The Perfect Photo Of The Story

25: Behind the Vizard

Third Person's Point of View

Pagkalabas ni Cindy sa kwarto kung saan niya huling kinausap si Zwyn ay agad niyang pinuntahan ang kanyang kasamahan na feel at home. Ang kambal ay nagtatawanan habang nanonood ng TV, si Sac at Lia naman ay nagkwe-kuwentuhan samantala si Carl ay malamig na pinagmamasdan ang paligid.

"She's already awake." Aniya na kumuha sa lahat ng kanilang atensyon.

"Is she hungry? Anong pagkain ba kailangan niya? Baka inuuhaw rin, what is she craving for?" Tanong ni Sac kaya't napairap si Cindy dahil sa OA itong lalaking ito.

Mahina siyang sinuntok ng isa sa kambal dahil nababaklaan sila sa mga sinasabi ng kaibigan.

"Is she fine?" Tanong na lamang ni Carl upang matigil ang 4 sa ginagawa.

Cindy sighed deeply, "I guess so, but she needs more time para mag-process ang lahat sa utak niya. Let's just give her a break, let's give her space." Sagot niya.

"Wala pa ba si Pestilent?" Tanong ni Cindy sa mga kasamahan habang naglalakad papalapit sa kanila.

"Isn't it weird? Zwyneth Pestilent ang totoong pangalan ni Zwyn tapos tinatawag din natin si ano na Pestilent?" Biglang tanong ni Lia at binigyan na lamang sila ng dapat-maintindihan-niyo-tanong-ko-look.

"Well, I guess it's for the best. Zwyn knew all of us except for that person." Malamig naman na sumbat ni Lutz.

"So maybe hindi na din siya makakarating rito dahil baka makita siya ni Zwyn."

Napabuntong hininga na lamang si Cindy at naupo sa sofa. Just like Zwyneth, all of them suffered ngunit mas masakit ang dinanas ni Zwyn kumpara sa kanila. If only she knew, lagi nilang sambit ngunit kahit anong gawin nila ay mukhang hindi na sila maaalala ni Zwyn.

"Where's the book by the way? And Zwyn's camera?"

Itinuro ni Sac ang lamesa kung saan nakapatong ang 2 importanteng bagay ngunit sa tingin nila'y hindi na nila ito kakailanganin dahil kaunting kembot na lang ay magtatagumpay na sila sa kanilang binabalak.

"Do we even need those?" Tanong ni Lia sabay irap.

Napatingin si Carl sa kanila isa-isa. Every one of them suffered in hell, the past made them who they are. In Zwyn's case, she still needs to fight her own demons. Sadly, they are one of those so-called demons.

His eyes gazed on Lia who is always acting like a bitch, Carl knew that she is Zwyn always get along together. She was bullied in school and before she even reached her 7th birthday, her parents abandoned her and left her with nothing. She hoped for her parents to come back and she hoped her classmates would stop bullying her. Ngunit umasa siya sa wala.

Nakakasawa maging mabait, minsan masyado ka na nilang inaabuso. Sa sobrang bait mo, kahit anong gawin nila sa 'yo ay okay lang. Sa sobrang bait mo'y kahit ano yatang klaseng pang-aabuso ang gawin sa 'yo ay okay lang. That's why I don't want to be kind and all nice again, they will all just gonna take advantage of you.

Those are Lia's exact word.

Ibinaling naman ni Carl ang tingin sa kambal. They are a happy-go-lucky person, na kung tititigan mong mabuti ay akala mo hindi nila kayang gumawa ng masama. They were forced to watch their younger sister being raped in front of them, wala silang magawa, they feel hopeless that time. They asked them to stop and
leave them alone but they didn't listened.