The Devil's Trap

Chapter 43: Russian Roulette

Chapter 43: Russian Roulette

I stared at myself in the mirror. My dark hair was in chestnut waves. I was wearing a white dress too skimpy for me. My lips were stained in wine red.

I don't look like myself.

Huminga ako nang malalim. The lace details on the dress was starting to irritate my skin. The pieces of hair on my forehead were nuisance on my eyes.

I look just like her.

"Hey."

Lumingon ako. Pumasok si Elyse sa kwarto. Tinitigan niya ako. "Who are you?" She asked with a playful smile, probably to ease my nerves.

"I'm trying to be someone else to regain my identity. Ironic, isn't it?"

Umupo ako sa kama. Tumabi si Elyse sa akin. "You look glorious," she said. "Remember when we used to dress up before an event or whenever we window shop? And you hate wearing dresses too flashy? And we would twirl around with dresses we would never wear?"

Napangiti ako sa sinabi niya.

"We never imagined life would be like this for all of us. We dress up, have fun, laugh and dance our hearts out. But sometimes we also fall from our dance, stain our fancy dresses, and fill the hall with cries instead of laughs." Elyse turned to me. She grinned widely.

"I don't know why I'm being emotional. But seeing you in a dress like this feels like it's my best friend's wedding day."

She sighed deeply at nahiga sa kama. "Ganito kaya ang pakiramdam kapag isa sa atin ang kinasal?"

Humiga ako sa tabi niya. Agad niya akong pinigilan. "You would ruin your hair!"

Ngumiti ako at nanatiling nakahiga. "Elyse?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll always be thankful that you chose me as your friend four years ago."

Hinampas niya ako sa braso. "You sound like you're leaving me. Are you leaving me?" She asked.

I stared at the ceiling with my made up face. "Of course not. We'll still be in each other's wedding."

Bumungisngis si Elyse. But I never knew I will never fulfil that promise to her.

—

Sinundo ako ni River Sabado ng hapon. Ilang oras na lang ang meron kami bago ang engagement ni Landon.

"Nice job with the make over," he said as he assessed my entire attire.

"You came to the right person," said Elyse beside me with a huge smile. "Take care of Denise for me."

River smiled and mocked bowed in front of me like a real gentleman. "Lifeline at your service."

He's wearing a black tux, with a bleeding red necktie. His hair was soft looking combed back, with a few streaks of golden highlight. There's an electrifying excitement in his eyes. I could tell River was really prepared for tonight.

"Shall we go, young lady?"

Hindi naalis ang malokong ngiti sa labi niya. For River every thing is a game of chance.

Life is a Russian roulette for him where every decision is a bullet on a revolver. And every action is a pull of the trigger where we rely and our fate to get the empty chambers.

What made it dangerously fun is knowing that in a single click everything could end. But life operates the same way, isn't it? Human lives are vulnerable. One wrong move and your entire life will collapse along with everything and everyone you cared about.