Behind Those Lines

03: Neuts

Alphaire's P.O.V.

Nagpalakpakan ang lahat sa loob maliban sa mga gwardiyang nakasaludo saakin ng may respeto. Dinikit ko na ang card sa leeg para mapatunayan ang sinasabi nila. Pero mas lalo akong nagulat ng halos wala na akong maramdamang card nang naidikit ko na ito.

"To take that off, press it two times and it will automatically disattach from you," the glassed man said, still looking at me. Pero ayoko nalang pansinin baka namamalikmata lang ako.

"Let's go Alphaire. We need to see your official booth!"

Sigaw naman ng lalaking maingay. Sumunod nalang ako sa kanila papuntang sasakyan. And we traveled almost a half of an hour in going to the 'official booth' which is technically mine.

We stopped and there came to view a white single-storey medium sized house highlighted with red and black designs on the walls of the amusing haven. Nakakagulat lang na malaman na saakin ang bahay na ito ng walang binabayaran.

Inalis ko nalang sa isipan ko iyon at nagtuloy lang sa pagpunta sa pinto nito. Nakita ko itong walang door knob kaya naman tinignan ko sila. Pinindot lang ni Leah ang card sa leeg ko, kinuha, at idinikit sa pinto. Kusa itong bumukas.

"You can open doors by tapping it anywhere from its structure. If you're registered on the door's mainframe," at inaabot iyong card pabalik saakin bago niya itinuloy magsalita. "You could enter. If not, you'll be recognized as a neut."

Pumasok na kami isa-isa sa loob. Hindi ko na naiwasang magtanong, "What's a neut by the way?"

"All of us were neuts. But because of the registration technically makes us residents of the academy."

Paliwanag noong lalaking nakasalamin. "You'll be considered houseless unless you're properly registered as a student or a resident of this campus."

"That's why keeping this serves as a big help to you and the campus. I insist you to keep it privately. Every essential units are provided within this card," he continued.

I don't get it. They didn't even answer my question. Ano ba ang meron sa mga neut bakit ganyan nila pinahahalagahan ang registration na iyon?

"Hindi ninyo naman sinagot ang tanong ko, ano ba sila?"

"You'll know," nakangising sagot ni Leah.

Ngayon ko lang nakita ang kabuuan ng bahay. Simple yet sophisticated in some ways. Fully furnished, neo-romanticism infused with modern furnitures are my forte. They knew what I love and that is not even surprising. Alam nga nila ang personal information ko, malamang nadamay na pati ang mga gusto ko.

My gaze turned to them, resting on the comfy-looking sofa. I sat on the free one, near them. And I remembered, I'm oblivious. I don't even know who these people are. Wala akong alam kung ano ba talaga ang pakay nila sa'kin.

Who are you?~

"Leah Tadeus," biglaang sinabi ni Leah. "I am a Psych student from the Medical Department of the Science Kingdom."

"You really here me thinking?"

Lagi nalang niyang sinasagot ang sinasabi ko sa aking isip. Kaya hindi ko na pinigilang magtanong sa kan'ya.

She smirked, "Obviously, I really hear everyone. But your's seems dominant. I even hear you while you're sleeping."

"Does that mean I am special?"

I asked her sarcastically.

"That's ridiculous," she defended. "I do not even know what you really are, yet you already assumed?"