Tales of a Voodoo #Wattys2015

10th Spell

Chapter 10

TOTOO ba ang nakita ko? I ran to the terrace of the building to check if I had my vision right.

It was real! A real human fall from above.

Nagmadali akong bumaba. Pagdating sa ground floor ay marami ng mga estudyante ang nagkakagulo. Mga spectators.

They were shocked of what they saw. A man who almost crushed his bones from the impact.

Pero sa lahat ng mga nakasaksi sa pangyayari, ako ang pinaka-nagulat. Pinakanatakot.

Because who I saw lying there ...

... was Kenneth Aquino.

===

"Kasalanan ko 'to. He commit suicide because I turned him down." Sabi ni Arlyn na mangiyak ngiyak na. She buried her head to my chest. Tinapik tapik ko ang balikat nya bilang simpatya.

Sila Bryan at Nico, hindi pa rin matanggap ang mga pangyayari. Tulala at walang nag-iimikan sa dalawa.

Suddenly, my phone rang. A call from Miss Jane.

"Come to my office. I have to tell you something. But please, wag kang magsasama ng iba except for the girl with you last time." I immediately drag Arlyn to the faculty. Sinabi ko sa kanya na may sasabihin daw na importante si Miss Jane. Maybe about the incident.

Nang marating namin ang faculty, si Ms. Jane lang ulet ang nag-iisang professor. Agad kaming pumasok.

"Anong sasabihin mo?" She suddenly locked the door. Tinitiyak na walang makakarinig ng sasabihin niya.

"Nang lumapit ako sa bangk--"

"His name is Ken. He's my friend." I said cutting her speech. Ayoko marinig ang salitang --- ahmm ... arggh. Basta!

"Okay. Kumulo ang langis kanina nang lumapit ako sa kaibigan nyo. Ang berdeng langis. That suicide thing to your friend, it was really a homicide. There was a culprit behind it... and that culprit, was -"

"... a Voodoo." Sabay naming nasambit ni Arlyn.

"Right." Tinungo niya ang working table nya at may kinuha. Ang black booklet ni Pedro Evra.

"Tama ba ang iniisip ko? Si Sabrina kaya ang nasa likod ng mga pagpatay?" Biglang tanong ni Arlyn, while staring at nothingness. Wag naman sana Arlyn, mali sana ang iniisip mo.

"Sabi dito sa journal ni Lolo, naging propesyon ng aming mga ninuno ang maging guro dahil dito nakilala ang aming pamilya, pero dumating ang panahon na kinailangan talaga naming gawin ito ... upang bantayan ang mga descendants ni Raja Carigma." Sambit ni Ms. Jane habang may binabasa sa journal.

"Sino si Raja Carigma?" Tanong ni Arlyn.

"Si Raja ang isa sa mga labindalawalang malalakas na Shaman isang daang taon na ang nakalilipas. Pero nagpalamon siya sa kasakiman, sa kapangyarihan, at naghangad ng buong kapangyarihan ng isang Voodoo." Umupo si Ms. Jane habang binubuklat ang journal.

Carigma? Sounds familiar. Wait... hindi kaya? "Teka... Carigma? H-Hindi ba Carigma ang apelyido ng Presidente ng university natin?"

"You got it right Lance. Si President Javier Carigma. One of the prominent man known in the city. A direct descendant of Raja Carigma. A former member of APO. But despite of being 48 years of age, wala pa rin siyang asawa. Neither records of having a child, walang ma-trace sina Lolo at Mama."

"Ano bang kelangan bantayan sa mga Carigma?" Yung mahal mo nga nawawala kahit bantayan mo.

"Sa totoo lang, I am not aware of A.P.O.'s existence from the very start. Hindi ko nga alam na kasapi pala sina Lolo at Mama sa isang alyansa ng mga Shaman. All I know is that I was born a Shaman. Ayon sa journal, nais ni Raja na makasal sa isang pure-blooded Voodoo upang mas lumakas ang saklaw niyang kapangyarihan. At ito ang pinapaniwalaan maging ng mga henerasyong sumunod sa kanya."

"So ... ano ang kinalaman nito sa Voodoo na pumatay kay Ken?" I asked..

"I recently contacted one of the APO I just knew. And according to him,"

20 years ago, there was a new born child found at the front door of APO's headquarters here in Manila. APO adopted the child and taught this child Shaman knowledge. They named the child Karol. While growing up, nakakitaan si Karol ng kakaibang lakas at talino sa larangan ng pagiging Shaman. He even surpasses an ordinary Shaman power and posseses powers that only Voodoo can have. At his age of seven, he violently killed Voodoos, and worse, he had even killed a comrade. Naging wanted ang batang yon and put that child under extermination status. And according to their hunches and theories, that kid named Karol who was found 9 months just after Javier got exterminated in APO ... was Javier's secret child.

"What about kung anak nga yun ni Mr. Javier? Are you telling us that Javier's kid was the culprit behind the killing of Trixie and Ken?"

"I'm not saying, however, that kid was reported being seen here in the university fours years ago."

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kaba sa dibdib. Tila pakiramdam ko, naririnig ng Voodoo na yun kung anuman ang pinag-uusapan namin ngayon. Napuno ng tensyon sa loob ng faculty.

Suddenly, my phone rang ...

A call from Joseph. I answer the call. "Hello?"

"Lance! There was a culprit behind Ken's death. And I think I know who he is." Sabi ni Joseph while catching his breath.

He? Did I heard him right? Lalaki ang suspek. Hindi si Sabrina ang pumapatay ...

but wait ...

There was a Voodoo here other than Sabrina??

... posible kayang nasa paligid lang talaga si Karol?

To be continued.

AN: Sorry sa late update. Antagal nun ah. Two months din pala ako hindi nakapag-update. Anyway, random questions to ponder:

Bakit gusto ni Miss Jane na isama ni Lance si Arlyn sa kanilang pag-uusap?

Isa rin kaya siyang Shaman?

At sino ba talaga si Karol? Siya nga ba ang killer voodoo?