This is the SHORT STORY ENTRIES SECTION. All entries will be JUDGED ANONYMOUSLY.
Your entries will be judged by our Panel Judges with the following criteria:
(1) The Idea behind the Story - 20 Points
(2) Structure/Plot of the Story - 20 Points
(3)...
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The humming in the tone of a wedding entrance reaches into the ears of two men walking down the hallway. One was pushing a wheel chair; the other was carrying a tray containing a bottle of medicine. Both were wearing a white uniform of the institution paired with gloves and a white mask.
They stop at room 346 numbers written in bold letters on the top of the door. The man pushing the wheel chair opened the door and there they found the man humming, swaying his hands unto the space. His voice echoed all throughout the four cornered white room.
They just stared at him and turn their gaze in the room. The bed sheets were in disarray, the piece of fabrics of the mattress scattered on the floor. Feathers from pillows surrounded the room, the table was a mess, papers were crumpled, and the books were ruined as if a storm passes.
"Hold him," said the man with the tray.
"Catherine," he said while raising his hands looking at his ring finger when he suddenly felt the pain in his shoulders inflected by the medicine injected on him. Muntik na itong mawalan ng balanse nang alalayan siya ng dalawa paupo sa wheelchair.
"Mabilis lang to," dining niyang sambit ng isa hindi na niya ito nagawang tignan pa dahil nanghihina ang kanyang buong katawan. They lead him outside the hallway were the sound of voices mixed, there were singing, crying and laughing.
"Help me, Satan is coming!" a shout coming in one of the rooms.
"That woman again," one of the man said then mimics her voice. "Help me, Satan is coming."
He covered his eyes with the back of his palm when the sunlight reaches his face. He was spacing out. He slowly puts down his hand and adjusted his sight on the light.
The men brought him under the maple tree were a man on mid 20s was sitting wearing a gray sweatshirt paired with faded blue maong pants. They lead him into the other end of the table and walk few meters away from them.
"My name is Russell Angeles," the man said and extended his hand he remains silent.
"I would like to go straight to the point; I'm a tabloid writer at Extra. Your name was infamous few months ago relating this incident, our company wanted to feature your story for this February issue. We would like to hear your side of the story if you may.." the writer look at him closely before taking out a picture in his pocket and showed it to him.
"Do you know her?" he nodded. Memories play as his mouth involuntarily speaks.
"I, Marshall Ramirez, take you, Catherine Hechanova, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." he uttered and touch the ring on his finger. Russell took out a small notebook and pen and started writing.
"Marshall! Hey, listen!" her hands were waving in his face.
"Wha-- Catherine?" she looks at him puzzled and give him the envelope.
"You're spacing out again," she pouted. "Look, open it!" to cut him from asking Catherine added hastily, "It's a surprise."
Though confused he opened the envelope and the thing inside it had him left hanging in mix emotions. Pregnancy Test!
Positive!
He hugged her tight and carried her in his arms laughing happily. He couldn't contain his excitement; he couldn't spell out a word.
"Thank you," he said while looking right through her eyes. Then he lowered his head and kissed him on her forehead.
"What do you prefer, Girl or Boy?" Catherine said while clinging unto him in bed.
"Babae man o lalaki basta ikaw ang ina," he caressed her hair and continued speaking, "Kapag babae edi magiging strikto ako kasi dalawa na ang magiging prinsesa ko but, I would like to spoil her with all the love I could give though medyo gipit tayo."
"Kapag lalaki?"
"Hm? Kapag lalaki edi magiging strikto kami sayo, bawal mag shorts sa labas, mag paganda sa iba," Catherine looks at her with disapproval.
"OA mo,"
"Over Attractive?"natawa siya ng akmang babatukan siya ng asawa. Hinuli niya ang kamay nito at dinala sa kanyang mukha.
"Cath, you are the best gift that God has given on me. Gasgas na linya man but, you see every time I looked at you lahat ng ka kornihan sa katawan nakukuha ko, ikaw ang may kagagawan nito kaya panagutan mo'ko."
"Sorry, strict ang parents ko," ani Catherine saka sabay silang natawa.
"We were happy, but we've lost our child and she couldn't bear it, she keeps blaming herself and one day I've woke up there were.." he paused, "dead bodies of children all over the house." his hands keeps shaking, his body trembles at the thought.
"I had no choice, I burned our house with the two of us still in the room but when I woke up we were safe outside," napahilamos ito sa kanyang mukha.
"She said that our child saved us, I know that Catherine is insane but I couldn't care less. All I wanted was to give her a family but maybe I failed. I love her despite all of those horrible things she did I'm still loving her. You could call our love sick but you see love itself is insane it makes you do things you couldn't even imagine.." in front of Russell he cried all of his feelings.
"..and this is how I got in this institution, she's here. I wanted to be with her" the men approached them and signs time is over.
One of them pushes his wheel chair back to his room while the other remains with Russell.
"Doc, sino to?" turo ng lalaki sa picture.
"Catherine married to Ric Hechanova, she was pregnant when she was raped and murdered. Together with her house she was burned to ashes."
