Scarper House

You can never run away

You can never run away

"Kanina ka pa?" I was trying to hold my smile as I sat in front of him. He was from a work meeting and he looks really hot in his white polo.

He smiled and shook his head. "I already ordered, though."

"It's okay," I said, still can't get my eyes away from him. "You know what I like, right?"

"Are you still not over that story?"

"What?" I asked, feigning innocence. "How can I just forget about the fact that you did a PowerPoint presentation last year, just to ask for my brother's permission to court me?"

"You're not letting it go, huh?" He slowly shook his head while chuckling. Oh, how I love the sound of his chuckle.

I stared at him.

"I might melt, Chase," he said teasingly just as the same time as a waiter approached us and placed our food on the table.

"I can do this all day," I said, still smiling.

He chuckled again. "Let's eat."

I'm so happy just being right here with him. It's been a year since that day and I'm still following kuya's last wish.

I stayed with Kuya Dean.

He told me everything. About what Scarper House really is and why we were there.

Naaalala ko pa kung gaano katindi ang pag-iyak ko noong napagtanto ko na ang dahilan kaya ganoon kadaya ang laro ay dahil walang ibang goal ang Scarper House kung hindi ang patayin kami.

We've been through a lot after getting out of that house. We had to tell everything to the authorities and explain why the bodies of our friends are there, as well as how we survived.

Some believed us, some didn't.

We can't even find any proof that the house was really there as all they found was a crashed building. No one knows who Theo is. No one knows what Scarper House is.

We managed to track Maria down, but she denied everything making us look like crazy people inventing stories. Even the group of guys that we think paid for Scarper House to kill us are still out there, living their lives to the fullest. How can we link them to something that we can't even prove had existed?

Anyway, it's not like we're still living in the past. Of course, I'm still grieving for my brother and the guys, but I'm living.

I still can't sleep at night without wearing kuya's jacket. I even took sessions with a psychiatrist to help me with my nightmares. I don't want to forget about the people with me in those memories, but I need to forget about those two horrifying days we spent inside Scarper House.

I did everything to continue living.

I know I need to continue living. For them, for Kuya Charles.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked while we were eating. "Still remembering that day?"

I smiled. "Thank you, Kuya Dean."

He frowned. "When will you stop calling me kuya? Come on, Chase. We've been dating for six months now."

I giggled. "What do you want me to call you then?"

"Call me baby."

"Yuck!" I threw a tissue at him. Sa kanya pa talaga nanggaling ang ganoong suggestion?

Really? Of all people, Dean Montez wants to be called baby.

"Then you'll call me the same endearment? Ayoko nga."

He laughed. "I saved you in my contacts as baby girl."

Good thing I've already swallowed the food in my mouth. If not, I swear, I would've spitted it all out. Kinginang 'to.

"Palitan mo!" I said and he just laughed again.

"Excuse me po, Ma'am, Sir."

We turned to look at the same waiter who delivered the food to our table. He was handing us an envelope.

"May nagpapabigay po."

I looked around the restaurant. We're the only customers here right now.

"Sino?" I asked as Kuya Dean got the envelope.

"Hindi ko po kilala, Ma'am. Sabi lang po 'wag kong buksan at iabot ko sa inyo."

I thanked the waiter before he left us. I then looked at Kuya Dean and noticed that he's not moving.

"What's the problem?"

"Chase..." His voice came out as a whisper while his eyes never left the envelope he was holding.

I snatched the envelope from his hand and froze when I read what's written on it's back.

Scarper House says you can never run away

I slowly lifted my head up and looked at Kuya Dean. He looked as shocked and confused as I was.

It's still a mystery why the game ended before with the two of us still alive. For a year, we thought that maybe those people really didn't intend to kill us. Kuya Dean wasn't involved in the fight, but he never really got mad that he experienced those two days dahil nadamay lang siya. He actually thinks that he really should be there. He's part of the team and they are his friends. I thought the same way, too.

But I guess, we were wrong.

With my shaking hands, I opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. Kuya Dean leaned forward and read the letter with me. My lips parted. He froze.

Scarper House missed you, Dean and Chase!

For our little reunion, your food have been poisoned.

The poison will take effect in an hour and you can get the one and only bottle of antidote in the telephone booth outside.

That is, if you press the right numbers.

Scarper House says good luck.

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