Chapter 3: Weirded Out

"AREN'T you still finished, 'tol?" Mijo whined, scratching his forehead.

It was seven o'clock in the evening, sky was dark, crickets could be heard and Flute's torch as well as their phones served as light.

They are circling around the torch. Flute, holding the piece of paper they found at the door, and Black beside him with a notepad and pen. Both of them are trying to solve something, which they thought is a riddle that is written on that piece of paper.

"Uwing-uwi na 'ko," Mijo whispered and looked at Era who sat beside him, holding a stick and writing random names on the soil.

He stared at her and creased his forehead for a few seconds. "The sun is out, why are you still wearing your sunglasses, babyloves?" he asked.

Era stopped on what she's doing for a while, but she chose not to answer him and resumed writing on the dried soil.

He shrugged his shoulders when Era didn't answer. The remaining girls, Ela, who has her phone and airpods rests her head on Era's shoulder comfortably, faced Yuri who sleeps comfortably on the sleeping mat she have.

Mijo shuffled his hair frustratingly. "It's almost 8 o'clock, mga 'tol. I'm doomed! For sure, father will held a mass in front of me when I get home!" he said jokingly, and laughed. He was annoyed as hell, but he doesn't want them to have a bad impression on him, so he tried his best to calm himself and cussed hard in his mind. 

All their heads, except Ela, turned to Yuri when they heard her cuss really hard and loud in Tagalog.

She sat up from lying and scratched his head irritatingly with her brows furrowed. "Hoy Mijo! You're too loud, do you know that?! I'm sleeping, can't you see? Put—" She shook her head and prevented herself from cussing again. She sighed and cussed again at the back of her mind. She stood up and folded her sleeping mat.

When she already fixed it, she approached Black and Flute. She grabbed the paper from Flute and read what's written on it. It took her few minutes before her lips twitched.

The others seemed to go back to their senses, hearing her curse once again.

Mijo bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "Why? You also don't get it, do you? We're both stupid, 'tol! " he joked, and laughed, but Yuri just raised her middle finger at him.

"It's just you."

She turned her gaze to the remaining guys. "Binary of letter U, please?"

"Uppercase?" Black asked.

Yuri just shrugged, "I don't know. Try it."

Black faced his tablet and typed something. "01010101."

Yuri grabbed Flute's torch and went near the door. The others followed her, even Ela who already took her airpod off her ears. Yuri tried the code.

Black's jaw almost dropped when it beeped and the door opened. "Jinjja? At the end, ask yourself, my friend. Here's a clue, who are you?" he cited the riddle. "I nearly drained my brain thinking and the answer is just U?" His mouth gaped open, unable to process things.

Flute, on the other hand, smiled maliciously. Itinapat niya ang bibig niya sa tenga ni Black. "Double meaning, eh?" he whispered and almost laughed when he saw how his friend's small eyes got wide and seemed horrified.

"WHAT'S with the sudden meet up?" bungad ni Ela nang makarating sa lugar kung saan sila nagkita-kita noong nakaraang linggo.

They successfully opened the door and behind that is a house. A normal house as it may seem except that it's secured with a binary door lock. Like any other simple houses, it has a living room, kitchen area, and a comfort room. It has no bedroom, though.

She rolled her eyes when no one answered her. Exhausted from her date with Win, she sat on the sofa where the others are sitting. With her back rested, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep.

Everyone looked gloomy. The headquarters fell silent. Almost all of them were seemed to have their minds flying somewhere, excluding Ela and Yuri who listens to music on her phone.

Flute was the one to break the silence. He cleared his throat and asked, "Aside from me and Black, is there anyone else who experienced some strange things these past few days?"

Ela's brows met, but she remained to close her eyes and listened to their conversation.

Mijo gulped and became uneasy. He looked at Flute. "What... what do you mean by... strange things?" he asked. He has a feeling that he knew what this meeting would be all about. He quickly turned his gaze to the carpet when Flute looked back at him. 

"Like something unexplainable. Something that a normal person shouldn't be experiencing."

He gained everyone's attention with what he said. Yuri took off her earphones. In Ela's mind, she's thinking that Flute is talking nonsense. She almost laughed. Luckily, she was able to prevent herself from doing so. She continued pretending being asleep with a small smile on her face.

Minutes of silence came between them when Era spoke. All eyes were on her.

"A week before we met you..." she started. Ela's smile faded and opened her eyes. There, she would be dropping the reason why she's been out those time, finally!

Era bowed her head down and took her shades off. She was about to raise her head, but fear ate her, so she just put her shades back and remained her head bowed low. She closed her eyes when she reminisced about what happened that day.

Loud music and noise from people greeted her as she entered the bar. The atmosphere is so lively which she loved the most.

"Era!"

She smiled widely when she saw Hyra waving at her. When she reached the table, she hit her head.

"Bitch, Ela's in a bad mood after you woke her up!" she scolded her friend who just laughed at her.

"Pero seriously, you should stop it. You actually become a way for the lovers to bond more. Insulting you became their bonding," she added, shaking her head lightly. 

Hyra just shrugged her shoulders and hit her arm. "Who's your date today? You flirty little creature!" she joked. Era's eyes widened and roamed her eyes around the bar. The place is filled with people and the light is dim. Only the party lights makes it colorful. Now, she doesn't know how could she find her date.

It didn't take too long when her date called, telling her to go to table 16 where he sat. She immediately bid goodbye to Hyra and started  to find the table.

When she found it, she was surprised to see who the person is. "Jake?"

He's the least person she wanted to date. She's scared of him because from the issues she heard, the last girlfriend he had got physically abused when she tried to break up with him. He's possessive which she didn't like at all. That's suffocating, and will never be acceptable.

Jake's eyes beamed when he saw her. "Era." He stood up and greet her with a smile.

She felt uneasy. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She was about to leave when he grabbed her arm. She got chills when she felt his skin touched hers.

"We still have a date," he said with a serious face.

Era tried to shove his hand away, but he held it more tightly.

'Shia, it hurts,' Era thought at the back of her mind.

She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fist. When she opened her eyes, she looked straight at Jake's eyes. "You're crazy, you should let go of my arm," she said with authority.

Her eyes widened when his grip loosen until he finally let her go. His eyes became sleepy. Then he smiled. Tears started to fall from his eyes, and cried loudly. He then laughed loudly. The scene was horrifying! He's continued the routine, sleepy eyes, smiling, crying, laughing! Like he completely lost his mind!

Era was stunned. She blinked her eyes. Her heart started to beat fast. She can't believe what she's seeing. Her eyes started to become clouded with tears. Everything is hard to process. Her knees were trembling, hands shaking. She was weakened. She fell on the floor, sitting, staring at Jake.

What have she done?

She doesn't know what to think, thoughts started to crumble inside her mind that she just found herself losing conciousness.

"I woke up in Hyra's room the same day. Everything was still fresh from my memory. I went home alone thinking I was crazy. I'm a criminal. I'm... I'm—"

"Stop it!" Ela can't help but to burst out. She can't believe her sister could be delusional and make up a shitty story like that! She stood up and gave her sister a disappointed look.

"Have you gone crazy? You made me and Dad worried and this bullshit is what you're telling me?!" No words can explain how irritated she is. She's frustrated hearing her sister's story.

She sighed and calmed herself when she felt that she might've over-reacted. She turned at her sister with a challenging look. "Hypnotize me, then."

Era remained to bow her head down. She gulped. She battled with herself if she would do it or not. She have no choice, though. She wants to prove herself. She raised her head. She closed her eyes for a while and when she opened it, she took her shades off.

She stared at her sister's eyes and Ela stared back. She heaved a sigh. "Believe me."

Few seconds have passed when Ela just rolled her eyes.

Her forehead creased, confusion written all over her face. "I don't understand. This is exactly what I did before Jake went cra—"

Ela raised her left hand. "Just stop. Nothing happened to me. Stop blabbering nonsense. It's not funny at all."

"But—"

Ela had enough. "Stop lying, Zaye Eranice!"

"She's not lying."

Everyone turned their heads to Mijo when he spoke up.

Ela crossed her arms and raised her left brow. "How can you say so?"

"I can smell it."

💜