Baler | 𝘓𝘶𝘸𝘰𝘰 (VVS #1)

51 - Cold

I passed out.

Tulala ako nang magising dahil sa isang malakas na katok.

Damn... yet again after I tried so hard to be strong , I woke up being empty. 

"Sorry, Sir. Something happened. We're just making sure that the guests are okay. And the police are currently investigating. They will need to check all the rooms."

Tumango ako at lumabas ng pintuan. Sumandal ako sa pader at pinagmasdan pumasok ang dalawang pulis.

"Uh... sir. Ayos long po ba kayo?"

I look at the staff and slightly smile to assure her.

The police are done checking my room after a couple of minutes.. It was one in the morning. I can't hear the people in the event hall anymore.

I closed my eyes.

"Excuse me? What happened in there?"

My voice were trembling.

"Uh, sir. May shoot out po..."

Then... are they caught?

"May nahuli?" Tanong ko.

Tumango ang pulis. "May namatay nga po e. Tatlo... tatlo diba?" Bumaling siya sa kasama.

My feet went cold. Something isn't just right.

Nang makalagpas na sila sa hallway, nasa labas pa rin ako ng pintuan ko.

My phone started ringing. Making me stop from overthinking. One and a half hour have passed since I heard gunshots. Mukhang nililinis pa nila doon sa taas.

"Les! Were are you?"

It's Kun.

I sigh. "In Tuguegarao."

I heard him gasp. "Are you in the Hotel?" 

Lumakad ako sa hallway. Maraming pulis doon. May mga guest na nasa labas rin. Ang iba'y nagsisialisan na ng Hotel pagdungaw ko sa staircase.

"Les! Listen, you need to get out of that Hotel!"

I was standing beside the largest vase of the stairs. Tanaw ko ang hagdan papunta sa rooftop. The crowd gave way to the rescuers. May ibinabang mga duguan at dumadaing. Some of them where foreigners. Nakita ko kanina, nasa dulo sila banda ng rooftop.

Sumunod ang mga detective.

They were escorting three bodies in the stretcher. It was cover with black blanket.

"Les! Are you listening to me?" He shouted.

I was about to talk back but my lips left half open. The person's hand fell making me clearly see it.  My hands started trembling. Naibaba ko cellphone at kahit nanghihina, nilakad ko pababa ng hagdanan.

"Sir, bawal po!"

Sinubukan kong lumapit doon.

My eyes are already blurry.

Bumunot ako ng malalim na hininga at umiling.

"Can... I see that person?"

Umiling ang mga pulis.

"Mas mabuting hindi na po, Sir-"

"Please?" Halos magmakaawa ako.

Nagkatinginan sila.

That watch is so familiar. It was my gift.

Slowly, the policeman slighty pull the blanket in the face of the cold body.

I sniff. "Fuck..."

Kinagat ko ang braso ko dahil ayokong sumigaw.

"Sir, kilala niyo po ba ang biktima?"

Biktima.

Tangina!

My hands were shaking. Tumango ako at iniwas ang tingin kay Kuya Celestian. His lips are pale. He has blood on his face. He's dead...

Tumingala ako sa panghihina. Panay ang mura ko habang pinipigilang mapaupo sa lobby. Lumabas na ang mga detective at pulis. Naupo ako sa lobby at nakatulala. Hindi ko na pinansin ang tingin ng iba. At halos mawala na ako sa sarili ko.

My phone keeps on ringing.

Ibinato ko iyon.

Hindi ko pa nabubuksan ang pinto, napaupo na agad ako sa sahig. Sa sobrang panghihina, hindi ko iyon mapihit. I have no strength anymore. I just saw my brother's dead body. What am I doing here? How did I even climb the stairs?

My body almost collapse when I heard a loud blast.

Napatayo ako sa sobrang gulat.

All the guests opened their door when the emergency alarm. May mga tumakbo at nagsigawan dahil may sumabog ulit. Mas malakas sa una, parang mas malapit.

Nasa second floor ako. Posibleng sa fourth floor galing ang unang pagsabog. Natuliro ako bigla. Nasa dulo pa banda ang room ko at malayo sa hagdan. Paniguradong sa third floor ang pangalawang pagsabog. Kung ganon...

Tumakbo ako bigla dahil sa takot.

But before I can even take my first step onto the stairs, a huge blast in one room already happened. I lost my balance because I duck when I heard it.

Gumulong ako sa hagdan at nauntog ang ulo ko bago ako nawalan ng malay.

It hurts.

Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko.

My brother died. I saw his cold body. Thinking about what happened makes me sick. I feel like this war will never end. A war between me and all the people around me. A war with the world against me.

Nasilaw ako at napapikit ng mariin.

I tried to sit down but my body really hurts. I have gauze wrapped around my head. I tried to open my eyes and a white ceiling spring up.

The room is not familiar.

I heard a loud thunder from the windows. Bumaling ako doon at nakitang umuulan sa labas.

Where am I?

Unti-unti akong tumayo. Bukas ang pintuan at malamig ang sahig nang itapak ko ang paa ko. I saw a flower painting and all the white cabinets, tables, and other furnitures. The huge chandelier lights up the whole room. Umuulan at hinahangin ang puting kurtina sa balkonahe.

Dumungaw ako sa labas ng pintuan at nakitang madilim. Napamura ako. Pero gayon pa man, lumakad pa rin ako dahil may ilaw sa ibaba. Dumungaw ako mula sa taas at nakitang may ilaw na nanggagaling sa ibabang floor.

Nilakad ko ang hagdan pababa at ni isang tao, wala akong nakita.

"You will die tomorrow. If not, I will rip you into pieces. Look out. You won't like what I'm gonna do to you..."

I heard a familiar indignant voice coming in the kitchen. It was followed by the loud breaking glasses. He probably threw it out of madness.

When I reached the kitchen wall, I saw a naked man standing with his shoulder wrapped in gauze. With his black summer shorts, I noticed him immediately that I almost step back.

Memories starts rushing on my mind. The things that happened in Hotel. My brother's dead cold body. The shooting and the bombing. How I fell on the stairs. And the memories from years ago when I first saw him.