Glory and Gore (Completed)

Chapter 25

TWENTY-FIVE: For Whom The Bell Tolls

Blair

Tila ba tumigil nang ilang segundo ang pag-ikot ng mundo at nabalot ng katahimikan ang paligid. Evangelyn was the one to break the silence with a gasp.

"E-Eyrene?" she almost shouted, looking at the girl standing in front of her.

"What the—" napalingon ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses. Si Maru iyon, nakasuot ng sweat shirt. Gulo-gulo rin ang buhok niya na parang bagong gising. "Ryan?"

He stood up, carefully closing the distance between him and Ryan. Tumango ito at ngumiti na parang pinipigilan na lang na hindi umiyak. Mahigpit siyang niyakap ni Maru.

As I looked at Eyrene, she was still the same. Her hair was dyed in the shade of green. Pero may bakas ng tuyong dugo roon. She was one of Evangelyn's minions.

Bumaling ako kay Ryan—one of Maru's best pals. Kabilang siya sa football team ng Ellis University. He was almost as tall as Maru.

They started talking about things I wasn't able to hear. After a while, they finally went inside. Sinundan ko lang sila ng tingin hanggang sa pumasok na sila sa loob. May ilan din kaming mga kaklase na sumunod sa kanila. Eyrene remained there, fists clenched. Tiningnan ko ang mukha niya na nababalot ng natuyo ng dugo.

She seems angry... I noticed.

Tumayo si Evangelyn. "You're... alive, Eyrene," halos pabulong na sabi niya. "I-I thought you were..."

Si Eyrene ang nagtuloy ng sasabihin pa ni Evangelyn. "Dead?" Eyrene said, giving her a disgusted look. "After what you did, you fucking cunt!"

Napansin ko ang matalim na tingin niya kay Evangelyn. It seemed like she wanted to kill her right at that moment. Madiin ang pagkakakuyom ng kamay niya. And then I remembered what Evangelyn told us when we found her—"E-Eyrene left us. W-we had to leave Bridget behind..."

Obviously, she did not tell us the whole story. For all I knew, she was a traitor.

Lumapit siya kay Eyrene. "Eyrene, I-I can explain," nanginginig ang boses na sabi ni Evangelyn.

Nanatili ako sa inuupuan ko nang biglang may humawak sa braso ko. "Sa tingin ko, kailangan natin silang bigyan ng privacy. They need to talk," tumango ako kay Jem at sabay kaming pumasok ng warehouse. Before I closed the back door, I heard Eyrene said through gritted teeth, "Explain? Fuck you, bitch! You left me there to die!"

Isinara ko na iyon. Jem was right—the two of them needed to talk. Pero hindi ko mapigilang isipin kung ano ang ibig sabihin ni Eyrene na, Evangelyn left her there to die. Strangely enough, I wanted to know her side of the story.

Thinking about what just happened, part of me was glad that two of our classmates were able to find this place alive. At nagawa nilang makarating dito ng ligtas.

Tuluyan na ngang dumilim ang paligid at ang mga tawanan lang ng mga lalaki na nagkumpulan sa puwesto ni Ryan ang maririnig. Dumeretso kami ni Jem sa itaas at tumingin na lang sa bintana ng pasilyo.

"So," narinig kong tumikhim si Jem. "Did you like the song?"

I turned to him. Nakatingin lang din siya sa akin, naghihintay ng sagot ko. I simply nodded and gave him a smile. "Yeah, that was a beautiful song..." naramdaman ko ang pag-init ng magkabila kong pisngi. "It's actually familiar."