Dream Escape

Chapter 4: You have reached your destination!

The friends sat on the same bench sa park during dismissal. They had been discussing the strange occurrence of not being able to remember their friend's name for days now. Dahil sa papalubog palang ang araw, may mga nakapayong parin. Napakunot naman ang noon doon ni Tilt.
"It's funny on the first three days, but don't you think there is something weird with the weather?" Tilt mused habang nakatingin sa langit.
Maya intrigued, ibinaba nya muna ang phone nya, her gaze focused on Tilt. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how come I never noticed how my routine is the same for basically my whole life?" Tilt questioned, his voice filled with a sense of wonder.

"That's basically what routine means, idiot." Napailing naman at napanbuntong hininga si Reve sa narinig nya, hindi nya parin binababa ang phone nya. 

"wow Reve, taray much?" Maya teased, a playful smile tugging at her lips. Tilt chuckled at her response but quickly became serious again when Reve glared at him. "I mean, don't you think it's weird how the weather is the same for the last, I mean... four years?"

"Huh?" Maya furrowed her brow in thought, habang tumingin na rin sya sa taas na merong clear blue sky.

"Oh, you just noticed?" Reve chimed in, his eyes sparkling with sarcasm.

"How come we never got—" Tilt started to say, but before he could finish his sentence, a sudden change in the atmosphere disrupted their conversation.

"What the heck?" Maya exclaimed, her eyes widening as she felt the first few raindrops on her face.

"uy, uy, uy! Bakit biglang umuulan?!" Tilt gasped, his surprise evident in his voice.

"Holy shit, maybe the simulator gods noticed it!" sigaw ni Reve habang kinukuha nya ang payong sa loob ng bag, Maya's laughter ringing through the air at Reve's sarcasm.

"But this is certainly not normal," bulong ni Reve, his gaze fixed on the unexpected rain shower that had seemingly come out of nowhere. 

The Maya and Tilt scrambled to find shelter, their laughter mingling with their bewilderment as they tried to make sense of the bizarre turn of events. Sumunod naman si Reve na mahinahon lang ang lakad, dahil sa may payong sya. 

The once-clear sky had transformed into a canvas of gray clouds, and the rain fell in a gentle, almost surreal manner, as if the very world around them was responding to their conversation. It was a moment that left them both amused and slightly unnerved, their actions and expressions reflecting the unpredictability of the situation.

"Paano kaya ang tour natin bukas?" Tilt mused, brushing his hair with his fingers after it got rained on.

"Wait, bukas na yun!" Maya exclaimed, her eyes widening as she realized that the overnight tour for three days and two nights was just around the corner. She had been so absorbed in unraveling the mystery of the girl that she hadn't even noticed.
"We can ask her again for her name, but..." Reve began, then stopped, recalling all their failed attempts. Either something always happened at just the right time and place to make him forget to ask, or some disruption occurred whenever he remembered.

Reve looked at his ink-stained hand, which was covered in splotches from repeatedly writing reminders to himself. It was as if his own brain conspired to erase the idea of asking her for her name whenever they were together, which was often.

"Tomorrow, I will ask her out again." Tilt declared, his eyes wide with determination. Reve and Maya exchanged bewildered glances. "Huh?" Maya exclaimed. "OMG, go for it!" she added with a cackle, while Reve seemed ready to murder him.

Tilt's hand clenched, and Reve noticed the ink splotches on his hands too. He sighed. "You better ask for her name first, then," Reve advised.

In Maya's surprise, her phone slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground, and her jaw hung agape in sheer astonishment. Napalingon sya kina Tilt at Reve, trying to make sense of the unexpected turn of events.

Meanwhile, Tilt's eyes widened, and his gaze shifted swiftly from Maya to Reve, then back to Maya. His expression held a mixture of confusion, curiosity, and disbelief. It was as though the ground had shifted beneath their feet, and he couldn't quite fathom what had just transpired.

"What?!" Reve grumbled in annoyance, his frustration mounting as his two friends seemed frozen in their astonishment, their silence becoming increasingly unnerving. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, tapping his fingers impatiently on his umbrella.

"Tch, whatever," he muttered, his irritation palpable. "You guys can figure it out. I'm heading home." Reve turned and walked away, his umbrella shielding him from the rain that continued to fall. As he disappeared into the distance, Maya and Tilt were left bewildered and speechless, their minds racing to grasp the inexplicable circumstances that had just unfolded before them.

"uy, pahintay!" 

"No."

 ˗ˏˋ ☆ ˎˊ˗ 

The bus took longer than expected to depart from the school grounds. They were headed to the port to embark on a journey to an island that had been touted as a paradise on Earth, discovered just four years ago and now a popular tourist destination. Marami narin nakapagsabi na eto na raw ang #1 tourist spot sa lugar nila.
This trip marked the end-of-year tour for 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students, a three-day, two-night adventure filled with activities designed to promote teamwork and reflection.

Maya sat at the front of the bus with Faye and Shane, discussing a book by Youi. Meanwhile, Reve was once again seated beside "her," engrossed in conversation.

Tilt knew that no matter how many times they tried to ask her name, something always prevented them from doing so. They either forgot the task entirely or encountered a strange obstacle that stopped them from uttering the question.

As Tilt gazed out of the bus window, he noticed the shoreline drawing near, the ocean visible in the distance. The island, despite being seven hours away from civilization, kitang-kita mo parin ito. Lalo na at di tulad kahapon na umulan, ngayon ay maaliwalas ang panahon.

Frowning, Tilt's mind raced. How could this island have been discovered only recently when it was visible from here? His heart skipped a beat as a thought raced through his mind.

"uy, Tilt, gusto mo?" Someone tapped him on the head from behind, and he turned to see a classmate offering him chips.

"Man, I can't wait to get there. They say that place is like a dream come true!" his classmate exclaimed as Tilt took a handful of chips.

"Yeah, me too..." Tilt replied with an excited smile, his earlier thoughts about the island's strangeness fading away.