One thing about being a writer is your imagination is not only vivid, but you can form a story out of it.
Pagkatapos i-announce ang next challenge ay halos manigas ako habang nakaupo sa swing. The sky looked pretty since the sun was setting, but I couldn't even enjoy it because of that announcement. I was already imagining the things that could happen, and all of them weren't good for my heart. Why did it have to be horror?
I could see some of the writers making a fuss about it, too, but most of them looked excited, especially those who write horror and paranormal stories.
Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto akong nakatula lang habang nasa swing pero nang unti-unti nang dumilim ay dali-dali akong bumalik sa cabin. While walking back, I saw the three gathered in the porch.
"Elix!" Arin called and waved me in.
Pag-akyat ko sa porch ay nakatingin lang ang tatlo sa akin kaya napakunot ang noo ko. "Bakit kayo nasa labas?"
It turned out the staff were changing our bedsheets and toiletries. Every Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon ang schedule ng pagpapalit. Sunday din ang schedule ng laundry at iiwan lang ang mga iyon sa porch with our names written on the laundry bag at sila na ang kukuha.
"So, what's your plan?" Arin asked habang naghihintay kami sa porch.
"Plan?"
A playful smile escaped her lips. "Sabi ni Zion magugulatin ka raw."
My gaze immediately shifted to him, and he just shrugged smugly. God, why did he have to find out my weakness?
"I'll be fine," I said, but it sounded weak.
"Matatakutin ka pala, Elix?" commented Roi. "Pero nakakasulat ka naman ng brutal scenes madalas."
Yes, I could write crime fiction and gore without flinching, but paranormal and horror stories are different. At least doon, alam mong tao ang gumagawa o pumapatay, habang sa horror, involved ang otherworldly beings. And it's normal to be frightened by situations that could not be explained by logic.
We stayed in the living room and talked about what could happen tomorrow while writing and updating our stories.
"Horror house daw, 'di ba? Parang wala naman akong nakitang gano'n," sabi ni Arin habang nagta-type.
"Baka ise-setup pa lang nila," dagdag ni Roi.
"No, it might be on the other side of the hanging bridge."
Napatingin kaming lahat kay Zion nang sabihin niya iyon. He had a point. Kasama rin naman ang part na 'yon sa camp pero hindi pa kami pinapayagang pumunta ro'n. Was it because of the horror house?
"Paano mo nasabi? Nakapunta ka na ba ro'n?" tanong ni Arin.
"Not yet, but that makes more sense than setting up one here."
"Hmm. Sabagay."
"Excited na ako," Roi said, grinning.
Ako, hindi, I wanted to add.
Bigla namang napangiti si Arin. "Paano pala kung individual ang pagpasok sa loob, Elix?"
I must have turned pale because the three of them started snickering at me. Crap, baka puwedeng mag-back out or mag-give up na lang kung individual ang gagawin. Wala na akong pake kung bumaba ang score namin. Hindi ko talaga kayang pumasok sa horror house mag-isa.
"'Pag individual, hindi ako papasok," mahina kong sabi.
"Hindi 'yan," Roi said, waving dismissively. "Mas masaya kaya kung partner o group. Para rinig mo ang sigaw ng lahat."
BINABASA MO ANG
Challengers
AdventureAfter graduating, all Elix wanted to do was rest for a while, but an invitation changed the course of her summer vacation. She had been a writer on an online platform since college and accumulated quite a huge number of readers. She received an invi...
