Chapter Three

Three

“SO, are you saying you’ll be working unofficially with this Alvin Montemayor?”

Tahimik na nilinga ni Tennyson ang nakatatandang kapatid na si Diana bago tumango at ipinagpatuloy ang pagtutupig ng mga damit. “Sasabihin mo din ba na mali ang decision ko katulad ng sinabi ng Papa?”

Mula sa kinauupuan nito sa lapag ay agad na tumayo ito at tumabi sa kanya; draping one arm over her shoulders. “Not really. I was supposed to say interesting.”

“Why?”

“This is the first time na nag-decision ka ng ikaw lang; ng hindi nakikinig sa opinion ni Papa. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing but…” sumilip muna ito sa pintuan bago siya muling nilinga and whispered, “—I’m happy for you.”

Tennyson smiled at Diana bago ipinagpatuloy ng pagtutupi ng mga damit niya. Despite growing up in a relatively rich household ay nasanay pa rin siyang siya ang gumagawa ng mga trabaho na dapat ay sa katulong. Bagaman may mga kasamabahay pa rin sila ay mas ang focus nito sa pagmimintina ng buong kabahayan ng mga Montessa at sa kusina. 

“Kamusta naman ang utak natin?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. She was so close with her sister, Diana, na hindi siya nao-offend sa mga tanong nito sa kanya. “Good. I visited my doctor today.” Inabot niya ang bagong refilled na pill bottle mula sa drawer at ibinato sa kapatid. “I got those refills today.”

“Adderall, hmm.” Maingat na ibinalik ng kapatid ang bote sa mesa niya bago siya nilinga. “I told you na isipin mo na lang na ang mga pills na iyan ang nakakatulong sa iyo na mamuhay ng normal.”

“What’s normal about me, Diana?” sardonikong sagot niya sa kapatid bago inabandona ang kama at nagpaikot-ikot. Ng mapansin niya na hindi ayos ang bookshelf niya ay agad niyang nilapitan iyon; clearly bothered by the sight of uneven objects at ng makatiyak siyang pantay-pantay na iyon ay muling binalikan ang kapatid. “I’m a freak.”

“You’re a wonderland, my dear sister.” Nilapitan siya nito bago mahigpit na hinawakan ang magkabilang balikat niya. “You’re very talented and smart—you’re a genius, Ten.”

“Genius has a price.”

Umiling ito. “At nagawa momg mamuhay ng normal sa kabila ng kabayarang iyon. You helped people, saved people’s lives. Isa iyan sa mga kapalit ng kung anong mayroon ka. You should be prouder and more confident about it.” 

Tennyson sighed. Hindi niya gustong sabihin sa kakambal na hindi nito nararamdaman ang nadarama niya. She wouldn’t want to offend and hurt Diana in any way lalo pa at concern at pinapalakas lang ng kapatid ang loob niya. Instead, she smiled at her twin and continued folding her clothes bago isa-isang inilagay ang mga iyon sa drawer. 

“You should get some sleep.” Ang muling sambit ng kakambal bago siya hinila pabalik ng kama. “Today is an eventful day and I’m sure kailangan mo ng pahinga.”

“Why are we so different, Diana?”

Saglit na natigilan ang kakambal niya sa itinanong niyang iyon before flashing her a smile. “You mean I’m not as smart as you?”

Tennyson had rolled her eyes. “Alvin said I’m… psychic. We’re twins so bakit ako naging ganito while you’re… normal. Not that I’m saying na masama. I’m happy you’re normal. I’m just wondering bakit sobrang naging magkaiba tayong dalawa.”

“Well, I guess if we’re both psychics, as what your Alvin has worded it, baka mabaliw na si Papa. We would be quite a handful.” Diana pulled her blanket bago siya kinumutan ng kakambal. Five minutes lang ang tanda nito sa kanya but she had never failed to act her part as the eldest of the Montessa twins. “I’m happy with what I am. And I’m happy na nakilala mo ang Alvin Montemayor na ito to educate you on… some things. Maybe, through him, makikita mo na ang mga sagot na hinahanap mo—na hindi mo makita when you were dealing with this… alone.”

She smiled at Diana. Siguro ay dahil sa kambal silang dalawa kaya naman alam na alam ng kapatid ang pinagdadaanan niya; being the odd one out, the freak of the Montessa family. Even if they had been supportive sa kung anong kaya niya, fact will always remain that she is different from the rest of them. 

A woman with the mind of a murderer. 

Wala sa loob siyang bumaling sa kapatid at itinaas ang kamay; gently caressing her smooth cheek bago unti-unting bumaba iyon sa leeg nito. Diana smiled back at her habang hinahaplos niya ito… and almost instantly, a dark thought passed fleetingly in her mind. She imagined choking her sweet twin. She could almost taste her struggles as she squeezed the life out of her. 

At bago pa man mahalata iyon ng kapatid ay agad na inalis ni Tennyson ang kamay sa leeg ng dalaga. She pulled the blanket up hanggang sa matakpan nito ang kalahati ng mukha niya and sinikap na pasiglahin ang tinig. “I should get some sleep. Tama ka nga. Napakadaming nangyari sa araw na ito and I’m exhausted.”

“Gusto mo bang timplahan kita ng gatas? Or read Ferdinand the Bull?”

Once again, pinaikutan niya ng mga mata ang kapatid. “You baby me too much, Di.”

“Because you are.” Anito bago nagtawa. Inabot nito ang lamp desk at binuksan iyon; the light bulb flickering on and off three times bago tuluyang nagbukas. “I’ll turn the lights off. Get some sleep, it’s an order.”

Tennyson laughed bago tumango. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Good. Good night, Tennyson.”

“Good night, Diana.”

 Diana walked towards the door at bago nito tuluyang isara ang pintuan ng silid niya ay pinihit ang light switch upang patayin iyon. Darkness engulfed her bedroom maliban sa malamlam na ilaw na nanggagaling sa lamp desk niya. She stared at the swirling design of her lamp and allowed herself to be hypnotized by the abstract design of the material.

At habang nakatitig siya doon ay unti-unting lumilitaw si Alvin sa balintataw niya. Tennyson couldn’t seem to get his dark eyes out of her system… ang paraan ng paggalaw nito… the way he stares at her and the movements of his lips. She found herself touching her lower lip na tila ba labi iyon ni Alvin; imagining how his lip—which had a permanent frown in them—would feel underneath her fingers… bago sunod na pinagmasdan ang kamay; the hand that Alvin touched. Twice. 

“Darn it.” 

Iritadong inabot ni Tennyson ang switch ng lamp desk at marahas na hinila iyon upang patayin. But the moment she turned it off ay automatic namang nagbukas ang night light niya; casting off yet another eerie light bouncing on the walls of her bedroom. 

Tennyson slammed her eyes shut at sinikap na matulog. She didn’t want to think about Alvin Montemayor and his enchanting lips and seductive eyes. He was her future superior, for Pete’s sake! She forced herself to count sheeps upang hindi na niya maisip pa ang mukha ni Alvin.

And as soon as she was distracted, sleep quickly and finally took over. 

—

LIKE a hawk, she watches her.

Ng makatiyak na mahimbing ng natutulog ang dalaga ay maingat siyang pumasok sa silid nito gamit ang nakabukas na entrada ng veranda. Her room was dark; illuminated by nothing but the night light sa gilid ng kwarto nito. But she was visible, nonetheless. 

Tahimik niyang nilapitan ang dalaga at tumayo sa paanan ng kama nito; smiling smugly dahil nakakalapit siya dito ng hindi nito namamalayan, not sensing the real danger behind the very frequent visits—and the fact na nalaman niya mula sa pag-uusap nito at ng kakambal nitong tutulong ito sa NBI as an unofficial agent. She was looking forward to that; had been looking forward to that. 

She had always, always wanted to pit herself against Tennyson Montessa; to know who will come out victorious kahit pa alam na niya ang magiging resulta. She was confident of her victory. Though people may view Tennyson as someone who can think and act like a ruthless and cold-blooded killer, nobody knows her terribly fragile she was within. 

And that fragility is a fatal weakness. 

And now, the game between the two of them will finally begin. 

—

AS soon as her classes were over ay dali-daling lumabas ng classroom si Tennyson. 

Graduation is only a few weeks away and she was done and had passed her thesis. Nagko-confirm na lang sila ng grades at iba pang requirements so they can proceed smoothly with the graduation ceremony. She was on her way to her parked car ng mag-ring ang cell phone niya. She got her phone from her jean’s pocket at chineck ang numerong rumerehistro. 

It was from an unknown caller. 

Despite the confusion ay agad niyang sinagot iyon. “Hello?”

“Tennyson, I need you in your campus dormitory in eight minutes.”

Gulat siyang bumaling sa numerong nagfa-flash sa screen bago muling idinikit iyon sa tainga. “A-Alvin?”

“You’ll be helping me today in a case. You’re still in the University, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Good. You have seven minutes to come down here.” Iyon lang at naputol na ang linya. 

Tennyson continued to stare at her blank phone incredulously bago nagmamadaling kinuha ang susi ng sasakyan upang buksan iyon; dumping all her books in the backseat at muling isinara iyon. The campus dormitory is just a seven-minute walk from the main University at nakalaan ang mga iyon primarily sa mga scholar ng unibersidad, sa mga estudyanteng malalayo ang probinsya and lastly, for those who might have a need for it. She would have applied as well ngunit naubusan na siya ng silid kaya naman wala siyang ibang naging pagpipilian kung hindi ang manatili sa kanila. 

When she got to the campus dormitory ay nabigla pa siya sa dami ng mga estudyante at mga police na nagkukumpulan doon. There was even an ambulance and EMTs present in the area. Agad na nangunot ang noo niya. 

What the hell happened here?

She glanced around, hinahanap si Alvin sa kabila ng maraming estudyante ang humaharang sa kanya. She didn’t know kung paano siyang makakapasok sa dorm lalo pa at ilang police officers and University Professors ang nakaharang sa entrada ng dorm at sinisikap na paalisin ang mga estudyanteng nagpupumilit na makapasok sa dorm. She glanced around, looking for Alvin upang humingi ng tulong dito, and was about to go approach an officer upang ipagtanong ang binata when someone grabbed her by her arm. 

Electricity was quick to run from her elbow pataas sa balikat niya to the point na napatalon siya dahil sa kuryenteng nadama niya na kumalat sa buong katawan. It felt as though she wet her hands and idiotically stuck them sa isang outlet. 

Alvin was even quicker ng bawiin nito ang kamay; his dark eyes once again curious and amused yet equally elusive. “Sorry.”

“M-My fault. Nakuryente ako.”

“Yeah. We do produce incredible spark kada magkakalapit tayong dalawa.” Anito sa seryoso ngunit makahulugang tinig bago muling hinila ang braso niya. He raised the yellow police line and pulled her inside bago iniabot sa kanya and isang temporary ID. “That’s your ID. It will give you unlimited access to the crime scene kahit pa hindi mo ako kasama—and the rest of the report if you need to check them.”

Agad niyang ikinabit iyon bago muling nilinga ang binata. Alvin, despite looking darkly handsome under the afternoon light, looked extra grim kaysa huling kita niya dito. “Are you okay?”

“No. Can you handle blood?”

Tennyson was startled by his mood kaya naman hindi na siya nagpatumpik-tumpik pa at nagtanong ng kung ano-ano. 

“Follow me.” Alvin ordered bago siya tinalikuran. Agad niyang sinundan ang binata papasok sa dormitory and towards the stairs kung saan mas madami ang mga police officers and EMTs na nakakalat; talking with occupants of the dorms na mahahalatang mga tensionado. 

Tennyson tasted the air; sensing nothing but strain… shock… fear—absolute fear—and amusement. Mula sa ginagawang pag-akyat sa hagdan ay agad siyang tumigil at hinanap ang pinanggagalingan ng emosyon. If the dormitory is a crime scene, how could someone feel pure enjoyment and amusement sa gitna ng silid? 

It was rousing her suspicion. 

“Tennyson, dito sa itaas.”

“O-Okay.” Setting the feeling aside ay muli niyang sinundan si Alvin sa second floor at sa isa sa mga silid. Nilapitan nito ang isang police officer at itinuro siya. Isang tango ang iginawad nito sa kanya bago umalis mula sa pagkakaharang nito sa silid upang bigyang daan silang dalawa ni Alvin. 

Alvin ushered her inside. 

Isang malalim na paghinga ang ginawa niya bago muling nilapitan ang binata at pumasok sa silid; preparing herself for the worse. But nothing could prepare her for the gruesome. And as soon as nakapasok siya sa silid ay agad din ang ginawa niyang pagtalikod ng makita niya ang nasa kama—or what’s left of it. Agad ang pag-ikot ng sikmura niya the same moment her head started pounding. 

“Tennyson?”

The room started to spin and all the scent present in the air—in the room—na hindi niya naamoy became sharp and visible to the point na tila ba nakikita na niya iyon. Maski ang paningin niya ay nagsimula na ring umikot and before she could even stop things, the darkness consumed her.