30 Doors

3rd Door

  Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave. 

-Mary Tyler Moore

***

MINALYN 

Puno ng tensyon ang namagitan kina Vlad at Andreas sa fourth floor. It was a silent war waiting to explode. Halatang halos gusto na nilang patayin ang isa't isa. If only they had enough time to do it --they'd do it. 

But, we had to rush and survive two more floors. We only have less than ten hours to get down. Hindi ko alam kung sapat pa ba ang oras na natitira para saaming lahat. Larryson and his evil clan might have plotted too difficult puzzles for us not to be able to survive it. 

Ramdam namin nina Bella at Natas ang tensyon sa pagitan ni Vlad at Andreas. Kahit na walang umiimik saamin, sa hinuha ko'y gusto na nilang patayin ang isa't isa. 

But we had no time for their issue. We were facing a greater foe --a stronger and more fatal enemy. 

Hanggang sa oras na 'yon, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala kung bakit nagagagawa pa naming tumakbo at lumaban sa kabila ng mga pinagdaanan namin. 

We have lost a lot of friends. I lost Nyl and Rielle in the most painful way. Vlad's friends, Satana, Kid, and Zyril vanished right in front of his eyes. Belle's friends Maxine and Angelyn got killed. Natas and Andreas... these two might have lost some acquaintances not so conspicuously but yes, they have their own losses as well. 

  How can a mourning soul bear more obstacles? I didn't know. Really.  

Normal people, after having through what we had, would easily break down like weak concrete. I don't know what made us so tough that up to that floor, we're still surviving. Maybe it's an innate nature to humans to rise up even if we're expected to be shattered in times like this. 

"Hurry up." Andreas bawled as he rushed downstairs. 

Nasa likuran ako ng lalaki habang sina Bella  at Natas ay nakasunod saakin. Vladimir was guarding our back or was staying away from Andreas. 

Ilang minuto lang ang lumipas nang marating namin ang ikatlong palapag. Andreas, with a screeching halt, brought us all into shock. Mabilis itong napaatras kasabay ng paglingon niya saamin ni Bella. 

"Watch out!" He cried loudly as he dodged back like as if an incoming attack is upon us. 

Nasa hagdanan kaming lahat. Andreas managed to jump backward and landed on the fourth staircase. Paglapag ng mga paa niya sa hagdanan ay saka naman magkasunod na bumaon ang dulo ng dalawang katana sa carpeted floor kung saan galing ang lalaki. 

"E-espada." Kinakabahang sambulat ni Bella na nakakapit na sa braso ko. 

We waited for our next move. Hindi kami basta-basta makagalaw sa gitna ng ganoong sitwasyon. It was like our lives depended on how careful every move do we make. I wished I could just bury our heads on the sand and come out when all of it was over. 

But the real deal was upon us. A call of either death or survival which we must pay close attention to for any miss could mean our end. 

"W-what do we do, Andreas?" Tanong ni Natas sa lalaki na tila kinakabahan din sa kung anong naghihintay saamin sa ikatlong palapag. His eyes were unsteady. He looked pale and nervous. 

Andreas did not answer. Nanatili itong tahimik sa kinatatayuan.

"Those are real samurais. H-huwag m-mong sabihing, haharapin natin sila!" Nanginginig na untag ni Bella na mas lalo pang ikinubli ang sarili sa likuran ko. She was sweating cold ice. Intensely.