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Chapter twenty-three

COURAGE

"A prisoner's body has been found in ROOM five by Prisoner three and fifteen! Goodluck, prisoners!~"

Since the light has been restored, I knew I had to count them again. Huh. Naging nine sila bigla. Napatingin tuloy ako kay Prisoner four na pawis na pawis. We had eye contact which he broke in just a second. Though everyone's apparently coevered in sweat, even me. Nasanay na  siguro ang mga katawan namin sa aircon kaya sa isang minutong walang kuryente pinagpapawisan na kami agad. Ang gara nga ng amoy. My eyes locked on my two acquitances, Eden and Barbie. They look confused and worried at the same time; we all nodded in unison, we should do our jobs into finding who that killer is.

With the sudden but already expected news of a death of a fellow student, everyone ran as if there was a horse chasing them, lots of slippers clapping on the floor were kind of unpleasant to the ears that's why I had to cover my ears on our way to Room 05.

Everyone's nightmare happened once again on the fourth day of our stay. But luckily, today's case will be easier as the primary suspects are...

"Prisoner three and Prisoner fifteen," calling the attention from behind, everyone made way for me to get near the primary suspects. "Hmm, how odd."

"What's odd?" he asked.

I did not answer his question yet peeked on the door and choked on my saliva after seeing the lifeless body of Prisoner five on the bed.

He wasn't the dead body I was expecting. Naalala ko pang nagsalita siya bago mag-brownout kanina. Gives me the chills.

The position of the body was horizontal on the bed, meaning, he is in the middle— as if cutting off two sides of the bed. Hands are raised as if he was surrendering. His right side of the face was pressing on the bedsheet while his back is facing us. Most precisly, his bottom part. There were unbelievably lots of bloods on the head area; clearly seen from outside as the sheets and pillow cases are dirty white. Strangely, the pillow cases doesn't have any blood in it, nor a splatter. It's been long since I've witnessed a bloody crime. Rest in peace.

But I must get to business. Looks like Prisoner three has been taunted by the current situation hence Setsuna is the only suspect I could talk to properly. The woman is shivering despite the hotness of the current atmosphere.

"They must be both the killers!" An index finger was pointing at Setsuna and the one beside me back and forth. Prisoner two, I almost forgot she existed. I was in between of the suspects so I find it distracting. Ako na ang pumigil sa kaniya gamit ang kanan kong kamay at binaba ito. Inis niya itong kinalas at tinarayan ako.

"I almost forgot that the punishment was only for the first case. How I wish it was for today's case, too." What I said definitely got unto her nerves, I knew she was already endlessly stabbing me inside her mind. I like it when people get tensed with my words.

"Palibhasa isa kang slutty bit—"

"H-how are we supposed to do this?" Naputol ang sasabihin ni Prisoner two dahil kay Prisoner 13 na parang natutuliro. Hindi siya mapakali sa puwesto niya. Para siyang kiti-kiti.

"I suppose Class Investigation starts the moment we see a dead body," President answered his question. Everyone's attention turned to her. "Since obviously the possible suspects have been marked, would the two of you mind explaining your sides? I mean—"

"Why, did you see us kill Prisoner five?" Setsuna immediately cut her off.

"Pero obvious naman na kayo 'di ba? O hindi kaya isa sainyo?" Prisoner two butted in the conversation again.