Therrie's Thirty Days of Temperamental Cycle

Chapter 25: Humanity

"Tenorio, dinner!" Kabog ng pagkatok sa pinto ang sumunod sa pagtawag sa kanya. "Iiwan ko na lang 'to rito sa labas ng pinto mo, ha?"

"Okay," tipid na sagot ni Therrie.

Hinintay ni Therrie na makalayo-layo ang staff na nag-iwan ng pagkain niya saka ito tumayo sa kanyang kinauupuan at tumungo sa pinto at buksan ito. She found her dinner on the floor and picked it up. May ilan pa siyang nakasabay na kunin ang kanilang mga dinner. Nang nginitian ito ni Therrie ay agad na iniwas ang kanyang tingin at pumanik sa loob ng kwarto at mabilis na sinara ang pinto.

Napakibit balikat na lamang si Therrie. Kinuha niya ang paper bag saka ito sinara ang pinto. Umupo ito sa kanyang kama at inihanda ang pagkain. She took the styrofoam out of the paper bag and opens it. She was a little surprised to find steak in it. She squinted her eyes, imagining what does it taste like is. Inilapit niya ito sa kanyang ilong upang amuyin. She has her eyes closed, smelling how great the steak is.

But she put the food down and grabbed what's inside the paper bag. There's the plastic fork then the stainless knife to cut the steak off. Ipinasada ni Therrie ang daliri niya sa kutsilyo. When she does that, she accidentally cuts her finger and she didn't even flinch when that happens. Pinadaloy pa nito ang dugo sa kutsilyo at kakaibang ngiti ang namungad sa mukha niya.

But as soon as she realized what happened, she hissed, feeling the pain from it. Agad niyang kinuha ang tissue na nasa loob ng paper bag at kanyang nilinis ang sugat at hinayaan muna itong magdugo upang humilom din kaagad. Nanatili lamang si Therrie sa kanyang kinauupuan at sinilip ito. It made a slit on her finger so she tried sucking the blood out of it.

She doesn't feel like doing anything though... Therrie lay down on her bed because, at the end of the day, she knew what was going to happen.

***

Hindi ginalaw ni Therrie ang kanyang dinner. Kahit kumakalam ang kanyang sikmura, naisip nitong hindi magandang kumain ng steak. It's too good to be true, she thought in her head. Nagdadalawang isip siya na baka may ginawa ang mga doctor dito at inilagay sa pagkain niya.

After what happened at the office earlier, she knew that kind of mess would get a punishment. Inaasahan niya nga na susugod kung sino mang doctor sa kwarto niya. Pero walang pumunta. Walang parusa o kung ano man. She has a voice, ginamit niya 'yon ngunit hindi niya sigurado kung pinakinggan ba siya ng mga tao ro'n sa office. Those people only believed what they wanted to believe at hindi sa katulad ni Therrie.

Minute by minute, Therrie waited. The hallway seems quiet and there are no weird noises she has been hearing around. That was a good sign for her. So she just waits, laying down on her bed until midnight. So, when the clock strikes twelve in the evening and another day to do something new, she hastily opened up her eyes and that was the moment she switched off her humanity.

Therrie doesn't feel the same way she was a few minutes ago. It wasn't like she feel bad about Bianca or everything, but it seems like, she has to do something for herself and that quite might fulfill something for her.

She quickly get up from her bed with only one thing in her mind. She took something over the table and headed towards the door. She opened the door slowly, trying not to make any sound. Kaunting kaluskos lamang ay maririnig na ito sa buong hallway kaya nakahinga ito nang maluwag nang makalabas siya ng kwarto niya nang walang ingay na nagagawa.

She knows where to go—the only place she couldn't enter was the canteen. It was still closed and will go under renovation after safety procedures have been mandated. But that's not what she has to put in her mind. For about three months, she knew exactly what to do and where to go so she cannot slip it off her mind. And if she could do it perfectly, Bianca would be happy—or maybe she would.