Imagine Forest

CHAPTER 7

Gemini's Point of View
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“Could you please stop shouting and panicking!” Pauline’s voice pierced through the air, but no one seemed to listen. Ang lakas ng impact ng banggaan. Parang hinigop lahat ng hangin sa loob ng kotse at ako? I can't feel my whole body.

“We have to get out of this car,” Gracey insisted, her voice trembling with urgency. I could barely move, feeling numb all over. Bakit ganito? Bakit parang hindi ko magalaw ang buong katawan ko? My heart raced as panic began to rise.

“I can’t stay here much longer! Huhuhu! Mom!” Savanna wailed, her voice cracking with fear.

“Gem! Wake up!” someone called out to me, and I felt a hand tap my shoulder. Mahina, pero ramdam ko. Slowly, I turned my head.

“Gemini, your shoes! Your shoes!” Lucas was talking to me, but his words barely registered. "Give me your shoes!" Is he talking about my shoes? Tama ba ang narinig ko?

“Gemini, give me your shoes.”

“My shoes? Why? Do you like them?” I asked, confused. My thoughts were all over the place.

“Stupid, we need something to break the windscreen!” Lucas snapped, frustration evident in his voice.

I gasped. Did he just call me stupid? My heart sank, but I couldn’t let the hurt show. “The shade! You hurt my pride, Lucas! And no, I won’t sacrifice my $500 Gucci shoes!”

Lucas’s patience was thinning. “The heck, gusto mo bang makalabas ng buhay?” he retorted.

“It’s not a hammer, at sa ating dalawa, obvious namang ikaw ang… idiot,” I muttered, my voice trembling as tears began to fall. What’s happening to us? Bakit nagkakagulo kami ng ganito? “Ano ba! Hindi ito ang tamang oras para mag-inarte!” Savanna interjected, shoving her shoes at Lucas. “Here, take mine.”

Lucas grabbed the shoes and began smashing the window without hesitation, but the shoe cracked instead of the windscreen. “Oh my god! It’s a fake one?” Gracey gasped in disbelief. “Lucas?” Savanna screamed, glaring at him. “You gave me a fake one? I can’t believe you!”

I could feel the tension growing between them, but before they could start arguing, Lucas suddenly shouted, “O-oh! There’s a man outside! Did you see that? Did you—”

“F*ck, Lucas! Wala kaming pakialam sa mga nakikita mo! Unlock the f*cking door!” George barked, finally regaining consciousness.

“Fine! Fine! Give me some space!” Lucas grumbled, scrambling to the back.

“I wanna go home!” Savanna cried, her voice breaking.

“Please open that door!” Gracey pleaded.

“Sandali lang! Hindi ko pa nga nabubuksan!” Lucas’s frustration was evident as he fumbled with the lock.

“Now, Lucas, now!” Gracey demanded.

“Just unlock it, Lucas!” Pauline urged, her patience wearing thin.

“Hindi ko nga mabuksan!” Lucas's voice cracked under the pressure.

“Use your brain!” George snapped.

“Try to smash it with something hard, idiot!” Gracey shouted, her fear turning into anger.

Why is everyone screaming? Why is everything so loud?

“Oh, for God’s sake!” I raised my voice, desperate to silence the chaos. Lahat sila ay tumahimik.

“Kunin mo!” I handed Lucas my shoe, sacrificing my precious Gucci without a second thought. “Use my shoe!”

I just wanted the shouting to stop. Naaawa ako sa sarili ko—hindi ako sanay na ganito sila. Hindi ako sanay na makitang nag-aaway ang mga kaibigan ko.