One Shots Collection

Finding Her

#JhoBea

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My life has been the most normal version of it for almost five years now and so far, so good. Family? I have my dad and big brother who just got married 2 years ago. Job? I became a special police officer (to explain what 'special' means is a long story) thanks to my dad. Friends? Just a few, but real. Girlfriend? Two exes. But my brother told me that he thinks I was never really in love with any of those girls and I think he's right, I just don't know how to explain it.

So everything is perfectly normal and simple and ordinary for me, and I'm completely okay with it. But then, there are moments when I feel like...something's missing. I would wake up one day and I feel empty though I have everything that I need around me. I'm surrounded by people but then I feel like I'm invisible and alone. And there are those moments when I try so hard to survive each day without breaking and reaching the point of giving up but I end up just letting it go. It was like I exist but I'm not living.

Then one day, I was given a job. One simple job of looking for someone. And I didn't realize, it was more than that.

"Two weeks! Two weeks!"

"Oo na, oo na. Huwag ka nang magmayabang." Napakamot ng ulo si Maddie. "Kailan kaya ako makakatanggap ng ganyang kahabang bakasyon?"

Proud na ngumit si Bea habang hinuhubad ang uniform nya. "Don't worry, dude. Baka after ko, ikaw naman". Nasa locker room silang magkaibigan nang biglang dumating si Jia at bumaling agad kay Bea.

"Ready nang mag-temporary sign off ah." sambit ni Jia.

Sinuot ni Bea ang white tee nya at sumandal sa may locker nya. Medyo nawala ang ngiti nya sa mukha dahil sa pagsulpot ni Jia. Kinutuban syang may balita itong dala na hindi maganda, dahil iyon ang madalas na papel nito sa buhay nya.

"Ano na naman?"

"Si chief. Tawag ka."

Tuluyan nang nawala ang excitement at kaligayahan ni Bea nang makita nya ang folder na nakapatong sa desk ni Chief De Leon, may nakalagay na CONFIDENTIAL and URGENT sa cover ng folder. Umupo sya't hindi naitago ang dismayadong mukha.

"I know, i know, that you've already set your mind sa 2 linggong bakasyong binigay sa iyo pero, it's you that I want to be in this." Paunang paliwanag ni Elmer nang maintindihan na ang ekspresyon ng binata. "I'll extend it to a month, if I have to, just to have you finish this mission."

"What is it?"

"Take a look."

Kinuha ni Bea ang folder at binuklat iyon at bumungad sa kanya ang isang litrato ng isang magandang babae. At saka nya binasa ang nakalagay sa ilalim ng litratong iyon. "Patient 1415." And she looked at her dad. "A mental patient?"

"She's different. She's been staying in an exclusive facility for 2 weeks but for some reasons, nakalabas sya, nakatakas, and until now hindi pa sya mahanap. Apparently, she was using fake IDs and they have no idea paano nya iyon nagagawa. So, they asked for our help."

"Is she dangerous?"

"Read her files. I'm sure the thing you would find most interesting is the fact that she tried to kill herself 4 times in the last 12 months. And they weren't just simple, ordinary suicide attempts. The last time she did it, konting-konti na lang."

"Wow." ang tanging nai-react na lang ni Bea. "But wait...why me?"

Matagal syang tinitigan ni Elmer bago ito nagsalita. "You're good at finding people, and...you're the perfect choice for this mission."