#IASSEpilogue
3 months later...
Hininto ko ang makina ng sasakyan at tumingin sa rear view mirror. I took a deep breath and wore my sunglasses. I got out of my car and started walking as I put my hands inside the pockets of my trench coat.
Pagkalapit ko sa police station ay agad akong binati ng isang pulis.
"Dominique," he said
"Sergeant," I answered not looking at him.
Tumikhim lang siya at sinenyasan akong sumunod sa kaniya. I followed him and scanned my surroundings. There were some officers walking around everywhere. We passed at the front desk and I heard someone greeted but I didn't respond. Diretso lang ang lakad ko hanggang sa lumiko kami sa isang hallway.
Nakasunod ako kay Ed hanggang sa tumigil siya sa harap ng isang pinto. Pinagbuksan niya ako at agad naman akong pumasok. The room was spacious and lined with cubicles along the way. I guess this is the visiting room for people who wants to visit the prisoners.
"Just wait here for a second," sambit niya at tuluyan ng sinara ang pintuan.
Pinagmasdan ko muna ang paligid bago umupo sa unang cubicle. There's no one in the room but me so I'm quite relieved by that. Tumingin ako sa harap at nakita ang malaking glass na nakaharang. I can fully see through the glass that separates the room from the one behind it. May upuan din doon at isang pintuan. There's also telephone hanging on the wall beside me.
Ilang sandali ay bumukas ang pintuan sa harap at iniluwa noon ang isang pulis kasama ang babaeng pinunta ko dito. Both of her hands were cuffed and she's also wearing uniform like the other prisoners wear. Agad na nagtama ang mga mata namin. She didn't even looked shocked, she's like she expected to see me. Nagpumiglas siya sa pulis at padabog na umupo.
"20 minutes," sabi ng pulis at lumabas sa pinto.
Now it's only just the two of us in the room.
I watch her on the other side of the glass that separates us. Walang nagsasalita ni isa sa'min at nakatitig lang kami sa isa't isa.
"Dominique? Is that you? Oh my God. I couldn't even recognize you." sambit niya at lumapit sa salamin para maslalo akong makita.
I didn't expect that she'd be enthusiastic to see me but I guess this what happens to her life in prison.
"What? New hair? Or is it because of the clothes?" she chuckled and touched her hair.
There's holes on the large glass so I barely heard what she said. I removed my shades and grabbed the phone beside me. Tinuro ko ang telepono sa gilid niya at agad naman siyang tumingin doon.
Kinuha niya iyon at tinapat sa kaniyang tainga. "How have you been?"
"Good, you?" I don't understand why she's talking to me casually but I just go with the flow.
This might be the last time I'm gonna see her.
"I can see that," she said.
Hindi ako sumagot at binalot kami ng katahimikan. Ngayon ko lang napansin na may pasa siya sa pisngi at sa kabilang mata niya. I also saw few cuts on her wrist.
Umayos siya ng upo at nilagay ang telepono sa kabilang tainga. She hid her cuts inside her sleeves. Napansin niyang nakatitig ako sa mukha niya kaya agad niyang tinakpan ang mga sugat at pasa.
"Oh! Don't mind these, I just got into a little fight. You know life here in prison," ngumisi siya at kinapa ang kaniyang mukha.
"Anyway, you're going somewhere?" pag-iiba niya ng usapan.
BINABASA MO ANG
In a Split Second
Mystery / Thriller[COMPLETED] Claire Dominique Robinson is a sophomore student from St. Ambrose. Like every teenage girl, everything about her life is normal until one tragic night when her family was brutally murdered. She now finds justice for the death of her fami...
