Scarper House

4•8 - Popcorn

8 - Popcorn

"Kurt, do you want it?"

"Kurt," I tried to call him but no voice came out from my mouth. Deep inside, I wanted to beg him not to take it. But I felt too ashamed to ask as I stared at him. He's wounded. He's bruised. Just like any of us, he's almost covered by his own blood. And I know, he feels betrayed—at least, that's what his eyes tell me.

"Give me Tracy Alejandro's eyes and it's all yours."

"What?" I heard Wren gasping, shocked by what the voice said.

We were all alarmed. I was scared. But Kurt remained looking at me. He still looked like he was betrayed. He was just serious.

He was... actually thinking about it.

Saint was the first to move among us. He stepped in front of Kurt, blocking me from his vision. "Subukan mo lang, Kurt."

"Pre, 'wag ganito. Hindi ganito," paulit-ulit na sabi naman ni Chad.

"Kurt, please." Wren walked towards him too and held his hand. "Si Trace pa rin 'yan. Kaibigan natin siya—"

"Naririnig mo ba ang sarili mo Wren?!" Kurt screamed as he violently took his hand from Wren. She was forced to step back in great shock. She cried. I felt my eyes sting as well. It's the first time we all saw Kurt that mad.

"Itinuturing mong kaibigan 'yong..." Kurt had to swallow the lump in his throat as he pointed his shaking finger at the screen. "'Yong batang 'yon?!"

I cried again. The way he said that, the way he pointed his finger at that 10 year old girl, damang-dama ko ang pandidiri sa 'kin ng kaibigan ko. Kahit ako, nandidiri sa sarili ko.

Kurt heard my sobs and slowly looked at me. Magsasalita pa lang siya nang harangan ulit ako ni Saint. "Sa 'yo na nanggaling na bata 'yon! Bata lang 'yon! Ano bang—"

"My, my, Santino," the voice interrupted him. "She shouldn't be the only one you care about in my house. You have a family here."

Another door suddenly opened behind us. We were still processing if we're going to go there when Kurt understood what the voice meant.

"Krista!" he said as he rushed towards the door.

We quickly followed him. "Kurt!"

But Krista wasn't there.

The room was almost empty with only a huge popcorn machine in the middle. The inside of the machine was too dark, and because the room was bright, we were able to see our reflections on the glass sides of it.

I was able to see my state for the first time. Bruises and wounds here and there. Dried blood on my left forehead. Fresh blood still dripping from my cheek. I looked like a zombie, I'm surprised I'm still alive. And I'm surprised, I'm not feeling all of them. It's just the mortification that's taking everything in me.

The lights in the room suddenly went out. For a second, we weren't able to see each other. Until the light inside the popcorn machine opened.

And there was a very familiar face inside. She was actually there.

"Anong ginawa n'yo?! Putangina!" Halos magwala si Kurt. Paulit-ulit niyang kinalampag ang salamin ng popcorn machine hanggang sa magkamalay ang babaeng nasa loob. Nakayuko lang siya pero nagsimula na siyang gumalaw. "Krista! Krista!"

"Kurt..." We heard her whisper. Dali-dali rin kaming lumapit.

We thought she's not here with us. We hoped she was able to get out. But, all this time, they have her? She must have been so scared alone.

"Krista?" For the first time, I heard Saint calling her in a calm manner. He looked so worried for her too. Even if they're always on each other's throat, they are still cousins and they care for each other. "Krista?"

"K-Kuya—" Krista seemed to be in a lot of pain, she wasn't able to finish saying Saint's name. She tried to move closer to us and that's when I noticed her skin.

"A-Anong..." Wren couldn't complete her question. She noticed it too, that Krista's skin has a lot of little marks, like freshly healed wounds, the same size as a 25 centavo coin.

Mas nagwala si Kurt nang makita niya rin 'yon. "Anong ginawa ninyo?! Putangina!"

"M-Mainit..."

"Hmm?" I think I heard her saying something while Kurt was screaming. "Krista, it's Ate Tracy," I told her and I hated how the first time we met flashed inside my mind. What for? Wala namang mamamatay, 'di ba? "Naririnig mo ba 'ko?"

"A-Ate Tra...cy..." she said, and I cried. She's Saint's cousin, but to me, she's also a friend. She's that junior who's always in our office. As long as I'm there, she's not going home yet. That's why I was never alone in the Student Council Office. Because Krista will always be sitting on our couch, drinking her favorite canned soda.

She tried to look in my direction, but her eyes were closed. And that's when I saw the same little marks even on her eyelids. What the hell did they do to her?

"Ate... mainit—"

Krista screamed. We all did too.

The marks on her skin are not just wounds. Some psycho buried popcorn kernels in her skin. And the ones on both her eyelids just popped.

"Krista!"

We tried so hard to break the glass. Her screams grew louder with every pop that we hear.

Kurt's hands were already bleeding but not once did he stop punching the machine. Even Saint was doing everything he can. We all did. We're all crying but we didn't stop trying to save her.

"Krista! Putangina!"

I felt so nervous when the pops grew louder. Hindi na lang paisa-isa. Sabay-sabay na sa iba't ibang bahagi ng katawan niya. Ni hindi na namin marinig ang mga iyak ni Krista.

"Krista—" I was trying to call her when we heard one last pop. It was not just a popcorn kernel beneath her skin. It was all of her.

She... her whole body... exploded.

We were left horrified, wide-eyed looking at the popcorn machine. Its clear glasses suddenly became red with Krista's blood, and some remaining parts of her skin and organs.

We weren't able to help her. She died the most painful and cruel way possible.

"Aww. Krista Luis died," the voice said. "Popcorn, anyone?"

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