Beauty is your Curse

46th Curse

46th Curse

I look up at the entire room and take the view. I am in a palace, to be specific, in the throne room. The room is so beautiful, like something young girls always did. And I am wearing a gown. I smile. Wearing a gown inside a palace makes me feel like a princess. Yes, a princess, that in no time, will be rescued by her prince.

            That was then when I noticed na may bagay na malapit sa trono. Mayroon itong takip na tela, kaya hindi mo alam kung isa itong painting, salamin o kabinet na may takip. Mahaba ito at malaki, halos kasing taas ko. Tapos ay hinila ko ang nakatakip na tela dito.

            My reflection stares back at me. I am standing in front of a mirror, a mirror that looks like it has been smashed, broken. I am reflected on the broken mirror, ngunit kahit ito ay basag, I can perfectly see my self. Wearing a very elegant ball gown, with thick make up and my hair arranged in curls. I look like a princess. Except for the fact that I am wearing a crown.

            And when I realised that a queen is staring back at me in the mirror, I screamed in horror.

[ Psaricka's POV]

            The last thing I remember is that feeling. The feeling of becoming the best, but not entirely best among everyone else. Because somebody else, is better than you.

            Kinusot ko ang mata ko at umupo. Duon ko napansin na nakahiga pala ako sa sahig. Tumingin ako sa paligid at sinubukang intindihin kung nasaan nga ba ako. Tila, nasa loob ako ng isang kwarto. The walls are painted gray, and everything is plain. Even the door is plain. There are no windows. And there is nothing else inside except for a chair that contains a box.

            In panic, tumayo ako at tumakbo sa pinto. Pinilit ko itong buksan pero ayaw itong bumukas. Walang bintana. No way to escape.

            Ano ba ang nangyayari and why am I here? The last thing I remembered ay nasa admin ako at was getting my rank. Then I had that weird feeling. I was supposed to be happy because of my rank, but I'm not. I'm 2nd. And I should be happy. But there's the part of me that is not happy by this. Why should I be 2nd? Why shouldn't I be first?

            Ah, maybe I got low scores on the popularity vote. After the thing I did last round. I shook my head, this past few weeks, I felt entirely alone. I rarely see Shelanie, with her mutilated leg, nagpapagaling sya habang nandun muna sya sa isa naming kamaganak. About Allison, she stayed more in Glimmer's dormitory. She's there all the time and we rarely talk.

            Akala ko I would finally belong once I entered Eventyr. But I never felt more alone. Psaricka Julienne Di Levertis. Intelligent. Rich. Yet I don't have a lot of friends. Naiintimidate sila sa akin. I thought I would have friends in Eventyr. But I'm alone.

            Also, I am rank 2. Let's say I have this so called 2 complex. Though I never really admit it to anyone. Since elementary to highschool, I'm always top two. Always the 2nd star pupil in class. The 2nd most beautiful at school. The 2nd place in several contest I have joined as a child. Always the 2nd everything. And now I'm second rank? It feels like a joke.

            Tumayo ako at naglakad papunta sa silya kung nasaan ang box. Then I opened the box, and saw a letter. I read it as fast as I can, when I realized what the content is.

            To my relief, I am not kidnapped. I am on the game. This is the game. When we were informed at Eventyr, they didn't say the details about the game, but this letter says it all.

            According to the letter, contestants enter the game based on their ranks. Two at a time, with an interval of an hour each. The game starts at 12:00, bringing the first elites, rank 1 and 2. So I realize that along this walls, somewhere out there, I am with another elite who is rank 1. Every hour, a new batch of elites will be brought at. With the last batch being brought at 5:00. This is how the game works. We are going to wake up inside a room, perfectly designed for each of us. Our roles in the fairytales reflected on each room. The room will be locked, no method to get out, unless you have completely read the rules, a letter, provided in each room. Then the doorways will automatically unlock and lead you outside. Outside this room are several other rooms  containing other elites. If a room is closed, it means it contains an elite who is either still unconscious or haven't read the rules yet.

            The rules are as follows. The goal of the game is simple. Find who the uninvited is. However it is not just as simple as it is. You have to know exactly who the uninvited is, find her fake and unathorized invitation letter. And when you do, write her name on it, and look for the tower. A room where that looks like the area where you cast your votes in the previous round. Once  the invitation with the proper name of the elite have been submitted, the game ends and the winner is declared. However, the uninvited also has a chance to win this game. The uninvited must go to the tower room, and cast her vote. A list of all the living elites and their proper fairytale character. If the uninvited succesfully do this, he or she will be declared the winner.

            However, there is a catch. The game starts at 12, and will continue to go on unless there is a winner. However, at 6 o'clock, the system will randomly eliminate two elites. And will continue doing that every other hour.

            Once your door unlocks, you can freely roam in every room, searching for details. Each room is designed according to the fairy tale character. So you will have an idea which fairytale character resides in the room. However, the uninvited's room is blank and plain. A clue indicating he or she was never invited in the game. You can also talk freely with other elites. However, you are still not allowed to tell your role to anyone, or you will be eliminated.

            As the words sink in, dread starts to creep to me. This game is simple looking yet dangerous. If you are an elite, you need to keep your identity while looking for the fake invitation of the fake elite. And if you are the uninvited one, you have to hide your invitation at most, make sure no one identifies you, while trying to identify all the other elites.

            Isa pa, duon ko lang narealize, na ako, ako ang nagising sa isang bakante at plain na kwarto. Nakatingin lang ako sa letter. Hindi ako makapaniwala. Tumingin muli ako sa kwarto ko. Binasa ko ulit ang sulat. The letter and my room is simply indicating, that I am the uninvited. Na ako ang uninvited. All this time, people are trying to eliminate me. To find out who I am. But I didn't even know it.  All this time, I believed I am cinderella. That I am a true elite. That I am invited in this game. Naalala ko pa nga kung paano akong naiinis ng malaman na Cinderella ang role ko. Because it doesn't fit me.

            But I am not really invited at all. I am the uninvited, How stupid of me not to know. I remember reading in the letter, about the fake invitation. So my invitation was fake. I remember reading in Detective Morales' report na there is an elite before whose role is Cinderella. And my initation looks old. Someone, must have sent the invitation to me. And because I thought I am invited, pumunta ako.

My thought were cut off when I heard someone scream. I'm sure that it's from a girl. Rank no 1 is awake.

And now the game truly begins. I, Psaricka, the uninvited, needs to win this game. But first I need to hide my fake invitation card. But before I can hide it, I must find it first, because it's not with me.

***

The first thing I did is look for clothes. Yes, clothes. I am wearing a gray top with gray baggy pants. Surely, this appearance will shout 'Uninvited' and anyone will absolutely notice me.

As I walk outside, I try to avoid the rank 1. Yes, I am interested kung sino sya, but I am not in the mood to deal with anyone. Agad akong pumasok sa isang kwarto, na nakabukas. I slowly walked, making sure na walang tao duon. Once na nakapasok ako ay sinara ko ang pinto at nakahinga na ako.

            But again, I heard a scream. Then I realized, this time, I am the one screaming. Because the room I have just entered, is full of coffins.