Depression Plutus (Curse #4)

CHAPTER 7 Elena

 OTTILIE VIRSES POV

 
Napatayo ako ng wala sa oras at saka nagsasasayaw na parang timang. 
 
I did it. I did it.
 
Plutus looked completely disgusted while watching me.

“What on earth are you doing?” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You call that dancing? You look ridiculous."
 
"Woooh! Yes nagawa ko din!" Sigaw kong muli. 
 
“Enough dancing,” he said while waving me off. “Do it again. Remember how it felt when you lit the candle. Focus on that feeling.”
 
Masaya akong tumango at saka naupong muli sa harapan ng kandila. I took a deep breath, remembering the warmth of the flame and the energy flowing through me earlier. Kinakabahan man pero pikit mata ko ulit itong sinubukan.
 
I could feel the energy moving around me as I reached toward the candle.

Focusing hard, I raised my hand.

And the flame lit up again.

This time, it felt stronger.
 
Plutus slowly nodded, looking satisfied. “There you go. Not bad,” he said casually, though I could hear the pride in his voice.
 
"Waaah! Thank you, mahal na prinsipe!" I shouted dramatically while bowing toward him like I was worshipping him.
 
Plutus puffed out his chest proudly. “Of course. I mean, I am good at this.”
 
"Paano ba 'yan, mas magaling na ako kesa sa'yo," pagyayabang ko na ikinaikot lang ng mga mata nito.
 
He rolled his eyes. “Not even close.”

Then his expression turned serious again.

“Alright. Now let’s move on to putting the flame out,” he said. “That’s just as important.”
 
"Ano bang dapat ko gawin?" I asked.
 
“First, imagine the energy fading away,” Plutus explained seriously. “You need to guide the energy back into the air. Command the flame to disappear.”
 
I nodded, trying to absorb every word.

"Okay."
 
“Focus on the flame shrinking until it completely disappears,” he continued. “And believe you can do it.”
 
Napahinga ako ng malalim, "Parang nakukuha ko na."
 
Plutus nodded. “Go ahead.”

I raised my hand over the candle again, feeling the warmth still lingering in the air. I focused hard, imagining the flame slowly growing smaller in my mind.

The fire flickered weakly.

I kept concentrating.

Then,

Puff.

The flame disappeared, leaving only a thin trail of smoke behind.
 
"Yes! I did it again!" I shouted as I threw my fist into the air.
 
Plutus leaned back with a smirk. “Not bad. But…”

My smile immediately disappeared when his face suddenly turned serious.
 
"If you screw up your demo tomorrow, don't show your face ever to me again. Understand?" 
 
Napalunok ako sa sobrang kaba, sa ilang araw ko pa lang na pagkakakilala sa kan'ya, kapag ganyan na ang itsura niya, asahan ng tototohanin nito ang sinasabi niya.

Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan na ganyan ang itsura niya ng ibaon niya ko sa hukay.

Nakakatakot. 
 
"O-oo! Gagalingan ko bukas!" Nauutal na turan ko, halos magkandabulol-bulol pa ako. 
 
Nalintikan na, mukhang natrauma na ako do'n sa ginawang pagbaon niya sa'kin sa hukay.

It's the worst experience.

EVER!
 
Ang magaling na asungot, tinaasan lang ako ng kilay at saka tumayo. Pinasok pa nito ang mga kamay sa bulsa ng pants nito bago tumalikod.

"Clean the living room before you sleep, I want everything on its right place." 
 
Hindi na ako nagprotesta pa.

Syempre susundin ko ang inutos ng kamahalan, dahil sa kan'ya hindi na ako mapapahiya sa klase ko bukas. 
 

~~~
 
Nang matapos akong maligo, sinilip ko muna ang labas ng banyo kung wala si Plutus, nang wala akong makitang asungot, dali-dali akong tumakbo patungong kwarto. Iisa lang ang banyo dito sa second floor at nasa pagitan pa ito ng kwarto namin ni Plutus. 
 
Kung wala ang asungot na 'yon edi sana solong-solo ko ang banyo. Mabuti na lang at dalawa ang cabinet sa loob ng banyo kaya nakaseparate ang gamit namin panligo. Nang makapag bihis ako, habang tinutuyo ko ang buhok ko, dahan-dahan kong inalis ang telang nakatakip sa white board dito sa kwarto ko. 
 
At the center of the board was a picture of Elena, my best friend. Her smile stared back at me, frozen in time. Next to it, a photo of her corpse, one I had taken myself in secret. While the evidence was perfectly sealed in plastic and was well hidden in a box. 
 
Parang bumabaliktad pa din ang sikmura ko sa tuwing nakikita ko 'to. Pero hindi ako pwedeng mag-inarte. Kailangan ko maging matatag at matapang.

On the board, I had written everything I knew about her murder.
 
Victim: Elena Blackwood

Missing Body Part: Heart

Details: Elena was found dead in the academy's garden, her heart removed with surgical precision.

I traced the notes with my fingers, feeling the weight of it all. Who could have done something like this? Why her? I clenched my fists, determined to find out. No matter how hard it was to look at her lifeless body, I wouldn't stop until I uncovered the truth.
 
Napahawak ako sa ulo ng kumirot ito, kahit anong piga ko sa utak ko wala akong maalala na may naka-alitan si Elena sa CA. Napaka-bait nito at ubod ng sweet na babae, kaya hindi ko akalain na mawawala na lang siya ng gano'n na lang. Isa pa sa problema ko ay kung paano ko hahanapin ang salarin. 
 
Sa sobrang stress, mas pinili kong matulog na dahil maaga pa ang pasok ko bukas. Madami pang pagkakataon para maghanap ng mga kasagutan sa lahat ng problema ko. 

Nasa kasagsagan ako ng mahimbing na tulog ng magising sa sunod-sunod na katok sa pintuan ng kwarto ko.

"Ugh! Sino ba 'yan?!" Sigaw ko habang papikit-pikit pa na tinungo ang pintuan.

Pagbukas ko, bumalandra lang naman sa harapan ko ang naka-topless at nakabusangot na mukha ni Plutus.

"Ano ba!" Singhal ko dito. "Panira ka naman ng tulog eh!"

Mas lalo lang kumunot ang noo nito at walang pasabi na iminudmod sa mukha ko ang mga brief na bagong bili ko.

"Wrong size!" he said through gritted teeth.

Mas lalo tuloy akong nabadtrip at hinagis sa sahig ang mga 'to.

"Peste!"

Plutus crossed his arms. “You bought the wrong size, witch. I’m an XL, not a Large.”

Malakas akong napakamot sa ulo ko, "Naman eh! Konte lang naman diperensya, pagtsagaan mo na!"

Pinitik nito ang noo ko kaya namilipit ako sa sakit, "Ang sakit, peste!"

"There's a very big difference, if you do not know." He said seriously. "To educate you, It's not just my height that's big... I'm also big down there."

Parang tinakasan ako ng kaluluwa sa sinabi ni Plutus. Tila na-estatwa ata ako sa kinatatayuan ko habang dahan-dahan na bumababa ang tingin ko sa down there niya pabalik sa mukha nito.

"May saltik ka ba?" Naiiyak na tanong ko. "Bakit pati 'yon kailangan mo i-share? Nakashabu ka ba? Naka-rugby?"

Plutus ran a hand through his hair dramatically. “It’s your fault I’m sleeping without underwear tonight,” he accused while pointing at me. “So don’t even think about entering my room, or you'll end up seeing how big my buddy is. You don't want nightmares, don't you?"

Tuluyan ng napanganga ako sa sinabi nito. Tangina ng demonyo na 'to...

Bago pa man ako makabawi sa sinabi nito, pabagsak niyang sinarado ang pintuan niya na para bang kasalanan ko pa kung bakit matutulog siyang walang brief ngayong gabi.

To be continued...