"The attempt to escape from pain, creates more pain."

- Gabor Mate

●●●

Kyle's Point of View.

From: Alden

Gotta go to see Alonzo. Pakibantayan muna si Krista saglit.

Napabuntong ako nang mabasa ang text message nya. Binabantayan ko pa si Michael, and he's giving me hints of hope. Sinabi ng doktor kanina na magigising na sya maya-maya. His vitals were functioning at its best kagaya ng normal na nararamdaman ng isang tao.

I didn't sign up for this.

"Tol, aalis muna ako. Alden wants me to stay with Krista for a while," sambit ko kahit 'di nya ako naririnig.

Tatayo na sana ako nang makita ko sya na unti-unting dinidilat ang kanyang mga mata. He looked at the ceiling at bumaling sa akin.

"K-Kyle?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil sa sobrang tuwa. "Gising ka na. Gising na gising ka na hindi ba?"

"A-Ano ang n-nangyari?" napatingin sya sa kanyang brasong putol. "Bakit ganito ang k-kamay ko?"

"Tatawagin ko muna ang doktor para sabihin na gising ka na!"

Nakangiti akong tumakbo palabas dahil sa sobrang tuwa. Tinawag ko kaagad ang doktor at may kasama syang nurse na lalaki, naka-facemask.

They checked his vital signs and everything. Maya-maya lang ay ibinalita nila sa akin that he's still in shock because of the accident. Mabuti na lang daw at hindi sya nagka-amnesia. Walang brain damage na nangyari.

"Just stay with him and tell him stories about what happened para hindi sya mag-breakdown kung saka-sakali man," sabi ni dok.

"Thank you po."

Binalikan ko sya sa loob. He was staring at his arm while caressing it gently. Napatingin sya sa akin at pahapyaw na ngumiti.

"I can't believe that I'm still alive," he said.

"It's because you fight for your life. Don't give me that drama. Alam mo ba na halos maubos ang luha ko nung malaman ko ang nangyari sayo?" inis kong sabi.

"P-Pasensya na at pinag-alala pa kita, Kyle."

I sighed and smiled. "At least you're okay now. This is worth celebrating," kinuha ko ang cellphone sa bulsa ko at agad na ipinaalam sa iba na gising na Mike.

"Where's everybody?" he asked.

"Pinuntahan nila si sir Alonzo. May iilang katanungan lang sila tungkol sa Red Apartment na pinuntahan natin," sagot ko habang nakapokus pa rin sa pagtitext.

"Kyle, I have to tell you something," seryoso syang nakatingin sa kanyang kamay dahilan para mapatingin ako sa kanya.

"Ano naman yun? Are you hungry? Thirsty? I'll get you something to eat."

"No, not that idiot. Tungkol ito sa napanaginipan ko."

"P-Panaginip?"

He nods. "Before the crash. My car's radio snapped at narinig ko ang isang boses ng babae mula dun. She told me to cut my arm pero hindi ko ginawa..."

"Kaya ito ang nangyari sayo," I continued.

"Tama. After the crash, I saw a girl standing in front of me. Sinabi nya na pagbabayaran ko ang ginawa ko sa kanya. And when I was in a coma. I had a dream about a girl. She's choking me, wala syang mukha, but when she told me something hindi ko yun narinig. Parang, parang na-mute bigla ang bawat salita nya na gustong sabihin sa akin."

"Babae kamo?" pagtataka ko. "We all had bad dreams when the game started kaya naniniwala ako sayo."

"And I saw her ear, Kyle. Her ear was cut at ang daming bangaw na nagliliparan dun," nanginginig nyang inalala ang mukha nito. Puno ng takot at kaba ang kanyang itsura ngayon.

Napalunok ako bigla.

"Let's not talk about that. You just woke up from coma kaya nagugutom ka na siguro-"

"It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault Eireen died!" sigaw niya bigla.

"Wala kang kasalanan! The game started all of this."

Mike snapped. Maybe the game was haunting him even in his dreams.

"Alam ko, alam ko, alam na alam ko iyon, but I haven't done anything to save her," he cried. "And now look at me. I lost my girlfriend and my arm. There's no point in living this life. I'm already wasted, Kyle."

My fist clenched, looking at how devastated he is now. Kung hindi lang nya kagigising ngayon malamang ay sinuntok ko na ang isang ito.

"Listen to me, asshole!" I shout. "Froy is dead. Eireen is dead. Jade is also dead. And here you are alive so please just be fucking thankful that you are. Alam mo ba na ang daming nag-aalala sayo ha? Tapos dadramahan mo ako that your life is a waste? No point of living? Don't give me that bullshit, Mike!"

Hingal na hingal ako pagkatapos syang pagsabihan. I can't believe I'm scolding a teenager about life. Para kaming tanga rito.

Gulat na gulat nya pa rin akong tinignan. "Don't give me that look."

"Sorry. Nakakapanibago lang kasi. Ganyan ka pala magalit," he said in shock.

"Psh," I scoffed. "Dito ka lang 'cause I'm going to check on Krista. Bibili na rin ako ng makakain mo sa baba."

"Don't forget canned coffee," utos nya.

Napapailing ako habang naglalakad papunta sa kabilang kwarto. I can't believe what I just did, but at least I get to say something to him. It's been weeks since I talked to my friend. I couldn't deny the fact that I missed him.

Dahan-dahan kong binuksan ang pintuan. She's still sleeping.

"Uhm, excuse me, sir," anito ng nurse na papalapit sa akin. "Kakilala nyo po ba ang pasyente?"

"Oo, bakit?"

"I'll check her vitals if that's okay with you? I need to adjust her oxygen also."

Tumango ako at hinayaan syang pumasok. That's his job, after all. Pinanood ko lang sya habang ginagawa ang pag-aadjust ng iilang medical apparatus. Lumabas din sya agad pagkatapos.

"Salamat," sambit ko.

I guess I have nothing to worry about. Sinara ko muna ang pinto at bumaba muna saglit para bilhan ng makakain si Mike. She's taking too long, and she's not waking up. Wala ring signs na magigising pa sya, but she's breathing fine.

Habang nasa loob ako ng elevator, hindi ko maiwasang hindi isipin ang sinabi ni Mike sa akin kanina tungkol sa kanyang panaginip. The elevator door opened. Lumabas ako nang mapansin ang isang babaeng pasyente na nakahospital gown. Akala ko talaga multo.

Nilagpasan lang namin ang isa't-isa at dumiretso na ako sa convenience. I went back to check on Krista again. Habang papalapit ako, napansin ko ang nakaawang na pinto. As far as I can remember, I left it close.

My heart was throbbing as I run to open the door, but...

"What the-"

The bedsheet was a mess. The dextrose was cut, the oxygen is still here, and her sneakers are still here. Krista is gone!

Natataranta kong pinuntahan si Mike sa kanyang kwarto. I thought he's also gone, but he was just there reading something on his phone.

Hingal na hingal akong nahinto sa may pintuan kaya napatingin sya sa akin agad. "What happened to you? Did you run?"

"S-Si Krista," I was chasing my breath hard.

"W-What happened to her?"

"She's GONE!"

"ANO?!"

Agad kong tinawagan si Alden upang ipaalam sa kanya ang nangyari. He's gonna kill me for sure.

"What now?" He asked.

"Si Krista, nawawala si Krista!"

"Ano kamo? Pupunta ako dyan kaagad!"

Hindi pa ako nakakapagsalita pero agad na nyang pinutol ang tawag. Napatingin ako kay Mike.

"Hahanapin ko muna si Krista at baka hindi pa sya nakakalayo," I put the cellophane on his table. "Kumain ka muna."

"I'll go with you," he said. Tumayo sya, but his legs were too weak to even stand up.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Hindi mo pa kayang tumayo," I said. "I'll be back after I find her."

I need to find her, or else something might happen to her. She's still unconscious. There's no way she can walk on her own. I bet she's taken away by someone or something.

Sy's Point of View.

"Come in..."

The three of us exchange glances as we enter sir Alonzo's room. Napakalinis ng kanyang kwarto. There's a glass table in his room and some magazines under it. May sofa rin at iilang couches. The interior design seems gloomy, it fits his style. Napansin ko ang nagkalat na paperwork sa ibabaw ng mesa.

"What would you like to drink?" tanong nya sa amin.

"Kahit tubig na lang po," Hana politely replied.

Hinintay namin syang matapos kumuha ng maiinom. Alden was checking some photo albums and anthologies in the bookshelf, while Hana is sitting beside me.

"Here," nilapag nya sa harapan ang baso ng tubig bago sya tuluyang naupo kaharap namin. "Anong maipaglilingkod ko sa inyo?"

"We're here to talk about what happened to your sister," Christine said. "Alam mo ba kung ano ang nangyari sa kanya?"

Tumayo sya at may kinuhang photo album sa shelf. Ipinakita nya ito sa amin. Something was written on the front page.

* ADVENTURE CLUB'S MEMENTO MORI *

"Memento Mori?" Alden interrupted, closing some stuff he's reading. "Remember that you must die."

"Yes," sir said. "Ang ate ko ang naging secretary ng Adventure Club. Just like you guys, they have been monitoring the Red Apartment. Before she went there, she told me that it's haunted, and she always love a good horror stuff."

Kinuha ko ang album at binuklat ito. May iilang group pictures and individual pictures ng myembro. It was made clean.

"That's my sister, Mechille," sabi ni sir nang mahinto ako sa picture ng isang magandang babae.

"This was the first photo taken when she first joined the club," he said. "He's the club's president– Peter Velasquez," turo nya sa gwapong lalaking katabi ni Mechille.

"My sister and Peter had a thing back then. Pero may nakaaway sya noong member because of Peter. One day, they decided to have some documentation at the famous Red Apartment. I heard lots of horror stuff about that house pero hindi ako naniniwala. Noon pa man ay marami-rami rin ang naninirahan doon, but as time flies, kumo-konte rin ang nakikitira dahil sa mga nakakatakot na pangyayari until the owner closed it for good. Nalugi na rin kasi."

"What happened to them?" I asked, flipping the album.

"I don't know. That's why the club decided to go. Pagkatapos magpunta nila ate dun, umuwi siyang pagod, her eyes were swollen, and she was terribly shaking. She became paranoid."

Nilipat ni sir ang album.

"She told me that Peter died, the president."

Naalala ko bigla si Froy. He was the one who died first in our group. And he's the president.

"Hindi na nag-aral si ate sa university. She decided to stop, nagkulong sya sa kanyang kwarto without explaining to me why. Everytime I visit her room, maririnig ko talaga ang paghingi nya ng sorry sa isang tao. At hindi ko alam kung sino iyon. She keeps apologizing kahit wala namang ibang tao sa loob. Naiyak ako when I found out that she became insane, she became crazy. Hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ang nangyari sa apartment na yun."

"So, you didn't know what happened?" tanong ni Christine.

"Nalaman ko," he replied. "They played the game Truth or Dare. I was told that the game feeds on your deepest and darkest secrets. Habang tumatagal ang laro mas nagiging delikado rin ang bawat dares na ginagawa nila. That's the reason why she locked herself in a room, but it was futile."

"The game followed her," kabadong sambit ni Hannah.

"It did," he said. "My sister saw the person whom she was afraid of. The game feed on her fears. Nalaman ko na lang na ang lahat ng kasali sa club na yun ay isa-isa ng namamatay. My sister and a girl were the last ones left to die."

"A girl?" tanong ko.

He flipped the album to the last page. I saw three girls hugging each other. And the last one on the left side was frowning coldly. Habang tumatagal ang pagtitig ko sa litrato, nararamdaman ko na may kamukha sya.

"Her name is Kheila."

Ginapangan ako ng kaba pagkatapos iyong sabihin ni sir. I saw everyone's horrified expression.

"I don't know her. She doesn't give much impression at sya ang pinakabata sa club na yan. She was just a freshman at that time."

Sumilip na rin si Alden after hearing her name. "K-Kheila."

"W-What's the reason why your sister died?" Christine stuttered.

"Her dare," he slid a piece of an index card on the table.

Dare for Mechille:

Cut Kheila's ear.

Hana gasped, Christine was trembling, Alden kept staring at it, and I can't even say a word.

"After cutting her ear, my sister felt guilty, and then she committed suicide," he said. "Truth or Dare is such a deadly game."

"I-Ibig sabihin ba nito-"

"Hindi kayo titigilan ng laro hangga't hindi kayo namamatay isa-isa. The game will kill you all, pero may ititira syang isang tao para maging testigo sa nangyayari and the news will keep spreading and rumors will keep talking about it. That's how vengeful it is..."

"We have to do something about it. We have to escape it," natataranta kong sabi.

"You got it all wrong, Sy. There's no escape."

——