Glory and Gore (Completed)

Chapter 15

FIFTEEN: What Really Happened
Martha Chua's Third-person Point of View

It was the dead of night when Martha Chua heard the door of her office suddenly opened. Iniluwa niyon ang isang pigura na hindi mawari ni Martha. Nakapulang roba at may suot na maskara ng mukha ng isang pusa ang nakatayo sa harap niya.
​"You're Mrs Chua, right? The principal of Ellis University?" anito at humakbang palapit sa kanya.
​Hindi niya magawang tumango. Tila ba natulos siya sa kinatatayuan niya. "Who are you?" Martha managed to finally say.
​She couldn't stop herself from feeling intimidated by his form and deep voice. Pero sa kaibuturan ni Martha, kilala niya ito—sigurado siyang isa ito sa mga utusan ng Presidente. She was sure that this person was here to seek for the updates.
​"Sigurado akong kilala mo na ako," saad nito na tila ba nabasa ang nasa isip niya. "I was commanded by our President that the plan should've been going smoothly right this moment. Hindi na sila makapaghintay, Mrs Chua."
​Sila. Alam ni Martha kung sino ang tinutukoy nito.
​Muli, hindi siya sumagot. Sa halip ay hinintay niya itong magsalitang muli. "It will happen tomorrow, sa ayaw at sa gusto ninyo, Mrs Chua. Iyon ang utos ni Presidente."
​Noon siya napailing. "No, no, please. You have to listen to me. Bukas ang Retreat nilang mga seniors. I want them to at least be happy about something, bago magbago ang lahat. And after that, I will let you do what you want to do with them," she found herself pleading to this monster.
​Hindi siya kailanman sumang-ayon sa bagong batas na ipinapatupad ng Presidente—the New World Order. These men had been checking their every move when she decided not to answer their future calls. Ang akala niya kasi ay mapo-postpone niyon ang pinaplano ng mga ito. But she was wrong.
​Muli itong humakbang palapit sa kanya. "Mrs Chua, the president wouldn't want that. And you should have already known that. Ang bawat principal ng mga school dito sa Ellis at maging sa ibang bansa ay pumayag na," anito, ilang hakbang na lang ang layo mula sa kanya. "Don't make your school more important than the others. At sigurado akong alam mo na ang mga dapat gawin kapag tuluyan nang natupad ang batas na iyon."
​She was about to speak again when he quickly cut her off. ""I'm sorry, Mrs Chua, but it's already been decided. Whether you want it or not, it will happen—"
​Naputol ang sasabihin pa sana nito nang biglang may tunog na nanggaling sa labas ng silid ni Martha—tunog ng nalaglag na bote.
​Mabilis niyang hinawakan ang braso ng taong nasa harap niya nang akma itong lalabas ng kanyang silid. Someone was listening to their conversation, she realized.
​Bumaba ang tingin nito sa kanyang kamay. "Let go of me," anito at marahas na kumawala sa pagkakahawak sa kanya.
​Naglakad ito palabas ng silid niya. Martha was quick to follow behind him. She could just see the figure of a girl running away from them and turned to the corner and out of sight. She could remember her white-blonde hair bouncing as that girl ran. Napagtanto niyang isa lang ang may ganoong buhok sa unibersidad na pinamamahalaan niya—​Blair Wadson of Class 12-B.
​She saw the familiar figure walking back towards her. "Do you know that student? She heard out conversation."
​Umiling siya. "Hindi ko siya nakita, masyadong madilim ang pasilyo," she lied.
​Martha went back to her room.
​I'll talk to her tomorrow. I should at least warn her, she told herself.