(Yours Series # 5) Always Yours (COMPLETED)

Chapter 08

Chapter 08

"Ready?" Chester asked nung makabili na kami ng ticket. Tumango ako sa kanya. Nauna siyang maglakad sa akin—like he wanted to check first if may mananakot ba sa amin. But I wanted to walk side by side! Para makakapit agad ako in case may manakot.

"Dito ka sa likod ko," sabi niya nung bilisan ko iyong paglalakad para sabay kami.

Instead, I gave him a shrug. "I mean... what's the point of us going inside if magtatago lang ako, right?"

Bahagyang kumunot iyong noo niya. "Right..." sabi niya na para bang sang-ayon siya sa sinabi ko.

Hindi pa kami nakakapasok sa loob ay nakarinig na agad kami ng sigaw. Great! At least it wouldn't be weird if bigla akong kumapit sa kanya. Magiging sobra-sobrang halata kasi if kakapit ako sa kanya kahit wala namang nananakot. Like, even in my standards, that would be too much. I mean, people tell me that sometimes, I am shameless, but I don't think I can get out of this one, if ever.

"Ready?" he asked again nung papasok na kami.

I nodded. "Affirmative," I replied.

Pagpasok namin sa loob, hindi naman ako natakot. I didn't know if it was because somewhere inside my brain, naaalala ko iyong pananakot ni Iñigo dito or what, but I wasn't scared at all! Nakatingin lang ako kay Chester na tahimik na naglalakad sa loob. He didn't look scared at all—mas mukha siyang bata na nasa loob ng museum na tumitingin lang sa paligid.

"Boring ba?" I asked nung medyo nasa gitna na kami. Three people tried to scare us na, but to no avail!

He shrugged. "Mas nakakatakot 'yung mga multo sa hospital."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"Hindi ka pa nakakita?"

"Wala namang multo," I told him. "Maybe kulang ka lang sa tulog nun?"

Umiling siya. "Kakagising ko lang nun."

"Maybe you were sleepwalking?"

"Kagaya nung ginawa mo nung akala mo nasa panaginip mo ako?" he asked. It was dark inside kaya hindi ko makita iyong reaksyon sa face niya if he was joking or what! But knowing what I know about him? If joke man 'to, sure na deadpan lang naman ang itsura niya.

"Yeah..." I replied, I mean, I already told him that lie, so might as well sell it, noh!

He shrugged again. "No, pretty sure multo 'yung nakita ko."

"Fine," I said. "Kailan mo nakita 'yung 'multo' na 'to?" I asked, using air quotes doon sa multo. Ilang taon na ako sa hospital, never naman ako nakakita ng multo! Or maybe ayaw lang nila magpakita sa akin? But if that's the case... then, rude!

"It was around 3AM in the elevator," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "This sounds like a movie script."

He shrugged. "Hindi ko kasalanan na parang pelikula ang buhay ko," sabi niya. Ang seryoso ng tono ng boses niya! It's so hard to decipher when he's joking or not, but since he's Chester, I'd err on the safe side and think that he's indeed joking.

"Fine," I said. "What happened next?"

"Tinatanong niya sa akin kung saan iyong Room 718," he replied.

"Then?"

"Nagpapasama siya sa akin kasi kanina pa raw siya paikut-ikot pero hindi niya mahanap."

"Sinamahan mo?"

He nodded. "It was 3AM. I had nothing better to do."

I wanted to ask him that if he had nothing better to do at three in the morning, kung bakit hindi na lang siyang umuwi? But I figured maybe he's in a duty. Besides, this... felt nice. It felt nice that he was opening up to me kahit horror story iyong sinasabi niya. I didn't want to disrupt a moment by asking something so personal. He'd tell me if he wanted to. I didn't want to intrude too much.