hello hello! i forgot to mention this sa foreword <3 

this story is my 10th anniversary gift for sr fam. and since it's for the 10th anniversary, you will encounter little easter eggs and references from past stories. "the sleepwalker syndrome" is not related to any of my past stories, but it's full of little things that will remind you of them ;) some of you guys noticed them na based from the past comments : )

hope you guys are having fun with the story <3 gonna try my best to update more!

The seething man with a hammer in his hand. The blood and chunks of flesh scattered on the floor. And the weeping lady with the cracked skull, begging for her dear life.

I thought I had already witnessed the most terrifying thing in the world when I was nine years old . . . but I was wrong.

I've seen people lose control before, but not like this. Never like this.

"Tama na!"

"Diyan ka lang! Huwag kang gagalaw!"

"Itaas mo ang kamay mo!"

"Barilin n'yo na! Barilin n'yo na!"

Screaming. That was all I could hear as my father's men tried to round up and subdue the three rabid men from the box. Rabid men with what looked like blood all over their bodies and sharp knives taped over their hands. It was as if they tried to look like some messed up version Wolverine, only cruder . . .

"Papa!" Awtomatikong kumawala ang napakalakas na tili mula sa bibig ko.

At that point, I wasn't scared for my life. I was more scared for my father's. I know what kind of person he is. How he turns into this alpha man with a hero complex whenever shit hits the fan. How he is ready to risk his own life for the safety of others. 

People always tell me that I should be proud of my father's bravery and selflessness, but what good is bravery and selflessness when you're dead?

Screw them all. I'd rather have my father as coward and alive, rather than brave and dead.

All of a sudden, gunshots blared from the stage. Humarang sa paningin ko ang mga taong nagtatakbuhan palabas ng malaking function room, at ilang mga pulis na tumatakbo patungo sa stage. Sa pagitan ng bawat taong dumaraan, unti-unti kong nakita si Papa. 

"Jordan! PJ!" Nakalingon siya sa direksiyon ko, may tarantang ekspresiyon sa mukha habang tinuturo ang exit. 

After furiously pointing the exit a couple of times, he drew out his gun and ran toward the stage to join in stopping the rabid men from attacking everyone in their way.

Two of the rabid men were trying to run down the stage, lunging to attack more people. The other one was attacking the police officers who tried to rescue the first policeman who was attacked. The officers were shooting at the men, but they wouldn't back down despite the bullets hitting their bodies. 

"Zombies?" Napasinghap ako sa sobrang kalituhan. Pero sa isang iglap, bigla kong naalala ang bagsik ng ikinilos nina Madam Laura at Mang Roberto. Parang ganito rin 'yon!

"Oh shit . . .  " Napatakip ako sa bibig ko, hindi makapaniwala sa nangyayari. Some horror movie shit was happening before our very eyes!

"Jordan, ang ibang mga kahon!" Biglang sumigaw si Kuya Vito at tumakbo patungo sa kahong nasa kaliwang bahagi ng function room.

"Oh shit!" It felt as if a bolt of lightning hit my body when I realized that Kuya Vito was right. There were two more boxes, and considering what the first one contained, I was sure as hell that shit was gonna get shittier.

"Papa mga kahon! Papa, kahon! Kahon!" Panic engulfed every fiber of my being as I followed Kuya Vito and tried to alert my father of the impending doom. Halos makipagpatintero pa ako, makadaan lang sa gitna ng mga taong nagtatakbuhan.

"Jordan!" 

Bigla kong narinig ang boses ni PJ. Lumingon ako sa kanyang direksiyon habang patuloy pa rin sa pagtakbo. PJ was running like hell toward me, the sides of his flannel shirt and soft hair swept up by the wind. Halos malaglag pa ang kanyang makapal na salamin.

"Kahon! Kahon! Tao sa kahon! Kahon!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, desperately pointing at the boxes in both sides of the room.

As Kuya Vito and I reached the giant box, we quickly looked around. I'm no mind reader, but I was sure as hell that just like me, Kuya Vito was also looking for a way to stop the madness inside the box from coming out.

"Harang! Kailangan ng harang!" Kuya Vito looked like he was going to shit his pants. The last time I saw him this panicked was when I almost died from the car crash he caused. 

Honestly, I felt like I was going to shit my pants too, especially when I realized that I just ran right in front of the box without a freaking plan. Oo nga't wala pa akong napapansing gumagalaw mula sa kahon, pero oras na kumawala ang mga halimaw sa loob nito, sobrang patay kaming dalawa ni Kuya Vito. 

"Tara na!" Humahangos na dumating si PJ at agad akong hinila sa braso. Literal niya akong nakaladkad nang kaunti, pero mabuti na lang nakabalanse pa ako't nakapagmatigas sa kinatatayuan.

"PJ, ang kahon! Baka may laman din yang gaya nila! Harangan natin!" giit ko at buong lakas na winaksi ang kamay niya.

PJ seemed taken aback but he immediately looked around. I could tell he was also panicked, but unlike Kuya Vito and I, he had his shit together. 

"Kunin natin 'yon!" PJ pointed at the metal barriers by the door. I had goosebumps at how determined he looked and sounded. Times like these I realize why he's Papa's favorite child. 

"Itutok mo lang ang baril mo sa kahon! Kung may lalabas, sa ulo mo tamaan!" ma-awtoridad na sigaw ni PJ kay Kuya Vito at agad na nagtatakbo patungo sa tinuro niyang barrier. Kuya Vito did as told, while I quickly followed PJ. 

Just like when were kids, PJ and I moved like a well-oiled machine. We started carrying one of the barriers together, but as we put it in place, Kuya Vito suddenly screamed for us to run.

PJ and I didn't waste any second. We ran away from the box and quickly hid behind Kuya Vito, who started shooting. The box was starting to move and all of us knew that it wouldn't be long until 'they' come out.

"Dito! May lumalabas na dito!" PJ started yelling to alert the other cops by the stage.

"Dito! Tulong! Dito!" Halos mapatalon ako sa sobrang taranta.

Papa was the first to heed our screaming, followed by some of his men who looked pale and panicked. They looked at the other direction of the room, and when I followed their line of sight, I saw that the other box from across the room was starting to move too.

"Bakit nandito pa kayo?!" Dumagundong ang galit na glit na boses ni Papa habang tumatakbo patungo sa amin. I'm not going to lie, I felt my knees weaken. Death is scary, but so is Papa when he's furious.

"Tara na!" Hinila ako ulit ni PJ patakbo, at sa pagkakataong ito'y hindi na ako nagmatigas. Pakiramdam ko tuloy kami ulit 'yong mga batang hinahabol ni Papa ng sinturon sa tuwing nahuhuli kaming naglalaro sa pier.

Gunshots and screaming blared as PJ and I ran for the exit. But before we could reach it, we passed a closed door that suddenly opened. Before I knew it, someone ran out and crashed into PJ and I, sending all us of straight to the buffet table.

As our bodies slammed down the ground, so did the table and all the food on top of it. The sound of all the plates and utensils breaking filled my ear. I felt some hot soup graze against my skin, at nakita ko pa ang lechong baboy na gumulong sa sahig. 

"Putanginang hayop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I laid on the floor, throbbing in hell of pain. Hindi pa ako nakaka-recover sa ginawa ni Madam Laura tapos ganito ulit?!

Kumurap-kurap ako't napaungol sa inis nang makita ang lechong nakahandusay sa tabi ko. Nasipa ko ito nang wala sa oras.

"H-Hala! Sandali! Teka!"

While I was crying in pain, I suddenly heard PJ's voice, yelling and gasping for air. I grunted and tried to pull myself up, trying to kick and push away the food and utensils scattered around me. 

Hilong-hilo at namimilipit sa sakit, halos hindi ko mabukas nang tuluyan ang mga mata ko. Pilit kong sinundan ang boses ni PJ at biglang nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang nakahiga siya sa sahig at dinadaganan ng isang  lalakeng foreigner na nakasuot ng floral polo at shorts. Nakapulupot sa leeg ni PJ ang naglalakihan nitong mga kamay!

"J-Jordan . . .  " PJ tried to speak between his gasping, his face was all red while his eyes were widely open. He tried to punch and kick the man away, but he was too little and weak compared to the blonde caucasian man.

Scared, angry, worried—My heart was in pieces at the sight of PJ's suffering. We may have issues, but in my heart, PJ will always be my brother and I would lose it if anything bad ever happens to him.

"Layuan mo ang kapatid ko!" Nagawa kong bumangon at dali-daling tumalon sa likod ng foreigner na mas matangkad at malaki pa kumpara kay Senggo. He was literally a giant compared to us!

"Jordan!"

Buong lakas at gigil kong pinulupot ang braso sa leeg ng foreigner at pilit na dinukot ang kanyang kaliwang mata gamit ang mahahaba kong mga kuko. I felt his soft and gooey eye on my fingertips—disgusting as hell, but I would do whatever it takes to save my brother's life.

Tumayo ang foreigner at nagpakawala ng nakakapangilabot na hiyaw, at laking gulat ko nang bigla na lamang siyang umatras, pasuray-suray.

"H-Hoy, huwag! Sanda—" Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at wala sa sariling napakapit nang mahigpit sa kanyang katawan. I felt like a freaking monkey, holding on to dear life.

Sobrang bilis ng mga pangyayari, pero napakalinaw ng lahat sa pakiramdam ko. 

Nanuot sa kaibuturan ng katawan ko ang tila ba kidlat ng sakit na dulot ng pagbagsak ko sa sahig. At nang makita ko ang katawan ng foreigner na diretsong babagsak patungo sa akin, napapikit na lamang ako nang mariin hanggang sa maramdaman ang isang napakabigat na katawang dumagan sa akin.

***

"Tama na! Michael, tama na!"

Hinigpitan ko ang pagkakatakip ng bibig ko ngunit nanatili akong nakasilip mula sa maliit na siwang ng aparador. Takot na takot ako sa mga nakikita, ngunit sa siyam na taong gulang kong utak, inisip kong kailangan kong panoorin ang lahat ng nangyayari upang masabi ang mga ito kay Papa. That way, I could be a helpful witness.

Sa kabila ng pagpupursigi kong manatiling dilat, nagpatay-sindi ang kamalayan ko hanggang sa namalayan ko na lamang na lamang ang isang brasong yumakap sa akin.

"Jordan! Jordan gising! Jordan!"

Napakurap-kurap ako nang makaramdam ng mabilis na pagtapik sa pisngi ko. Namimilipit man sa sakit, nakaramdam ako ng ginhawa nang makitang yakap-yakap ako ni PJ. Pero agad ding nawala ang ginhawa ko nang makita ang mga luha at bahid ng dugo sa kanyang mukha.

"PJ?!" Wala sa sarili akong napasigaw at pilit na bumangon dala ng sobrang takot. "A-Anong—"

"H-Hindi sa 'kin, h-hindi," PJ burst into tears while shaking his head profusely. He was trembling and mumbling; wala akong maintindihan sa mga salitang lumalabas sa bibig niya. Pero kahit gano'n, lalo pa akong natakot. The last time he cried like this was back when we were just little kids.

"Papa?" Kusang kumawala ang iyak mula sa bibig ko. "Papa?!"

Pilit akong nagpumiglas mula sa pagkakayakap ni PJ at doon ko lang napansin na pareho kaming nasa sahig ng function room. Napakaraming dugo at katawan na nagkalat sa paligid. Nagkakagulo ang lahat. Maraming nagtatakbuhan, lumalapit sa mga nakahandusay. I couldn't hear any gunshots anymore, but the screaming and crying continued—this time, even louder.

And that's when I noticed it . . . Papa, lying in a pool of blood near us. Papa was surrounded by two of his men—Kuya Vito whose hands were pressed tightly on his chest, and the other was calling someone on the phone.

"Papa! Papa!" Dali-dali akong gumapang patungo sa kanya, sumisigaw at umiiyak. 

Anong nangyari? Bakit nangyayari 'to? Totoo ba talaga 'to? Utang na loob, sana panaginip lang 'to!—gulong-gulo ang utak ko nang mga sandaling iyon. Walang ibang lumalabas mula sa bibig ko kundi iyak at sigaw.

"Jordan, doon ka lang! Doon ka lang! Tangina, PJ! Ilayo mo si Jordan!" Tarantang bulyaw ni Kuya Vito sa akin, hindi inaalis ang kamay mula sa dibdib ni Papa na bumubulwak ng dugo. "Jordan, hindi mo dapat makita 'to! Doon ka lang!"

"Jordan!" Naramdaman ko ang pagyakap at paghila sa akin ni PJ palayo pero pilit ko siyang sinisiko.

Pilit nila akong pinapaalis, pero nanatili ako sa tabi ng duguang katawan ni Papa. His eyes were open and he was looking at me. Blood was spurting out of his mouth, but he was still trying to smile for me, trying to assure me that he was fine, that everything will be alright. 

"Pa!" I grabbed hold of his trembling hand. I was crying so hard that I couldn't even hold him tight. "Papa!"

Papa held out his other hand, reaching out to PJ who quickly accepted it and cried even harder.

In that moment, all PJ and I could do was cry and hold on to our father's hands.

//