That Section

16. Better safe than sorry

16. Better safe than sorry

~~~~~

"Sorry Ma'am I'm late!" Hingal na sabi ng dumating.

Gulat na napatayo rin sila Aubrey, Aliyah, Alexander at Shin. Pati kay Angelene ay kita ang pagkabigla.

"What the hell?" They all exclaimed at the same time.

~~

"Teka, p-paanong nangyari y-yun?" Nauutal na tanong ni Angelene sa kaklase.

Nasa Caf si Angelene kasama sila Aubrey, Aliyah, Alexander, Shin at Jasmine.

"Tama siya, paanong nangyaring buhay ka pa?" Tanong rin ni Aliyah.

"Ewan ko! Basta nagising na lang ako dun sa hallway duguan ang damit ko pero wala akong kahit anong sugat. Kaya ang ginawa ko, pinunasan ko nalang yung mga dugong nagkalat sa sahig tapos umalis ako." Mahabang kwento ni Jasmine, "Pero teka, sino ba ang Eve na iyon? Sabi niya kailangan ko daw mamatay, pero hindi pwede, at imposible daw na mapatay niya ako?"

At kwinento na nila kay Jasmine ang nangyari at ang tungkol kila Eve, James, Catherine at Lea.

"Teka, ayos lang ba si Cath? Kelan siya magigising, sa tingin niyo?" Tanong ulit ni Jasmine.

"Baka sa full moon." Sagot ni Alexander.

May bigla namang naalala si Aliyah,

"Full Moon!" She exclaimed, "Your betas will get stronger in the full moon."

"Yep, and hungry also. Why are you suddenly bringing it up?" Alexander asks.

"Damn Alexander! The full moon's tonight! And I don't think that the cage can hold them up in their hungry state!" Tuloy tuloy na sabi ni Aliyah.

"Well, then I have to lock them up using my own stuffs." Cool na sabi ni Alexander, pero nag aalala parin siya para sa darating na full moon.

"Back to Jasmine, What are you?" Tanong ni Shin.

"Anong ano ako?" Tanong ni Jasmine

Tinaasan lang siya ng kilay nila Angelene at Aubrey dahil sa weird na pagkakatanong niya.

"You see, you're definitely not a human being." Sabi ni Shin.

"I don't know!" She exclaimed at napatingin siya kay Angelene, "What are you then?" Tanong niya rito.

"What?" Angelene asks back.

"I saw your eyes turned black before I d-die." She said, seemingly hard for her to say the word die.

"I--I am a Cambion half human, half demon."

Jasmine's mouth gaped open in surprise for the sudden information. Akala niya sila Alexander at Shin lang ang hindi tao sa kanila, dagdag pa pala si Lea, James, at Catherine na nakagat ni Alex, so they're definitely not human anymore.

---

"Hey Jasmine! Can you tell your parents you're going to stay to a friend? Just for 3 days?" Aliyah told Jasmine.

Napagplanuhan kasi muna nilang lahat na mag sama-sama kila Aliyah, dahil matagal pa naman ang uwi ng mga magulang nito at para narin sa kaligtasan nila.

Nasabihan na nila ang lahat pwera na lang kay Jasmine.

"Why?" Tanong ni Jasmine. At sinabi naman nila ang dahilan kung bakit.

"Well, lucky for me I don't have to ask permission from anyone." Sabi ni Jasmine matapos niyang malaman ang plano.

"Why?" Sabay sabay na tanong nila kay Jasmine.

"I live alone." Sagot ni Jasmine sa kanila.

~~

"You live here?" Tanong ni Shin habang nakatingala sa isang napakataas na building.

"Yep." Sagot ni Jasmine at nagumpisa nang maglakad papasok sa building.

Sumunod naman sila Angelene, Aliyah, Aubrey, Alex, at Shin.

Pumasok sila sa elevator.

Once they're in Jasmine press the button to floor 14.

Naglakad nanaman sila sa hallway, they stopped in front of a door with the number 39.

"So, floor 14,  door 39." Sabi ni Aliyah nang makapasok na sila sa unit.

"Don't state the obvious." Sabi ni Shin kay Aliyah.

"Whatever!" Aliyah snapped back at Shin with her eyes rolling heavenwards.

"Floor 14. Room 39. Something's telling me, that it has a meaning." Sabi ni Aubrey.

Tiningnan naman siya ng lahat at binatukan ni Angelene.

"Aww." Daing niya, "Napakasadista mo talaga!"

"'Yan ka nanaman sa kawirdohan mo! Itigil mo na nga!" Sabi ni Angelene kay Aubrey.

"Hindi mo maalis sa akin 'yon. Lalo pa ngayon ang daming nangyayari." Depensa ni Aubrey.

"Aubrey has a point there. The numbers 14 and 39 I tried to use it as a coordinate before and searched the net. And, guess what I found..." sabi ni Jasmine.

"What?" They all asked Jasmine in unison.

"It's the exact coordinate of this city we were currently in." Jasmine stated.

Nagkatinginan silang lahat.

"Oh-kay, that's perfectly, WEIRD !" Alexander said.

"Yep. I know." Sagot ni Jasmine. Habang naglalagay ng mga damit niya sa bag na dadalhin niya kila Aliyah.

"Ilang taon ka nang nakatira dito?" Biglang tanong ni Shin.

Napatigil naman si Jasmine sa ginagawa niya, napapaisip din siya, ilang taon na nga ba?

"I don't know." She glance at the others and continued, "I also looked for it but, the records of this building says that this unit was occupied eversince."

"What do you mean?" Asked by Shin.

Jasmine heaved out a frustrated sigh before answering, "Mula pa nang itayo itong building na ito okupado na 'to. And it was named to Jasmine Martinez, to me, eversince!"

"WHAT?" They all asked Jasmine in unison and shock's drawn to their faces.

"Yep. And, the really weird thing is this building was here for almost 30 years!"

Tuluyan nang hindi nakapagsalita ang iba dahil sa pagkabigla.

~~

Nakaupo sila sa salas nila Aliyah, habang nasa gitna nila ang isang baol.

"What's inside that chest?" Tanong ni Jasmine habang nakatingin dun sa baol.

Tumikhim si Alexander saka ito binuksan.

"Woah!" Shin exclaimed, "Are you sure you'll use that to your betas?"

The box/chest was full of chains.

"Yup." Alex answered Shin

"What's this? Does this goes around their neck?" Aliyah asked holding up a what looked like a collar, "Please tell me it doesn't."

"Nope." Alex answered

"Thank god!"

Aliyah said.

"It goes around their heads."

Napatunghay si Aliyah dahil sa sinabi ni Alexander, "But, this has bolts!"

"Well, better safe than sorry."