Paper Memories

Chapter 35-I

Chapter 35-I

It wasn't a dream---the Underworld Lilies tragedy was real.

Real, and otherworldly. Now, I'm back at auditorium for the play the stage was blocked with caution tapes which I just disregard. Naglakad lang ako papunta sa gitna ng stage, nakakasilaw yung iniwan nilang ilaw. Para akong nasa spotlight, habang halos purong kadiliman ang nasa harap ko. It feels ecstatic, it's as if I'm pulled inside a picture book of a dark fairy tale and that this stage is where my story would start.

I want to sketch all of this, and paint its magic.

"Clio...What are you doing here? It's dangerous, baka may kung ano pang bumagsak." I was broken out of my trance when I heard Kiera arrived. She just come out from the corner, as if she's escaping from the shadows. Her lips were in a tight line, but her eyes cloudy. " Were you drawing something? You could do that in a safer distance."

"Dito na lang, mas dama dito."

"Our play ended in a tragedy..."

Now, she have my full attention. "The play was perfect."

Kiera shooked her head as she hug herself." On what way, Clio?"

"The world is complicated and unfair, you captured that with Underworld Lilies." Muling compliment ko sa tanging kasama ko sa sira-sira at madilim na entemblado ng theater. I made my way towards her with open arms." It's ironic, for your masterpiece to end with destruction. Maybe we indeed live in a damned world. But you can give hope and meaning in that damnation."

"It doesn't mean anything deep, it's an accident---or atleast I hope it was."

"Somebody did it on purpose?"

"Hindi human error lang, may nagsabutahe sa pulley mechanism ng props." Kiera breathed sharply, mata sa mata niya akong tiningnan. She's begging me to understand her, to convince me what she's saying isn't mere conspiracy." Whoever who did it is a monster. A lot of people were hurt, it was a domino effect. How could someone ever think of doing such thing? What would thet gain from it? Fun? Masaya sila sa pag may nasasaktan?"

"Magnificent! Such a fine display of nonsense!"

"EIC, you shouldn't be here too---unless have an excuse?"

Pumalakpak si Acierto na para bang nanood siya ng palabas. As if he's statement earlier is not enough mockery for Kiera, the darkness of the entire place just really makes anyone come and go as they please." Hey, ladies! I have the right to be here just like you two. Sulit rin na nasaktuhan ko ang pinag-uusapan niyo. Ang ganda naman, puro pantasya walang accountabililty."

I raised my brow, and close my sketchbook." I'm just here to draw."

Kiera mumbled tiredly, parroting me." She said she's here to draw..."

"Nagbabakasakali lang ako, kaya ako nandito. Malaking scoop din para sa publication kung malaman ko yung totoong may pakana ng nangyari trahedya ngayong art month. I already heard it's an intentional "human error", or so. But I wanna try to figure out who. And heck people say culprits go back to the scene of their crimes, maybe I'd end up running into them. Pero tayong tatlo lang ang nandito."

"Ang weird ng basis mo, ikaw tong nasosobrahan sa fiction." I retorted to him.

Acierto just grinned upon my nonchalance, he stayed below the stage looking up on us." Maybe, it is. But fucked people are more than weird anyway. You know, criminals or killers go back to their crime scene to marvel at the horror they have done or to clean something up. Pangbaliw ba na isipin na logical naman din yun? Direk, naiintidihan mo ba yun? Ah, hindi. You're a humanist. Ikaw, Cervates gets mo ba yun?

"We were just talking about the play...Nagustuhan mo ba, Clio?"

"Ano ba, bakit binabalik niyo diyan ang usapan?" Pagdadabog ni Acierto.

"Kiera, nobody in your crew are dead and forsaken monster like your characters." I passionately declared to cheer her up, even spinning around too feel the desolation of the entire of auditorium, I try to think we're not three here. Yet, I like imagining how annoyed Acierto face had become." Marami pang chance ang juniors mo at ikaw rin na gumawa ng mas maganda pang play, higit pa sa fantasy at entertainment ang gusto niyo, ibang-iba kayo."

"Payag ka dun, Kiera? A lunatic painter admires you."

"For me everyone are artist themselves, and they can fight for a cause. Everyone just do it differently. Clio paints, Acieto write, and all other people have their own way." Kiera stated, glued on her place, pushing aside Acierto's childish statement again. She's just so mature." There are a lot of things people could do change and improve in this reality, I wanted to deliver that through the play."

Her eyes glinted, causing my lips to twitch. Pinigilan ko ang sarili kong excitement, pero parang nalimot ko na hindi lang kaming dalawa ang nandito." It's beautiful play, Kiera. . I want to watch more of your plays, as your fellow artist I just find your mind so beautiful, and as your fellow human I'm swayed by what you fight for. You can make your ideals into reality."

"Disgusting, you two would be burned by your ideals." Acierto scoff.

"Hey...I'm sure the three of us here are all dreamers too, we cling to an ideal and wanted to make a change in reality. Let's not deny that." Kiera involuntarily laugh, it came out so soft and she cover her mouth instantly. Napapatras siya, napapalayo siya sa spotlight ng stage. Kada atras niya humahabol ako." It's normal for people to want to turn what's inside their heads into reality. Including evil. Evil is real, it's not only in my fictional charactes, nor on the monster made by makeup and vfx. "

I smiled, placing my hand in front of her. "It's a pity they're real, monsters I mean."

But Kiera only stared at me." What do you think of bad people, Clio?"

It's laughable, so I laugh. I extended my hand even more, even bowing in adoration and devotion to the theater arts director.I'm waiting for her hand. I'm imagining the university publication editor in chief isn't at the corner scowling, and imagining how Kiera is a saintess of arts who could continue looking at me forever." Bad people are detestable and selfish, but its looks like I have my own kind of selfishness that I forget about evil, mas gusto ko takasan ang realidad at kasamaan ng mundo kaysa isipin pa sila."

Yet, Kiera slapped my hand away." You're one of the horrors of reality, Clio."