Red Room

Chapter 4

"I'm going." I stated the moment I finished putting my clothes on.

"What do you do?" He asked while he's still lying on bed.

"Why do you care?"

"I was just asking."

"I'm a writer."

"You are?"

"Yes. Is that hard to believe?"

"Nah. I was a writer before I've decided to do something else." He said as he asked me to sit which I gladly did. I sat beside him who's comfortably lying in the bed. I took a glance on my watch. It's almost midnight. Matagal- tagal na rin akong nandito sa loob. As I remember, wala naman akong pasok kasi I am ask for a temporary leave. So maybe, spending more time isn't a big deal.

"You were a writer?"

"Yeah, I was. Then I became a photographer. I traveled a lot then decided to stop."

"Ngayon? What do you do? Ito lang? Bar bar?"

"I own this business." He said as he boast about it.

"Hindi naman halata. Not convincing. Why would an owner settle in this room then? I knew it. You're such a perv."

"I'm not. Wala naman kasing pumapasok dito sa kwartong ito. There are times na may naliligaw but that's rare. I was actually surprised when you came."

"You don't look surprised."

"I was. Why are you here by the way? Hindi ko maisip na isang manunulat ang maliligaw sa lugar na ito para lamang magsaya. We, writers doesn't have a lot of leisure time."

"I'm on temporary leave. My literary pieces lost their identity. My boss told me to roam. I came here to unwind. For a while, I just want to drop the burden of being a writer. The weight on making the readers interested and savor your content is too heavy."

"What are you thinking as a theme then?"

"As of now, I don't have any. Wala pa akong naiisip na kakaiba."

"The simplest way to make an interesting article is to make the ordinary stand out. You don't have to focus on the peculiar." Sabi niya na bahagyang ikinamangha ko. Bahagya lang. Sabi naman niya, isa siyang manunulat. I have no doubts kung bakit malalim siya mag isip at may kaalaman sa field na ito.

"What dares were given here?" I curiously asked and I looked at him. Pagiiba ko rin ng topic. I came here to unwind kaya hanggang maaari ay ayoko munang pag usapan ang tungkol sa trabaho.

"Extremes."

"What does that mean?"

"Intense."

"What do you mean?"

"Dirty."

"Dirty?" sunod ko. Alam ko naman ang ibig sabihin niya. Alam ko rin na nasa bar ako kaya hindi na ako magugulat. Ang ipinagtataka ko lamang ay kung bakit ang simple ng akin gayong hindi naman pala ganoon ang mga dare na ipinapagawa rito.

"Yes, dirty." Pag uulit niya.

"I was wondering why I got this dare."

"Oh? Do you want yours to be the other way? Pft you should've told me." He said while laughing. Medyo sumama naman ang tingin ko sa kanya.

"Of course not. I was just curious kaya sagutin mo kung bakit."

"You doesn't look like a prostitute or an escort. I see no hint of being a slut when I looked at you that's why I presumed that those kind of dares are not penalty that girls like you would do. Satisfied with my answer?" Wika niya habang nakatingin sakin. He's really good-looking, I must admit. The way he looks at me directly and intense sends a different sensation in my body.

"Yeah, fair enough. So how extreme the dares could be?" I asked, still facing him.

"Why are you so interested? Pft."

"Nothing. Just asking out of curiosity."

"It's hard to explain. Hindi mo maiintindihan at hindi mo gugustuhing intindihin."

"I'd understand. You know that I can."cool na sagot ko.

"Napaka pilit mo. See that box over there? Beside the couch? Those are filled with dares. Those are the dares. Madalas pinapabunot doon ang matatalo." Wika niya sabay turo sa box na nasa gilid ng couch. Tumayo ako sa kama at lumapit doon para kunin. I was about to open it when he talked.

"Once you open that, you have to do one dare."

"Titignan ko lang."

"Pwede naman. Hindi kita pipigilan but as I've said, gagawin mo ang isa diyan."

"Kahit mabilis na silip lang?" Tanong ko habang hawak hawak ang box.

"Hindi pwede. Your choice. Are you brave enough to take risk? Pft" he said. Tumingin ako ng diretso sa kanya saglit at tumingin ulit sa box. I was alarmed a little pero there's a part of me that says that I should at least try. Baka hindi pa ako makatulog kapag hindi ko nalaman ang nasa loob.

"I'll do it then." I bravely stated.

"Are you sure?" Tanong niya na bakas sa mukha ang pagkabigla.

"Yes, I am."

"Walang atrasan yan miss. Umayaw ka na ngayon pa lang." matigas na sabi niya.

"No, I'm serious. I'll do it." Nang sinabi ko 'yon ay tumawa siya. He took his phone at may pinindot doon. In an instant, nag dim pa lalo ang mga ilaw. There no white lights at all. May ilaw rin na nanggagaling sa ilalim ng kama. It was red. Pakiramdam ko ay literal na nasa red room na ako. Masyadong madilim na rito.

"What was that for?" Tanong ko sa kanya na papalapit sa akin.

"Ganyan talaga. You chose to do it. Close your eyes and pick one." Wika niya nang makalapit siya sakin at hawak na niya ang box. Pumikit naman ako at bumunot ng isang papel at ibinigay sa kanya. Narinig ko namang tumawa siya ng marahan kaya agad akong nagtanong.

"What does it say?"

"Too easy." Sabi niya ng nakangiti at iniabot sa akin ang papel. Siya naman ay lumapit sa tv at may kinalikot doon. Ibinaba ko ang tingin ko sa papel na hawak ko. Medyo madilim kaya hindi ko mabilis na nabasa pero naaaninag ko naman.

[lay in the bed with your partner as you both watch a 40 minute porn. The person who will get aroused, turn on, feel sexually excited first will have to pleasure the other. Any form of excitement, moaning, being wet, having an erection, sweating is considered as defeat.]

"What the hell are you doing Ellie." Mahinang wika ko sa sarili ko at napasapo ng noo. Tumingin ako sa kanya at saktong palayo na siya sa tv. Dumiretso siya sa kama at tinap ito upang palapitin ako. Bago pa man ako makalapit ay nag on na ang tv sa harap. In an instant, naka display na roon ang list ng mga maaaring panoorin. Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa kanya. Nakangiti pa ang gago.

What the hell Ellie.