Where is Xyrene

29

Chapter 29: Victim

Yeoundi Province, 3-A Dreslae Street

We were convinced that Xyrene was kidnapped since the guy with the mask threatened to kill us if we tell the police about it. He escorted us outside the hotel using the fire exit. He led us to a black van and told us to get in or he'll shoot us with a gun.

Napansin naming nanginginig si Eleven, oo nga pala...

"Teka san niyo ba kasi kami dadalin?" sigaw ni Alystra sa lalaking nakamaskara

"Tatahimik ka o papatahimikin kita?" banta ng lalaki, kaya tumahimik na si Alystra

Sa loob ng van ay may ilan pang mga lalaki na nakamaskara, pareparehas lang ang mask na suot nila at hinila nila kami papasok.

Tinutukan nila kami ng baril at sa isang maling galaw ay hindi sila magdadalawang isip na paputukin ang baril.

Wala kaming makita mula sa bintana dahil natatakpan ito ng makapal na tela.

Maya maya lang ay tumigil ang pagtakbo ng kotse at binuksan nila ang pinto sa van. They told us to get out.

We immediately saw a big mansion when we came out. Binuksan nila ang gate at initulak kami isa isa sa loob. We don't know what is going to happen to us. I just wish that whatever happens, I will be able to see Xyrene again.

"Dahil niyo tong lima sa garden" sabi ng lalaking nakamask sa isa pang lalaki. 

Dinala nila si Esran, Melo, Alystra, Eleven at Marco sa garden, habang ako ay naiwan kasama ang isa pang lalaking nakamaskara.

"Yan naman, ipasok niyo yan" Sabi ng parang boss ng mga lalaking nakamaskara

"Anong gagawin niyo sa akin?" tanong ko sa kanila

"Sumunod ka nalang para di ka masaktan" sabi ng lalaki. Hinawakan ako ng lalaki sa braso at hinila ako papasok sa mansion na iyon. 

The mansion was scary, it was like a haunted house. May mga spider webs, may mga nkakatakot na dekorasyon at madilim ang buong lugar. Nagulat na lamang ako nang biglang lumabas ang lalaki at narinig ko pa ang pagkandado niya sa pinto.

Isang tanong lang bumagabag sa akin, bakit?

Bakit nila kami dinala dito?

Bakit pinaghiwalay nila kami? 

Bakit ako lang magisa dito?

The whole place was quiet, so quiet that I could only hear my footsteps and nothing else.

I roamed around the whole place, questioning why I'm here.

They didn't tie me up or even worry that I'll escape. What are they trying to do?

There is nothing on the ground floor, so I started walking upstairs, while I was walking upstairs I noticed that there are pictures on the wall. I had to take a double look until I realized that I was in the picture, a picture of me and Elyc.

I froze and had to think, where did they get this picture? How did they get this picture?

It was a picture of us, on his birthday. Ito yung birthday na kasama namin ang mga kaibigan ko dahil busy sila dad and they couldn't celebrate their son's birthday.

That day was a lot of fun. 

I noticed that there was a note beside the picture, it reads:

"You act as if you moved on, you act as if you don't care anymore. You act as if you have forgiven her, you act as if everything is going well but the truth is you're only acting" 

"The truth is you're still hoping, you're hoping that you could bring him back.  You were so desperate that you even hired a witch to bring him back to life. Pray a thousand times, crying and denying the fact that he died" 

As I took another step, another picture appeared. A picture of me and Alystra back in college when we finally made up.

"You acted as if both of you are fine. Every time you see and think of her, you hated her. Talked shit behind her back and rolled your eyes every time you see her. You hate it when you see her smile. You hate all her success. You hate her so much because you see her happy and you're not"

How...? What?

I took another step and saw a picture of me and Neivan, it was our picture in college.

"You loved him. but that was it" 

"When he courted you, you only said yes not because you loved him but you were just sad. You felt so unloved and feel like nobody cares about you. You were bored but then you realized something"

I took another step, anticipating what was next.

It was a picture of me, Neivan and Miles. Back in Senior High when we were all just friends

"You realized that he may come back for you. You were hoping that he would come back. But at that time, you and Neivan were a thing. You realized that he may not come back when he finds out, you and Neivan got back together" 

"So, you hired girls to seduce Neivan. So that you could have an opportunity to break up with him. So that you could accuse him of cheating"

When I reached the final step, I saw a big picture with a frame, a picture of all of us. All

"You talk shit behind their backs, you hated how war freak Crystal is. You hated how cold Iron is. You hated how Larkin tease for the normal things that you do. You hate how Melo acts so immature sometimes. You hate how Esran never talks about her problems, you hated how Alystra lives, you hated how Eleven have to be babied and to attract lot of attention from them. You hated how Xyrene, is so friendly"

"You never talk to them about your problems with them. You just endure everything and you don't speak about it, that's why..."

"Tinatawag kang plastic when you talk about this problems to other people"

"You're manipulative and you think that you can get everything you want. But you don't"

"You always think that if you believe in something, it will come true but the thing is, you always think that you're right"

"When you believe in something, no one could tell you otherwise. You believe in it until the end, and when you believe when you're right, no one could make you believe that you're doing something wrong until you accept the fact that you are a person and you cannot always be right"

Halo halong emosyon ang nararamdaman ko. Galit, lungkot, inis.

Oo, totoo ang lahat ng yon. Ginawa ko ang lahat ng yun.

Oo, nag hire ako ng kung ano anong at kung sino sinong tao, trying to find a way to bring Elyc back to life. 

Oo, inis na inis ako kay Alystra every time I see her breathe

Oo, naghire ako ng mga babae para 'sirain' ang relasyon namin ni Neivan at para makakuha ako ng dahilan para makipaghiwalay sa kanya

Oo, umaasa ako na babalik si Miles

Oo, inaamin kong plastic ako.

I saw the last note...

"You always like, playing the victim"

Yes, I do.