SOUL SNATCHERS

CHAPTER 4

"Any word from her?" Agnes Reyes asked, a hint of irritation in her voice as she glanced at her cellphone. Karl shook his head sadly as he sat on his motorcycle.

"It's been over two hours since I received her last message. I wonder what she's up to, why she's not replying to my texts. She even mentioned that I was the one not replying to her messages," he said, searching for his cigarette in his pocket.

"There's no signal here," Agnes replied. "Maybe she's having difficulty sending messages due to the poor network coverage." This time, she looked at Karl.

"Maybe you're right. I'm just worried..." he said, giving her a smile. Agnes smiled back, but inside, she hid her true feelings. She loved Karl more than just a best friend, yet he was unaware of it. Rose was also their best friend, but the two of them shared a deeper love, causing Agnes immense pain and suffering. She almost cried at the thought of her unrequited love for the man standing in front of her.

"Hey, are you crying?" Karl noticed her teary eyes and approached her. Agnes quickly wiped her tears away and shifted her attention from her cellphone, searching for a signal.

"No, I'm not... why would I be?" she replied. Karl smiled at her, a smile that she cherished, a smile she had always dreamed of seeing.

"Come on, I can see it in your eyes. I know you too well. You can't hide it from me. We've been best friends since elementary school," he chuckled. "I can sense when something is bothering you, when you're facing problems, or even when you're keeping something from me." He gently placed his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. Agnes was rendered speechless, struggling to control her emotions. Karl lifted her chin, locking eyes with her.

"Do you know how much I've loved you? Do you realize how much I care for you?" he asked earnestly. Agnes could feel her heart racing, everything around her seeming to freeze. Perhaps Karl felt the same way, and his sincere gaze conveyed it. She longed to express her love for him, a love that had bloomed from the day they first met in school till now, but she lacked the courage to tell him how deep her feelings truly were.

"You know that, right?" he asked once more. Agnes remained silent, nodding in response. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to make you happy. That's why I love you, like a sister." He affectionately pulled her closer and playfully ruffled her hair, laughing.

"Hey, you've messed up my hair!" Agnes said, touching her hair and pulling away from Karl. His last words felt like painful knives piercing her heart repeatedly. She wanted to cry and desperately craved some time alone. She raised her cellphone, pretending to search for a better signal.

"Ugh, this place has no signal. It's scorching hot..." she muttered, rising to her feet and moving away from Karl. Her eyes were now red and filled with tears.

"No signal?" he asked again, a smile on his face as he fished out a cigarette from his jacket pocket. Karl was a man of few words, wise beyond his years. At only 18, he was the sole breadwinner of their family. Standing at five feet, ten inches, with broad shoulders and a sturdy build, he possessed almond-shaped eyes, thin lips, a square jawline, and a handsome face. He worked as a quarry checker in his town in Pampanga. Karl was a second-year Engineering student when his father was accused of illegal recruitment and estafa. With his father sent to jail and his mother incapacitated from a stroke the previous year, Karl had to shoulder the responsibilities at a young age.

"Nope," Agnes replied, her voice filled with pain, though she attempted to force a smile. She retreated underneath the camachile tree, seeking solace in its shade as tears streamed down her face. Anger and self-condemnation consumed her; she couldn't help but feel a sense of damnation. She berated herself for never learning, for continuously hoping that one day, Karl would love her not just as a friend or sister, but as a genuine romantic partner.