MASKARA

eleven

Yram Aroon's Point of View

"Aht... no! This can't be happening."

Sabi ko sa kanya habang patuloy nang tumutulo ang mga luha ko.

Sinusubukan kong tumayo ngunit hindi ako sinusunod ng aking katawan. Hindi ako makagalaw sa pagkakaluhod ko sa sahig.

"Why? Tell me, Yram, tell me why can't this be happening huh?"

Tanong niya sa akin.

She was looking in my eyes as if she was ordering me to tell her the answer quickly.

Her baby blue eyes behind her mask made me shiver. It was darker. Sobrang dilim. It's as if she is being drawn somewhere.

Para siyang nasasapian.

"This can't be happening. Hindi ikaw ang pumapatay ng mga tao. You can't kill people when you saved a person who was about to be raped!"

Mula sa malumanay kong boses ang napasigaw na ako.

Tama naman ako diba? A person who tried to save a person from being raped cannot kill people who are so innocent.

I was still kneeling that's why I was looking up at her while I was saying those words.

"Oh, that. Past is past, dear sister. And as you might know, people change. And since I'm a human being too, I also change. It happened 2 years ago. So, the person that I was two years ago has changed. Ito na siya oh. Can't you see? A much better person."

Sabi ni Aht habang itinuturo niya pa ang sarili niya gamit ang kanyang daliri na para bang proud na proud siya sa kanyang sarili.

I forced an incredulous laugh.

"A much better person? Do you think na mas maayos ka ngayon? Just so you know, you became worse. You're a demon now. A demon."

Ini-emphasize ko pa yung huli kong sinabi dahil hindi na talaga siya yung taong nagligtas sa akin noon sa isang matandang rapist. Hindi na siya yung babaeng palagi kong nakakasabay sa pagkain sa cafeteria tuwing recess at lunch. Hindi na rin siya yung taong nakakasabay ko noon palagi sa pag-uwi.

She's not an Angel anymore. She's now a demon. A heartless demon who keeps on killing innocent people.

"A very good demon, I am." Humakbang siya sa papalapit sa akin. "Pero alam mo, mabait pa naman ako. I can actually set you free right now. But! Your friends will die. And we'll live happily ever after. Ayaw mo nun? Tayo na lang ang friends. Wala na sila. Wala nang sagabal. Wala na ang mga tunay na demonyo."

Tumingin ako sa ibang direksyon at napatingin sa kinatatayuan kanina nina Nelihc at Sir Nivek.

W-wala na sila.

Iniwan nila ako?

How could they do that to me?

Maybe they're already calling the police.

Malamang ay sakto na ang dating ng mga pulis mamaya kapag patay na ako.

"Kill me now."

Her eyes widened in shock. But she laughed right after that.

"Oh no, no, no, no. Not yet my dear." Sabi niya habang umiiling. "Magke-kwentuhan pa nga tayo."

"I have no time for that, bitch! Go ahead and kill me now. Yun naman ang gusto mo diba? Ang mamatay ako? So do it now! Ano pa ba'ng hinihintay mo?"

"What? No! Who told you that? Well, alam mo actually dati, masaya na sana ako para sa'yo that you've found new friends. Yung grupo mo ngayon. I was actually happy for you. One day, I wanted to see you sa labas ng classroom ninyo. But one of your demonic friends told me to go away because you don't need me---"

Pinutol ko yung sinasabi niya dahil wala akong matandaan na ganun. I never saw her outside our classroom.

"Who told you that, Aht? Jusko. I always waited for you outside. I always asked my friends if nakita ka nilang dumaan but they said no. Tapos---"

She cut me out.

"Who the fuck would believe you huh? You think maniniwala ako? Well, fuck you! I won't. Dahil alam mo ba kung ano ang huling kataga na sinabi mo noon? 'Buti nga sa kanya.' Those were the exact words that you said to me. So, since then, I loathed your friends. Kasi kung hindi dahil sa kanila, edi sana kasama pa kita hanggang ngayon. Edi sana hindi mo ako itataboy palayo. Edi sana masaya pa rin tayo hanggang ngayon."

Napailing ako at sobrang namamasa na ang mga mata ko.

"No... I didn't..."

"Oh yes you did! You didn't even bothered to look at me at that time. You just laughed with your friends. Pinagtawanan ninyo ako. But don't worry, I still love you. Kaya nga hindi pa kita pinapatay eh. I'll just bring you to my safehouse para magkasama tayo."

And suddenly, she was near me. She pointed a sharp needle sa akin na nakakabit sa isang parang antidote.

Pero bago niya pa man iyon maitusok sa akin ay bumuka ang mga mata niya ng sobrang laki na halos mailuwa na ang mga eyeballs niya.

Tumilamsik naman sa katawan ko ang mga dugo niya.

My eyes grew wide too. W-what---

And there, behind the body of Aht, was Nelihc and Nivek holding a bat.

I looked at the dead body of Aht na natumba na sa sahig.

Her head was the target of the two.

Iyon ang tinamaan nila. Bahagya idtong napirat dahil pinagbangga ng dalawa ang bat na hawak nila. Which caused Ahtnamas' head to be kinda crushed.

Halos masuka ako dahil sa nakita ko.

Ngunit bago pa ako madiri ay kaagad na nagsipasok sa utak ko ang lahat ng mga ala-ala na kasama ko si Aht.

Nivek Notrop's Point of View

Finally, wala na ang taong pumapatay ng mga studyante.

I never knew that it was Ahtnamas. She was so kind. She would never be suspected of being a killer. And to think na sobrang dami na ang napatay niya.

We, my team and the SOCO, went to the safehouse that Aht mentioned.

Malayo pa lamang ay sobrang nakakasuka na ang amoy.

Mahahalatang marami na ang patay na katawan dito.

At pagpasok namin, hindi nga kami nagkamali. Nandoon ang mga katawan ng mga taong pinatay ni Aht. But what shocked me was the number of dead bodies there.

It was more than thirty. Pero hindi na namin namukhaan ang mga ito dahil nabubulok na ang mga katawan nito.

There were others there na purong kalansay na.

Ipinalibing namin ang lahat ng mga iyon pero ang iba naman kagaya ng pamilya ni Acire Eplane, kinuha nila ang katawan nito at sila na ang nagpa-libing.

After that incident, pinabendisyonan ng school head ang buong paaralan. The school's atmosphere also became light kahit na tumutunog na ang bell.

I and Nelihc also entered a relationship. Girlfriend ko na siya.

Ngayon, hinihintay ko siya sa labas ng classroom nila para sabay na kami hanggang sa gate ng school.

I know na hindi pwede ang student-teacher relationship that's why I've decided to just transfer to another school.

Hindi naman ako nahirapan maghanap ng ibang school na malilipatan dahil maganda naman ang record ko.

She finally came out.

"Hi."

Bati ko sa kanya.

"Hi din."

She replied back and I kissed her. Paki ko sa mga nakakakita.

Then, she hugged me. I hugged her back.

"Tara na."