MASKARA

epilogue

Nivek Notrop's Point of View

Today is a Saturday and I'm supposed to ask Nelihc out on a date.

Nasa labas na ako ng bahay niya nang bigla siyang lumabas.

Dala niya ang motor niya.

Where is she going?

And there was something in her aura na nagu-udyok sa akin na huwag munang magpakita.

So, I roared my motor back to life too.

Laking pasasalamat ko na hindi maingay ang motor ko which is the total opposite of Nelihc's. Hers is so noisy.

Sinundan ko lang siya nang sinundan.

I also see to it na hindi niya ako nakikita sa side mirror niya.

I also kept my space para hindi niya mahalata na may nakasunod sa kanya.

Habang tumatagal ay nahahalata ko ang pagsikip ng daan at ang pagdami ng mga puno.

Lumalalim na rin ang gabi kaya I had to turn my light off.

I glanced at my wristwatch and it's ten minutes past seven.

Saan ba talaga papunta ang babaeng to?

Why didn't she tell me earlier?

Lumiko si Nelihc sa kanan and the road became rough and more thinner.

Nasaan na ba talaga kami?

Tinahak pa namin ang makipot na daan na ito hanggang sa tinumbok niya ang isang bahay na sobrang creepy ang dating.

It was a small house. But the aura of the house shouts creepiness.

It sent shivers down my spine.

Idagdag pang nasa taas lamang ng bahay na ito ang bilog na buwan.

It was almost beautiful if not because of this house that creeps the hell out of me.

Then, I saw Nelihc stopped in front of the door and she made some gestures and uttered some words.

She, then, entered the house.

Since wala namang gate ay dumire-diretso na ako sa pintuan. The door was so weird.

May painting dito.

It was a woman na naka-spread ang legs and hands sa apat na corners ng pinto.

I looked at it more and looked at the tiny details around it.

Merong mga zodiac signs sa palibot ng katawan ng babae. Meron ding mga words na naka-sulat sa Greek.

But then, two objects caught my attention.

The white mask on the right hand of the woman and the black coat on her left hand.

Shivers.

The door was left a bit ajar so I peeked in.

Nakasilip lang ako sa labas ng bahay at in-examine ko ang interior nito.

The interior of the house was so scary.

It almost looked normal pero nang dahil sa mga paintings na naka-hang sa wall ay naging nakakatakot ito.

The paintings on the walls were mostly about death.

Merong isa roon na may babaeng nakahiga sa kama at naka-talikod ito. Nasa ibabaw naman ng babae ang isang lalake. Both of them were naked. Sa una, aakalain mong isang malaking milagro ang ginagawa nila. But after looking at it for a period of time, I saw the hands of the guy gripping the hair of the woman while his other hand was holding a knife. And that's when I realized na ginilitan niya na pala sa leeg ang babae.