Puppet Town (Cold Case Series 3)

Epilogue: Start of the Nightmare

Epilogue

"It's now over... for real," sabi ni Roman.

Tumango ako habang nakatingin sa maraming kabaong na nakalinya sa luntiang damo ng parke. I can't feel any happiness with the end of this nightmare. I was kind of hoping actually that this would have ended differently. Pero gaya nga ng madalas na naririnig ko, ito ang reyalidad. Hindi lahat ng gusto ay magkakatotoo. Hindi rin mabubura ang mga masasakit na alaala.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Sabi ko kay Carlos na hanggang ngayon ay nakatulala pa.

I can't blame him. Sa 'ming tatlo, siya 'yung kasama ng mga yumao. He knows a side of them that's good when Roman and I have only seen them as evil. He knows their pain and reasons for doing everything they've done— not that those reasons justify what they've done.

He was muttering something. Akala ko, kausap niya ang sarili. Ngunit ngayong nakatuon na sa kaniya ang atensyon ko, saka ko lang napagtanto... nagbibilang siya.

"Carlos..." Suway ko sa kaniya. Hindi sa mayro'n akong alam na pamahiing ipinagbabawal 'yon. But him doing that makes me feel unease. Like seeing dark clouds on the horizon while I'm rowing a small boat.

"Kulang sila," he managed to say instead.

Tila ba ay nabingi ako.

"Hmm?" Tanong ni Roman.

"If you were to exclude me, there were 28 members in total. Kung isasama si Eloi sa bilang, dapat ay 29 ang nandito. But there were only 28 coffins," sabi uli ni Carlos.

Roman checked something in his phone and concern became evident in his eyes. "Are you sure? Carlos, dalawampu't walong bangkay ang nahanap ng polisya."

"W-What if someone also left after you?" Sabi ko sa kaniya.

Huminga siya nang malalim. "I hope you're right."

But years later, I was actually wrong.

Nanginginig kong hawak ang isang kapiraso ng papel. Pinilit kong i-dial ang numero ni Roman ngunit sa sobrang panginginig ay nabitawan ko lamang ito.

You may have stopped me in Esperanza... but you failed to cut the strings. I may be gone, but my influence will live forever. – Eloi

Initially, I thought that this is a horrible prank... but the news tells me otherwise.

Napuno na ako ng kaba ngunit tumatak sa 'kin ang ilan sa mga salitang nabanggit ng reporter. Serial suicides... The strange human branding symbol... Everlast... Eloi.

Hindi katulad dito sa Esperanza, mukhang mas tumatapang ang kultong ito ngayon. They were proudly showing their trail as if taunting us—letting us realize that we failed.

Tumunog ang phone ko. Carlos and Roman was asking me for a video call.

"Napanood niyo na ba ang balita?" Natatarantang saad ni Carlos.

Kapwa kami tumango ni Roman.

"I hate to say this, but I'm right. Eloi has indeed managed to live," dagdag niya.

"...No, actually," sabi ni Roman.

Huminga siya nang malalim nang makita ang pagkunot ng noo namin ni Carlos.

"Renée, pupunta ako d'yan. 'Wag kang aalis."

Minutes later, Roman came into my room with a confused Carlos. The latter looked at me with some meaning... na para bang hindi ko magugustuhan ang sasabihin nila.

"Eloi's body was actually identified by the police. He actually believed the lies he made. So, Renée, the missing body was a member of the cult," sabi ni Carlos.

I actually find that more as a good news, instead of Eloi being the one who survived.

"Renée, have you heard of the Fabros?" Tanong ni Roman sa 'kin.

With their influence on this town, who wouldn't?

"Anong kinalaman nila rito?" Tanong ko.

"Eloi came from a humble background. Don't you find it suspicious that a man like him would gain such influence? Especially on rich people?" Sabi ni Roman.

I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this.

"... Renée, I suspect that a family member of theirs was a part of Everlast. And it was someone you know."

May inabot siya sa 'king litrato. No'ng una, puro pamilyar na mukha lang ang nakikita ko. Hanggang sa dumapo ang mata ko sa isa sa anak nila.

"Eloi used to claim that he started to believe he was special because of an angel telling him so. But, Eloi was manipulated as well. Lahat ng pagpatay... pati na ang sunog na kanilang ginawa ay dahil sa sinabi ito sa kaniya ng boses," dagdag pa niya.

Mabilis akong umiling-iling. "No... Roman alam mong imposible ito! Patay na siya!"

"I've been investigating this family since last year because of an entirely unconnected case. But everything connects to Everlast as well." Binigyan niya naman ako ng snapshots ng mga balita kung saan ang pamilyar na mukha ay makikita.

Buhay nga siya.

"Renée, Eloi was nothing but a figurehead. The real puppeteer is alive, and everything will continue. Our nightmares were only starting."

Nanghina na ako nang tuluyan. Kailan ko ba ito matatakasan?