue assistant. "Seeing this will be hard po. But we all need to accept the reality. In a while, you'll be seeing your deceased child, I suggest not staring at the face directly po."

Another assistant came from the big door entitled Mortuary. "Please wear this and disinfect using the alcohol on your side po." She handed us gloves and hospital dresses.

Not too long after, we were in the morgue. There were only 3 people inside, dressed in all white, fitting the whole room's color. Inside there was a cool temperature. And don't even get me started about the unpleasant smell.

"Deceased's body shall be preserved until the autopsy reports have been released. Nobody shall touch the body. And stay beyond 5 meters apart." The morgue assistant pulled the first body out of the square thingy.

May katawan na nakahiga doon at nakatalukbong ng puting kumot. Only showing the feet na may tag, binasa iyon ng babae.

I think facing them will be tough. I took a deep breath.

"Castillio, Lhynn." She uncovered the face, showing the dreadful body of my friend.

Lhynn was lying there, she was almost white.

"My baby..." Tita Lydia bawled as the other parents could only grief with her.

"Shall I uncover more of the bod—"

"No. I can't take this. Sorry." Tita Lydia cried more as she left the morgue.

I can't imagine how painful it is to see your daughter lifeless.

Napatango na lamang ang babaeng nag-aasist samin at nagpunta sa sunod na katawan. "Please, tibayan niyo po ang inyong loob, mommies and daddies."

"Celestia, Armie." She uncovered the face of my friend.

Armie was almost white too. Unlike Lhynn, she had stitches at the face.

Tita Ally looks so sad and tears were falling from her face.

"Carolina, Elle." She uncovered the third face.

Everybody's eyes widen from the scene, "El..." We can't help but to mumble from shock.

Ella was...El was almost black. It seems like she was...burnt.

Ma'am Evelyn, cried. She almost ran up to El's body to hug it pero pinagbawalan siya ng morgue assistant.

The assister coughed slightly through her mask, showing us to the next body. "Primadrigal, Anne."

The scene went by and by. One by one, pinakita sa amin ang lifeless faces ng mga kaibigan ko.

The scene hurts so much but until the very end, I was there. I saw how the parents mourned. I saw how they cried their hearts out. They all want to know how and who did this to their children and get revenge.

I can't help staying inside the morgue, so I stepped out, and saw Tita Lydia by the hallway seats. She was still crying.

I hugged Tita. "It will be okay po, tatagan niyo po loob niyo."

"Ija...seek for the truth. Ano ba kasing nangyari..." Tita says while crying.

Throughout those moments, I felt like I need to do something. I need to help and cooperate with the authorities but as much na sobrang sakit na sa bibig ko mismo manggaling...I need to do it.

I excused myself from Tita Lyds and went to proceed a call.

"Dad, book me a meeting with Detective Joaquintos."