Chapter 13

Ayashi's POV

Nakarating na ako sa destinasyon kung saan ako patungo, I parked my motorcycle a few meters away from the dormitory. Luminga-linga ako sa paligid upang masiguro na kung may tao ba o wala, it seems like the street isn't that busy today.

Nilagay ko ang earpiece sa tenga ko bago ko tinignan ang screen ng phone ko,  I was immediately connected to the school publication's office. Nakita ko naman agad si Fiona at Phoebe na nakaharap sa screen, si Phoebe ay abala sa pagtitipa ng kung ano sa keyboard.

"Calvin and the others doesn't know what we're going to do, we will get screwed up for sure." Naiiling na usal ni Phoebe, Fiona smiled brightly—she's spreading too much enthusiasm.

"Well, it'll make things more fun you know." Fiona's expression became serious, "All CCTV cameras are already off, I reviewed the blueprint of the dormitory and I figured out that there is a veranda in one of the rooms, pwede ka doon pumasok. It's a vacant room."

Binalingan ni Phoebe si Fiona ng tingin. "Hindi ba naka-lock ang pinto ng veranda?"

"The lock of the veranda is a high tech one so I didn't have any problem in unlocking it."

Luminga-linga muli ako sa aking paligid bago ako umakyat papunta sa bubong ng dormitoryo, may isang veranda doon sa isa sa mga kwarto kaya doon ako pumasok at tama nga ang sinabi ni Fiona na bukas ang pintuan.

I went inside silently before closing the door that connects to the veranda outside, pasimple lang pumasok si Linette na walang kahirap-hirap. Well, being ghost is beneficial. She can walk towards the wall whenever she pleases.

I looked at Linette who is roaming her eyes around the whole room.

"I'll ask you again Linette, who is that bride?" Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata, "Sabihin mo sa akin kung ayaw mong hindi kita tulungan."

Pinaglaruan niya pa ang mga daliri niya na para bang nagdadalawang-isip pa siya kung sasabihin ba niya sa akin o hindi.

"I'm waiting, Linette." I uttered impatiently.

"Look Ayashi, I can't tell you anything about the bride living in this dormitory. She and I agreed that I will not say anything, that you can figure out everything on your own."

"I can't really figure out anything if you won't tell me a single clue," I sighed, "how can I help her if she won't help me?"

As if on cue, the presence inside the room feel really uncomfortable and cold. I suddenly hear the bell ringing and an unknown wedding song was played. Napatampal si Linette sa sariling noo habang hinihintay makapasok sa kwarto ang multong may gawa ng mga kababalaghan na yun.

A bride went inside the room, she is the same ghost bride that I saw a few days ago but unlike before, she doesn't seem scary at all.

"The signal is getting choppy, Ayashi—" I didn't hear the voices of Fiona and Phoebe on my earpiece when the ghost looked at me. 

The signal got jumbled. It seems like this ghost don't want anyone to know that she's here except us.

"I'm really sorry," Linette apologizes before hiding behind my back, "I promise I didn't say anything to Ayashi."

Napameywang ako.

"She didn't say anything yet she keeps on pestering me all around to finish this ruckus you caused." I stare at her directly in her black eyes, "Tell me what I needed to know so that I can be able to help you so that you can finally rest in peace."

The ghost bride started sobbing in front of me, napaluhod siya habang patuloy na humihikbi. I've encountered and seen many ghosts in my life and it's not new to me to see them having a breakdown.

Most of the ghosts that I encountered, they are all stuck in the world for a hundred or even thousand years because there is something left in the world that cannot make them rest in peace. Some cases like they still do not have the justice they deserve or they are still not ready to go to the next door after death.

Umupo ako sa kama na nasa loob ng kwarto, pinagkrus ko ang dalawang bint koi bago muling binalingan ng tingin ang multo.

"We gathered some information about you and the history of this place, you don't need to cry. I just want you to fill in with the missing parts of the story." Malalim akong huminga, "Who is Hannah Pablo?"

While sobbing, the ghost still managed to answer my question.

"I-I'm t-the real S-Shannah Pablo." Nakita ko na naman ang sunog na kalahati ng mukha niya, "Hannah killed me."

Hannah and Shannah, the name seems so much alike to each other. It sounds like they are...

"Hannah and Shannah are twins," sabat ni Linette bago dinaluhan ang babaeng multo, "let me tell the story in behalf of Shannah. She actually still can't get over by what happened to her kahit na ilang dekada na ang lumipas." Linette cleared her throat before she started explaining, "Shannah and Hannah Pablo are twins, Oliver Rogers didn't know about this since Shannah never mentioned her sister to him and even if she ever mentioned Hannah, he will still not gonna meet her since Hannah is one of the most wanted criminals in Zamboanga at that time. Shannah and Oliver were in love, he accepted her with her flaws and he accepts her for who she really is. Shannah knew that Oliver is the one for her and then Oliver proposed to her and then she said yes."

"Then what happened?"

"On the day of the wedding, Hannah, Shannah's twin sister, showed up in front of her door while saying that she loves Oliver and she wanted to be with him. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin sa mga oras na yun dahil armado si Hannah. Tinutukan siya nito ng baril, Shannah knew that she has to fight so..." Linette took a deep breath, "...so Shannah objected in her sister's request. This pissed Hannah off so she pulled the trigger and killed her twin sister, Shannah."

I scoffed upon I slowly understood everything.

Tumingin ako sa babaeng multo na nagngangalang Shannah.

"Let me get this straight, Hannah pretended to be you at the wedding and hid your body inside the hotel? Or more likely, she buried you there. And the reason why Olivia keeps on seeing you because you wanted Oliver to know the whole truth." Napapalakpak ako sa sarili na parang tanga, "Oliver got married to Hannah who was pretending to be you."

Shannah nodded while wiping her tears away.

"But Shannah, I still don't understand. Bakit ka nagpaparamdam sa mga nakatira sa dormitoryo?" I crossed my arms, "Please, don't get me wrong, I completely understand the pain you're feeling upon the tragedy that happened to you but you don't need to scare people off."

Shannah stood up before she pointed outside the window.

"There is more to it, Ayashi." Napatingin ako sa daliri niyang nakaturo sa labas, "Every 12 and 3 in the morning, there are people who are digging holes outside. I'm trying to wake them up to alarm them about what happened, it wasn't my intention to scare them." Nakatungo nitong pagpapaliwanag.

Digging holes outside? Then that might be the hidden explanation why there is a shovel full of dirt that I saw inside the dorm when we came here to investigate.

"Shannah, can you make the signal normal?" She nodded upon my request, after a few seconds, the connection started working again. Narinig ko naman ang sunod-sunod na mura ni Phoebe sa kabilang linya.

"Fuck it Yamamoto, are you still alive? If not, then we'll go there ASAP." Boses yun ni Phoebe na tila ba galit at inis na.

"Gee, Ayashi are you still there? Should we come over now? Are you in trouble?" It's Fiona.

"No girls, I'm fine." I uttered that made them relieved.

"I was scared there for a moment, I thought you are already a goner." Said Phoebe.

I chuckled. "Oh well, I'm completely fine. Anyways, Fiona I need you to access the CCTV footages from two weeks ago."

"There are so many CCTV cameras in the dorm, which one will you like me to access?" Bago ko sinagot ang tanong ni Fiona ay tinignan ko muna si Shannah, tiyak akong naririnig niya ang pinag-uusapan namin ng mga kasamahan ko.

"Near the garden..." she said softly.

"Near the garden, Fiona."

Ilang segundo ang lumipas bago nagsalita si Fiona.

"Two weeks ago, may isang CCTV footage na medyo kahina-hinala. Some of the footages between 12 in the midnight and 3 in the morning are deleted." I heard her huffed, "But it seems like The Eye have some spare video. I'll send it to you right away."

Ilang minuto ang lumipas ay may video agad na sinend sa akin si Fiona, I played the video at nakita ko agad ang mga armadong tao na naghuhukay sa garden.

Those people seem so familiar to me, especially that guy who is wearing a tuxedo while smoking. That guy can't be the same guy who attacked Calvin and I, right?