Jeremiah's Basement

Chapter 44: Vessel

Kahit twelve lang kami na nandito sa maze ay parang sobrang dami ng sigaw na naririnig ko. Creed's dead, the Indian and the Chinese guy too, I heard three different screams of horror and pain in the past four to five hours since the game started, that means there's only six of us left. At dahil nga lahat kami na nandito ay survivors from different basements, ibigsabihin ay all of us can or would kill just to survive.

Ilang minuto na rin kaming paikut-ikot sa bawat sulok at daanan nitong maze. Saglit rin kaming napapahinto kapag nakakarinig kami ng paghihingalo at sigaw ng paghihinagpis.

"Kunin mo to," biglang sambit sa akin ni Zephaniah kasabay nang pag-abot niya sa isang kutsilyo.

"Gamitin mo yan kung kinakailangan. Wala na tayong oras pa para bumalik sa center nitong maze kaya nagdala na ako ng extra knives. Pwede mo gamitin yan," he continued.

The moment I got to hold the knife in my hand, different plans rushed through my mind. What if patayin ko na sila ngayon? Pwede kong unahin si Zephaniah while he's in front of me. Madali lang naman sigurong isunod si Christine. But I can't take that risk dahil kahit mabawasan ng dalawa ang mga kasama ko dito sa maze, meron pa ring tatlo na kailangan kong problemahin. The Russian guy that killed Creed, Axl which is Zephaniah's friend and also the bald, twelfth housemate Jeremiah introduced to us earlier, and Arthur, the one that lured Christine into this place and a disgusting fourty one year old guy that was drooling excessively when the ritual was being held before. Those three looks so tough that they won't even have a second thought when it comes to killing someone and I can't handle them on my own. So I need to stay with this two, Zephaniah and Christine, until there's only one housemate that I should deal with.

"Ngayon ko lang naisip, ano kayang meron at bakit mahilig si Jeremiah sa number eleven? Akala ko pa nga nung una eleven lang din talaga tayong housemates kanina. Sakto na sana. Eleventh month of freedom, season eleven, started at 11:11 AM, and eleven housemates," biglang naisip at itinanong ni Christine sa amin.

"Di ko alam. Favorite number niya siguro," pagbibiro ni Zephaniah na agad namang dahilan ng pagngiti at pagtawa nila ni Christine nang bahagya.

"It's actually the number of the devil or at least that's what their cult believes to," ang explanation ko naman na agad na nagpatigil sa pagkatuwa nilang dalawa.

"Cult?" pagtatakang tanong ni Christine.

"Yes. Itong buong to ay minamanage ng isang kulto. Nasabi sa akin ni Doc or Jeremiah Docile James nung nakakulong pa lang ako sa basement dati. Pero never ko natanong ang about sa eleven eleven na yan," pagpapaliwanag ni Zephaniah.

"You're right. This whole thing. This reality show ay binuo ng isang kulto. Yung questions mo kanina Christine na kung bakit twelve tayong lahat ngayon? It's because Jeremiah needed a vessel. That's what I overheard nung nasa basement ako. Hindi ko naintindihan masyado, basta ang sabi nila ay ang matitira sa season na ito ay magiging vessel daw. I have no idea what it means but I guess it's better to be a vessel that dying, right?" ang pagtatapos ko sa konbersasyon namin dahil bigla kaming may nakasalubong sa aming pagliko.

"Axl?!" gulat na katanungan ni Zephaniah.

It's their friend, Axl. Siya yung twelfth housemate kanina na naka straight jacket pero ngayon ay wala na siyang pang-itaas na suot. Kahit topless siya ay para namang nagmistulang damit niya ang dugong kumapit at dahan-dahang tumutulo mula sa matipuno niyang katawan. He was soaked with blood. A crimson colored fluid was all over his body, from his face, to his chest, until it slowly drips down to his six packed abdominal muscles. At first, we thought that he was heavily injured so Zephaniah asked him just to make sure.

"Ayos ka lang ba?"

"Don't worry, it's not my blood," Axl replied.

Even with a straight face, he tried to smile at us. Zephaniah introduced me to him and we rest for awhile at a corner while the two of them talk to each other.

"Anong nangyari?" agad na tinanong ni Zephaniah.

Nakatingin lang kaming pareho ni Christine sa kanila at nakikinig.

"I burned the mansion down and I tried to kill my self. Namatay naman ako, but they revived me. Doon ko nakuha itong napakalaking peklat sa leeg ko," Axl answered at pinakita ang wound mark sa neck niya.

"Tapos? Ano ang mga sumunod na nangyari? Anong ginawa nila sayo?" Zephaniah asked him again.

Axl paused for a second.

It looked like he was looking back into his memories and was trying to remember every detail of his experience, but he didn't shared everything when he started talking again.

"They locked me up inside of a room. Parang katulad din sa kwarto natin sa basement noon pero mas masikip. Kulay puti din ang bawat sides but the walls, floor, ceiling, and even the door is a lot more thicker and harder. Wala na ring glass sa pintuan para pagtinginan sa labas. Para akong ikinulong sa isang bartolina," he explained while tears started forming in his eyes.

"Kinalbo nila ako. Binubugbog, nilulunod, tinotorture kapag ayaw kong kumain. Madalas din silang magpatugtog sa kwarto ko ng mga boses na nagsasagawa ng isang ritual sa lenggwaheng hindi ko maintindihan. Paulit-ulit sa buong araw. Kaya madalas ay hindi ako makatulog," ang papatuloy niya.

Pinunasan niya ang mga luha sa kanyang pisngi bago nagsalita ulit.

"Nung araw na nakatakas kayo ay isinagawa ang pinakamalaking gathering and ritual ng cult nila. There's exactly 1,111 members of the cult that willingly sacrificed their selves to summon Dominus Daemonium or Demon Lord. It's just another term of Satan the devil at yun ang sinasamba nilang lahat. They said that by sacrificing 1,111 souls, they can successfully call him, that after eleven months, Dominus Daemonium will come to rule the earth. But for that to happen, they needed a vessel. Kaya a few weeks ago, sinabi sa akin ni Doc, ang tunay na Jeremiah, na kailangan ko daw maglaro ulit. Ang matitira daw ngayong season ay magiging vessel ng soul ni Dominus Daemonium. Kaya kailangan ng twelve housemates ni Doc ay dahil magmimistulang alay lamang ang labing isang mamamatay para sa vessel. He said a vessel needed eleven souls from humans that is hungry for freedom para maging malakas ang katawan nito at maging handa sa pagtanggap ng kaluluwa ni Dominus Daemonium."

He stopped for a second before continuing.

"We all thought that they are doing this for money but this is just a part of their ritual."

Mas naging malinaw ang lahat sa akin dahil sa explanation ni Axl. May isusunod pa sana siyang sasabihin when a guy suddenly showed up. Eksakto na ang dinaanan ng lalaki ay ang kung saan kami nakapwesto.

He's Arthur. Namukhaan ko kaagad siya dahil sa matanda niyang itsura. Hawak niya ay isang kutsilyong binabalutan ng dugo.

"ARTHUR!" malakas at galit na sambit ni Axl.

"You know him?!" tanong ni Christine.

"Yes. He's the one who made me a monster," muling sambit ni Axl.