GAME OF THE DEVIL

CHAPTER 3

"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"--

Merely this and nothing more."

The thunder outside her room boomed jolting her awake, making her instantly sit up straight on her bed while trying to catch her breath. Napahawak siya sa kaniyang dibdib, feeling her heart hammering in her chest eratically. The rain continued to heavily pour down outside. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, slightly illuminated by the low white lights streaming through her window and saw that it was still three in the morning.

Nanginginig ang hiningang naikuyom niya ang kamay sa itaas ng kaniyang dibdib, as if she could still feel the heavy weight brought upon by her own decisions.

She turned to look at the heavy raindrops sliding through her windowpane, the rain reminding her of what happened last night.

Last night... What happened last night?

She remembers encountering him... but all she could remember was his smirking shadowy figure then after that, she was left all alone lying on the cobblestone pathway with the cold rain pouring down on her. Then someone walking by saw and called help for her.

That was all she could remember.

What did they talk about? Did she successfully make a deal with him? What's going to happen now?

She's lost.

Marahan niyang isinuklay ang buhok paalis sa mukha niya gamit ang mga daliri. Wait... did she actually meet him?

Why doesn't it all feel real? Why does he feel like a mirage? Just a dream? Could it all be just a dream?

No... she can still feel his weight on top of him. The way he pressed her chest and neck as if to suffocate her more. And the way he played with her mind, slowly pushing her into the brink of insanity. And the way he bit and lick her cheek...

The feeling is still there.

But why can't she clearly remember all of it?

She knows it happened. She successfully made a deal with him... right?

Her eye twitched when she felt her head ached. She massaged her temple using her fingers, trying to relieve the pain but she's not sure about what she's feeling anymore.

Is she actually feeling pain? Why does it feel like...

Her fingers trailed down to the bridge of her nose, then to her mouth. She then, covered her mouth when her stomach started to feel weird, as if it's about to push everything she ate out of her mouth— and she doesn't even remember eating dinner.

*TAK* *TAK*

She flinched back to reality when she heard noises coming by the window. Paglingon niya sa bintana ay noong una, wala siyang ibang nakitang kakaiba kundi ang mabibigat na patak ng ulan sa salamin at anino ng mga apartment building sa kabilang bahagi ng kalsada sa ilalim ng madilim na kalangitan.

*TAK* *TAK*

But when she took a closer look, from the corner of the window, her heart almost jumped out of her ribcage when she saw a silhouette of what seemed to be a head of a bird, bobbing its head from one side to the other.