Haunted

For years, Astraea loved Matthew but, his gaze was always fixed on a memory-a girl from his childhood, the only one he ever loved.

On the day of his graduation, she gathered the courage to confess but before he could answer, their school bursted into flames. In a desperate act of love, she pushed Matthew to safety, taking the force of the collapse and falling unconscious on the other side of the roaring fire.

Matthew looked down at her motionless hand. Clutched tightly in her palm was the exact same necklace he had given to the girl from his past- the love he had spent a lifetime searching for was the girl in front of him all along.

Then, without a trace, she disappeared into the aftermath of the fire, leaving him with only her memory and his regret. Consumed by guilt and the maddening realization of who she was Matthew's grief rots into a terrifying obsession.

"Hello?... P-please let me go." Iyak ko, habang nakaupo sa isang kama. I've been kidnapped. I don't know what will happen to me.

"Shh, it's okay." Nabigla ako sa lalim ng boses na iyon, at napatingin ako sa gawi ng pintuan. Once the figure stepped into the moonlight, I saw it was a man.

"Hindi nga kita kilala!" Mas umiyak pa ako dahil lumapit sya sakin at sumampa sa kama. Siya yung lalaki kanina sa library na biglang yumakap sakin.

"Wag kang lalapit." Pagbabanta ko pero hindi sya tumigil hangga't naramdaman ko na lang sa likod ko ang headboard ng kama.

"I won't do anything to you. Astraea, Please I'm sorry." He came up to me and hugged me. Nagpumiglas naman ako, this man has been saying I know him. But I never met him.

"You must be mistaking me for someone else." Puno ng tapang kong sabi, but he held my face and made me look at him.

"No." He said firmly. "You're crazy. Bitawan mo'ko!" I pushed his chest but he didn't budge kahit konti.

"I'm sorry about everything. I'll make it up to you this time." Nabigla nalang ako ng maramdaman ko ang labi nya sa aking leeg.