Past Life

Chapter 21-4th Crime

"Ma'am kailangan na po nating umalis dito. Bumalik na po tayo sa –"

"No!" Binuksan ko yung pinto ng taxi. "Manong, umalis ka na dito at tumawag ka agad ng pulis! Bilis!"

"Ah o-opo."

Tumakbo ako agad papunta sa kubo na nasusunog na ngayon. I thought I will feel braver this time, but no. I am more scared than ever. I remember those dead people, The frog girl and the kid. And my brother almost died.

Almost.

Tumakbo ako nang tumakbo. Bakit nga ba ako tumatakbo papunta dito? Magpapakamatay ba ko?

She's shouting.

I caught my breath.

I know that voice. Oh my gosh! It can't be her!

Firey.

But unlike the other victims, she's not shouting a scream of terror. Something else. It's as if she's fighting.

And then it occurs to me.

She's a fire. She can live. Hindi siya masusunog.

When I am feet away from the burning nipa hut, I saw a figure.

Nakatalikod siya. Nilapitan ko siya at hinawakan ang balikat nya

And the next thing I knew, a bread knife is pointing against my throat.

"Tery." I say with a trembling voice.

Binaba niya na yung kutsilyo. "I'm sorry Cyker, I'm sorry. Si.. si Firey. Si Firey.Let's help her!"

"What happened?"

"We were having a picnic." So that explains the bread knife. "Nakalimutan ni Firey yung phone niya sa kotse kaya pinakuha niya sa'kin. Pagkabalik ko sa kubo, eto na yung nadatnan ko."

It's the first time I saw Tery crying and swear, parang host ng mga bumbero yung tubig na lumalabas sa mga mata nya. I'm not exaggerating things, it's the truth. And then I remember he was a water.

"Tery!!" Firey's voice. Natuon yung attention namin sa nasusunog na bahay kubo na ngayon ay natupok na yung apoy sa ibang parte. Huh? Bakit nawala?

It snaps me! Yung tubig na nilabas ni Tery, yun yung pumatay sa apoy.

"Cyker, Did you see that? Kung tutupukin natin yung apoy, makakapunta tayo kay Firey!"

"But—" Before I could protest, Kinontrol na ni Tery yung tubig sa poset na nasa tabi. He focused on that thing. Within seconds, wala pa ring nangyayari.

"Tery, I don't think this is a good idea." I said trying to stop him.

"Do you have any other idea? Shut up!" At biglang bumuhos na parang mga alon yung tubig mula sa poset. Kinontrol yun ni Tery at bumuhos sa bahay hanggang sa nawala na yung apoy. Abo at sunog na pader at kawayan na lang ang natira.

Narinig ko na may kaluskos. Tumatakas yung killer, hahabulin ko sana siya pero naalala ko na may masimportante pa kaming kailangang iligtas,

"Firey." bulong ni Tery at tumakbo kami papunta sa loob ng bahay kubo. And there, I saw the body of Firey lying on the ground.

"Firey, dadalin ka namin sa hospital. You will be saved. Wag kang mawawala, marami pa tayong plano. You will spend the rest of your life with me. We will have our own family. Yun yung sinabi ko sa'yo diba? Gagawin natin yun." Sabi ni Tery and I can't help myself from crying. Sana mali ang hinala ko.

"Firey, you're a fire. You should've survived the burning." I said and she gave us a weak smile.

"I survived the fire." At tumingin siya kay Tirey. "But I can't survive the water habang ginagamit ko ang special skills ko sa apoy. When I saw the fire, I used my powers and I surrounded myself with my own fire para maging immune ako sa apoy. But then, bumuhos yung tubig and... I can't fight water."

That confirms. Tery looks stunned and I feel pity for him. Nasasaktan ako para sa kaniya.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry Babe. I just want to save you. I killed you. I killed you. I'm sorry! I'm sorry! This is my fault! I shouldn't push you into this relationship. Dapat nakinig tayo kay Sir Antonio. Dapat nakinig tayo sa warning nya."

Firey puts her weak hand on his cheeks.

"Ssshhh.. I don't regret anything Tery. This is not your fault. I'm happy with.. you. I will bring.. these memories of ours in my after life. After I die, Found another love."

"No. I won't do that. Firey, live. I will not love other girls but you. Understood? So live Firey! Live!"

"I can't. Don't push yourself too much. I..love you." And with that, Firey became lifeless. Iyak ng iyak si Tery.

Warning. This is also a warning for me. I should keep my distance from Rake. I should make myself hate him. I should.

Pero nagtataka rin ako. If may kinalaman sa fire ang past life ng killer, bakit hindi siya natupok sa tubig ni Tery? Hindi kaya nasa ibang parte siya ng bahay? O baka naiwasan nya yung tubig? I don't have any idea.

Hanggang sa narinig namin ang tunog ng ambulansya at mga police cars. If this a normal life, I will hate them for being late. I will hate myself kung bakit sa dinadami dami ng tao ako yung nakakaranas ng mga ganito. But it snaps me, I was a movie. At sa mga pelikula, late talaga dumadating ang mga pulis. At kanino pa ba ibibigay ang mga exposure sa mga krimen, syempre sa bida. I want to punch the scriptwriter for giving me this kind of story. Why can't I have a normal life? A life with no crimes. A life full of laughters. A life without nightmares. A life where I can love the person I want to love.

But I trust God. I do trust Him. He gave me this kind of life, and I know He trusts me to handle this. I just have to trust myself too.

"Justice."

I heard a whisper in my ears and my body shivers.

And I know, there are much worse scenes to act.