88 GATES-Return of the Fallen

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The night was silent. Ariesa and Aqua kept themselves on a couch in their living room, waiting for the doctor to come down and tell them the stranger’s condition. It’s been an hour since the incident happened at tila ba’y ‘di pa rin siya makapaniwala sa nangyayari.

     “The world’s in mess . . .” Aqua whispered, her eyes fixed on her phone and she bet her sister’s not going to remove her attention on it like she always did.

     Biting her nails subconsciously, Ariesa peered through its screen and heard the words for the first time. She was overwhelmed. Hindi niya napansin ang ingay mula sa cellphone ng kapatid kanina. And maybe that was an evidence that she was into her thoughts, so deeply it consumed her.
Looking and hearing with effort, she realized that Aqua was watching a live report from the screen. The woman’s face seemed not to control her fear as a familiar hospital stood tall behind her. She was certain that she had seen the hospital and as the woman was talking in a different language, Ariesa realized that it was Ragano Medical Hospital from Jhapan.

     She made a deep sigh and released her eyes from the screen. She stared at the abyss while hugging herself, trying to warm and comfort herself from the strange things which were making the world panic. The report was all about a ghostly and shadowy creature that took some lives from the hospital. Would she believe? She didn’t know but she wanted. After all, marami na ring nangyayaring hindi kapani-paniwala sa gabing ito. Kasama na rito ang isang lalakeng tila ba nagmula pa sa langit. She couldn’t argue. Sino namang tao ang maghuhukay ng malalim sa harapan ng bahay nila at magkukunwaring nahulog mula sa langit? It would take couple of hours to put up such prank. And besides, paano ito makakalusot sa mataas nilang pader at gate sa isang iglap lang? Kung tutuusin, kailangan din niyang lampasan ang mga guard sa guard house ng subdivision nila. She really couldn’t argue more―everything weird’s happening in the world within the night. And this somehow scared her.

     She felt her heart beating fast. Her sweat dripping. Her forehead throbbing. Her breathing stiffiend. It’s starting again, Ariesa warned herself, sensing a not-new sensation in her body. Damn, she cursed, she felt the ache getting stronger clogging the air she desired. She closed her eyes hard she could feel it stinging. And now, without her consent, the same images played inside her head again. A king. A queen holding an unusual key. Twelve people lining up next to her. And then . . . chaos. Screams. People dying. Her visions―blurry. Now darker.

     “Ate. Ate!” Aqua was already standing up, trying to save Ariesa from being consumed by her thoughts and uncanny visions which seemed to be there since she was born. Hindi niya alam kung bakit siya nakakakita ng ganito. Simula nang magkamuwang siya’y palagi na siyang dinadalaw ng mga imahe at kakaibang pangitain na ito. At habang tumatagal ay nadadagdagin din ang mga napapaginipan o nakikita niya.

     “Ate! Hoy!” Aqua called again. In a matter of a second, she succeeded. “The doctor wants to talk to you,” she let her know.

     Without hesitation, she quickly stood up and ready herself from whatever words the doctor might spell. Hindi na rin niya ininda ang sumasakit niyang ulo na ngayo’y unit-unti na rin namang nawawala ang sakit. “How is he, Doc?” she asked as if the patient was someone related to her.

     “Nothing serious,” the doctor started. “Kailangan lang niya ng maraming pahinga. Sa obserbasyon ko’y over-fatigue siya. But he’s already gaining strength . . .” he trailed off, his eyes squinting, his voice descending. “―so fast it would take couple of days for a normal person.”