Ghosting Madness

Chapter 09

09: Nightmares and Realities
"People forget dreams as they woke up, while nightmares hunt a person
amidst being wide awake."

I got up from bed with a heavy heart and an achy left cheek.

"I'm punishing you for being a bad dog. You're such a fool to think I'm letting your disrepect slip away just like that. Not me, dog," he paused. "Totally not," nakangising sabi niya habang tinatapik ang ulo ko nang ilang beses.

"Sir, kahit ano...huwag lang ganito," I begged, almost crying. "I can't do it. No."

All of a sudden, the look on his eyes started screaming dominance.

"You know I don't take 'no' as an answer, right?"

I closed my eyes, trying to forget those vivid memories.

As usual, the gloomy ambiance of my room welcomed me even before I could open the lights. I yawned to inhale and exhale morning oxygens, but as I was streching my arms and legs, I realized...

I was scared to death.

My nightmare might happen in reality soon as I have just made a deal with him the other day.

"Sir... "

"ROLL PROPERLY. THAT'S GRASS, NOT POOP!"

"I SAID, PLAY DEAD!"

"Do it...or else, sasaktan ko ang kaibigan mo. Patay na patay pa naman 'yon sa'kin, right? No one knows how love can kill a soul."

"Sshhh..."

I cried for several times while laying in my bed. A while after, I slapped my cheek, stood up and washed my face.

"Joshel, tama na ang pag-emo," I told myself and started fixing the bed. Afterwards, I cleaned the place to remove the floor dirt so my feet wouldn't feel hassled and sticky. Then I went towards my small, dirty kitchen to cook breakfast.

Ham and fried rice. Mmm. Makakapagpahinga na ako sa prito at nilagang itlog.

Thanks to my independent self, I learned how to cook for myself. And wash clothes. And buy goods. And clean the house.

It was almost 7 in the morning when I finished eating so I quickened my muscles to take a bath. I slowly got the hot water from the kettle I prepared minutes ago and poured it down the medium-sized drum, filled with cold, chlorine-packed water.

Contrary to my fast-paced bathing since then, I found myself inside the comfort room for about 15-minutes...or more? Hindi ko na namalayan ang oras dahil sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam ng maligamgam na tubig, para akong nag-sauna.

While I was drying my hair and body, I was dividing the clothes in my hanging cabinet, looking for decent ones.

Black and gray shirts, one in dirty white.

Black and red jackets.

Navy blue pants.

Great. Almost everything was dark-colored. Bakit pa ako nagugulat? Eh, eto lahat ang binili ko?

Kinurot ko nang marahan ang pisngi ko. Napangiwi ako dahil 'yong kaliwang pisngi pa ang napagdiskitahan ko, eh masakit na nga 'yon sa sampal kanina.

Shaking my head, I reached for the regular v-necked gray shirt and black jeans then wore it. Mas comfy pa rin kasi 'to kaysa sa mga damit ni Dae na nasa kabilang cabinet. Opening those color-graded clothes are blinding my sight.

However, before I could finish pulling up the fit ends of my jeans, my phone suddenly rang. I thought my chest will explode when I realized that I didn't turn my cell's alarm and ringtone to mute.