What You Made Me Do

Diane's Gone

What has happened to Diane?

Five girls reluctantly picked up their backpacks and started walking along the muddy track. Only four came out the other side.

Huli siyang nakitang tumatakbo palayo sa camping site nilang magkakaibigan. Someone in a black jumper and creepy white rabbit mask chased her away with an ax.

It went on forever and went nowhere. The trees on the sides were towers reaching up into the sky, keeping her boxed in, keeping her from choosing another direction.

The wind picked up and the trees howled as she passed. Sa gulat, iginala niya ang direksyon ng ilaw mula sa kanyang cellphone.

Around her, the trees seemed to get closer together with every step, and she found herself having to lift her feet higher as she waded through the tall grass. Straight ahead, she could see a thicket, sprawling and overgrown. Even from that distance it looked tangled and impassable.

Naliligaw na siya.

"Ash?" She mouthed silently.

Walang sumagot. She shifted his weight and the leaves and branches under her feet cracked and snapped. Something in the bush rustled and scurried away.

"Girls?" Her tone coated with fear.

Dahan-dahan siyang lumakad. Then something cracked and crunched under her feet. Snap, crackle and pop. She felt glad of her shoes, jeans tucked in the top, even though shr could feel her swollen ankle pressing painfully against the leather. She whimpered like a scared animal.

Sa kanyang pagmamadali na makatayo, nahulog sa mamasang lupa ang kanyang cellphone. Namatay ito, dahilan para magdilim ang paligid.

Diane screamed, shrill and hysterical. "Wala akong makita. Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t. Help me. Help me!"

A figure then charged out of the darkness. It was holding a cellphone, the light blinding her. She caught a first glint of metal and her brain screamed gun, while a deeper part flitted frantically, trying to process what she was seeing.

Desperation clawed at her throat. She needed to get out of here. Now.

Mga mabibigat na yabag ang bumingi sa kanyang tenga. Maya-maya pa't ramdam niyang nasa harapan na niya ang kung sinumang gusto siyang patayin.

Biglang bumaon malapit sa paanan niya ang isang bakal. Ramdam niya ang talsik ng putik sa kanyang balat. Pinilit niyang umatras ngunit hindi kaya ng kanyang paa. Muli pa niyang sinubukan. She felt a whoosh of air as something sliced past her face. She dived to the floor, landing hard on her elbow. Pain tore up her arm. But she didn't have time to focus on it because right then she heard another scream, high-pitched, agonizing, terrible.

"Ash?!" Her voice was full of held-back tears. Still trying so hard to be brave.

Rinig niyang may kung anong ginagawa ang killer. Muli niyang sinubukang tumakas. She scrambled across the ground, scrabbling among the hard stones and scurrying legs.

Her heart seemed to fold and expand and shatter all at once. On the corner, she felt the killer was about to charge at her.

Kailangan na niyang makatakas.

But something stopped her. Her ankle was still throbbing. It would be a struggle to get up those steps on her own.

She limped in the direction of the road.

She was dragging her ankle, twinged. Her head swam. she paused, tried to breathe. Her vision wavered and darkness almost folded in on her. Napaluhod nalang siya sa gitna ng daan.