Chapter 4: IV

Kampo Morte is really up for something more than we thought. Are we really here because they wanted us to find out something behind the deaths of these people?

I know we're not just here for them to make us aware of injustices. Was there a secret intelligence behind this? Or they're just trying to play with us?

"How can we identify who's the adopted child among them?" Tril asked.

"We'll find clues," I said while looking for something that can help us with this case. I looked at the painting, trying to observe it. Inilapit ko pa ang titig ko rito.

"Guys! Look what I have found!" Haliya suddenly got our attention. Without any hesitations, lumapit kami sa kaniya. She kneeled while sweeping the dust and dry leaves on the floor.

"Tignan niyo, may nakasulat rito." Itinuro niya ang halo-halong salita at numero na nakasulat sa sahig. It looks like this.

B2n21th th3s fl44r th2r2's 1 c2ll1r.

3t h3d2s 1 s2cr2t sh2 kn4ws.

Elyt chuckled and said, "They are really hard on us!"

I just stared blankly at the floor. My mind was preoccupied with questions to the point that I can't any longer think of an idea.

"Alam mo ba kung ano 'yan Alakin?" Haliya asked me.

"I don't know. I don't have any idea what that is," I responded. I saw Haliya take a deep breath.

"Ikaw Elyt? Alam mo kung ano 'to?" Elyt nodded his head as a sign of a no.

Dem suddenly took the scene off. "Mukhang hihimatayin ata ako sa sakit ng ulo kakaisip kung ano 'yan?" sambit ni Dem habang nakahawak ang mga kamay sa ulo.

"Omg, nag-iisip ka pala? Life changing, Dem!" Tril teasingly uttered while making a sarcastic shocking face.

"Oo, ikaw nga lagi laman e’." He winked at Tril. Tril gave him a disgusting look.

"You sounded like a desperate man with a flirtatious attention-seeking attitude!" B’welta ni Tril, that burned him down.

"Dem, that's okay. Dibdibin mo na lang." Elyt also teases him while tapping his shoulder.

"Wala akong pake sa sinabi mo. Ang importante hindi ko 'yon naintindihan," he said and smiled, it made him tease Tril again.

"Dimwit!" Tril backfires.

While they were busy teasing each other. I sat and observed the floor. I saw very small words written in each letter and number, it was all the same words. The words written are 'vox are in numbers'

I was trying to contemplate the clue in my head while still looking at the floor when suddenly a foot just appears out of nowhere. It was bloodied. Is there really a ghost following me? Or am I hallucinating again?

I immediately get up as a sudden fear embrace my body. All of them stared at me cluelessly.

"Alakin? Okay ka lang?" Tril confusingly asked. The moment I looked at her, a faceless dark shadow appeared on her back. I can feel my sweats now dripping. I can also hear my heartbeat. The sound of the voice that calls my name echoed in my head. I close my eyes to cast away my fears. I wanted to scream but I can't. I don't know why this is happening to me.

"Alakin!" I heard them calling my name. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko, bakas na sa'kin ang takot. Iminulat ko ang aking mga mata.

"I-I'm good," I said while my voice trembled.

"Ano ba kasing nangyayari sa'yo?" nagtatakang tanong ni Tril.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm just stress out," pagsisinungaling ko.

"Alakin, you can talk to us if something is bothering you. We were worried about you," Tril said. I looked at her seriously, all of them. I didn't expect that someone I just knew for a day would make an effort to be worried. Never in my life did I feel that from a friend. Is this what having a friend feels like?

"Thank you. I'm fine," 'yon lang ang nasabi ko.

I took a deep breath and gather myself to stay focused. A clue comes to my mind. My attention came back to the words that I saw 'vox are in numbers.'

"I found the clue," sabi ko kaya bakas sa mga mukha nila ang pagkagulat.

"Every letter and number in there have a small word on it. It was all the same. Vox are in numbers," I said while pointing to the floor. "That means we should turn those numbers into letters, to know the message. The letters we are looking for are vowels," I stared at them who were confused.

"Vowels? Paano mo alam? At saka anong Vox?" napakamot na tanong ni Demyr. I took a deep breath.

"Vowel comes from the Latin word 'Vox' that means voice," I explained.

"I just knew that… " Tril said in amusement. "I guess my education failed me," she added sarcastically.

Before anything else, I continue to explain, "That numbers are vowels. We just need to count the letters in the order of vowels. We all know as what they taught us in school that common vowels have 5 letters, a, e, i, o, and u. A is 1, E is 2, I is 3, O is 4, and U is 5." I immediately get burned wood near me to make it a writing pen on the floor.

I started to put the corresponding vowels to each number.

B2n21th th3s fl44r th2r2's 1 c2ll1r.

3t h3d2s 1 s2cr2t sh2 kn4ws.

"Beneath this floor, there's a cellar. It hides a secret she knows." We all read it.

"Wait, that means? Do we need to go down in there? Another underground exploration?" Elyt muttered.

"’Wag naman sana akong mahulog ulit," Tril said and chuckled.

"Pero paano? Bubuksan natin itong sahig? It was cemented right?" Haliya curiously asked. I observed Elyt kneeling. What is he doing? He just suddenly knocked on the floor. We are all shocked when it sounds like knocking on some wood.

"It wasn't," Elyt said as he gazed at us and smirked. Tril also kneeled and knocks.

"It's really a wood!" she astonishedly said. "Something is here, that will absolutely help us to know who's the killer," she added.

"But how do we go down there?" Haliya interrupted again with her questions. We all leave clueless on that one. I have an idea.

I started to kick it. They all helped me, but it didn't work. Mahirap itong buksan o sirain. Wala rin naman itong kahit anong lock na p’wede naming buksan.

While we are busy thinking of a way. Dem suddenly gets a pile of dry leaves that are scattering on the surroundings of this burned-down house. He brings it to us.

"Ano’ng gagawin mo d'yan?" nagtatakang tanong ni Tril.

"Edi susunugin," he said. Elyt and I exchanged looks. Dem is clever.

"You're smart, Dem!" Elyt exclaimed and hugged Demyr.

"I know right? Tamad lang talaga akong ipakita, baka may ma-inlove sa katalinuhan ko," he confidently said and of course, his last line was obviously pertaining to Tril as he was staring at her. This guy is really into her.

Sinimulan na namin ang paglalagay ng mga tuyo na dahon.

"The clue 'Burn it down into ashes. History will reveal through flames' can also fit in what we're doing right now," I said when that realization hits me.

"That means clues are just everywhere, we just need to be observant and think critically," Elyt said, "A fool can easily be deceived," he added.

"Buti na lang sa pag-ibig lang ako tanga," Dem uttered. Ewan ko talaga sa lalaking 'to. Kung wala pa 'tong naitutulong ng kahit papaano, baka kalokohan lang talaga ang aakalain kong ambag niya rito.

We just ignored him. We focused on putting dry leaves.

"Tril, may I have your lighter?" I requested. She immediately gave it to me. I gazed at its lighter, I just noticed it now that her lighter is cool. It is a Zippo Brass Lighter. I also noticed some symbols on her lighter, it was the same tattoo she has on her wrist. The symbol looks like this... ᛁ ᚠᚩᚢᚾᛞ ᚾᚩ ᛚᚩvᛖ ᛁᚾ ᚻᚩᛗᛖ

I don't know what that means. I'm not really an ancient person. But as far as I know, those symbols are runes. Runes are ancient alphabets used by the Germanic people from 3rd to the 13th centuries, I guess. That's all I know.

I just ignored it and proceed to lit the dry leaves. Nang masindihan ito ay lumayo kami ng kaunti. Lahat kami ay tutok na tutok kakatitig sa nagliliyab na apoy. I just hope that this will work, and we'll not burn down what's hiding in there.

We waited for minutes until the door was slightly burned. The dark passageway is now visible.

"We need to stop the flames," I suggested.

"Paano?" Haliya asked.

"Soil," I said as I look at her. I started to go get a soil outside. Sumunod na rin sila para tulungan ako. We used it to extinguish the flames. Hindi kami tumigil hangga’t hindi ito naapula. Nang maapula na ito'y ginamit namin ang aming mga paa para tadyakan ang nasunog na sahig. And it worked.

"G-guys, hindi ko alam pero ngayon lang ako nakaramdam ng takot," Tril suddenly uttered while her right hand was holding her neck. I saw her hands trembling when she diverted her gaze at the painting.

"I guess we're all afraid on what hides in there? Aren't we?" tanong ko habang ang mga mata ko'y nakakatitig lamang sa madilim na daanan sa sahig.

"Tara na!" Dem interrupted. Nagulat kami sa kaniya at sabay-sabay pa kaming napatingin sa kaniya. Himala ata kasi hindi siya natakot?

"O’! Alam ko ang mga titig niyong ganyan." He chuckled. "Natatakot pa rin ako. Fear will always remain a fear especially if we let it consume us. The best way to cast it is to face it. Tama ba ako?" sabi nito. Dem has a sense sometimes.

"You do have a sense, Dem! And the truth is waiting for us. I know we are all curious about this case," wika ko.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Elyt interrupted while giving me that intimidating look.

"I'll go first," I volunteered. I get my phone from my pocket to use it as a light. Walang hagdan kaya wala kaming choice kun’di tumalon pababa, hindi naman ito gaanong kalalim.

Nang makarating ako sa baba, nakaramdam ako ng kakaibang kaba, marahil ay sa namumuong takot na nararamdaman ko. I looked up to them.

"I'm good, come on down!" I shouted. Maya't maya pa ay nakababa na rin si Dem, sumunod naman si Haliya, at Tril, panghuling bumaba si Elyt.

"G-guys? Paano pala tayo makaka-akyat mamaya kung lahat tayo bumaba rito?" Haliya asked while looking above. She is right.

"We'll help lift up each other. Don't worry, Haliya. Everything is in control." Elyt smirked at nauna na itong maglakad. He used his phone to light the way. Wala naman kaming ibang choice kun'di sumunod.

Habang naglalakad kami ay nararamdaman naming unti-unting sumisikip ang daanan, kasya na lamang ang dalawang tao sa lawak nito.

Ang mga pawis ko'y tuluyan nang pumapatak sa damit ko, at parang ang hirap na rin huminga. Maya't maya pa ay biglang huminto si Elyt kaya napahinto na lang din kami.

"Bakit?" I asked. He turned to us.

"Dead end," he said and lit up the wall. I heard everyone let out a deep sigh.

"So, what are we going to do now?" tanong ni Tril. We just look at each other blankly. "Ang init rito, para tayong susunugin sa impyerno," saad pa nito.

"We can't stay here any longer either or else we'll be suffocated," I said in a lifeless tone.

‘’Alakin!"

"What?" attitude kong tanong. They all look at me cluelessly. When I realized what they gaze at I started to get chills.

"A-are you guys calling my name?" nauutal kong tanong.

"Bro, nanaginip ka na naman ng gising," Dem said and chuckled. "Walang tumawag sayo," dagdag pa nito. Here we go again, the fear I am keeping silently.

Suddenly, I feel a hand fall on my shoulder. Now, fear is really devouring me.

"G-guys…" Napatingin ako sa nagsalita. Gumaan ang pakiramdam ko nang malaman ko na kamay pala ni Haliya ang dumampi sa mga braso ko. But she was hardly breathing.

"Haliya!? What is happening?" Pag-aalalang tanong ni Tril dito habang hinihimas ang likod.

"May hika ka ba?" tanong naman ni Dem. She just nodded.

"She needs to breath," saad ko. May kinakapa ito sa bag niya ngunit hindi niya ito maabot.

"I-inh... Inhaler," nauutal na sabi nito habang hinahabol ang hininga. Tril easily understood what she's pertaining and she immediately gets the inhaler from her bag.

"Here!" I can sense Tril is worried, her hands were trembling. Haliya started to breathe normally.

"Are you now, okay?" I asked in a lifeless tone. She nodded her head.

"Y-yeah! Thanks," aniya sa'min.

"Tara, dito muna tayo." We gave Haliya and Tril space so that she can breathe.

Dem, Elyt, and I just stare at them while they were sitting. After that, the three of us exchange looks at each other.

"I found letters on the wall," Elyt breaks the awkward moment. "It was scrambled letters again," saad pa nito. Inilawan niya ito. It looks like this.

mheowteseoehm

"Home sweet home," Elyt said and chuckled. Dem touched letter 's' and it made us all in awe when it suddenly lit into the red. Suddenly, we heard a sudden shake and some particles of soil fell on us.

"Guys! What is happening? The passageway is closing!" Tril suddenly shouted. Napalingon kami sa kaniya, nakatingin ito sa dinaanan namin kanina.

"Don't touch anything!" Elyt hysterically said.

"It's a trapped! If you touch those letters that is not in order, we will be buried down here," pagpapaliwanag ni Elyt. "Guys, sorry hindi ko alam," paghingi naman ng tawad ni Dem.

"I think we need to touch it on the sequence of the clue." Elyt touches each letter based on the clue of 'Home sweet home’. The moment he touches the first letter 'h' we observed first in case it has effects. I guess it worked, instead of red light the letters he touched have a yellow light and no effects at all.

"Home sweet home," he uttered while touching the last letter. Suddenly, the wall opens. This wall is a door to the cellar. Tumambad sa'min ang maliit na cellar. But instead of what a usual cellar we know that has wine on it, this cellar is similar. It has full of dolls. It literally creeps me out.

"Punyeta naman! Bakit sa lahat ng p’wede natin makita ito pa talaga!" mariing usal ni Dem. I can sense fear in him.

"Akala ko ba, the best way to cast fear is to face it?" pang-aasar ni Elyt kay Dem na ngayon ay ‘di na maipinta ang mukha dahil sa takot.

"Ano’ng meron?" A woman suddenly spoke behind our back. Sabay-sabay kaming tatlo na nagulat. Dem tightened his grip on my arms. I gazed at him seriously. We turned to the woman that spoke. It was actually Tril. This girl would literally give us a heart attack.

"What the f*ck Tril!" Elyt exclaimed. Natural lang naman siguro na gano'n ang maging reaksyon niya, sino ba namang hindi magugulat? Basta-basta na lamang susulpot.

Tril suddenly screamed kaya nagulat ulit kami. Lumabas ito.

The three of us exchange looks because of confusiom. Biglang nagsitaasan ang mga balahibo ko. Nararamdaman ko ang malamig na hangin na bumalot sa katawan ko.

"Ano’ng nangyari sa kaniya?" nangangambang tanong ni Dem at agad na sinundan sa labas si Tril.

Elyt and I took a deep breath, and we just followed him. We saw Haliya comforting Tril. Nakaupo ito habang ang dalawang kamay ay hawak-hawak sa ulo, nanginginig ito sa takot. Dem kneeled and checked her.

"Ano’ng problema?" tanong ni Dem. I don't know if he's really into her, but I can see concern and sincerity on his husky voice.

"I have pediophobia. I f*cking hate dolls!" mariing sabi nito. Now I get where her fear came from.

As I have read before, for people with pediophobia, seeing and thinking about dolls can cause anxiety that is so intense they may become frozen with fear.

Tril grabbed something from the sock of her shoes. It was a stick of cigarette. She lit it up and releases a cloud of smoke. Maybe because she wanted to release the stress and calm herself. Actually, many people who smoke believe it calms them down. That's because nicotine is a mood-altering drug, and it looks like it smoldered feelings when it's inhaled.

Elyt lean on the wall and crosses his arms and smirks. I nodded my head. Lumapit ako kay Tril at agad-agad kinuha ang sigarilyo sa kamay niya, bakas sa mukha niya ang pagkagulat.

"Alakin! Ano ba!?" bulyaw nito.

"Stop it, Tril. Smoking won't help you calm down. It actually increases anxiety and tension. So, stop it, and, besides Haliya have asthma, it will not only affect you but also her," sabi ko at tumingin kay Haliya. Napatingin din ito kay Haliya, after that she leaned her head on the wall while looking above. Nanginginig ang mga kamay nito.

"S-sorry," mahinang sambit nito. Haliya just tapped her shoulder as a sign that it was okay.

"Dito na lang muna kayo. Kami na lang ang titingin sa loob," wika ni Dem.

Bumalik na kami sa loob, hindi namin alintana ang takot. We used the flashlights of our phones. Mabuti na lang at hindi pa siya na-lo-lowbat, but probably anytime our phones battery will drain.

Habang inuusig namin ang loob lalo lang ito mas nakakakilabot. The dolls get creepier as you look closer into it. Some have stains and some are ripped. Each size is like a child.

"Bakit ba kasi natin ginagawa 'to?" naiiritang tanong ni Dem "Alam mo pag-uwi natin baka trauma lang ang nakuha natin," dagdag pa nito. I couldn't agree more with what he said. Alam naman namin na may dahilan kung bakit kami narito, pero kahit anong dahilan pa 'yon, it wouldn't be enough for the fear we experienced here.

"You know we still have the freedom to decide, we still have a choice to get out," sambit ni Elyt.

Napatingin silang dalawa sa'kin. "But do you think they will let us out?" I questioned.

A moment of silence.

"We'll find that out," misteryosong sagot ni Elyt. His smile speaks that he wants to do something. I don't know what runs on his mind. I just hope that it wouldn't put our lives in danger.

"You know sometimes I thought..." Ang atensyon nila'y nabaling muli sa'kin. "What if we're not just here for them to test us on how much hungry we are for justice to be served for those victims but, also a test of ignorance. Hanggang kailan ba natin kayang panindigan ang sigaw natin sa hustisya? Pagpapatuloy ba natin sa kabila ng dala nitong takot at pangamba o hahayaan na lamang ito at ibaon sa limot?" I took a deep breath. "I think they wanted us to realize that." I took off my jacket because my sweats are already dripping from my body. Itinali ko ito sa bewang ko.

I gaze at Dem and Elyt. "What's worse aside the killer is the one who neglects and turns a blind eye," I said.

Elyt gave me a slow clap. Hindi ko alam kung nang-aasar lang ba siya. I am not good at reading people's behavior but for Elyt, I can sense a competitive student. I wonder what kind of life he had. Is he that smart guy who is always top of the class and is afraid to be outshined? That made me curious.

"Guys!" biglang nagsalita si Dem. We diverted our gaze to him.

"Nakikita niyo ba ang nakikita ko?" wika nito habang ang mga mata niya ay nakapokus lamang sa isang direksyon.

Dahan-dahan naming tinignan ang direksyon na 'yon. Sa totoo lang sobrang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko marahil ay sa takot na bumabalot sa akin.

Nakita namin ang nakaupong manika, nakabestida ito gayang-gaya sa babaeng walang mukha sa painting. It even gets creepier because it was smiling. She was holding a box. Like a treasure box.

Nagtitigan muna kaming tatlo at bakas sa mga mukha namin ang takot.

"Dem, what if you go first?" Elyt suggested.

"Bakit ako? Mukhang hihimatayin na nga ako rito!" he exclaimed. Elyt chuckled.

"Why wouldn't you go first?" I said to Elyther. His sharp gaze strikes me.

"Why wouldn't you?" Ibinalik nito sa'kin. Dem suddenly gripped both of our arms.

"Sabay na tayong tatlo!" sabi nito sabay hatak sa amin ni Elyt. Hindi na kami nakapalag pa.

Nang makalapit kami sa manika ay dahan-dahan naming hinawakan ang box. Halos mabunutan kami ng tinik sa lalamunan ng bigla na lamang kami makarinig ng tawa galing sa manika. Maya't maya pa ay bigla na lamang kami hinawakan ni Elyt sa braso.

"I only want love, Momma."

"I only want love, Momma."

"I only want love, Momma."

Paulit-ulit nitong sabi habang tumatawa na may halong paghikbi.

"Dem, get the box!" sigaw ko. Walang pakundangang kinuha ito ni Dem kahit bakas na rin sa kaniya ang takot.

Natumba ito ng makuha ang box.

"Hey! Who are you!?” Napatingin kaming tatlo sa labas ng marinig namin ang sigaw ni Tril at Haliya.

"Guys!” huling sigaw nila at bakas ang pangamba sa boses nila. May napansin din kaming usok galing sa labas.

Ibinalik ko ang atensyon sa manika na patuloy pa rin sa pagtawa habang hawak-hawak ang kamay namin ni Elyt.

Nilakasan ko ang loob ko para kunin ang kamay niya sa kamay ko. Habang kinukuha ko ang pagkakahawak nito may napansin akong mga sugat sa braso niya na bumubuo ng mga letra. Para itong ginamitan ng sinulid.

"Thriah?" I whispered.

"Alakin, what are you waiting!? Come on!" Elyt shouted. I diverted my attention to him. Natanggal na ito sa pagkakahawak. Nang bumalik ang animo ko ay agad-agad kong tinanggal ang pagkakahawak.

We immediately run outside but before we can exit, nakasalubong namin si Haliya at Tril na papasok dito. They were coughing because of the smoke.

"What happened?” nagtatakang tanong ni Elyt.

"S-someone is t-there!" Tril said while coughing and pointing on the entrance. Inalalayan ko naman si Haliya kasi muntik na itong matumba.

"Are you okay?" tanong ko rito. She just nodded as a response. She was hardly breathing. It looks like she was going to pass out.

"Who?" Elyt continues to ask.

"I don't know they were wearing an animal mask," she answered.

"What did they do?"

"They are trying to kill us!" she yelled. "We saw them standing stiff and they were looking at me and Haliya. I don't know what their faces are but the way their eyes stare at us creeps us out. When I tried to talk to them they started to throw a torch," she explained.

"Guys! Kailangan na natin umalis! Lumalaki na ang apoy!" nangangambang sabi ni Dem.

"The passageway is already on fire, we can't go that way," Tril said.

Pumasok kami sa loob. Ang tanging ilaw lang namin ay ang aming mga phones.

Hindi na rin alintana ni Tril ang takot nito sa mga manika. Nagsimula kaming maghanap ng way para makalabas rito. Lahat kami ay natataranta na rin. Ipinaupo ko muna si Haliya sa gilid kasi sobrang nanghihina na ito.

"We need to get out of here or else we have two options of death." Napatigil silang tatlo at napatingin sa'kin. At para na naman akong pumatay ng tao dahil sa mga titig nila. I continued, "It's either we die in suffocation, or we're roasted down in here."

"If you want to die, go die alone," Elyt said. I looked down at the ground and chuckled.

"Stop it! Now isn't the right time to argue!" pagsuway ni Tril. "All of us will go home alive!" she added.

"Dem! Give me your dagger!" wika nito. Natataranta namang hinanap ni Dem ang dagger nito sa bag habang ang isang kamay niya'y hawak-hawak pa rin ang box. Nang makita ay binigay niya agad ito kay Tril.

We all observed her silently. Iwinasiwas nito ang mga manika. And surprisingly there's a grill on the wall. Ginamitan niya ng dagger ang mga tornilyo.

"How did you find that?" nagtatakang tanong ko.

"May naramdaman akong hangin na lumalabas dito," pagpapaliwanag nito habang nakapokus sa pagtatanggal ng tornilyo.

Sa ilang sandali pa ay natanggal na niya ito. Inilawan niya ito. May mga daga pa na tumatakbo. The passageway is so small, and we don't have any choice but to crawl.

"See! In every door that closes there's a new way. If they're testing us, they won't allow us to be dead."

"I'll go first. Take care of Haliya," paalala nito.

"I'll help her," I said.

Nagsimula na siyang pumasok sa loob at bago ito gumapang may sinabi ito.

"Dem, I don't want you to be next to me."

"Grabe ka ano’ng akala mo sa'kin?"

"I don't trust you," she said and gave Dem a middle finger.

"Puta--" Elyt shuts his mouth. Tinawanan niya ito at binigyan ng thumbs down. He then followed Tril. Pagkatapos ay sumunod na rin si Dem.

I looked at them while they are crawling. I then diverted my gaze to the fire. Suddenly, a familiar voice called me again.

"Alakin!" Paulit-ulit nitong tinatawag ang pangalan ko. I close my eyes and cover my right ear. The voice gets creepier as it whispered in my ears. I don't know but I don't find it horrific anymore. What creeps me out is not the voice I am hearing anymore but myself, for I found it calming in my ears. I feel like I was floating in the air. It looks like my soul has come out from my body.

A sudden touch fell on my shoulder.

"Alakin, we need to get out now. I can't take it anymore." It was Haliya.

"Haliya, if I die in here, would you want to join me?" I asked. I saw her reaction, she was shocked and at the same time frightened. I also saw her step back a little.

"Alakin? Ano ba ang sinasabi mo?" nangangambang tanong nito.

"Do you love your life that much that you're afraid to die?" I continued with my cryptic questions.

"Alakin! Ano ba ang nangyayari sa'yo!?" she exclaimed.

"If I can't die in here, what life is waiting for me in there? Is life really worth living?" I sit on the ground.

"Alakin! Ano ba!? Tumayo ka d'yan! We need to get out now!"

"Do you have friends?" I asked again.

"I don't have."

"You're just like me. Then why not die with me?" I chuckled.

"Stop it Alakin! I still have a purpose to be alive and you have too," mariing sabi nito sa'kin.

"Who?"

"My family, Alakin! I still have a family that's waiting for me to come home."

"But they're not your biological parents." I looked at her.

"Yes, they're not but they gave me a family. They gave me love. They completed my incomplete being," she said. Lumuhod ito kahit sobrang nahihirapan na siya.

"Alakin let's go. Your foster family also waited for you to come back home. You can't die in here. We are not." She grabbed my wrist. I looked at it for seconds.

"I can't leave you here, please. Let's go!"

We heard the voices of the three calling our names.

I get up. I saw a big smile carved on Haliya's face.

Tinulungan ko siyang maka-akyat. Nang makagapang na ito ay sumunod na rin ako sa kaniya.

I don't have any reason why I asked those questions to her. It just came to my mind.

Nahirapan kami sa paggapang ngunit ‘di kalaunay natanaw na rin namin sila. They helped Haliya to get up. Nang makatayo ako ay agad-agad kong pinagpag ang damit ko kahit wala rin namang kabuluhan kasi sobrang dumi na rin. Lahat kami ay mukhang gusgusin na.

We ended up on the grass.

"Guys! What took you too long? Akala namin kung ano nang nangyari sa inyo," nag-aalalang tanong ni Tril. Napahinto ako saglit at napatingin kay Haliya. She exchanges looks to me. She gets her inhaler from her bag.

"W-wala. Nahirapan lang si Alakin na tulungan ako," pagsisinungaling nito.

"O’ okay," she said. "By the way nasa likuran lang tayo ng nasunog na bahay." Napalingon ako at totoo nga ang sinabi niya.

"Guys, ano na nga pala ang gagawin natin rito?" Dem interrupted and showed us the box.

"We need to finish this case. The time is still running," Elyt said and raised his wrist in the air showing the Kampo Morte's bracelet. We still have 80 hours left. I realized, ang dami naming nasayang na oras. We're on day two of unraveling.

"Let's go!" I said and started to walk. Bumalik kami sa bahay. Nang makarating ay nakita namin ang nasusunog sa ilalim. Hindi na rin kami makalapit sa family tree kasi delikado na baka gumuho ang sahig na dadaanan. We have no choice but to picture out that family tree on our minds.

Whoever did this is insane. A sudden curiosity hits me. Is it planned or what if?

"Those creepy bastards are insane!" Tril exclaimed irritably.

"Kapag talaga makita ko sila, pagtatadyakan ko 'yon," saad ni Dem.

"For real? Ikaw pa talaga na matatakutin? Talaga lang ha?" Tril teases him again.

"May kanya-kanya naman tayong fears ano. Gaya mo sa manika," sagot nito.

"’Wag mo nang banggitin! Mas takot ako sa mukha mo!" pagtataray ni Tril at inirapan si Dem. Ewan ko talaga sa dalawang 'to.

"Guys, aren't you curious?" I interrupted. Now their attention is on me.

"Where are the other campers?" I asked. That question made them think and wonder as it was visible on their faces.

"Probably, they're also unraveling mysteries just like us," Tril answered.

"You think that they did this, right?" Elyt asked me.

"No. I'm just curious if where are they," pagsisinungaling ko. Elyt is right I'm thinking about it. This is not a normal camp, but this is still a camp, so that means we are given a task to complete, and it should be a competition. If the team completes the task first, then probably they're the winner. What if they're trying to sabotage us? What if we don't know that it was allowed? If we lose, we run out of daily supplies to survive. It is like it's us against our campers. There's so much going on in my mind.

"Time is running. We need to finish this," sabi ni Elyt.

Inilapag na ni Dem ang box.

"There's a passcode," Elyt said. "It's six letters," he added.

It leaves us in silence. I think for a while then suddenly I realized something.

"Thriah," I said, and they gazed at me.

"W-what?" nauutal na tanong ni Tril.

"When we get that box on the doll. I saw a mark that's been carved on the doll's wrist. It was Thriah," I explained. Elyt took a deep sigh and just put the passcode and it worked.

Nang mabuksan namin ito ay tumambad sa'min ang mga laman nito. Kinuha namin ito isa-isa. Tril get the diary, she was looking at it intensely. Haliya get the rolled paper.

Elyt got a syringe in his hands with a label on it. Dem and I get the photos. The photos we got are so creepy. It was a picture of the mother and a daughter in the cellar full of dolls. The girl is too young. Probably it was the girl from that painting whose face is scratched.

"The killer suffers from a mental health problem," Elyt uttered while his eyes study the syringe in his hands. "The child has Schizophrenia I must guess," he stated.

"How come were you sure with that?" I asked him as if I didn't know what that label on the syringe has.

"C13H16ClNO is a molecular formula of Ketamine." His sharp gaze strikes me. "Ketamine is an anesthesia commonly used on Schizophrenic patients," he justified," She killed her family due to mental instability," he added.

"Either way, she was just a victim of mental and emotional anguish. Maybe she was abused," I objected. I believed there are two sides to a story. We can't easily put judgment on people with mental health problems. It's just too odd to think that way.

"Well, maybe. But at least now we have a clue on why she committed the massacre," sagot nito at binalik ang syringe sa box.

"I think that girl in the painting is the child in here." I showed them the photos. "She doesn't look fine at all. I see no happiness in her life," I said.

"Guys, listen to this. I will read the diary," Tril interrupted.

Tril read it loudly.

"Dear Diary,

Since I was born, I've never felt that I ex-xisted. I never experienced the b-beauty of life. I am not allow-wed... f*ck I can't read it! My reading sucks again!" she exclaimed and hold her head out of disappointment. I can sense that Tril was so stressed out. Haliya gets the diary from her.

"It's okay, Tril. I'll read it," Haliya initiated.

Sinimulan na niya itong basahin.

"Dear Diary,

Since I was born, I've never felt that I existed. I never experienced the beauty of life. I am not allowed to play, go out, have friends, dress the way I wanted, to talk unless I am authorized to. I've been deprived of life; I don't know why I deserve this. I only want one thing in this world, I wanted to feel love. But love wasn't for me too. So, what am I in this world? I wish I wasn't born. I was born to a Misopedist Mother. She hates children, she never sees me as her daughter but as a doll. A literal doll, who she can play with. She sees me as an emotionless thing, that's why it is easy for her to hurt me physically. Every time she suffered from Paranoia and Intermittent explosive disorder, a condition that involves sudden outbursts of rage, aggression, or violence

I am her coping mechanism. Am I existing to be someone's painkiller?

The only reason why she loves my sister is that it wasn't her own, it was Dad's adopted daughters. I know she doesn't love them; it was all fake. She just keeps them so Dad wouldn't leave her. I am her biological daughter but why do I feel like I am an orphan? Home should be a place of love, isn't it? A family is where you feel at home and have a sense of belongingness, isn't it? A mother should be her child's comfort, isn't she? But why does it feel like hell? I grow up questioning my existence. I wake up every day with fear. I lived with my hallucinations. I feel like my life has been threatened every time the clock ticks. And it was her who made me suffer from this. Because of her, I lost myself.

She always told me that I am a daughter of a devil and not her. But I guess that was true. I am a daughter of a devil and I'm going to prove that today. Maybe, we'll find love and home in hell.

Love, Thriah."

All of us were speechless with what we heard. Now it made sense where she gets her courage to murder her whole family.

"It wasn't her who's the adopted child. It was Thalia and Trina but she feels like she was the orphan because she was left behind. She only wanted love but all they gave was pain. Alakin was right she was a victim of abuse that's why she did that. Her mother was cruel!" Tril exclaimed and she was really irritated while looking at the pictures she gets from Dem, it has names written on them. Me too, actually. I thought for a moment and racked my brains for a word to use because that literally leaves me speechless.

I took a deep sigh.

How come your own mother will treat you like that? A mother should be responsible for the upbringing of her child. She should be the one who nurtures her children not hinder them.

My attention focused on the rolled paper Haliya was holding.

"Haliya, what about that rolled paper on your hands? What's that?" I asked.

"Oh wait!" She started to untie it and she stopped for a while; she slowly looks at us. She showed us the paper with lettering written on it 'The Orphans'. The moment we saw each photo, it leaves us shocked and in deep confusion.

"I-it was us."

Suddenly, our bracelets light up. The logo first appears and is followed by the announcements.

Mystery Unlocked!

All of us felt relieved when we heard that. But suddenly an unfamiliar sound came from our bracelets and a warning sign appear.

Zigged before you zagged.

It flashes repeatedly. Wait, that idiom means we do it in the wrong order. A generated voice speaks.

The mystery was unlocked but it wasn't done accordingly.

The family tree was already burned down into ashes.

The ruins will explode in 15 seconds.

All of us exchange looks.

"Run outside!" I shouted. Without hesitations, we immediately run for our lives.

All of us dropped to the ground when the ruins explode.

A deafening sound echoed in my head. I can no longer hear anything. My eyes become blurry. I only see the beauty of the sky. I can hear my hard breath. Until everything blacks out.

I heard a familiar voice that calls my name. My vision is still blurry the moment I open my eyes.

"Alakin!"

"Hoy!" It was Dem.

"Where am I?" I asked. I can hear water splashes.

"Nasa tent na tayo. Buti na lang at nagising ka na, kanina ka pa unconscious, inabot ka na ng gabi." I saw that it was dark outside.

"What happened?" tanong ko ulit

"Ayon, nakaligtas lang naman tayo sa kamatayan." Everything came back in my memories. I facepalm.

"Ang bigat mo pala buhatin. Tara na sa labas at kakain na tayo. Doon na lang din natin pag-usapan ang nangyari at maligo ka na rin pagkatapos ang baho mo na," sabi nito at hinila ako. Pansin ko nga na malinis na rin ito.

Nang makalabas sa tent ay nakita ko ang tatlo, nakaupo at nakatingin sa akin. Nakaayos na rin sila. Napatingin ako sa rumaragasang tubig. Wait, we are near a fall.

"Ang ganda ng new location natin ‘no? Marami talagang pasabog ang Kampo Morte," bulong ni Dem sabay upo sa tabi ni Tril, agad namang umiwas si Tril.

"Alakin, okay ka lang ba? Wala bang masakit sa'yo?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Haliya. Tumango ako.

"Alakin, umupo ka na. Kumain ka na rin at maligo pagkatapos," saad naman ni Tril habang hawak-hawak ang barbecue. As usual, canned goods at grilled na naman ang kakainin namin.

"How did we get here?" nagtatakang tanong ko.

"This is the location the bracelet told us to follow," Elyt answered.

"Mabuti na lang at wala namang gaanong nasaktan sa atin," wika ni Haliya.

"I didn't think Kampo Morte is really that hard on us. They are willing to kill us for this stupid mystery!" Elyt said irritably.

"Ngayon ay may ideya na tayo kung ano’ng p’wede nilang gawin sa'tin pag ‘di natin nagawa ng maayos o nahanap ang hustisya," saad naman ni Tril.

I remember the rolled paper Haliya showed us where photos of us are indicated. I was really curious about that one.

"Haliya, where's the rolled paper?" I asked. Napahinto sila sa pagkain.

"A-ah, nasa bag ko. Wait, I'll just get it." Akmang tatayo na ito ngunit pinigilan ko.

"No need." I face all of them seriously. "I want all of you to tell me honestly." I release a deep breath first and then continued, "Are we all adopted children in here? An orphan?" mariing tanong ko. Dem took a deep breath. Tril put down her food. And Elyt chuckled and obviously, he wants to tease me.

"So, what, Alakin? What if we're an orphan? Does it matter?" Elyt throws me with his intimidating questions.

"Why didn't you guys tell us? Haliya and I said we are adopted children. And it does matter because it has something to do with what exactly the reason, they put us here. So, why did you guys refuse to tell us?" giit ko.

"I don't consider myself an orphan, Alakin. I don't want to feel that something is missing in me," he said seriously. "As much as we respect you keeping your life private. You should also respect ours. You should respect the untold story we refuse to tell," he added. I just realized I was a bit off.

"I agree with Elyt, Alakin," Tril agreed. Dem just crossed his arms. "But I guess Alakin has a point Elyt. I think we should be more open to each other because we are trapped in this uncertain scenario that might take our lives. I guess it's not that hard if we help each other. And besides, after this, I don't think that we'll see each other again. I guess our secrets are safe with each other," Tril stated. I was a bit relieved when Tril get my point.

"I'm sorry if I was a bit off. I'm just trying to help because I know how much all of you valued life." I took a deep breath.

"I guess one reason why are we here are because we are all deprived of love from the person who brought us to this world," I said. "Excuse me, I will just take a bath," I added and leave them.

"Alakin, bro… " I heard Dem calling my name.

"Guys, hayaan na muna natin siya kailangan niya muna mapag-isa," I heard Haliya said.

Pumunta ako sa falls para maligo. Hindi na rin ako natakot kahit madilim dito.

Biglang bumalik sa mga alala ko ang mga sinabi ko kanina kay Haliya.

What if I lived and know my real family, would my life be happy? Am I going to be a lonely man if I'm with them? I wonder what life I would have with them.

Napabuntong hininga ako at bago ako sumisid sa tubig, a realization suddenly hits me.

What Thriah did to her family was unjustified. It will never be okay despite the reasons.

Another thought hit me.

Most people wanted to move away from their homes. But do we consider them bad for leaving their homes?

Homes should be a place where love resides. You don't have to beg for it was genuinely and unconditionally given. But if your home deprived you of love, it wasn't a home anymore; it was a haven without soul and all you see is darkness that consumed you. It was a cage where you can't freely come out. In that case, I don't think that blood is thicker than water anymore if it was the reason of all your pain.

I'm still uncertain of all the reasons for these people's choices in life. Every story has an untold version. But one thing is for sure.

Just like Thriah.

Every home has a story and most of them are sad.