Published under 8Letters Publishing House
"Sino ang tunay na may sala sa pagkamatay mo? Sino? Sino ba sila?"
Five years ago, Eury Genehuges' sister went missing and was brutally murdered. After a storm of devastation, she began to investigate about...
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It was a quarter to ten when Eury got home. She almost got late due to the chaos of buying groceries and other items. Rushing through the front door, Eury quickly stowed away the groceries and sighed in relief. The hustle and bustle of the day gradually faded as she settled into the serenity of their home.
When she got in, she saw Desiree, who was already sleeping on the bed. Quietly, she walked into the room, careful not to disturb her mother’s peaceful sleep. The soft glow of a bedside lamp showed the stillness that surrounds the room.
Napailing na lang siya nang marating na ang k’warto. It was such a long day for her. Napahiga siya sa kama at napatingin sa puting kisame. She even heaved a deep sigh as her mind went on a little bit of a trip.
Suddenly, her phone rang, breaking the silence in the room. The unexpected sound startled her, and she quickly reached for the phone to see who was texting.
Open your door quickly; I have something to tell you.
“Anong katarantaduhan na naman ba ‘to, Rio? Pati ba naman sa gantong oras ay magte-text ka pa?” anas niya sa mahinang boses nang mabasa ang text dahilan para mapatayo siya sa kama. “P’wede namang text or email... something like that. Nakakapagtaka naman ’tong text na ’to, parang hindi si Rio.”
Eury had something particular on her mind. She felt something was not right, so she decided to follow her instinct. The unease sounds inside her mind paced through her thoughts, trying to pinpoint the source of her uneasiness. After ten seconds, she decided to call Rio on her own.
“Come on, pick it up...” kinakabahang sambit niya sa sarili habang kagat-kagat ang kuko nito.
Mayamaya pa’y sumagot si Rio, “Ang ingay mo talaga, what is it this time?”
“Nasa labas ka na ba?”
“A-anong nasa labas? Nandito ako sa k’warto ko, Eury. Pinagsasabi mo?” iritadong dinig nito sa kabilang linya.
“Huh? I thought you texted me; you even said there’s something you wanted to tell me that was very important? So, ano ’yong text mo?”
Eury started to get nervous as Rio’s confusion deepened in her mind. She could sense the tension in his voice, making her nervousness grow. “I... I felt something was wrong. Your message seemed urgent, and I thought you were outside my door.”
“What message? Are you even aware that I only have an official contact number? Binigyan nga kita no’n, ’di ba?”
“E? Sino naman ’tong nag-text sa akin?”
“I’m not sure about that, pero huwag kang lumabas. They might be someone who sent me the note earlier. Huwag kang lumabas, maaaring manganib ang buhay mo, Eury.”
“A-ano? Anong manganib? Bakit nadamay ako!”
“Relax; just follow what I’ll say to you, okay?”
“Okay,” Eury responded, her voice filled with fear and confusion.
“First, lock your door and stay away from the windows. Second, don’t make any noise. Silipin mo kunti sa may pintuan kung may tao man o wala. Huwag kang magpahalata. Just do it silently, baka makatulong ’yon para makilala kung sino man ang nananakot sa akin... Sa atin.”
To protect herself, kumuha siya ng isang kutsilyo at hinay-hinay lamang itong humahakbang patungong pintuan. Sa bawat hakbang, nararamdaman niyang bumibilis ang pintig ng kanyang puso. Binuksan niya ito nang bahagya, nag-iingat na hindi mag-ingay. Hanggang sa may natanaw s’yang hindi kilalang tao ang sumisilip sa labas nila. Dahil sa sobrang kaba, isinara na lang niya ang pintuan.
Eury locked the door immediately. “There’s someone, nakikita kong may taong nag-aabang sa labas ng pintuan,” mahinang bulong niya sa kabilang linya. “What? Sino?”
“I... I don’t know, nakatabon ang mukha niya.”
“Don’t you ever come out, Eury. Just stay in your house and lock everything. Patayin mo rin ang ilaw n’yo sa loob ng bahay. Kung may mangyayari mang masama, just call me or the police immediately, okay? I’m sorry kung pati ikaw nadadamay, but trust me. I will make sure to know who that person is, and he’ll pay for it,” Rio assured her in a calm yet determined tone.
