Trigger

37

Vincent Alexander

"Wait lang...shit." Julianne removed herself from her sister's embrace then started breathing in and out.

"Inom ka muna ng tubig, Jules.." Eduardo handed her a glass of water at kinuha niya naman at uminom ng kaunti.

"Thanks." She sighed heavily. "I can do this." She looked at me and I immediately went on her vacant side to hold her hand. Tumingin siya sa akin na parang humuhugot ng lakas ng loob and she did the same towards her twin. "First off, Marj...can you please message Third and tell him to check my phone? I think it's hacked."

"Will do it right now." Kunuha ni Marj ang cellphone siya at nagtype bago nagpatuloy. "Tell us more."

"Someone was calling me a while ago and I was about to ignore it when I saw that it was an unregistered number, pero...the ringtone...t-that w-was...I swear wala akong ganoong ringtone...It was...the song..." Bumitaw siya sa kamay ko at napahilamos ng mukha. "T-that was the s-song Dexter used to play whenever he w-wanted me t-to..p-play with him." She started sobbing again. "I mean who would do something like that? Siya lang ang naiisip ko..."

I was engraged by what I was hearing.

"Give me that." I took Julianne's phone and broke it in two. "Margaery, keep your sister close to you at all times. I'll handle this. I'll kill that fucker." Tatayo na sana ako pero nauna si Margaery.

"Sit the fuck down, " She hissed at me. "Anger will only fuck this up even more. Believe me, I ache to kill him myself but I'm not crazy to think that eveything will end once he dies!" Tinuro niya ako bago nagpatuloy.

"Umupo ka at makinig. There is no use in nursing or tiptoeing around this catastrophy anymore. Ate, please enlighten this fool already. Takot daw siyang I relieve mo ang nangyari dati kaya hindi magawang magtanong 'sayo but we both know that you are stronger than that." Frustrated na naupo si Margaery habang ako naman ay piniling maghintay na lang.

Alam kong tama siya, anger would only make this worse.

"Okay, pero please bear with me..." Mahinang simula ni Julianne. Lahat kami ay nakatuon na ang buong atensiyon sa kanya. I felt her take my hand then gripped it hard before continuing. "I am not going to sugar coat everything, at sana ay huwag magbago ang tingin niyo sa akin."

"Never. Hindi magbabago ang tingin ko 'sayo Jules, kahit ano pa man yan. You're my guardian angel remember?" It was Ms. Elizadle who spoke. Lumuwag ang pagkakahawak sa akin ni Julianne dahil dito.

"Thank you, and I hope so..." She sighed heavily. "I...I never took real notice of it 'till now and I realized that lately, there were random messages that I had been receiving. Mayroong typical na attorney na manghihingi ng load bogus. Mayroon namang I thought wrong send lang, kasi akala ko random quotes lang yung na ro-wrong send sakin, but when I heard my phone rang,.." She palmed her mouth with a trembling hand parang hirap na hirap siya.. "I knew. I knew it was him calling and triggering me with that ring tone. It was Dexter...and he could have not done it alone. It was them." Her words were incoherent na mas nagpagulo ng mga bagay-bagay.

"Them?" It was Leslie.

"T-them." Julianne confirmed.

"Ate, let me." Margaery held her sister's shoulder bago bumaling saamin. "SILA. Dexter and friends. Tang-ina, sandali." She shed a tear that I think she was trying to suppress. Hirap siyang umiling habang pinunasan mata.

"Shit...I can do this Marj, ako na." Bawi naman ni Julianne na mas pinatatag ang boses. They stared at each other for a while before she continued. "I know that I have to. I know that I need to. " She then bravely nodded at her sister. Hindi naman umalma si Margaery at tumango na rin kaya bumaling na siya sa amin.