Death University

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Danger

Nagising ako dahil sa sinag ng araw na lumapat sa aking mukha. Umupo ako sa aking kama at nagulat ako ng makitang wala si Julia sa kanyang kama. May nakita akong note sa table.

Pinatawag lang ako ni Kuya para sa nalalapit na okasyon ng DU. Babalik ako kaagad.
Julia.

Okasyon? Ano naman kayang okasyon iyon?

*****

Nandito ako ngayon sa classroom at nagle-lecture si Prof at nagpa-quiz siya. Pagkatapos ng quiz, binanggit na ni Prof ang tungkol sa okasyon ng DU.

"Students, the occasion here in DU is just around the corner. Two weeks na lang bago ang okasyon. Then, some of you are wondering kung anong okasyon ito," Panimula niya. "This school is having a ball. Not just an ordinary ball. It's a mystery ball."

Mystery ball? Nagsimula ng magbulungan ang aking mga kaklase.

"For the mystery ball, you will wear a mask. Huwag mong sabihin sa kasayaw mo ang pangalan mo. Just dance throughout the night without knowing who your partner is. That's how the ball works." Paliwanag ni Prof.

Marami ang nagtilian. Such overacting people.

Naistorbo ang pagbubulungan ng mga kaklase ko nang nagsalita si Madame Selina sa speakerphone na konektado sa malalaking speakers ng DU. "Students, pumunta sa school quadrangle, ngayon din."

Tumayo kaagad ako at pumunta na ako sa school quadrangle.

"Students, narinig niyo na naman ang tungkol sa okasyon na magaganap, two weeks from now. Hindi lang mystery ball ang magaganap. May mas exciting pa kesa sa mystery ball!" Panimula ni Madame. "May kill fest na magaganap!"

Kill fest? It means na patayan! And fest? Oh no, this is not good at all!

"Kill all you can. It means na pwede kayong pumatay the day after the mystery ball. So exciting, right?" Sabi pa niya.

Shit, eto na. Patayan na naman! Pero this time, pwede kang mag-rampage!

Another thing, mystery ball, seriously? Ang dami namang kaartehan nitong DU. And I can feel na hinahanap na ngayon ni Madame Selina ang libro ng matinding kapangyarihan! Maybe she has suspicions now. And the one who got the book is me.

"Zaya, over here!" Sigaw ni Julia sa malayo at kumaway siya na ikinabalik ng aking huwisyo.

Lumapit ako sa kanya. "Tapos na ba ang meeting ninyo?"

"Oo. And by the way, ang exciting ng mystery ball, hindi ba?" She giggled.

"Exciting sana. Pero may kill fest naman."

"Siguro isipin lang muna natin ang mystery ball."

"Isipin muna? Pagkatapos, ano? Mamamatay na tayo! Pagkatapos ng exciting na sinasabi mong mystery ball, mamamatay tayo! Ay, oo nga pala, wala kang problema kasi safe ka naman!" Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko sa pagsabog.

Hindi talaga siya mamamatay dahil kapatid siya ng presidente. Umalis ako sa kinatatayuan ko at hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot ni Julia. She's different. She doesn't need to be scared for her life, but I do.

Pumunta lang ako sa tago na water fountain area ng DU at umupo ako sa bench. I'm so stressed out thinking about the next days of mine being here at this damned university.

And also, the book! Pinoproblema ko rin ang libro dahil matutunton ako! I'm sure that I'll die when that happens! It's either I'll die at the kill fest or I'll die because of the book I got!

"May tinatago," Nagulantang ako nang makita si Demi at bigla akong napatayo sa pagkaupo.

"W-What?"

"I'll just receive a 'w-what' for an answer? That's so dumb." She said and that irritated me. Ginaya niya pa ako sa 'w-what' part.

I am just holding myself back. She's really pissing me off! "What do you want from me?!"

"I know you're hiding something. Huwag ka ng magmaang-maangan pa!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You don't know? Really? They are hunting you now because of it. Mamamatay ka. You will not live longer." She said sarcastically that irritated me more.

I remember one thing... The book! I think it's the book she's talking about!

Galit ako. I can't hold myself any minute now. I don't deserve her mockery. She's pissing me off big time! The white clouds suddenly turned dark and I don't know why that happened. She's getting on my nerves! What did I even do to her in the first place that resulted in her to act this way towards me?

"You chose danger, and you'll die."

I can't hold my self any longer then the clouds that were dark turned even more darker. Lumipad ang isang bench at naiwasan niya ito at ang pangalawa ay hindi niya naiwasan. Napatihiya siya sa lupa.

After what happened, nabalik ako sa katinuan and the clouds turned back to their normal white color. I stared at my palms. I don't know what happend to me! Ako ba ang may gawa 'non? What the heck did I just do?!

Tumayo si Demi at nakita kong may pasa siya sa kanang pisngi niya!

"D-Demi a-are y-you okay? I-I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me." Nanginginig kong sabi at tangka ko siyang lalapitan pero lumayo siya.

"Huwag kang lalapit sa'kin!" She shouted, touching her bruise.

"I-I'm really sorry—"

"So it's you, huh? Matagal na silang naghahanap and it was you all along. And the funny part is, hindi mo alam na nasa iyo." She began. "Aksidenteng napadpad ka rito sa DU but then, it has a purpose and this is a great news for them once day know.Ang liit-liit nga naman talaga nitong mundo."

I'm confused. Anong ibig niyang sabihin? "W-What do you mean?"

"Kung sana hindi ka na lang nanghimasok, wala sanang gulo! But then again, you chose danger because of your curiosity. Now, make sure to treasure every moment of your life before your death, girl!"

That was her last words and then she ran fast and with another blink of an eye, she was out of my sight.

But damn it, she know that I have the fucking book?!

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