Chapter 4

Isang nag-aalalang Peter ang mabilis sumaklolo sa tabi ni Ella. 

"Ella! Ayos ka lang ba?!" 

Ella blinked at least twice to confirm whether what was happening in her life right now was a current manifestation of what Eric did. She scanned her surroundings and searched for the five men who were harassing her and the other customers as well. Policemen were rushing in and out, escorting the customers out of the coffee shop. Amidst the hysterical crying of the people around them, she couldn't find the female cashier not to mention the bad men who incapacitated her. 

"Peter? Nasaan na ang iba?"

Hindi siya pinansin nito bagkus ay nagpatuloy sa pag-alala sa kaniyang kalagayan. Ipinatong ng lalaki ang mga kamay nito sa balikat ni Ella at marahang niyugyog. 

"Ayos ka lang ba? Ung totoo?" sabi ni Peter nang hindi nag-aalis ng tingin sa na-hostage niyang kaibigan. His eyebrows were drawing together and his eyes painted with a worried gaze. 

Ella smiled gently at her friend's concern. She reached for his warm hands that were holding her shoulders and clasped hers around his. Peter was one of the few people around her that gave her security in spite of all the chaos that was present on earth. Knowing that she has someone she could lean on in times of crisis made her feel very blessed. 

"Ayos lang ako Peter. Don't worry, mas marami pa akong buhay kaysa pusa," nagbibiro nitong sabi sa kaibigan upang pagaanin ang kanilang sitwasyon. She was worried that her friend was too stressed because of what happened. Ayaw naman niyang masyadong mag-alala ito sa kaniya gayong maayos naman ang kaniyang kalagayan, thanks to a certain someone. 

Peter dropped his tensed shoulders and sighed in relief. As a police officer for more than 10 years, it was the first time in his life that he felt too much anxiety. He was frightened to commit a grave mistake that might cost his dearest friend's life. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something did happen to Ella. 

"You're worrying too much, Peter. Ano ka ba, I'm really fine! Look I can dance." Sinimulang magsayaw nang kengkoy ni Ella. Iwawagayway pa lang niya ang kaniyang mga kamay nang maramdaman niya ang biglaang pagyakap sa kaniya ni Peter. She felt him squeezed her, as if he was reassuring himself that Ella was there, safe, alive and kicking. 

Ella returned the hug and muttered the words, "I'm here, Peter. I'm here."

Matapos ang naging pag-uusap nina Ella at Peter (paulit-ulit na pagsisiguro kay Peter na hindi talaga nasaktan si Ella sa anumang aspeto at siya ay nasa maayos na kondisyon at hindi na nararapat pa magpunta ng ospital), kinailangan nilang magpunta ng istasyon ng pulis upang magbigay ng pahayag sa nangyaring krimen. Naging mabilis lang ang pag-uusap sa loob ng istasyon sa tulong ni Peter. Si Peter ay isang Captain sa kanilang departamento at bilang isang Captain, may kakayahan siyang mag-utos sa mga ibang miyembro sa kanilang departamento. 

Peter was adamant about taking Ella to her home. Ella had no choice but to comply since her friend was really pushy and she couldn't push him away. On the way home, she realized she forgot something. The situation of the 5 bad men as well as the cashier girl!

"Peter, I think we forgot to talk about something," bungad na salita ni Ella. She noticed how Peter's eyebrows furrowed and how attentive he suddenly became. She found him cute and couldn't help but grin. 

"Bakit? Masama ba pakiramdam mo? Did you suddenly feel bad? Were you secretly injured?" Itinigil ni Peter ang kotse sa gilid upang mas masinsinan silang makapag-usap ni Ella.

"Ha? Wala naman. Ano ka ba, maayos nga talaga ang pakiramdam ko. Pero hindi mo pa nasasagot kung anong nangyari sa limang kawatan kanina pati doon sa cashier na babae. Nagkaroon naman ba ng hustisya ang nangyari kanina?" 

"Ah, iyon ba. Oo nga pala, nakalimutan kong sagutin ang tanong mo kanina."

"Yes, because you were too focused on your dearest friend here even when I told you hundreds of times that I was fine," Ella teased Peter. He averted his eyes from her and tried to hide his burning face.

Ella laughed when she noticed that his ears turned red. "Huwag ka na mahiya, alam kong mahal mo lang talaga ako dahil ako ang pinakamatalik mong kaibigan."

Peter froze when she uttered those words. Something about the way she said it was striking. Whether it was the term "love" or the fact that they were "friends", he didn't know and doesn't want to figure it out. Parang sa tingin niya, masasaktan lang siya. 

"Tama ka naman, dahil nga matalik kitang kaibigan," aniya saka inilihis ang usapan. "About what happened to the culprits, they suddenly collapsed on the ground and thankfully when the man shot his gun at you, there was no bullet. Balita sa akin ng mga pulis na itinalaga ko sa pagbabantay sa ospital na pinagdalhan ng mga ito, mukha ngang nagkaroon silang lahat ng heart attack. Dagdag pa ng mga doktor sa ospital, mukhang nasa kritikal na kalagayan ang sitwasyon ng mga ito. Para ngang imposibleng mangyari lalo na at sabay-sabay na nangyari pero nakakaginhawa na rin ang nangyari. For the cashier girl, she was sent out early to the hospital. It seemed like she received quite a beating sa lakas ng impact ng pagtulak sa kaniya. Huwag ka nang mag-alala, nasa maayos na kalagayan ang babae."

Ella didn't expect that the consequence would be "heart attack". Parang ung nasa Japanese Anime lang na "Death Note" kung saan lahat ng namamatay biglaan ay dahil sa "heart attack".

Crazy. Maybe it's because Eric was like the main character in the Anime series, was connected to death. Heck, he was even the grim reaper himself so it shouldn't surprise her that's much.

"Oh. That's shocking to hear. Good for ate na mabilis nadala sa ospital," tanging nasabi na lamang ni Ella. "But, Peter, I just really want to thank you for heeding my request. I was in a dangerous situation so I am very grateful for you and your comrades. If it was not for you, I won't feel safe and the situation might turn out differently. Maybe I might have come across a more dangerous situation. Kaya ayon, talagang malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa iyo." 

"Walang anuman, Ella. I just did the right thing and it was not something extraordinary. Also, I'd like to thank you too, for reaching out to me." 

They both smiled at each other warmly. After the conversation, they resumed their ride to Ella's House. 

It didn't take too long for them to reach their destination. Hindi na rin pumasok si Peter sa kanilang bahay kahit na pilit siyang niyaya ni Ella. Una, para sana pasalamatan siya. Pangalawa, na-miss niya rin ang kaibigan na makakuwentuhan at ganoon na rin siguro ang kaniyang pamilya. Tambay kasi dati si Peter sa kanila at nakatuwaan na rin siya ng mga magulang niya. Isa pa ang kaniyang nakababatang kapatid na si Sasha na ubod ang pagkagusto sa binata. "Ultimate crush" na nga raw niya ito. Paano ba naman, talagang guwapo at malakas ang appeal ng kaniyang kaibigan. Matangkad, maputi, chinito, matalino, at physically fit pa. Lahat na ng hihingiin ng babae ay nasa kaibigan niya na. Hindi niya nga lang mawari kung bakit hanggang ngayon ay wala pa itong karelasyon. 

Of course, Ella's parents and little sister were worried about what happened to her, especially since Peter already contacted her parents beforehand. She told them the events in sequence but skipped the otherworldly events that occurred. After 2 hours of reassuring them that she was alright and didn't experience any suffering, she retired to her bed. Everything that happened with her that day was physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and socially exhausting. Everything was fast-paced and she couldn't even comprehend how she was able to go through it. 

"Hay, what a terrifying day."

Meeting her dead-end, the grim reaper, and being resurrected were all unbelievable. She couldn't process it all. But one thing is for sure, she was thankful to Eric. Very, very thankful. She wasn't ready to die. She felt terrified when she realized she couldn't even hug her parents and her little sister anymore. It would be heartbreaking for them as well to know that she suddenly died. The thought made her sick to her stomach. 

She vowed to herself, that although she was only given a 6-months extension, she would use this time to invest in memories with friends, families, and hopefully, a special someone. As she close her eyes brimmed with tears, she thought of happy days together with the people she loved. 

The next day, Ella woke up early feeling refreshed and activated. The first thing that came to her mind was to write a bucket list. After thinking about it for more than 30 minutes, she realized there were only two things she wants to accomplish. The following were the ideas she came up with: 

1. Love and pamper your family and friends. (Be extra sweet if you can!)

2. Fall in love and kiss someone you like.

In order to accomplish the list, she needed to resign from her work as a regular teacher. Focusing on fulfilling her dreams in her life with her loved ones won't work if she has a job to attend to. Also, if she was about to go out and fall in love, she needed more than enough time to become intimate with the said person. 

"Okay, Ella. You can do this!" she said in high spirits as loud as possible which earned her angry noises from her little sister who was next to her room. A little sorry was all she replied to her half-dead, sleepy sister. She couldn't help but giggle afterward. After all, a morning affirmation was the best way to start her day right. 

After Ella wrote a resignation letter addressed to the dean of their school, she prepared herself and went out early in the morning. She's dressed in a pink sweater and jogger pants paired with white shoes. Before she walked out, she grabbed a black cap to avoid catching colds.

There was no daylight yet, as it was only 5 o'clock in the morning. She took a quick run around the neighborhood and managed to observe a few things in the place she grew up. The city was quiet, serene, and peaceful, a scenery she could only hope to happen every day in the community. Isa sa mga hinahangad niya na sana, kahit mawala pa siya sa mundong ibabaw ay hindi pabayaan ng Panginoon ang kaniyang pamilya. Hangad niya na magkaroon sila ng payapang buhay at hindi magkaroon ng masamang karanasan tulad na lang ng nangyaring pang-hohostage sa kaniya. Maybe she needed to talk about Peter about the safety of her family. Sa ganoong paraan, mas magiging payapa ang kaniyang isipan na lumisan sa mundong ibabaw. 

After minutes of running, Ella found herself stopping in an antique, abandoned house that was commonly known as a place of "living ghosts" in their neighborhood. She's not fond of ghostly stories as it scares her big time. Sa buong panahon na pananatili niya sa siyudad ng Sentiniente, kahit kailan man ay hindi siya tumambay sa lugar na ito. When she was a teenager, kids around her age were very interested in it. Lagi silang "nagtatakutan" at ang iba pa nga ay talagang matapang na tinahak ang bahay. But she was different. She was not exactly scared, but she was not too invested about it like the others. 

The antique house was still the same. Trees grew largely which almost covered and blocked out the house from passerby. Weeds and dandelions poked out from the broken fences. Red roses grown wildly in thick batches by the gate. Splotches of unique paint hinted at the residence's former prosperity. The windows were covered with grime and dirt and the door hung slightly wrecked as time passed by. 

However, there was something that intrigued her at that moment that she never felt before. Maybe it was the cold weather at that time. Maybe it was the chills she felt from the chilly wind. Maybe it was the darkness that surrounded her as there was no sign of the sun shining yet. Maybe it was everything she mentioned. As if these weren't enough to scare her, a pair of red eyes glowed from the window.