s i Ni s t e r

Untitled Part 74

HINDI NIYA KAILANGAN NG FLASHLIGHT PARA MAANINAG NA DUGUAN ang mukha ni Paige. Galing sa ulo ang mga dugo. And the bitch wasn't moving, so she was either dead or getting there.

Now what?

She would have to dispose of the body, of course. Hindi niya puwedeng iwan na lang doon ang bangkay ni Paige. It would attract too many people to the place.

Sinubukan niyang hilahin si Paige. Mabigat. As in. Amber doubted if she could even lift the bitch onto the car and there wasn't enough space for the Outback near the body.

Panting, she looked around. Realized the flashlight was still on, it was near the trees where she dropped it moments ago. Baka may makapansin pa, tumakbo siya pataas para kunin ang flashlight.

Napaluhod siya sa hapo. Hindi lang physically. Sa lahat-lahat na. This whole affair was exhausting. Draining. Pero kailangan pa niya ng lakas. With a grunt, she picked up the flashlight.

Natigilan siya, napatunganga sa pala. Dinala na niya iyon doon kagabi bilang paghahanda sa paghuhukay ngayong gabi, thus her outfit. Bukas, Lunes, sisimulan na uli ang pagpapatag ng lugar na iyon. Hindi pala niya puwedeng i-potpone ang paghuhukay. She had to do it now.

"Damn."

And then she hand an idea. Why not? It could work...it must work. Bumaba uli siya at dumeretso sa sasakyan. Pagbukas niya, ginulat siya ng kanyang cell phone. It was ringing. Turned out, everyone had been calling and messaging her.

The party.

"Shit." Wala siyang panahon para magpaliwanag. Let them wonder what was happening. Pinatay niya ang cell phone at kinuha ang pakay niya sa sasakyan. Her jumping rope.

Dala iyon, binalikan niya si Paige. Iginapos niya ang paa't kamay nito, just in case you're still alive, Bitch. She regretted not killing Paige too. Ang ikinatakot niya ay...too many dead people already. Kaya sinet-up na lang niya si Paige. Given what she learned from Blanche'sp phone, she was so sure she could get rid of Paige without the need to kill her too.

So wrong. Shit.

Nang maigapos si Paige, bumalik si Amber sa burol at nagsimulang maghukay. She would stop every once in a while to turn on the flashlight and check her progress.

Times like these, she missed Blanche. The two of them managed to dig a deep enough trench in no time. Damn. Where did they get the strength? Oh, they were high with stimulants that night. But not so 'high' to not know what they were doing, lalo na si Blanche.

Tama rin naman si Paige. Blanche could not stomach it. Blanche suffered for it. In the end, Blanche had to die for it. Nararamdaman ni Amber, Blanche would talk. Kung hindi man sa psychologist, kay Tita Monique. Worst, kay Paige. That shoe? Wala siyang kasiguraduhan na hindi pa nagsasalita kay Paige si Blanche. Or sa mama nito. Tita Monique stopped, managed to stop the paving of this place. Bakit niyon ipinatigil kung wala pa iyong nalalaman?

Well, I did you a favor, Tita. I don't think you'd survive the loss of your beloved daughter, you might as well join her.

Amber kept digging. The more she dug, the more her strength came back. Adrenalin perhaps. She did not stop now. She had to get things done as soon as she could.

The idea was simple. She considered it brilliant. After digging and exposing what was buried there, she would untie Paige. Wipe the shovel and that iron thingy to remove her prints, then put Paige's prints in them by making her hold them. Then just leave the tools near the bitch and leave.

She would go back to the party, announce she had been looking for Darby but she could not find her. Maybe she would act hysterical..disraught by her sister's cruel antics.....her shovel hit something that wasn't a rock. It made a different sound.

She sat on her heels and picked up the flashlight. Inilawan niya ang hukay.

She gasped.

A skull with some hairs still attached to it. It was grotesque. The mouth was open like it died screaming. Insects were crawling in and out of the holes...eyes.

"Shit , you're ugly."

Darby was still unconscious when they brought her here. Why here? Because it was always dark here and it was far enough from the residential areas but they didn'y have to leave Pueblo. Ayaw nila ni Blanche lumabas pa dahil pareho silang high, ni hindi makapagmaneho ng matino si Amber at may karga silang hubo't hubad sa backseat.

Pinagtulungan na lang nilang hilahin si Darby sa burol, which wasn't really a hill, just an elevated area with trees. At some point, they decided it was a great, awesome idea to bury Darby.

They made do with the tools they found in the car. High on uppers, they just dug and dug. Giggling, talking, making fun of Darby. Tawang-tawa pa si Blanche nang tumayo at makitang hanggang binti na nito ang nahukay nila, just below the knees.

The dug some more.

Darby started to moan. Nagsimula na rin itong kumilos.

Oh, well.

Umakyat lang sila ni Blanche mula sa nahukay nila, pinagtulungan nilang itulak doon si Darby. Inayos pa nila ang higa nito sa hukay.

At tinabunan nila.

Nagkakawag si Darby nang nakakain na nito ang mga lupa. Binilisan lang nila ni Blanche ang ginagawa. Tiniyak ni Amber na mukha ni Darby ang unang matabunan. At some point, she remembered stepping and stomping on the soil, feeling Darby's nose on her feet and stomping harder on it.

At some point, Darby stopped moving. She just stopped. Like a video on pause.

Now, she could see her sister's'1      other bones.

The original plan was to remove Darby from this grave, transfer her somewhere bago pa siya maumanahan ng workers bukas o sa makalawa. Who knew what evidence she and Blanche left there? Tiyak namang ipapa-examine ng husto ng magulang niya ang mga labi kapag nahukay ng workers.

Pero ngayon, let everyone see the remains. With Paige just nearby, iisipin na lang ng lahat na si Paige rin ang salarin. May grudge ito kay Darby and Paige was crazy. Iiwan na rin niya kay Paige ang cell phone ni Darby. Everyone would see that it was Paige who had been tricking them into believing Darby was alive. But how did Paige die, the cops would ask. Oh, she fell and hit her head on a rock, the cops would answer their own question. It would be an open and shut case.

Poor Paige.

But some people were really....unfortunate.

At least, Paige died trying

Sa tingin ni Amber ay sapat na ang remains na naka-expose, tumuwid siya at lumiyad para ma-relieve ang pangangawit ng lower back. Nakaliyad pa siya, sapo ang lower back nang biglang lumiwanag ang paligid.

Maraming ilaw.

Maraming tao.

Mga sasakyang dumarating at humihinto, its doors slamming loudly.

"Amber!" Someone shouted. Sounded like her dad.

People were scrambling to where she was.