"How did it happen again?"naguguluhang tanong parin ni Maria kay Thania.
Thania rolled her eyes to the air again when Maria ask her for the fifth time. Hindi parin makapaniwala si Maria na nabuhay ang kanyang imaginary friend na si Thania. Akala niya isa lang itong baliw na nagpapanggap. Sino ba ang mag-aakala na may nabubuhay pala kapag humiling ka sa Magic Wishing Well. She thought that it was just a myth. But she's wrong.
"You wished in the Magic Wishing Well, remember? Kaya nabuhay ako. Tsk!"iritadong sagot nito. Humiga si Thania sa kama niya and she whistled the song that she sang when she's a little.
Napangiti siya. "You still remember."that's not a question it was a saying that Thania remember her song. Thania just continued whistling like she's singing.
She cleared her throat first before asking Thania.
"Can you tell me the story? I really can't remember anything. Lahat ng alaala ko doon sa Gaydon ay nawala nang lumipat kami dito sa Lathen."
Thania stop whistling when she asked her a question. Bumangon siya at seryosong nakatingin kay Maria. "You don't remember anything, because your parents want you to forget that place."
Kunot-noo siyang nakatingin ni Thania. "What are you talking about? Bakit naman gusto nila Mama at Papa na kalimutan ko 'yon? That place was wonderful, Thania."pagtatanggol niya sa lugar na kinagisnan niya.
She don't want someone insult her homeland. She lived there for eleven years and she sees nothing.
"Mga magulang mo lang ang dapat sumagot niyan. But, I really want you to see your homeland."wika ni Thania
"You can do that?"may bahid na excitement sa boses nito. Tumango si Thania at tumayo. Pumalakpak naman siya dahil sa excitement. But she frown in the second she think of something.
"Pa'no tayo pupunta dun? Eh ang layo."tanong niya kay Thania.
"Ako ang bahala."Thania answered with a wink. Tumango-tango nalang siya.
Maybe she has magical powers? Ani ng isip niya. Maybe her mind was right, maybe Thania has powers. Tatanungin na sana niya si Thania nang bigla nalang siya nahulog sa kinauupuan niya dahil sa gulat.
"What the.. Wow."she said in amusement.
Thania draw a circle in her hands hanggang sa lumaki ito. She looks like Dr. Strange in Avengers, and Dr. Strange is her favorite member.
Hindi siya nagkakamali, the circle that Thania make is a portal. Pumasok si Thania sa loob ng portal at sumunod naman siya. Pagpasok niya ay kaagad nawala ang portal. She roamed around the room when she realized that it's her room.
"Thank--Thania? Thania, where are you?"
Lumabas siya ng kwarto at bumaba sa hagdan. She still calling Thania's name.
"Thania, where are you? This is not a good joke, okay! Lumabas ka na."she pleaded in the air while she's looking for Thania.
Her heart is beating so rapidly at hindi niya alam yun kung bakit. She's scared. In her entire life, she never got scared about losing a friend because she never had one. Only Thania has on her side that time when she's a child back then. And Thania is just an imaginary friend. At ngayon na nabuhay si Thania she don't want to leave her alone. Hindi niya alam kung bakit nagkakaganito siya.
Napalingon siya kaagad sa pinto na nakabukas. If her memory was right, this is the door through the basement. Mas lalo itong bumukas ng nagsimula siya maglakad patungo sa pintuan. Pero napaatras siya ng mali ang loob nito.
"This is not the basement."she whispered.
The room is filled with books that she couldn't name and jars that has a firefly or something that she couldn't name also. It has different colors.
Kumunot ang noo niya. Bakit hindi niya alam 'to? Ang buong akala niya ay basement ito, kaya pala hindi siya pinapapasok sa mga magulang niya dahil iba pala ang laman ng loob nito.
With her curiosity, pumasok siya sa loob and she look for a switch. Nang may nakita siya ay pinindot niya ito at sobra nalang ang paghanga niya ng makita ang kabuoan. Halos malaglag na ang kanyang panga dahil sa hanga. #LaglagPanga
She thought that the room is color black, like a witch's room, but it's opposite. It's a magical colorful room. Violet and pink are mixed together with a touch of glitters. Hindi niya alam na nakapasok na pala siya at hinahawakan na ang mga gamit. She feel again the electricity inside of her body and she shake it to release it. It's now really weird.
"Ano bang nangyayari sa'kin?"naguguluhang sabi niya.
Nandun parin ang kuryente na dumadaloy sa katawan niya at parang dumadami ito.
"I need to get out of here."nagmamadali niyang sabi. Akmang lalabas na sana siya ng may narinig siyang yabag na papunta sa gawi niya. Agad niyang sinara ang pinto na hindi gumagawa ng ingay and then she turn off the light and silent her phone.
Her breath is heavy and her heart is racing like a horse in a marathon. Pawis na pawis na din siya at nanginginig. Mabibigat na yabag ang kanyang naririnig, para itong may hinahanap. May naririnig din siyang nababasag na mga gamit. Mas lalong bumibilis ang tibok ng puso niya na para itong lalabas. She's not scared, she's just feeling unwell. She thinks that it's not an ordinary human. No. It's not really human. More like a creature or an animal that is ready to eat her/his prey.
"Fuck!"mahinang usal niya.
Ano na ang gagawin niya? Maghihintay ba siyang umalis ang halimaw na 'to? She is starving for goodness sake! Well, wala na siyang magagawa. Maghihintay nalamang siya kaysa she will risk her life fighting against that monster. She's too beautiful to die anyway. #AngGandaKo!
Umupo siya sa sahig at isinandal ang katawan sa malamig na pader. Still inside of her body has electricity that flows. She sighed. What is happening to her life? Hindi naman ganito ang buhay niya noong nasa Gaydon pa siya. She's just normal netizen in there at nang lumapit sila sa Lathen, biglang nag-iba ang buhay niya. She feel the cold and hot temperature, the electricity, and her dream. And this! She's supposed to be happy dahil nakarating siya sa Lathen sa tulong ni Thania. But then she realized, she's empty. Biglang nawala ang sigla sa katawan niya. Parang gusto na niyang bumalik sa bagong bahay niya.
Unti-unti nang bumabagsak ang mga mata niya. She's now sleepy. She yawned afterwards. Oh god! She is really sleepy. Ano ba ang gagawin niya?! Hihiga siya dito sa malamig na sahig? Goodness gracious! Baka magkasakit siya? Nagugutom pa naman siya. Mamamatay siya dito at kasalanan yun ni Thania. #InosenteAko
Wala na siyang magawa kundi ang pagtiisin na humiga sa malamig na sahig. Magkakaubo siya nito. Tsk! Tsk!
Maingat siyang humiga sa kahoy na sahig at patagilid na humiga na katapat ang pinto. She's still hear the monster looking and crashing some things. She hoped that the monster will never find her. She let a heavy sigh at natulog.
Nagising siya sa sinag ng araw. Agad siyang napabangon sa naisip. Araw? Agad niyang inilibot ang kabuoan ng kwarto.
She gasp. "I'm in my fucking room."
