REVERSE ✓

Chapter 05: Vlogger's End

CASSIEN

SHOULD I follow him? What if I get killed, too? Is he actually the culprit that were we seeking for? The clown that attempted to kill Ava? And why does my heart won't still?!

"Cassien?"

Lumingon ulit ako sa harapan ko at namataan sina Ranpo at Maisie na nakatingin sa 'kin. So they have arrived unnoticed to myself. I felt my lips shaking when I tried to speak up. No voice came out, nonetheless. What? Napipi na rin ba 'ko?

Maisie looked at the huddled people before the building where an accident occurred — or maybe it wasn't an accident. When she drifted her gaze back at me, she asked, "Is the tragedy of that guy bothering you? Gusto mo bang umuwi na? You looked pale."

There was genuineness in her concern. Minsan lang siya magkaganito dahil minsan lang din ako mamutla nang ganito. Gusto ko sana siyang asarin but I'm one to talk. Besides, my lips won't even cooperate. No, it's not just about that guy. I was as well bothered by the clown. I saw him. I saw him, walking away from here!

Ranpo slightly bended his body to make his face level with mine. Then he got his face closer and adjusted his specs through its right handle. "You saw something, Cass?"

I gulped. How do I tell about it naturally? Napatingin ulit ako kay Maisie. She shouldn't know about about it.

"N-Nagulat lang din ako sa nangyari sa lalaki k-kanina," sagot ko. I just lied, didn't I?

"You should call it day and take a rest," Maisie suggested with a straight face. "Friday ngayon kaya walang pasok bukas. Mahaba-haba ang magiging tulog mo."

"Y-You're right, hehe." I let out an awkward smile and wiped my forehead as if sweats were soaking down. But my hand didn't feel a single liquid.

"I'm gonna take her home," wika naman ni Ranpo at tumayo sa gilid ko. He smiled at her mysteriously that made me wondered what did they talk about.

Umalis na si Maisie patungo sa loob ng hospital. When she was out of my sight, agad akong tumakbo sa front gate papalabas at agad na luminga-linga sa paligid.

"Where you going?!" I heard Ranpo shouted.

Wala akong nakita sa kaliwa't kanan ng pavement. Nakakainis kasi nakikipagsabayan pa 'yung mga ingay ng sasakyan sa gulo sa loob ng ulo ko. My eyes kept searching for that man who wore colorful clothes, whose hair was red and skin was so white. This road a long straight one, so where could he possibly hide? Laktaw-laktaw ang mga stores dito dahil sa mga bakanteng lote, but which is which?

I snapped back to reality when someone just chopped my head with his hand. I looked back at Ranpo who was smirking like a damn idiot and I held my own head to check it. Parang ang sakit ng ginawa niya, e! Baka nagka-crack!

"I thought you were thinking of committing suicide so I was about to suggest the Adelfa road. Drivers here are malevolent enough to stop before they hit you," sabi niya kaya sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. After that, he had gone fierce again. "What did you see?"

"The clown."

"The what?"

"Bingi ka ba?! Sabi ko 'yung clown nga!"

Natigilan siya sa sinabi ko. He stared at me for a short span of time and sluggishly diverted his gaze to the ground, engaging himself in a deep thought. It was a coincidence, wasn't it? That a guy met a tragic event and the clown's presence here? What happened to that guy anyways? Wait, what are we standing for?!

"Ranpo, hanapjn natin 'yung clown! For sure, hindi pa siya nakakalayo—"

"What was it with you, a death wish? You're just about to turn 17 this year, don't you think it was too early for that? We can't follow that stupid clown. We shouldn't."