Hearing was the first sense I gained when I woke up as the soft, merely high pitched sound of the monitor beside my bed echoed all throughout the silent room.
Blinking my eyes, I adjusted my vision to the harsh white light and was instantly greeted by numerous worried eyes looking down at me.
"A-Ate..." A voice called me.
It was Lani, who was sitting on a small chair beside my bed with Lori.
"Loreen, a-anak," my mother followed.
She quickly went on my side and took my hand to gently squeeze, and then she started sobbing.
At first, it was quiet, until it grew louder and louder—gaining the attention of the people outside the room, who hurried their way inside.
"Loreen!" Keisha was about to jump on my bed to hug me when Mika pulled her away because she might hurt me.
Hindi ako nagsasalita dahil nakatitig lamang ako sa kanila at ganun din sila sa akin, kaya ang tanging naririnig lamang ay ang paghikbi ni Mommy at ang pagbeep ng monitor sa gilid, hanggang sa isa-isang pumasok sa isip ko ang nangyari kagabi na parang naroon parin ako.
"R-Rain..." I whispered. "Where's Rain?"
All of the noises stopped as they lifted their gazes on me.
My mother opened her mouth to answer when the door banged open and two people came rushing in.
"I'm so glad you're safe!" Tita Raina pushed all of the people out of the way to hug me.
When her shoulders shook and I heard the first sob escape her throat, I started crying as well.
I wanted to hug her back but I couldn't move my hands.
I just laid there staring at the ceiling with my lips trembling and tears flowing down my face.
"T-Tita, Rain... Where's Rain?" I asked when I finally managed to talk, but my voice was snatched once again when she shook her head twice.
"He's gone."
Two words and I felt like my heart just stopped and oxygen left my body, dizzying and slowly suffocating me.
"M-My son...my son is gone."
Paulit-ulit akong umiling.
"Hindi pwede...no. N-No. No. No."
Mariin akong pumikit at kumapit sa sarili ko hanggang sa maramdaman ko ang magaang paghawak ni Tita Raina sa mukha ko para paharapin ako sa kanya.
"You need to tell us, Loreen." She stared at me with tears and tough determination in her sorrowful eyes. "You need to tell us everything. Ikaw nalang ang pag asa namin. Ikaw nalang ang pag asa ni Rain para makamit ang hustisya."
Hindi ako nakasagot, kaya mahinang niyugyog ni Tita Raina ang katawan ko para pabalikin sa reyalidad.
"What happened, Loreen? Who...who k-killed my son?"
My chest tightened at mas lumakas ang pag iyak ko noong banggitin niya ang sinapit ni Rain, pero ginawa ko ang lahat para kumalma at makapagsalita nang maayos.
"I-It was h-him...h-he...he k-killed him." I wasn't sure if they understood my stammering but I continued. "Rain and I-I in the k-kitchen...the door o-opened and..I-I was there...he w-was killed. I-I saw it."
I took a pause to breathe because my chest was twisting and I couldn't take any oxygen.
"I-I don't know...I d-don't know" Sinabunutan ko ang sarili ko. "Everything happened so fast."
