✔ Killer in the Attic

[18] DUODEVIGINTI

"Hey, as much as I don't want to, I can't help but notice you being so damn silent."

I lazily averted my eyes to Alec who was sitting on his do-it-yourself throne here at the warehouse. His legs were crossed as he read the local newspaper. Kailangan raw niyang malaman kung nasa headlines na ba 'yong ginawa naming massacre. Which, led me to my assumption that this asshole is fucking crazy indeed.

Kapag lagpas na ba ng expiry, bukod sa nagiging masama, nababaliw rin ba ang mga tulad namin?

"Posible rin bang makita tayo ng ibang tao?"

Natigil siya sa pagbabasa at bahagyang inayos ang reading glasses sa ilong niya. Kung saan niya nakuha ang bagay na 'yan, I have no fucking idea. Maybe he killed an old lady just to steal them.

"Well, as far as I my vast knowledge of our existence goes, no. Other people can't see us. Well, maybe they can feel our presence, but that doesn't help much. Para lang tayong multo sa kanila."

I nodded in understanding. Baka naman naramdaman lang ng kuya ni Oriana---whose name I later learned is Apollo---ang presensya ko. Maybe that's it. Why am I even pondering about this crap? Pero maya-maya pa, may naalala ako. "Hoy Alec! Then why do people see you?"

Naalala ko noong hinabol ko siya sa grocery store. Napapatingin sa kanya ang mga nabubunggo niya.

Alec smirked. "That's because, I wear human clothes."

Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. Ano bang punto ng isang 'to? His heterochromatic eyes met mine and he immediately explained like some shitty professor at a university.

"Kung mapapansin mo---na siguro ngayon mo lang din mapapansin dahil sinabi ko---we were imagined into this world without proper clothes."

Napatingin ako sa katawan ko. That makes sense. Don't get me wrong, may pang-ibaba ako pero ngayon ko lang talaga napagtantong wala akong suot na pang-itaas mula noong binuhay ako ni Oriana.

Alec continued,"Kaya nang sinubukan kong suotin iyang jacket at maskara kasabay ng pagsuot ko ng disenteng pantalon na ninakaw ko sa isang department store, napansin kong nakikita na ako ng ibang tao. Well, not entirely dahil ang nakikita lang talaga nila ay ang mga damit na suot natin."

Napatango ako. "Kaya ba balot na balot ka tuwing pumapatay ka ng tao?"

"Bingo!" He laughed. "Kapag halimbawa, jacket lang ang sinuot ko, magmumukhang may lumulutang na jacket sa ere. And that's pathetic."

"How about your face?"

Napasimangot siya. "Sebastian, hindi pa rin nila tayo nakikita. Yung damit lang talaga 'yong nakikita nila. Kaya nga nagsusuot ako ng maskara. Dahil kapag wala akong suot na maskara, wala silang makikitang mukha sa loob ng jacket."

Ah. Bale, hubog lang ng katawan namin ang nakikita nila. I made a mental note to myself to ask Oriana for some clothes later.

"Then why are you wearing clothes whenever you kill someone?" Kung tutuusin, mas madaling makakapatay si Alec kapag hindi siya nakikita.

To my irritation, he rolled the newspaper, went in front of me and whacked it on my head.

"Aray!" Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. Ano bang problema ng isang 'to?!

"Have you ever heard of a serial killer that was never seen? Kung hindi ako magma-maskara, bibigyan na naman nila ng credit ang mga multo at masasamang espiritu. Bibida na naman sila, and I can't let that happen!" He exasperatedly said.

Walang gana akong tumango sa mga sinabi niya. He really is insane. Lumawak naman ang ngisi ni Alec, "Tara. I need someone to kill. Wala nang laman 'yong drum ng sulfuric acid and it's getting boring."

Tahimik kong ibinulsa ang mga kamay ko at sinundan siya papalabas.

"You have figured out the irony of your actions to your name, right?"

The name Alec means "defender" or "protector of mankind", and here this bastard is, killing them mercilessly.

Mankind needs defense against him.

He laughed like the devil himself. A mischievous glint in his oddly colored eyes. "Yeah. Anyway, the newspapers want to call me the 'Acid Bath Murderer', but unfortunately, John George Haigh already got that title in the 1940s."

I shrugged. "Never heard of him."

Inilabas ni Alec ang dagger na paborito niya at sinimulang laruin ito sa kamay. "He's a weak bastard. Only killed nine people."

"Wanna kill twice the number?"

"I say, let's kill thrice."

---