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"Ano? Sleepwalker syndrome?" Kuya Vito scoffed. He sounded like he was calling bullshit, but all I could see in his face was utter fear and confusion. "Gil, naririnig mo ba ang sinasabi mo?!"
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's already happening!" giit naman ni Gil na seryoso sa bawat salitang binibitiwan. "Eksaktong-eksakto sa mga files na 'yon ang nangyayari ngayon!"
In the middle of their argument, I suddenly remembered what Clark told me when we met at the cathedral to talk about what happened to Pia's dad.
"He wasn't himself . . . It felt like he was—"
"Please don't say he was possessed because I swear to God . . ."
"—asleep."
"You think he was sleepwalking?"
"What else could it be?"
Everything that Clark said, every little horrible thing that we encountered, and all the things that Gil described—it all added up together in one horrifying conclusion.
"I think Gil's right about this." I looked up at Kuya Vito, my voice shivering with tension. "Clark said it looked like Mang Roberto was sleepwalking too."
Kuya Vito immediately frowned and looked at Gil. "Ano bang basehan mo sa mga pinagsasabi mo?! Anong files?!"
Gil closed his eyes shut and shook his head a little like he was hesitating to spread his truth. I noticed his jaw tense up as he stuttered, "Derio Research Center..."
"Kuya Vito!" Napasigaw kaagad ako nang bigla na lamang nitong sinugod si Gil at marahas na hinila sa kuwelyo. Natakot akong masuntok niya si Gil kaya halos tumalon ako para pumagitna sa kanila.
"Naniwala ako sa 'yong inosente ka sa mga binibintang nila! Kahit si Chief naniwala sa 'yo! Leche kang gago ka!" Kuya Vito screamed angrily that it caught Fatima's attention. The baby even started crying again.
Noong una ay nalito pa ako kung ano ang ikinagalit ni Kuya Vito, hanggang sa naalala kong nag-ko-community service nga pala si Gil pagkatapos maakusahang nang-trespass sa research center na iyon. It was how we met. Again.
"Kuya Vito, ano ba! Tama na!" sigaw ko habang panay ang hila sa kanya palayo kay Gil, ngunit para bang naka-ankla na ang kanyang kamao sa kuwelyo nito.
"Kuya! Tama na, okay?!" Natakot ako nang 'todo. Para kay Gil, at para na rin sa sarili ko. Mamaya madamay pa ako ng ligaw na sapak.
"Hindi ka man lang ba nahiya kay Chief?!" nagngingitngit pang bulalas ni Kuya Vito. I could feel his arm muscles tremble in anger. "Magmula nang bumalik ka rito, wala siyang ibang ginawa kundi depensahan ka mula sa lahat ng nagsasalita ng masama laban sa 'yo! Sa lahat ng tao sa islang 'to, siya lang ang tumanggap sa pagbabalik mo! Halos anak na rin ang—"
