wattys 2020 winner • mystery/thriller
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Everyone thinks she is dead. Even I thought so, too.
While the town spoke of her dead name, Amethyst Cambray is actually alive, and she is asking for my help.
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03
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I RAN LIKE I haven't ran for years. The girl — Amethyst — I don't even know anymore — continued walking towards the crashing sea, and each step she makes brings weight after weight in my heart. Kinakabahan ako habang patakbo sa kanya kahit na kung anu-ano nang tanong ang umaakyat sa utak ko.
"Amethyst!" I shouted.
She stopped.
I stopped.
Hinabol ko ang hininga ko.
The scent of the sea wafted with the air, the breeze. Then she turned her eyes to me and I saw the pair of eyes I once saw one dusk. Brown. Sparkling in the moonlight.
Her eyes widened. From a few meters I can hear her breathing hard. Pinilit kong lumakad papunta sa kanya kahit na nanginginig na halos ang laman ako dahil sa mabilis at malayong pagtakbo. I wiped my sweat with the back of my palm.
Bigla siyang napakapit sa bag niya. Her tears continued to fall and her fingers are shaking, looking at me walking towards her. Even though her tears fall, she doesn't make a sound aside from her breathing.
God.
This . . . this is insane.
"A-Amethyst."
Nang makalapit ako sa kanya, mas lalong hindi ako makapaniwala. I even allowed myself to touch her. Skin and flesh. Shit. I gazed at her tearful eyes and I didn't even realize how close I am to her.
"W-Who are you?"
She has the nerve to ask that?! Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. Bumitaw ako sa pagkakahawak sa kanya saka mabilis na tinanggal ang bag na nakasabit sa kanya. Mabigat. About 5-8 kilograms. There were rocks in it. Umangal siya saka pinilit na agawin sa akin ang bag pero mabilis ko 'yong hinagis.
"What the hell were you trying to do?!"
She looked at the bag of rocks away from her, and looked at me angrily.
"Y-You don't care!"
"Everyone thinks you're dead!" I said hysterically.
Natahimik siya. "I-I don't care," sabi niya saka sumabog ulit sa pag-iyak. She dropped to her knees so she's now wet up to her waist. "You should've just let me . . ."
"Shit," I whispered to myself, hinihilamos ang mukha. Now what the hell do I do? "I'm gonna call the po—"
"No!"
Suddenly, my phone was slapped away from my hand. Gulat akong napatingin sa buhanginan na pinagtapunan ng phone ko. What the hell?
Nakatayo na ulit si Amethyst at basang basa ng luha ang mukha. She's looking at me, crying. I can no longer recognize her without all the make-up, the hair-do's, the radiant smile.
