𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

NECKLACE

NECKLACE

“Love alam mo ba nawawala raw iyong anak ni Aling Puring at balita raw na naligaw raw siya sa isang liblib na lugar na nagp-practice ng cannibalism.” Kwento ko sa girlfriend ko habang nakahiga siya sa lap ko.

“Naniniwala ka ron, love?” tanong niya.

“I don’t know pero if ever na totoo nga ’yon, I’d hate those people who have that kind of practices. They’re evil. ”

“Nga pala, love, may alam akong tribes na pag c-conduct-an natin ng project. Wait up.” tumayo siya at tinawag ang members namin.

“So, guys, I gathered you all here because we need to talk about our project.”

“Yes, next week na ang submission pero wala pa rin tayo---”

“May alam akong tribe. ” my girlfriend suggested.

“Baka naman gubat masyado iyan, Luvi ah?” -Rica

“C’mon, may tribe ba sa syudad, Rica?”

“Err. What if there’s some wild animals there?”

“If ever, ikaw una kong ipapakain. Psh.” Maldita talaga. HAHAHA

“So, ano, mamili ka, sasama ka sa amin o magfail ka magisa? I guess, your dad won’t like that.”

“Psh, okay fine. Whatever.” Rica rolled her eyes.

“Okay, since holiday naman buong week, why don’t we go there tomorrow? Who’s in?”

“It’s fine with us, Luvi”, Rico replied.

“Ofc dahil ang choice n’yo lang ay 'come and join or fail'. HAHAHA  so, I’ll give you the details tomorrow kung saan tayo magm-meet. Bring your things and food na rin kasi it’s better na don na tayo matulog so we could still observe how they live at night or what are their practices during night, something like that.”

--

“Luvi, is it still that far? I’m already tired.” Rica complained.

“No, malapit na tayo, but okay let’s rest for a bit. ”

Nang makapagpahinga na kami ay dumiretso na kami hanggang sa marating  namin ang lugar. Ramdam namin ang matatalim at nakasunod sa amin na mga tingin ng mga taong naroon.

“Fuck! Their looks are giving me goosebumps.”

“They’re quite scary. ”

Rinig naming bulungan nina Belle at Rica, the same with the other members.

“Guys, don’t mind them. ” Luvi said and we continue walking til we reached the house where we’re gonna stay.

“Oh, fuck you! You ruined my shirt!” Rica exclaimed when a kid just touched her shirt.

“Hey, jlkwyrhskxn alslsnx bplsrbb dn”  Luvi talked to the kid and he left.

“What did you just say, love?”

“I just told him not to play here. By the way, I just knew a little of their language. ”

--

Within that day, we conducted and finished our project. We are about to go home but the old woman wants us stay. Since pumayag rin naman ang mga kasamahan ko, we’re gonna stay here for a night.

I got bored, so, naglakad lakad ako  and I saw a shady tree and there, I slept.

It’s passed six when I woke up. I heard a familiar scream and followed where it came from. I roamed my eyes at halos manlambot ako sa lugar at mga tao na nakita ko. And worst, my groupmates were there in a cage made up of bamboo while they were being tied and their mouths were covered.

Later, four men took Rico out of the cage and they put him into a boiling water on a big pan. Rica were weeping and collapsed upon witnessing with what had happened to her twin.

Since she collapsed, she was the next one that has been taken out of the cage and I can’t really take the scene happened to her. They chopped her body—alive and eat some of her body parts.

I really can’t bear watching them. So, I was about to stand up and help them but someone just hold my hand and dragged me away from that place and it was Luvi.

“Don’t do that, love. You’re not gonna leave that place alive once you enter.”

“What? Fuck! Zia’s there! My cousin’s there and I need to help her!”

“No, please, at least, save yourself. I’m sorry.”

“W-What the fuck is this, love? You know that they have this kind of practices?” she nodded at yumuko.

Fuck!

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry because... I’m...”

“You’re what?” nakayuko pa rin siya at hindi sumagot.

“ YOU’RE WHAT‽”

“I’m one of them, love. I’m sorry. ”

“You’re what?”

“I belong to this tribe and we...yes, we practice cannibalism. I’m sorry, love.”

“What the fuck! You just put the life of our classmates and my cousin in hell.” I shook my head while looking at my girlfriend. No, I can’t believe this.

“You’re an evil. ”

“I know you’re not gonna forgive me. They are already looking for you, love. But at least before they kill me for freeing you up, I just wanna do this. ”

She suddenly kissed me and hugged me tight and she took three steps backwards.

“I’m sorry love, I just need to do this to save my family. Kailangan kong may ialay sa pinuno so they won’t kill us, my family. Iyon ang bagong kautusan sa tribo. Alam kong hindi mo ako mapapatawad sa ginawa ko, but I'll do my best to save them. Please go. Once I pushed you into that hole, lumusot ka sa isang butas na makikita mo malapit sa malaking puno. Deretsuhin mo lang iyon at makikita mo ang daan palabas. Please be safe. I love you, I love you so much, Gabriel.” ngumiti siya nang napakatamis kasabay ng pagbagsak ng luha sa kanyang mga mata.

“Love...” I was about to go near her but she stopped me.

“Just go, love and don’t ever looked back. I love you, okay?”

Maya maya may isang lalaking paparating.

“They’re looking for you, love, you need to leave.”

“Love---” before I could hug her she already pushed me down the hole.

Sinunod ko ang sinabi niya hanggang sa makita ko na ang labasan. At nang makalabas ako ay hindi ko maiwasang maalala ang nangyari.

Galit ako.
Naiinis ako.
Naiinis ako sa sarili ko dahil wala man lang akong nagawa.

“Kuya Gab!” nagulat ako sa tumawag sa akin and it was

“Zia?” She hugged me so tight and I can feel her shaking body.

“W-What... H-How come? Where’s Luvi?”

“Kuyaa!” Umiiyak siya habang umiiling.

“Zia, answer me!”

“She saved me kuya and...” humagulgol ulit siya.

“Wala na siya, kuya. Ate Luvi’s gone. She was being shot with an arrow by one of the men there while saving me. And she wants me to give this to you.” at iniabot niya sa akin ang isang kwintas na may kasamang sulat.

‘love, isuot mo ito sa taong makakasama mo for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t me. I love you’

It was our couple necklace. And something just flashback.

***
“Love, this is for you and this one is for me. Kapag nawala mo iyan ibig sabihin ayaw mo na akong makasama for the rest of your life. Kaya ingatan mo iyan ha?”

“Psh, ang OA mo, Gabriel. HAHAHAH, oo na hindi ko iwawala iyan. I love youuu!”

“I love you more!”
***

And in just a snap, our love story just ended.