Don't Look Back (Juliette's Revenge)

Chapter 7: Sin

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Quezon City, Manila

10:30 AM

Dear diary,

I've been thinking about everything that's been happening lately. My chest feels so heavy whenever I catch sight of Micah ever since I heard of what happened to Hanna, Lea, Christian and my... best friend, Aldrine. I don't believe in curses, though there's this tingly feeling in my stomach that I have to move away from 'that' place as far as possible just in case, not to mention that Lea and Hanna died here in the City. I'm getting nervous, I don't know what to do. What is happening?

-ED

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11:00 AM

The days changed from a winter wonderland to snow storm. It's fine by me, but it can't really be timed any worse than now. Professor Dulay and Mrs. Mina can understand the situation we're facing right now so they voluntarily sacrificed their time just to help us. They got traumatized as well, of course, causing the school to be on lockdown for awhile because of the incidents but luckily, the two adults are here to comfort and try hard to protect us from any anticipated danger.

Because according to them, we're next.

Micah's possibly the next victim.

But I know to myself that it's not true. It can't be true.

They're lying.

I snapped out of my thought, frowning as I walked towards Starbucks with Micah, Professor Dulay and Mrs. Mina. The sky's alive but the pressure building in my gut makes it hard to breathe. I feel trapped. Squeezing Micah's hand tightly, I caught her staring at me. Our eyes connected and at that moment I felt like crying but I won't. I shouldn't.

"Ed, I told you to relax. You've been tense ever since I told you about what happened to Hanna and Lea. I know it's hard but we have to stay strong, okay? Do you understand?" I felt Micah's soft hands touch my skin, the gentle strokes of her thumbs making me want to tear. But for the sake of her comfort, I chose to wear a small smile instead, nodding in agreement at her words while leaning to her touch fondly.

"Okay. As long as you're alright, I can survive." I replied back after sighing deeply.

The establishment was filled with a soft and relaxing jazz song. Along with the usual yellow lights, small neon ones on strings connected every corner of the area. This particular branch was small but warm, with the intoxicating smell of caffeine permeating the air, making the atmosphere inside the room cozy and somewhat like home. It's therapeutic, successfully calming my anxiety. I settled into the chair beside Micah as I sigh in relief, feeling my muscles lose their tension.

"Are you alright now?" Micah smiled fondly while reaching out to pat my shoulder. I responded with a gentle smile of my own.

"I'm fine now, thanks."

On our left, Mrs. Mina sat chuckling and laughing, acting as if nothing happened and no one died recently. She's just there, optimistic, but really, who am I to judge? Still, this problem isn't normal at all. 

After awhile, I saw Mrs. Mina look over my direction with a frown, her expression a bit dull and unpredictable. I immediately looked away to hide my expression, trying to recover from the dark thoughts that have plagued my mind since this whole thing started. I reached for Micah's hand, my gaze flying to the still-life paintings on the walls. I heard Mrs. Mina clear her throat, her voice stern.