I was lost of words upon staring at the image of chenzo being choked to death. Rui immediately made an action and tried to rescue her bestfriend.

However, I remained stunned and immobilize. I was unable to process everything yet and for a moment, a memory of how I always give everything a cold shoulder, flashed right into my mind.

All my life, I always knew that I wouldn't care about almost anything—well, I was labeled that way, to the extent of myself, living the way that the world percieves me to be. I always knew either that I wouldn't be easily scared with anything, even with a ghost, a demon, darkness or with haunted places.

So why am I feeling this chills running down my spine? Why does my heart pound so loud that I couldn't even hear anything but its rapid beating?

Why am I suddenly being terrified with a cursed sculpture?

"Daz, tulong!"

Rui's voice became my wake up call and it immediately snapped me back to the reality.

I took a deep breath and held my broomstick tightly. Rui on the other hand quickly stood up from her major fall and channel her inner kung fu panda.

Tumilapon na sa kung saan ang phone niya kanina kaya halos hindi na namin masyadong maaninag ang mukha ng cursed medusa sculpture. Pero kita pa rin namin ang silhouette nito pati kay chenzo, kaya impossibleng ma-mintis pa kami sa pagtama dito.

Aktong hahambalusin na namin ng mga hawak na broomstick ang naglalakad na sculpture ngunit gulatang naman kami nang bigla itong atakihin ng kung sino mula sa likuran.

Kapwa kami na tuod sa kinatatayuan at hindi na nga nagawang masalo ang tumilapong chenzo. Nanatili ang tingin namin sa matangkad na lalakeng nagligtas sa 'min na may kulay puting mga buhok.

Nang mapulot na uli ni rui ng phone ay doon namin na kumperang si ivan 'yon. And he was actually the one who attacked the scuplture who's currently shoved into the floor.

Gagalaw pa nga sana ito mula sa pagkakasalampak ngunit agad na itong dinaganan ni ivan. He wasn't wearing his eyeglass, making it easier for me to saw the rage being evident from his eyes.

He was fumming red and his gritting teeth told us to stay back or he'll vent his wrarh towards us.

To think of it, I've never seen ivan this angry. We've known each other for decades and I'm used to seing him being the calmest and the most composed.

My thoughts was about to give comments toward his recklessness but immediately stopped halfway when a realization hitted my mind.

Why isn't he with nathalie?

The unexplainable chills made its way through my spine again as the beating of my heart suddenly inrceases. Inagaw ko ang phone kay rui at tuluyan nang inilawan ang sculpture. Wanting to examine its feature to see if there's blood or something gruesome that will connect to nath's disapeaeance.

However, upon being illuminated by rui's phone, the only features we got by its clear veiw was the reality that this wasn't the medusa's sculpture all along.

This is just a costume.

"Tangina naman, nanggagago ba 'yan?" singhal ni chenzo na mabuti naman at nakatayo na, naglakad ito palapit sa 'kin himas himas parin ang leeg niyang nasakal kanina.

"So this is a fucking prank?" malamig na saad ni ivan at kinwelyuhan ang nilalang na may suot ng costume.

Agad naman itong nagpumiglas at humingi ng tawad ngunit mukhang walang narinig si ivan at bigla itong pinagsusuntok.

Wala naman akong magawa kundi pagmasdan siya dahil kahit ako naman ay banas sa kung sino mang may pakana ng prank na 'to.

But the version of ivan in front of us, this is not normal. The last time I saw him snapped like this was when chazaqiel, his cousin, dissapeared 3 years ago.

Does that mean, something bad happened to nathalie too?

•••

Sorry na, please

Rocky road
Sorry na talaga guys,
Napag utusan lang
Ako ni markian.

Wag niyo na akong
Awayin pleaseeee

Wag niyo sana akong
Abangan sa labas ng
Campus sa susunod
Na mga weeks. ಥ_ಥ

Super chenzo
Tangina rocky, hindi kita
Patatawarin! Sinakal
Mo ako!

Sinakal mo ako at
Tinapon sa may
Bookshelf!

Pandennis
Guys, sorry :<

Ayefa k. Ebryteng
That was actually cool,
Gawin ulit natin
Next time. Hahaha.

Super chenzo
Anong cool dun ruinasyon?
Halos paliparin ako ni
Ni rocky sa may bookshelf!

Ayefa k. Ebryteng
That actually made
It cool. Napangatawanan
Mo ang nickname mo sa gc.

Kulang ka nalang ng kapa
At pantalon na naunang
Maisuot kaysa sa brief. Lmao.

Super chenzo
Ang pangit mo ka-bonding rui!

Ice bear
That wasn't cool at all.
Everything about that prank
Wasn't entertaining.

Hindi lahat ng joke at prank
Ay nakatutwa. Please next
Time siguraduhin niyo
Naman na walang mada
Damage mentally or physically.

Even the lightiest prank
Could ruin someone's
Sanity, alam niyo ba 'yon?

Master markian
Sorry na ivan. Sorry na
Rin sa lahat. Kasalanan
Ko, ako ang nagpa-simuno.
Nadamay lang sina rocky,
Orion at dennis dito.

Gusto ko lang namang mag
Record ng raw video compilation
Niyo para sa movie na gagawin
Ko e, pang remembrance
Lang sana.

Ice bear
Then do a proper one, mark.
Kaibigan ko kayo ni dennis
Pero hindi ko basta basta
Mapapalampas 'to. You're
Being insensitive.

May naganap na nga na
Bangayan noong hapon
Pero pinagpatuloy niyo
Pa rin.

Kinunsaba niyo pa ang
Mga cctv footage sa bahay
Nila dennis. And to top of it
All, what the hell orion?

Akala ko talaga matino
Ka pero kunsabo ka rin pala

Orionion
Xori o(╥﹏╥)o

Ayefa k. Ebryteng
Teka, ito pa rin ba 'yong gc
Ng group 5 para sa hayop na
Video presentation?

Master markian
Oo.

Ayefa k. Eberyteng
Ba't kasali na ang
Mga taga kabilang section?

•••

Days have passed after the insident on dennis' house, napansin kong naging mailap na si ivan kila mark at dennis. Binalik na rin nito ang pagiging kulay itim ang kan'yang buhok.

Things do really change, because even I, found myself hanging out with rui and chenzo even more.

Umiiwas na kasi sa 'kin si nath at lagi lang sumasama sa mga original niyang barkada. Si orion naman ay panay ang kulit sa 'kin at hingi ng tawad pero hindi ko nalang muna pinapansin.

Naka focus kasi ako sa nabuo naming theory nila rui tungkol sa naganap na prank kila dennis.

This connects why ivan suddenly distance himself with his bestfriends, why he was too angry that time and why nathalie suddenly became aloof.

Although hindi naman kami mga chismosa pero anak ng pitong tupa kasi si chenzo at ayaw tumahimik. Bigla tuloy kaming na intriga sa kung anong nangyari kila ivan sa library bago kami dumating.

"Oo, pinadelete kasi ni ivan 'yong video kaya hindi natin makikita kung anong nangyari," tugon ni rui sa kabilang linya kaya napa tango ako.

"So it's confidential. Perhaps he's hiding or protecting something," dagdag pa niya dahilan para mapa buntong hininga ako.

Hell, I wasn't even like this.

I mean, why the hell would I care about this stuffs? Things do happen and bahala sila sa mga buhay nila.

So why am I so eager to solve this hecking semi-mystery? Ba't parang natatakot ako ma hindi 'to maresolba?

"Daz, hindi ka nanaman maka tulog?"

Mabilis kong napatay ang phone call namin ni rui at umayos nanng higa.

"As usual," sagot ko nalang kay shine mula sa pwesto ko sa upper deck. My mother's lyrics was still vandalized on its wall so as the poorly drawn stars and moon that I also placed there.

"Naalala mo pa ba 'yong kwento ni daddy sa 'tin noon?" bigla niyang tanong mula sa pwesto niya sa lower deck. Napa iling naman ako kahit alam ko namang hindi niya makikita.

Well, shine was always like this. Lagi niya akong kinu-kwentuhan ng kung ano-ano hanggang sa kawpa kami mapagod sa isa't-isa't maka tulog.

Effective naman siya minsan kaya hinahayaan ko na. Atleast may makikinig sa mga hinaing niya sa buhay pag naka uwi na 'ko mula sa school.

"Alin doon?" tanong ko na at itinuon ang pansin sa tadtad ng sulat kong kisame.

"Sabi niya noong bata pa siya, akala niya siya na ang pinaka matapang na tao sa mundo. Na napagdaanan na daw kako niya lahat ng sakit at paghihirap kaya ano pa nga ba daw ang katatakutan niya.L," pagsasalaysay niya at bahagya pang napa bungisngis.

"Kaso, nang unang beses niyang makita ang isang babae. Doon niya naramdaman ang kakaibang takot sa sistema niya," she paused and took a deep breath.

"Sabi niya, sa unang pagkakataon, well, na natatandaan niya. Dinalaw siya ng takot na akala niya noon ay hindi na niya mararamdaman ulit."

Napalunok ako at pinilit ang sarili na makinig. Why does this seems familiar? Am I thinking out loud earlier?

"That's when dad realized that the fear he was feeling wasn't for himself, but for the girl. He's afaid of the idea of her, being in danger..."

"Takot siyang masaktan 'yong babae."

"Ang sweet naman, was it your mom?" walang emosyon kong tanong at pilit inalala ang takot na nuon ko lang naramdam.

Was it the same as dad?

Pero hindi naman siguro, dahil wala naman akong planong asawahin si dennis, o si chenzo, lalong lalo na si nath.

So why would I feel the same fear that my father did when he met tita gina?

"No, it wasn't my mom. It was you," sa isang iglap, agad akong natigilan at napakurap kurap.

What the hell?

"It was when your mom give birth to you, it was when dad first saw you that fear came back to his senses. You became his weakness. It was when he first saw you and he was already afraid of the idea of you being in danger, so he swore to protect you with everything that it will cost, because you're his family and you're important to him."

Hindi nalang ako sumagot at hinayaan lang ulit siyang magsalita.

On regular basis, I would already contradict all her good talkings about our dad. Yet, this time seems to be different. Shine's words linger through my ears and it never left.

It then made sense on how I wasn't afraid of the harm I will get from medusa's sculpture, but when I realized about dennis' disappearance, fear immediately consumed my system and I somehow panicked. It was the same when I saw chenzo being choked to death.

I wasn't scared for myself, I was damn afraid that dennis ang chenzo will be in danger. I don't want it to happen and I want to help them at any cost, and hell, that hits home.

It was the same when we couldn't help ivan and nath because we actually doesn't have an idea of what kind of help they needed. Baka natatakot ako na hindi sila matulungan. Baka natatakot ako na wala akong magawa para maka tulong.

And that's when I realized that the fear I was feeling wasn't for a romantic relationship but for a friend. For someone special. For my homies.

Damn.

Maybe I've been alone for a long time that it felt strange to have someone to protect to, maybe I was used of being on my own and I already forgot what it felt like to finally have someone to consider as friend again.

I was in the middle of my nighttime reflection when a single realization stopped me.

"But I always felt that kind of fear whenever you're in danger too," I murmur to myself and hoped that she doesn't get the chance to hear it.

Well, what can I do, si shine ang isa sa pinaka una at totoo kong kaibigan. Pero sa tingin ko, mukhang madadagdagan pa.