Zemira returned to the Philippines with her mom and younger brother when her parents decided to split. They moved to their ancestral home in Sitio Siniestro, a small sitio where her mother grew up. She began to have peculiar thoughts after moving because everyone she meets in their sitio says the same thing: "You must keep a secret." As a result, she kept reminding herself that she needed to know the "secret" of which everyone had warned her. She had no notion that her inquisitiveness would be the key to unlocking the mysteries of their sitio. She began to answer every question that came to her. She discovered that their sitio had previously been the site of murder cases. Nobody knew who the killer was until one day when a woman saw the killer and decided to tell others about it, but she died and the murder stories were never told again. Zemira wants to find out who's responsible for it. However, there is something more that continues to irritate her.... "Who is that masked man in her dream who keeps reappearing?"
View MoreKinabukasan ay maaga akong nagising, at wala na sa sofa kung saan siya natulog kagabi ang lalaki na 'yon.Akala ko, ako ang pinakaunang gigising ngayon, inunahan pa talaga niya ako?5:46 pa lang ng umaga.Kaagad akong dumiretso sa baba at naabutan ko ang lola niya sa sala.Ang aga naman nilang nagising!"Puntahan mo siya sa kusina, aba ay kanina pa hindi mapakali si Theoden. Hindi niya alam kung anong lulutuin para sa 'yo, hija."Dumiretso nga ako sa kusina nila, at naabutan ko siyang nagpi-prito ng kung ano."Ipinagtimpla na kita ng kape," aniya at saka itinuro ang tasang nasa mesa. "Huwag kang mag-alala, wala akong inilagay na kahit ano diyan. Kung magrereklamo ka pa, huwag mo na lang inumin."Bakit ba naiinis na naman siya? Wala naman akong sinabi!Pinagmasdan ko siyang mabuti, halos maligo na siya sa pawis, hindi ba ni
Matapos kong kainin ang inihanda ng lola niya para sa akin ay iniligpit ko na rin ang mga ito. Saglit ko siyang sinulyapan sa kama. Mukhang tulog na nga siya. Muli kong inilibot ang tingin dito sa kuwarto. The gray curtains here are linen, the kind of gray that is untouched by hands and devoid of dust. Mukhang nilinisan nang todo ang lugar na 'to. A cursory look to the right shows me the almost hidden cords that are used to open and close the curtains. There is no television, but there's a bookshelf here. Under the lamp-shine, there's a nature's art, something that soothed right to the soul. Pinag-isipan nang mabuti ang detalye ng kuwarto na ito. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyari ngayon lalo na't kasama ko pa ngayon sa kuwarto na 'to ang lalaking nakikita ko lang dati sa panaginip ko. Nananaginip pa rin ba ako? I must accept it now. Hindi na ako nananaginip. I sighed at saka muling it
His embrace is warm, and his arms seemed very protective when wrapped around my frail body.Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa nakita ko kanina.I sobbed into his chest unceasingly, he held me as my tears soaked his chest.My eyes are burning. I could no longer see clearly."Perhaps, our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see with a clearer view again," rinig kong sabi niya at saka ako niyakap nang mas mahigpit.Bakit ang gaan ng pakiramdam ko ngayong nandito siya?Kumalas ako mula sa pagkakayakap."Sorry."Akala ko ay titigil na ako sa pag-iyak pero naalala ko na naman 'yong nasaksihan ko kanina. Biglang nanikip ang dibdib ko.Sino 'yong may balak pumatay sa amin?I can't breathe."Please... take me home."'Yon ang huling mga salitang binitawan ko and everything darkened into nothingness.-Slowly and reluctantly, I uncov
"Mom, saan ba kayo galing? Sobra mo kaming pinag-alala ni Zion!"Nandito na kami ngayon sa bahay, at halos tumalon naman sa tuwa si Zion nang makita niya si Mom."You're the best, Ate!" he exclaimed, dahil nga sa ipinangako ko sa kaniya na kasama ko si Mom na uuwi.Ngayon ko lang napansin ang mga supot na hawak-hawak ni Mom."Namalengke ako, kulang kasi 'yong mga dala natin dito. At saka nasira 'yong sasakyan natin. Bigla ring na-lowbat ang cellphone ko. Hindi ko yata naiuwi 'yong charger ko kaya hindi ako nakapag-charge kagabi."I just sighed.I'm relieved to hear that.Halatang pagod nga siya. "Nag-commute na lang ako kanina ng tricycle, ang layo pa naman ng paradahan," she added."Ba't hindi man lang kayo nagsabi? I was worried, Mom. Akala namin may masama nang nangyari sa 'yo.""Ang himbing ng tulog mo, paano naman kita gigisingin?"Inayos namin 'yong mga pinamili niya at saka nagluto na rin ng pananghalian.
Nananaginip na naman ba ako?I pinched my cheeks.Ouch.No, I am not dreaming this time.Napaparanoid lang ba ako?He saw the shock register on my face before I could hide it. A small smile played on his lips. "Para namang nakakita ka ng multo!" Hinawi niya ang magulo niyang buhok at saka ngumiti. "Ako lang 'to."It took a second or two for the new information to sink it, even though it is right before my eyes, larger than life.Words left me as I stared into those bright blue eyes.What the hell is happening?Nakita kong bumaba na siya sa puno ng papaya at saka muling kumaway sa akin."Salamat dito!"Pinagmasdan ko siyang naglakad na papalayo, I tried to open my mouth to utter some words, but I failed."T--teka!" sigaw ko nang aakyat na sana siya sa pader na alam kong dinaanan niya rin kanina, diretso 'yon sa bundok.Sa wakas ay nakapagsalita na rin ako.Narinig niya yata a
I breathe so heavily.I can feel my pulse pounding in my temples.Bumalik ulit 'yong kabang nararamdaman ko kanina. Unang araw pa lang, gan'to na agad?I crumpled the paper at itinapon sa basurahan na kakalagay ko lang kanina dito.Kaagad akong bumaba dahil biglang nawala ang antok ko."Mom, I told you! May nakapasok dito, and he or she knows my name!"Ikinuwento ko naman sa kaniya 'yong nangyari at tumawa lang siya."I was just kidding! Sabi na, eh. Matatakot ka."What?"Mom, you're unbelievable! You almost killed me!""Ikaw naman kasi, gustong-gusto mong nanonood ng horror movies, tapos ngayon ay matatakot ka? Actually, that's Zion's idea."Tumingin ako kay Zion na busy sa panonood ng TV na kakalagay lang din namin kanina. Idineliver na kasi dito 'yong ibang gamit na naiwan sa condo namin sa Manila."Hey, Zion! Ikaw, ha! That's not a good idea."Lumingon siya sa 'kin at tumawa la
"Ate Zemira... wake up!"I opened my eyes, and I could hear my heavy breathing. The sweat from my forehead is enough to fill an entire bottle."Are you okay, ate?" Zion asked, who's sitting beside me.I nodded.It was only a dream, but one thing's for sure...It was that dream again.The church.The voice.The dark room.The masked man.Ilang beses ko na siyang nakita sa mga napapanaginipan ko.What does that mean?Who's that masked man?And what the hell is that?!He just kissed me!Ano ba naman, Zemira... sa panaginip lang naman."Ate, look! A cow!" I came back to my senses when I heard my little brother chuckled. "Wow!"Manghang-mangha siya sa nakita niya.Nasa kalagitnaan pa pala kami ng biyahe, and it's raining outside.What a beautiful scenario.The wind pushes on the car to no avail. The tires make their monotonous hiss
There's music, sort of like a choir in church, then I heard someone and he told me to go outside.Ewan ko, pero sinunod ko ang sinabi ng tao na iyon.I closed my eyes, and the moment I opened them, the scenario changed, and I felt like I was falling, as if I were entering a hidden part of myself.The next thing I knew, I found myself in an empty, dark room.Tanging ang liwanag na nanggagaling sa buwan ang nagsisilbing ilaw sa loob."Lumapit ka dito."There's a man's voice, and it sounded familiar to me.Narinig ko na ang boses na 'yon noon."Lumapit ka sa 'kin, huwag kang matakot."I took a step closer to the source of the voice, and there stood in front of me a man wearing a masquerade mask.I only saw his thin lips because of the mask he was wearing."Are you afraid?" he asked.His voice was deep, with a serious tone.He stepped forward and I trembled. My heart poun
There's music, sort of like a choir in church, then I heard someone and he told me to go outside.Ewan ko, pero sinunod ko ang sinabi ng tao na iyon.I closed my eyes, and the moment I opened them, the scenario changed, and I felt like I was falling, as if I were entering a hidden part of myself.The next thing I knew, I found myself in an empty, dark room.Tanging ang liwanag na nanggagaling sa buwan ang nagsisilbing ilaw sa loob."Lumapit ka dito."There's a man's voice, and it sounded familiar to me.Narinig ko na ang boses na 'yon noon."Lumapit ka sa 'kin, huwag kang matakot."I took a step closer to the source of the voice, and there stood in front of me a man wearing a masquerade mask.I only saw his thin lips because of the mask he was wearing."Are you afraid?" he asked.His voice was deep, with a serious tone.He stepped forward and I trembled. My heart poun
Comments