A Borderline Case [Case #1]

Case #3

Case #3

Tahimik na pinapanood ni Natasha si Sky na ngayon ay naka-upo sa sahig. Nakakalat ang mga papeles na kanina pa nito sinusulatan. Pero hindi naman niya mabasa ang mga sinusulat nito dahil tila invisible ang tinta nito.

Natasha thought na si Sky na ang distraction niya, pero hindi pala. Because today is different. Sky is unusually quiet since the moment she came back from her duty as a reaper.

Madami na rin itong dalang papel. Sandamakmak na papel. Ngayon lang niya nakita itong magdala ng gano’n.

Idagdag pa ang reaksyon na nakita niya dito kanina. Sa tuwing nakikita naman niya si Sky dati ay kumakaway pa ito sa kanya. But today was different, that look on Sky’s face made her curious.

Tumayo siya at nag-indian sa harap nito. She doesn’t care if curiousity kills the cat, because this curiousity will surely kill her from sleep deprivation kung hindi niya malalaman.

“Sky..” She called him. Tumigil si Sky at tumingala sa kanya.

“Hmm?”

“Yung tungkol sa kanina... Bakit gano’n ang reaksyon mo. Hindi naman sa may pakielam ako, but the way react, parang hindi ikaw.” She asked.

Sky stared at her for a moment. Like she was having a mental debate if she was going to tell it or not.

Hindi niya rin gusto ang tinginan nito. Most of the time, Sky looks like an ordinary human being. But now, the stare she was giving to her sent chill down her spine. That’s a look of a reaper... a grim reaper.

“Someone ruined our list.” Natasha’s heart skipped for a second. Hindi niya alam kung tama ba ang narinig niya mula dito. “I have a clean record then this—thing happened.”

Natasha swallowed hard. Siya ba sinisisi nito? Siya lang naman ang kilalang taga-sira ng death list ng mga reapers nila? Pero paano? Wala naman siyang ginawa? Ginawa ba niya nang hindi namamalayan?

Natasha shot a nervous look at Sky.

“Did i—”

“I don’t know, Nat.” Sky cut her off. Mukha itong hindi sigurado sa sinasabi nito. Matamnan siyang tinignan muli ni Sky. Like she was about to drop a bomb. “Natasha.... you were supposed to die today.”

Natasha was caught off guard by Sky’s statement. She paused as she tries to digest every words Sky had said.

She was supposed to die today?

“What?” Hindi niya makapaniwalang tanong.

Sky shrugged her shoulder.

“You were supposed to die in a car accident. But someone ruined our list. Hindi nabura ang pangalan mo. In lieu, it was replaced on our deathlist. I mean— dalawang pangalan ang pumalit. But those people died in different ways and time. Pero ngayong araw pa rin iyon.”

“Late ko na rin napansin. Nabasa ko lang no’ng nasa area na ako ng aksidente. I was quite scared and nervous. Hinanap kita do’n. Even the others looked for you. Then nakita na nga lang kita kanina. You were riding a different taxi.”

Napakurap ng maraming beses si Natasha sa narinig. Hindi siya makapaniwala sa dapat mangyari, sa kapalaran niya.

Tanging oras lang ang pagitan nito. Pero higit sa lahat, hindi niya matanggap na may buhay na naging kapalit.

“Sino-sino?” Hindi niya mapigilang itanong dito.

May kinuha na isang papel si Sky at binasa ang mga nakasulat do’n. Pero blangko ito sa paningin niya.