R O O M 16 (Sixteen Series #1)

Part 7

SEVEN

"Alas, you don't remember? Our classroom? Our classmates? Our shared memories? A-alas, we're the students of Room 16."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita pagkatapos marinig ang sinabi ni Shane. W-what the hell is this nonsense?

"A-are you joking, Shane? There's no way...just no way." Umiling ako sa kaniya.

"I'm telling the truth! I didn't know what happened while you were asleep pero totoo ang sinasabi ko, Alas. Nasa field trip tayo, habang nagb-biyahe ng biglang nawalan ng brake ang bus! I-it was terrifying! Hindi mo ba naalala?" Hinawakan na ni Shane ang balikat ko at idiniin ang kamay niya dito.

I held my head. I-I can't...I can't remember a thing.

"S-shane...ang alam ko l-lang...hindi tayo yung na-aksidente..." Umiling ulit ako.

"We are a student of room 16. Alas, napunta tayo sa seksyon na 'yun dahil sa naging atraso mo sa anak ng Asst. Principal. You remember Harold? The Asst. Principal's son. You made a fuss first day of the class kaya tayo napunta sa room 16! Just...wake up already!" Lumuluha na si Shane habang sinisigawan ako.

"Harold...Y-yes, I think I know him..."

"Kiara...Kiara is our class president, Alas. She's—she's a good president. She teases you a lot and you would often get pissed by her. Please...remember it." Shane's trembling.

Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang nangyayari. Hindi ko maalala ang lahat ng sinasabi ni Shane. How come? If this things really happened...I would've remember it already. Pero wala...wala akong naaalala.

"S-shane...are you sure that...those things happened?" I asked her, unsure.

Binitawan ni Shane ang balikat ko bago siya tumingala. Inayos niya ang kaniyang buhok at bumuntong hininga habang may mga luha paring nagingilid sa pisngi niya.

"G-ganito na lang. W-what actually happened in your dream? While you were asleep, tell me. It's possible that what happened in your dream is similar to the reality. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ka nagkaganito but maybe...just maybe magagawan natin ng paraan 'yan kapag sinabi mo sa akin kung ano ang nangyari habang nasa coma ka." Pinunasan niya ang luha sa mukha bago umupo sa gilid ng kama ko. She held my hand tightly, "Please, Alas. I need you to recover and remember everything. I can't do this without you. Hindi ko kayang maging testigo kung hindi mo maalala ang lahat-lahat." she pleaded.

I heaved a deep sigh after seeing the desperation in her eyes. Wala namang mawawala kung sasabihin ko sa kaniya ang lahat ng nangyari, eh. Baka nga sa paraang ito, maalala ko ang lahat ng katotohanan.

"In my dream, we were in a different class separated from the students of room 16..." I started to tell her everything that I can remember. The event that I can remember so far...in what she said "my dream".

"W-what? Who's Kylie?" nagtatakhang tanong ni Shane.

"She's...Kiara's twin. Si Kylie ang class president ng room 16 and we met Kiara...Kiara became our friend at tumulong siya sa atin sa paghahanap ng ebidensiya tungkol sa aksidente." I answered.

"Alas...there's no Kylie. Si Kiara lang ang class president natin. Look, sinabi mo sa panaginip mo na nag e-exist sina Kiara, ako, si Harold and even the Principal and Vice Principal...the only difference is that in your dream...we are a different people. Hindi tayo involved sa room 16, ganoon ba?" Nakakunot-noong tanong ulit ni Shane.
I nodded at her.

"Then...what Doctora said might be true. While you were sleeping, your brain created a series of events that is totally different from reality because of the trauma you had before you lost your consciousness. Maliban sa panaginip, wala ka ba talagang naaalala? Even before the accident?"

Umiling ako ng dalawang beses sa tanong ni Shane. No matter how she tried to explain it, wala pa rin talaga akong naaalala. Totoo ba talaga lahat ng sinasabi niya? Those events...when we met Kiara...when we started investigating the accident. Was that all my dream? Ano ba talaga ang totoo at hindi?

"How about you, Shane? Wala ka man lang bang napanaginipan habang nasa coma?" I asked her. Imposibleng ako lang ang nakaranas nun.

Shane stared at me, "No...I don't think I have experienced the same dream you have. Dahil yung sakin, pakiramdam ko parang nilulunod ako. I can't see my surrounding...everything was plain dark hanggang sa may nakita akong ilaw. When I tried to struggle and reached for the light that's when I woke up and realized that I am in a hospital. Wala man lang akong napanaginipan or something strange..." Kuwento niya.

Is it just me? Yeah, before I woke up, a dark place also surrounded me and I struggled a lot. If it isn't for Shane's voice...

"Shane...when you tried to wake me up...anong ginagawa ko?"

"I woke up one week earlier kesa sa'yo. Nasa kabila ang room ko but I decided to look for you. I was reading a book when you suddenly started groaning. You were trying to move your body pero parang may pumipigil sa'yo. You know that feeling na parang naparalyze ka. I really thought ganoon nga ang nangyayari sa'yo. I panicked because you were still struggling so I started to call your name. That's when you woke up."

Right...nagising lang ako ng marinig ko na ang boses ni Shane. The Doctor mentioned that I was in a coma for two months...at sa panaginip ko, mag t-two months na rin simula nung nangyari ang aksidente at pag imbestiga namin. Everyday...everyday I stayed in that dream...what was the meaning of that?

May itatanong pa sana ulit ako kay Shane when my head started to hurt. My head started to buzz. Something is ringing inside my head. Hinawakan ko ang ulo ko at pumikit. Damn, ang sakit.

"Alas...are you alright?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Shane.

"M-my head...hurts."

"Alas...!"

Malakas na tunog ang naririnig ko. Hindi ko alam kung saan nanggaling subalit masakit sa tenga. Instead of holding my head, I covered my ears because of the loud ringing.
"Ahhhhh...!" Napasigaw ako sa sakit na naramdaman.

Nanghina ako bago nawalan ng malay. Shane's loud shout was the last thing that I heard.

Akala ko pag gising ko, babalik ako sa lugar kung saan hindi totoo ang lahat ng sinabi ni Shane. Kung saan hindi kami parte ng aksidente. Kung saan hindi kami estudyante ng room 16 katulad ng pinaniniwalaan ko. Subalit iba ang sumalubong sa'kin.

While my eyes were still closed, I heard a lot of noise. Hindi ko mawari kung malapit ba o malayo. Para makompirma, binuksan ko ang mga mata ko. And there I saw it.

I felt myself floating in the middle of the darkness, again. However, there's something else. Maraming bilog na parang bula ang nakapalibot sa akin. Inside the bubbles are faces of people. It depicts different events. Sa loob ng mga bubble na iyon, nakita ko si Shane, Kiara, and a lot of unfamiliar faces.

Some of them were smiling and laughing. What is this? Why am I seeing this?

They all have one similarity. They're calling my name. Kahit ang mga taong hindi ko sigurado kung nakita ko na ay tinatawag ang pangalan ko. I trembled. A little idea is forming inside my head.

All of these bubbles and all of those faces. All of the events showed. Ah, it was my memories. These are my forgotten memories before the accident.