Fire & Ice [ON HOLD]

The Crystal

Carlos' P.O.V.

"AAARGHH!" I heard a shriek coming from the next room. Oh no! Aicah!

Dali-dali akong tumayo at tumakbo palabas ng pintuan papunta sa kwarto nila.

"Aicah! Aicah! Anong nangyari sa'yo?" sigaw ko habang kumakatok sa pintuan. "Aicah! Sumagot ka!"

Sinubukan ko buksan yung pinto gamit yung doorknob kaso naka-lock. I kept hearing her scream for quite a while so I decided na mag-warp papunta kay Grandma.

I arrived at Grandma's office later on and I saw it was empty. Then suddenly, gumana yung warp pad sa likod ko – it was Grandma!

"Oh, Carlos. Wha-why are you here?" she said rather nervously. "M-may kailangan ka ba?"

"Grandma! Something's happened to my next-room neighbor! Sumisigaw siya kanina. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko!" I said frantically.

"Oh, I'm sure it was nothing," sagot ni Grandma. "Maybe she just saw a spider or some other bugs. We certainly do not have a bug dragon, if that's what you're thinking,"

Oh, okay. That wasn't funny and Grandma's acting weird. I could just sense it. I could feel something's wrong.

I warp back to the 19th floor and there was no more screaming. The hallway was quiet, as usual. I walk towards Room 18 and check to see if it's open. Bukas nga. Pag-ikot ko ng doorknob, I looked inside at wala si Aicah doon. I walked to our room at nandun sa loob si Aicah.

"There you are! What happened to you? Are you okay? Did something happen?" I asked rather hysterically.

"Oo naman. Bakit?" tipid niyang sagot.

"Bakit!? BAKIT!? I heard you screaming a while ago!" sigaw ko.

"Dude, you're overreacting. There was no 'screaming' a while ago. Saka kung meron man, hindi ako yun. Sabi ko nga, hinahanap ko to," she pointed to the book next to her.

I know I heard screaming from her room. I just know it. She's hiding something. I'm gonna find out what it is, one way or another.

I sat next to the book she's holding and I looked at it. It looks dark and dreary. It looks like it's been burnt or something.

"Here's the book I've been telling you about," sabi niya with a big grin on her face.

I took the book and settled it in my lap. It was so heavy and dusty that I sneezed. I took one long look at it before setting it down to Aicah's lap.

"Oh, bakit mo binigay sakin?" tanong niya. "Ayaw mo bang basahin or buklatin man lang?"

"Natatakot kasi ako eh, parang feeling ko kakainin ako ng libro na to, once na buksan ko it," takot kong sagot.