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Chapter eighteen

COURAGE

Tito? Bakit parang bumata ka po? Asan ako tito? Panaginip lang ba ang lahat ng nangyari? Hindi ako nakulong sa isang building kasama ang mga iba pang estudyante... 'di ba, tito? Tito, sumagot ka please. Bakit parang natataranta ka tito? At bakit parang may nakikita akong mga nakaputing tao? Nasa langit na ba ako tito? Ang sakit ng ulo ko, hindi rin ako makagalaw. Tulong.

"Iha, kapit ka lang ah? Pagpasensiyahan mo na si tito. Sinabi ko naman sa 'yo na mag-iingat ka, e."

Huh... mag-iingit saan? Para akong nakadroga, hindi ako maka-isip nang maayos. Umiikot din ang paningin ko, ambilis din kasi nilang tumakbo. Teka lang... bakit ako nasa higaan? May nangyari bang masama sa akin?

"Vitals are fine. The patient can probably wake up sooner or later, kinakabahala ko lang ang magiging reaksyon niya pagkagising niya. May nakita kasi akong kakaiba sa utak niya."

Nagising ako sa boses ng lalaking iyon. Wala na siya ngayon. Pikit-dilat ang aking mga mata dahil sinasalubong ng ilaw mula sa kisame ang paningin ko. I chose to look to the sides rather than battling with the light na ikabubulag ko pa. Huh? I must be in a hospital. Tuwing humihinga ako ay sumasakit ang tagiliran ko. Ano'ng nangyari sa akin at nadala ako sa ospital? Nakipag-away nanaman ba ako sa mga kaklase ko kaya napunta ako rito? Balak ko sanang tanggalin ang karayom sa ugat ko nang may lumabas sa banyo na hindi ko kilala. What the...

Kinilabutan ako sa presensiya niya at sa suot nitong naka-all black na akala mo dadalo sa patay. "The main character has finally woken up," bati niya sa akin. Hindi ko malaman kung nakangisi siya ngayon o inaasar ako sa likod ng kaniyang nakangiting maskara. "How are you, dearest Courage? Do you remember anything?"

"MC..." it took me seconds to realize that it was indeed the host who made our lives suffer. But that was a dream right? So why is that creepy robot here? Masyado pa akong lutang kanina para malaman agad na siya ang lumabas sa banyo ko kani-kanina lang. If only I recognized immediately I would've ran off. Totoo pala talaga siya.

I can't explain what I'm feeling right now. It's mixed emotions of anger, sadness and confusion. Wala ring mailabas na mga salita sa bibig ko dahil dito. Nanatili lang akong nakamasid sa kaniya na siya namang hindi ko mabasa dahil sa maskara niya. If I were to read her body language is that she's the calmest. Completely opposite of what I am in this moment. Even if it hurt my side I didn't mind, I kept breathing heavily to match her energy. I needed to be calm in order to think properly.

"Asan ako? Bakit ka nandito?" those were the only questions that I thought should be answered immediately.

"You're at a hospital, right now, currently you're at your vulnerable state and I suggest to not do any thing much in your stay. Why am I here? Hmm, why not? Am I not allowed to see one of my precious prisoner? Hihi~" Kinilabutan ako nang tawagin niya akong preso, preso niya to be exact. Kung magsalita siya ay parang mas nakatataas siya sa akin, I know I shouldn't be bothered by that.

"How can I be calm when there's a killer in front of me?" umatras ako nang konti. If ever MC happens to try and kill me, I can reach for that lamp beside me at pukpokin siya sa ulo niya. MC chuckled which put me in disbelief. It's how killers laugh in movies.

"Oh dear, have I killed any one? Come to think of it, think of it thoroughly Courage. Aren't you a smarty pants? The girl who never had a failing mark, always top in her class. The girl who also excels in physical activities, and the girl who lost both of her parents when she was younger. Aren't you that girl?"

I completely froze. I couldn't process my thoughts very well this time. All I could do is bear hearing every thing she knows about me. But what most surprised me is the fact that she also knows the mere reason I hate my life. I mean, my surname was known infamously from that news. As expected from the person who kidnapped us into playing the game. There are tons of reports for that misery, but no one knows about my mother being dead. All I told when they ask me where my mother is that she had gone to another place rather than telling them directly she followed my father to heaven.