No Escape Series #2: No Resolve

Chapter 01: Twelve OʼClock At Night

TWELVE OʼCLOCK AT NIGHT

Time had passed since a woman could update again from her notepad. Using her laptop, she was typing something as if she were writing a story, a novel, or some kind of essay. Natigilan siya nang mapansin niyang tumunog ang kaniyang phone, pero tiningnan niya lang ito at hindi binuksan ang text message galing sa kaniyang kaibigan.

She noticed the time; it was nine oʼclock in the evening, and she didnʼt even feel sleepy. Wearing her eyeglasses, her eyes were still focused on the laptop, and she was concentrating on what she was doing. After a while, her phone rang, and out of annoyance, she answered the call. “What?” sabi niya at napasandal sa kaniyang inuupuan.

“Alam kong gising ka pa. Pasensya ka na kung naka-istorbo pa ako, Rhian. What are you doing?” She heard a manʼs voice on the line. She thought it was her female friend calling; she didnʼt notice the name.

“Uh, pasensya na, akala ko kasi...”

“Nagsusulat ka pa ba? I told you that you donʼt have to rush it. Wala namang deadline ang collaboration series natin,” sabi ng lalaki.

“Duh! May susunod pa kaya akong story na gagawin, hindi lang ito, at saka... malapit naman na matapos ang collab natin, nang sa gayon ay makapagfocus na tayo sa sarili nating work,” sagot niya habang nagpapatuloy sa pagt-type sa kaniyang laptop.

“Ayaw mo ba ulit akong maka-collab kung sakali mang makaisip ako ng panibagong plot?”

“Hm, I donʼt think so. Alam mo namang ayaw kong masyadong romance ang content, napaka-R-18 nito!” Narinig naman niyang tumawa ang lalaki sa kabilang linya.

“Oh, siya, sige. Sulat well na lang. Tumawag ako para mag-goodnight.”

“Echos mo naman, Greg! Fine, goodnight.” She immediately put down the phone when the line was completely cut. She just shook her head, then sighed, returned her attention to the laptop, and continued writing.

Ito lang palagi ang kaniyang pampalipas ng oras. Malapit na siyang grumaduate ng college sa kursong Cinematography. Siya na lang ang naiwan sa Pilipinas, habang ang kaniyang ama naman ay mahigit anim na taon nang nasa Russia. When she was young, she loved to travel around the country, but now that she has stayed here in the Philippines, she doesnʼt want to leave, as if she were born here.

Her mother is a Filipino-British, and her father is a pure Russian; thatʼs why sheʼs Rhian Desirae Garcia Luther y Gorbachev, an anonymous and underrated author by the name “Rhian Luther,” who dreams of having her own book with her own effort and perseverance. No matter what kind of life a person like her has, she will never abandon what she started.

At around twelve oʼclock in the morning, she didnʼt expect to be able to fall asleep while sitting on the couch and still in the living area. Nagising na lamang siya nang marinig niyang may nag-away na pusa. Ini-unat niya muna ang kaniyang kamay bago tumayo para tingnan iyon, pero wala naman siyang nakita nang sumilip siya sa bintana.

Bumalik siya sa living area, niligpit ang mga gamit at dinala ang kaniyang laptop paakyat sa taas. At for that time, pumasok na siya sa loob ng kaniyang kuwarto at isinarado ng mabuti ang pintuan. Inilapag ang kaniyang mga gamit sa ibabaw ng mesa. There was a strong wind, and she felt a strange coldness enveloping her room, but she immediately noticed that the door to her terrace was open.

She walked closer to it and first looked outside, seeing that it was very dark all around, except for the street lights that were outside the gate of her house. Itʼs the third day sheʼs been home here, and sheʼs always with her friends at the boarding house.

Napatungo na lamang siya at handa na naman niyang lumisan bukas para bumalik sa boarding house dahil may pasok na siya sa lunes. She closed the door to the terrace but opened the curtain a little so that she could still see outside. Tuluyan na siyang humiga sa kama at sinubukang pumikit para makatulog, pero hindi tulad ng kanina, madali siyang nakaidlip agad.

Hindi na ito bago sa kaniya. Often she develops sleep paralysis for inexplicable reasons. Simula nang tumuloy siya sa boarding house kasama ng kaniyang mga kaibigan at kaklase, hindi siya makatulog ng maayos lalo paʼt hindi siya sanay na mayroong ibang kasama sa kuwarto; pero ngayong wala, she couldnʼt understand why she felt like he had someone with her.

Hindi siya mapakali sa kaniyang kinahihigaan, kung ano-anong posisyon na ang kaniyang ginawa, pero hindi pa rin siya tinatablan ng antok kahit pa pinipilit niya ang sarili niyang matulog. “Every time itʼs twelve oʼclock at night, this is what happens to me. Whatʼs going on?” tanong niya sa kaniyang sarili, pero maski siya, hindi niya masagot ang sariling katanungan.

Isinawalang bahala na lamang niya ang mga naiisip niya. Baka gawa-gawa lang ng kaniyang ilusyon ang mga iyon lalo paʼt isa siyang writer na mahilig mag-isip ng kung ano-anong bagay. The morning came, and when she woke up, she immediately arranged the things she needed to take back to the boarding house.

Tinawagan siya ng kaniyang kaibigan at sinabing mas agahan ang pagbabalik doon dahil may kailangan pa silang i-review for exam, dagdag pa ang short film nila na hindi pa natatapos ay kailangan nang tapusin ngayong araw. It will be submitted tomorrow, especially since thatʼs the exact date of the deadline. Thatʼs exactly what Rhian did; she brought other important things. Sumakay siya ng bus at taxi for commute, at nang tuluyan na siyang makababa sa exact location, sheʼs now in front of the boarding house and it can be said that the building is very creepy.

She had no choice but to live in this kind of boarding house. Tumingala siya sa kaitaasan nito at napansin na lamang niya na tinatanaw pala siya ng kaniyang mga kaibigan. Kumakaway ang mga ito sa kaniya kaya naman, bahagya siyang napangiti at naglakad na lang papasok sa loob. “Nakapag-review na ako simula nang makauwi ako sa bahay. Ang tanging iintindihin ko na lang ngayon ay ang tungkol sa short film,” sabi ni Rhian. “Madali na lang iyon, pero dapat kabisado na ninyo ang mga lines ninyo.”

“Naku dzai, hindi na nga mawala sa utak namin ang mga lines kaya kating-kati na kaming mag-shoot,” sabi ng isa niyang kaibigan na si Nikki. “Napakasipag mo naman kung ganoon. Sana all, nakapag-review na.”

“Huwag niyo na nga tuksuhin si Rhian. Baka naaalala ninyong writer ʼyan,” sabi naman ng isang lalaki nilang kaibigan na si Lance. “Matalino, kayang-kaya ang lahat ng gawain, kaya nga sa short film natin, siya na ang scriptwriter natin eh.”

“Itigil niyo na ang chismisan. Walang kapupuntahan ito kung tutunganga na lang tayo rito,” sabi ni Rhian kaya naman nakunsinte niya ang kaniyang mga kaibigan.

They quickly packed the things they would take to the location to shoot a short film. Rhian holds the script, and they just need to finish the last part. Since they had a short film project, she immediately wrote a plot and outline titled “Nothing Will Escape,” while her other friends held the cameras and made sure everything was in order.

“Letʼs go? Maayos na ba ang lahat?” tanong ni Rhian sa mga ito. Tumingin ang iba sa kaniya saka tumango. Lumabas naman ang iba dala ang mga gamit na kailangan nilang dalhin. Nang makababa sila, agad na sumakay ang isa nilang kaibigan sa van to lead the way kung saang lokasyon ang kanilang napag-usapan. “Sinigurado ko na ang location natin. Medyo malayo-layo nga lang kung sa tutuusin,” sabi ni Jennifer; isa nilang kaklase na nagma-manage ng location para sa shoot.

They all have their respective positions for casting a film: producers, directors, artists, and set designers, but they all do it at the same time, as if they donʼt need to declare a position to each person. They can all manage their short films, and they can all direct their own so as not to confuse everyone—sa madaling salita, nagtutulungan silang lahat.