HORROR

"Amporkchop!" sigaw ko nang may kumulbit sa'kin. I looked back, but saw no one. Napairap naman ako.

"Hello, Four. Your mission now is to escape the horror."

Ay, goodbye sana sinabi niya.

Nilibot ko naman ang tingin ko, at napagtantong nasa loob na ako ng mansyon. Niyakap ko ang sarili ko nang makaramdam ng lamig. Walang ilaw, pero may mga kandila. Syempre horror mansion, kailangan onti lang ilaw, o kaya naman 'yong napupundi. Gan'on naman lagi 'di ba?

When I looked up, I screamed immediately.

A bloody head appeared in front me, though she was upside-down. She smiled and chuckled devilishly Her hair reached my face and the ends strangled my neck. Tumaas naman ang paa ko sa lupa.

"Aray ko naman!" nahihirapan kong sambit. Hinampas ko naman ng kamay ko ang ulo niya at tumalipon 'yon kung s'an.

Napangiwi naman ako nang mapansing wala pala siyang katawan! Ulo lang! Tumakbo naman ako kaagad palayo r'on, ngunit pagharap ko naman nakita ko bigla ang katawan niya! Without ulo!

"KUYA!" sigaw ko at tumakbo papunta sa side. Nangingilid na ang luha ko dahil I swear, hindi talaga ako nanonood ng horror.

"Kuya," iyak ko pa.

I felt strands of hair tickle my neck. Tangina. Napasinghap ako nang marinig ko pang may malakas na yabag sa likod ko. A heavy breathing gushed across my ears.

Tumakbo naman ako palayo, ngunit tila mas lalong humihigpit ang grip ng buhok sa leeg ko. I tried looking for my orb, but then it's gone! Bawal ba gumamit ng powers dito?

Napuno naman ang tainga ko nang malakas na hagikhik niya. Sinubukan kong tumakbo papunta sa kandila, pero mukhang mawawalan na ako ng hininga bago ko pa makuha 'yon. I inhaled a large of amount of oxygen, and strided my way towards one candle.

I reached my hand to it, and then shoved the candle towards the ghost's face. Gumawa naman ng weird sound ang mumu, at unti-unting kumawala ang mga buhok na sumasakal sa'kin. I panted and ran from it.

What the heal. Isa palang mumu 'yon. Pa'no kapag dumami pa?

Naalintana naman ako nang biglang may magandang boses na kumanta. It was not scary, but then the random singing gave me chills. Bakit naman biglang kakanta?

I was following the
I was following the pack

Naningkit ang mata ko nang mapansing pamilyar ang kinakanta nila. White winter hymnal. I know this, as it's a christmas song. The one who wrote the lyrics said that there was no particular meaning to the lyrics.

Ngayon nama'y nanlaki ang mata ko nang biglang lumiwanag ang buong mansyon. Snowflakes poured down on me, and gone was the ghost earlier. The fire in the candles were put out too. Now, it looked like an abandoned mansion in midst of a snowy forest.

Napigil ko naman ang hinga ko nang may humawak ng paa ko. The texture was rough, but somehow sticky too. Kadiri! Kaagad kong nasipa 'yon.

I looked down, and beneath me were corpses that seemed to be burnt, yet buried in snow. Napangiwi ako lalo nang maapakan ko ang kamay ng isang corpse. It was bloody, and it made a squishy sound.

"Tabi-tabi po!" ani ko at sinubukang maglakad sa mga parts na walang corpse na nakakalat. Teka, tama ba 'yon? Tabi-tabi po? Well, whatever.

I stopped walking when the hymn continued, but now, many voices blended in. Tiningnan ko naman kung may gumalaw sa mga corpses, and thankfully, wala!

All swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats

Scarves of red... binalik ko ang tingin ko sa mga corpses, at nagulat nang halos lahat sa kanila ay may malaking wound sa leeg nila. Kahit nandidiri, tiningnan ko sila nang maigi at napasinghap nang mapansing may red scarves nga sa paligid.

My eyes drifted to the sound of dripping liquid- blood. The white snow had specks of red now.

Napatingin ako ulit sa taas upang tingnan ang pinanggalingan ng dugo. Napairit nang makakita ng nakabitay na tao. He was tied in the ceiling with a red scarf. I bit my lip in fear.

To keep their little heads
From fallin' in the snow

I tried analyzing the lyrics. I looked closely to the one hung in the ceiling, and his eyes were still open. Tila may bakas ng takot sa mata niya habang nakatingin sa baba- sa snow. To keep their little heads... from fallin' in the snow? Ano 'yon? Sinadya nilang bitayin sarili nila?

And I turned 'round and there you go
And, Michael, you would fall

Nagulat naman ako nang makarinig ng pagbagsak sa likod ko. Isang lalaking nakangiti ang bumagsak sa lupa, kagaya ng isa, may red scarf din siya. Does the red scarf symbolize something?

And turn the white snow red as strawberries
In the summertime

I continued watching the corpse, and just like the hymn, the white snow turned red because of the blood. Napasinghap naman ako, this is the meaning of the song! Itong nakikita ko!
But why would they be afraid of the snow?

"Once upon a time, a woman had the power of snow and ice," napalingon naman ako nang marinig ang boses na 'yon. It was surprisingly similar to my voice.

"She was an unknown creature. Neither mortal, nor human," ani ng boses. "Her name was Callista."

"She killed peculiars, without definite reason. She claims that the peculiars must be brought to another realm- to the afterlife."

Afterlife? Mundo ng mga namatay?

"There was a rumor that spreaded all through out. Whoever wears a red scarf will be safe from Callista. Little did they know, it was what would kill them. Everything you see here is close to reality, Four."

Mas lalo naman akong nanlamig. These happened in real life? Grabe naman. Who is that Callista anyway? Ngayon ko lang nalaman ang pangalan niya.

"A group of peculiars were tasked to build a new world to protect the peculiars. And it is this dimension, the Orphic Dimension."

"That is why anyone who trespasses the dimension is already considered a threat. The horror brought by Callista is unforgettable, though she was erased in the memories of everyone. She is that powerful."

"Sino ka ba?" Hindi ko mapigilang tanong.

"I am Aurora Calytrix, Four. One of those who were tasked to build the Orphic Dimension. The fourth."

Then in front of me, my orb appeared. Lumiwanag 'yon nang napalakas kaya't natakpan ko agad ang mata ko gamit ang braso.

Nang tuluyang mawala ang liwanag, isang babae ang bumungad sa'kin. Wow, ako! It's as if I'm looking straight at a mirror. Mama ko ba 'to or something?

"She is your horror, Four. Callista. Now, like what Zero says, you must escape and find out everything. You must kill Callista to protect everyone," aniya.

"Huh? Saan naman ako tatakas? Bakit ko naman siya papatayin?"

"Out here awaits secrets after secrets. You have the power to unveil it, Four. You know how to kill her."

"Luh, ayaw ko ngang maging hero. Tsaka baka mamamatay ako, duuhh. Ayaw ko pa mamatay," sagot ko.

She hissed and rolled her eyes like what I always do, "The orb can be used to kill her. Her own power and energy can be used to defeat her. But to unlock the full potential of the orb, a drop of Zero's blood must be put into the orb."

"Bakit naman?" tanong ko. "I mean, bakit naman ako susunod?" Hehe.

Hindi naman niya pinansin ang tanong ko, at nagpatuloy sa pagsasalita. "However, Zero's physical form is frozen. That is why, he only lurks around without a physical form, and only with a shadow. You also need to break the ice."

"Eventually, gagawin mo rin kung ano ang sinasabi ko. Hindi ka naman makakatiis," sabi niya. Ayt, ayan na naman tayo sa hindi ko matitiis. Gan'on ba ako karupok? Char.

"Hindi mo sure," kanta ko. "Anyways, ano bang koneksyon ko sa'yo?"

She smiled, "We are somehow one, but also different."

"Ha? Hindi ba kita mama?" Ask ko lang naman.

"Hindi na ako makakatagal, Four," aniya. Nanlaki naman ang mata ko nang bigla siyang maging transparent. Parang mumu!

"You're right. I already am a ghost. I used this chance to talk to you."

"Good bye. It was nice meeting the one who replaced me," she said and then the light vanished. The snow turned to fire, and the corpses were gone.

Napabalikwas nalang ako nang biglang may sumigaw ng pangalan ko.

"Gago, Four! Bakit mo sinunog 'yong bahay?!"

H-huh? Sinunog ko ba? Ah. Baka n'ong tinapon ko 'yong kandila. Hehe.

Bumingisngis ako, at gumawa ng peace sign sa kamay. Pero hindi ba nila nakita ang snowy scenery kanina? Ako lang ba ang nakakita n'on?

"I see, you've met Rory, Four." Nagulat naman ako nang marinig ko na naman ang boses ni Zero. After weeks, ngayon ko lang ulit narinig ang boses niya.

"I'm close to analyzing everything. I lost memories because of the ice, but now, I'm slowly regaining it."

"I'll tell you the Orphic secret soon."

The Orphic Secret
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Hindi naman talaga horror HAHAHA. Btw, 'yong white winter hymnal ang nasa media. Ang ganda n'on 🥺

Thank you for reading!