Chapter 9

Ayashi's POV

"Ayashi, you good? Bakit nandiyan ka sa kitchen sink?" Calvin asked.

"Nothing." I smiled, "I was about to get Fiona a glass of water but it seems like she's fine now."

"Balik na tayo sa office."

"Sure."

"Comeback again," Atashia waved her hands at us. The door was finally locked again before it got replaced by a plain white wall. Calvin is still accompanying Fiona since she's still feeling dizzy.

"Punta lang muna kami sa clinic, Phoebe. I'll message you guys later. Fiona will get better, I hope."

"I told you, I'm Fiona and I'm fine."

"That still doesn't makes sense, now shoo, bring that sick girl to the infirmary."

Calvin and Fiona left the office just a few seconds after the student council president showed up unannounced. Giovanni looked at Phoebe as he started talking, he didn't seem to notice me.

"Did you happen to know where Kaitlyn Ortega is?" He asked politely, kinunotan siya ng noo ni Phoebe.

"Nope, the school publication is for writing purposes and not a lost and found office." May halong sarkasmo ang boses niya.

"I'm not here for jokes Ms. Vaillant. Kaitlyn Ortega was issued missing just now, her parents failed to contact their daughter." His jaw clenched, "And as the president of the student council, I should do something to help out."

"Giovanni, it's the job of the police officers. That is already out of your obligation."

"Ms. Vaillant, you don't understand—"

"You don't need to help if you can't, it's out of your line of work." I pat Giovanni's shoulder, "See you later, Phoebe."

"Do you have something to do with the missing of her existence?" Giovanni asked, he's furious.

"If we're still dealing with Linette's case, I'll gladly cut her throat because I'm mad at her but since I'm currently the student Ayashi so I won't do something like that. I can easily kill her if I want, kidnapping her won't cover up the wound that was caused by her betrayal." I looked back at him, "My, my, is my savior doubting me now? If so, did you regret saving my life?"

He didn't answer but he's looking at me intently.

"Now, excuse me. I have still something to do." I said before I walked away.

Why would I kidnap Kaitlyn? I have no agenda for doing that. Maybe she felt guilty? Or maybe she was haunted by her thoughts. Who knows...

...maybe she is dead right now.

Why is he even curious about that woman? Will Kaitlyn feed him? Does that woman mean the whole world to him? Psh, pathetic.

My morning classes went smoothly, it cannot be avoided to hear from them about Kaitlyn about how her parents were worried, about how or what's her reason for running away—if she ever did run away.

My phone vibrated on my pocket, I took my phone before I looked at the message on the screen.

From: Calvin the chismoso

Ayashi, punta ka dito sa infirmary. 

Received 12:35PM

I went to the clinic and I quickly saw Phoebe who was talking with somebody on the phone.

"What? Thalia is having tantrums again?" Napatampal siya sa sariling noo, "I told you na huwag mo siyang pakainin kung bagong gising lang siya. Well, I can't go home right at this instant dahil may ginagawa pa kami sa school. Fine, fine, I'll call mom so that she can feed Thalia."

Her phone call ended before she sighed heavily, nakita naman niya agad ako.

"Oh, nandito ka na. Pasok na tayo sa loob." She said before she walked inside.

Pumasok ako sa loob ng infirmary at nadatnan ko agad si Fiona na kakagising lang, she happily waved her hands at me pero natigilan din siya saglit nang napadako ang mga mata niya sa likod ko.

"Fiona, ayos ka lang ba?" Kunot noo kong tanong na nagpabalik sa kanya sa ulirat.

Naiilang siyang tumawa. “Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I thought I-I saw something." 

Tumingin ako sa kamay niya at napansin kong nanginginig siya. Why is she trembling?

Sinigurado muna ni Phoebe na umalis muna saglit ang school nurse bago siya nagsalita.

"We'll leave the school this afternoon, pupuntahan natin yung dormitory."

"How about Fiona? I'm sure she's still not feeling well—"

"Ano ka ba, Calvin. Ayos lang kaya ako, gutom lang siguro yung kanina kasi hindi ako nakapag-almusal pero ayos lang talaga ako." She stood up, "Alis na tayo para maaga tayong makauwi."

"Sure, the car is waiting outside."

"How about our classes?" I asked.

"Nagpasa na kami ng excuse letter sa principal," Calvin stated.

"And what excuse is that?"

"That the school publication has to interview the mayor for the school paper." 

"You guys know how to make excuses."

"Let's go."

Nagsilabasan silang tatlo akmang lalabas na rin sana ako nang may naramdaman akong para bang may nakatingin sa gawi namin, I glanced at the window but I only saw a woman's shadow. A moment after that, I saw Linette passing by on the window, she looked at me sadly before she started walking away again.

What...

"Ayashi! Tara na!"

Linette, what are you trying to tell me?

"Yeah, I'm coming."

The ride from the school to the dormitory took almost an hour, medyo malayo-layo ang dormitory sa siyudad, base on the houses that I saw—there are only a few people who lives in the area.

The car stopped in front of a white gate and there is also a middle aged woman standing next to it, she must be the one who is in charge of taking care of this dormitory. Lumabas kaming apat sa kotse, the woman quickly greeted us.

"Kayo na ba yung mag-iimbestiga sa loob ng dormitory?" Magalang niyang tanong.

"Opo."

"Oh siya sige, pumasok muna kayo."

Calvin and Phoebe are the ones who take the lead, I was about to go inside when I noticed that Fiona is somehow trembling—she's pale.

"If you don't feel fine, you can just stay at the car." She diverted her gaze at me, "You seem..."

"S-Seem w-what?"

"...afraid." Natigilan siya, I looked at the whole dormitory. "Something is wrong with the dorm but something is even wrong with you."

"Ayashi, I'm fine."

"I don't know," I looked at her and her attention is on the presence on my back, "you're actually looking at my back. Is someone behind me?"

She immediately shook her head.

"Okay then, we should go inside."

"Y-Yeah."

Pumasok kami sa loob ng dormitory at masasabi kong maayos naman ang mga furnitures sa loob, everything is in good shape. I noticed that only few people goes outside, some resident in the dormitory just locked themselves in their room.

"Some strange things has been happening lately that made some of the people leave this dorm, sabi nila ay may naririnig raw silang tunog ng kampana tuwing alas dose at alas tres ng madaling araw, may nagpapatugtog pa raw na wedding song tapos may naririnig silang hikbi gabi-gabi." Pagpapaliwanag ng mayordoma, “Hindi ko minsan napapansin ang mga ganon kasi hindi naman ako dito natutulog, may bahay kasi ako sa siyudad kaya umuuwi ako araw-araw."

While they are busy having conversation, I decided to start walking around. The dorm has four floors at first hindi mo aakalaing dorm siya dahil sobrang gara ng disenyo, narinig ko na konti lang ang babayaran kung magdodorm ka rito kaya siguro maraming nagdodorm kuno dito dahil maganda naman yung offer. Kayang-kaya na yung babayaran tapos maganda pa at maayos.

"Shoot," mahina kong daing nang tumama ang paa ko sa isang clay pot na may nakatanim na halaman. May napansin naman akong pala sa likod ng halaman.

I noticed that the tool was just used recently. I looked back when I feel Calvin's presence.

"Huwag kang pagala-gala, Ayashi. Baka sumulpot bigla yung multong tinutukoy nila tapos lamunin ka ng buhay." Pinitik ko siya sa noo dahil sa mga kabalbalang lumalabas sa bibig niya.

"Nakita ko nga kaluluwa ni Linette, nilamon niya ba ako?" Umiling-iling ako, "Tara na nga."

"Legit ba yan, Ayashi? Nakita mo kaluluwa ni Linette?"

I just shrugged my shoulders as I followed Phoebe and the others, we then stopped in front of a room—the only thing that caught my attention inside the room is the wedding dress that was hanged on the wall and beside it is a huge mirror.

"What's that dress?" Bigla kong tanong na naging dahilan upang mapatingin sila sa akin.

"Oh, yan? Yan yung wedding dress na tinahi ng asawa ni Mr. Rogers noong nakatayo pa ang hotel rito, yan lang yung nakasurvive sa sunog na nangyari dati. Hindi yan pinapasunog ng may-ari ng lupa dahil naging heirloom na daw yan ng pamilya." She explained thoroughly.

Shannah Pablo is Mr. Rogers wife, that article we read earlier has some facts with it.

I looked at the wedding dress carefully. It is well made, malinis at maganda. I wonder why—

"Where is Fiona? Parang kanina lang ay nandito siya sa tabi natin ah." Calvin said that pulled me out from my thoughts.

"Yeah, where is she?" Tanong rin ni Phoebe.

I was about to answer when we heard someone screaming on the second floor.

"Shit, that's Fiona!!" Agad-agad silang nagsitakbuhan papunta sa ikalawang palapag, akmang pupunta sana ako sa gawi nila nang napansin kong hindi gumagalaw ang mga paa ko.

What the hell is wrong...

"That should be me..." I feel goosebumps as I heard a woman's voice.

Hindi ko sinasadyang mapatingin sa salamin at may nakita akong babaeng nakalutang na nakasuot ng wedding dress, may hawak siyang bulaklak at ang balat niya ay sunog.

Instead of being afraid, I saw Linette behind the woman.

"Tell me, who are you?"

She looked at me and I was immediately creep out.

"Hannah." Tangi niyang sambit bago siya lumayo habang nakalutang pa rin sa hangin.

Hannah? Who the hell is Hannah?

I sighed before I ran towards the second floor and then I saw Fiona's unconscious body on the floor, base on her expression—she seemed to have seen something that made her feel scared.

Calvin quickly carried her on his arms.

"Calvin, you should bring her to the car. Ayashi and I will continue looking at the place."

"Yeah," Calvin is worried.

"Pwede muna siya magpahinga sa isa sa mga bakanteng kwarto dito."

"That would be great, thanks."

Calvin went upstairs, dinaluhan naman siya ng mayordoma upang bahagyang tulungan.

Phoebe looked at me.

"If you want, I can look over here—"

"You should go to the fourth floor, I'm okay searching here."

"If you say so."

Phoebe left and I was left here all alone.

Fiona won't scream and faint like that if she didn't see something. Something that would scare her out.

Kinuha ko ang maliit na papel na kinuha ko kanina sa kitchen sink ng headquarters ng school pub.

I looked at the remaining powder that was left on the paper.

If this has something to do with Fiona's sudden scream, then I'm positive that the same people who meddle with Linette's case is also after us.

Or more like, they are making us as their experiment.

I took my phone from my pocket before I called someone's number.

"This better be good, Vixen. I still have to do something."

"I need you to investigate this substance for me. Find out what is it made of and the effects of it."

"I'm not your slave, Yamamoto—"

"But as part of the organization, it is your job right?" I rolled my eyes, "Be at school tomorrow, I'll hand it to you."

"Is it that important?"

I looked at the small paper.

"Just bring your ass at the school tomorrow, Cooper."