🦋

 

Ning woke up with her head aching. Nanlabo pa ang mga mata niya at nasilaw sa hindi gaanong kaliwanag na ilaw sa kwarto. The ceiling was pure purple, the lights are dimmed but she can tell that there would be brighter bulbs around the room where she is. It wasn't the hospital, nor her room. 

 

Habang hawak ang ulo at minamasahe, mabagal siyang umupo, napapikit ulit dahil sa sakit ng ulo. There was another bed across hers where another girl around her age is sitting, watching her. 

 

Maputi, blonde at maikli ang buhok, two small eyes na nakatitig sa kaniya.

 

They're in the same room. Quiet.. Confused, Clueless. 

 

Ning clears . The blonde girl stopped staring at her and looked around the room as well.

 

"Nasaan ako?" Tanong niya, her voice felt and sounded drowsy. It could be because she just woke up. She wasn't expecting the girl to answer her dahil sa tingin niya, pareho silang nalilito ngayon.

 

"Kakagising ko lang din.. ‘Di ko alam kung nasaan tayo." The girl said. Tumango si Ningning at kinusot ang mga mata. Ngayong gising na siya, pinagkatitigan niya ang kasamang umiiwas na sa kaniya. Her face is familiar but Ning can't figure out where or when she saw her. 

 

"Nagkita na ba tayo noon?" Umiling ang babae, forcing an uncomfortable smile. 

 

"I’m Winter." Her roommate—Winter stood up and lend her hand to Ning. 

 

Winter. 

 

Ah. 

 

"Schoolmate yata kita.. I'm Ning." Tumayo siya para abutin ang kamay ni Winter, shaking her hand at ngumiti nang pilit.

 

"Ah, talaga? Nice to meet you, Ning." They both chuckle a bit before pulling away from each other and once again scanned the room they're in. The reality of being stuck in this small room shook off the lightness of their greetings.

 

There was no door, or at least, not anything they could see. May CCTV sa gawing kanan ni Winter, then a speaker next to the pin light. 

 

Nararamdaman ni Ningning. Someone else is watching them. 

 

‘Nakidnap ba kami?’ Napuno ng takot ang kalooban ni Ningning. Kung totoo man, walang maghahanap sa kaniya.

 

If someone kidnapped her, it must be a mistake. She has nothing to offer them. She has no family, no money.

 

"Uh.. Ning, anong huli mong naaalala?" Ning looked at the girl asking, she shook her head a little. Sitting on the bed, she rests her palms on the thin white bedsheet. 

 

"May namasok sa bahay ko.. nag-aaral ako nun and then wala na, nagblack-out ako." Ning lightly massages her temple using her right hand. Did.. whoever brought her here, hit her head? Kanina pa kasing kumikirot, daig niya pa ang nauntog.

 

Winter nodded, tinabihan si Ningning sa kama. "Baka.. Don’t worry, mawawala din yan later.” Winter tries to comfort her by lightly rubbing her back.

 

Natahimik na naman sila. Pinakiramdaman na lang ni Ning ang paligid.

 

Hindi mainit kahit walang bintana, mukhang airconditioned ang kwarto pero walang bakas ng dinadaanan ng hangin sa kisame o sa mga dingding.

 

Maya-maya pa, nakarinig sila ng ingay.

 

"Hoy! Palabasin niyo ‘ko! It’s too sikip! Hindi ako makahinga!" Both Winter and Ning got startled at the sudden yelling from outside their room—or could be another room, definitely. 

 

💙

 

"Ready to sleep?" A voice from the speaker rang through the small room where Karina is walking back and forth. Mababaliw na siya, can't stop flinching at the fact that she's in a small dark room with navy blue ceiling and no doors or windows, just one bed with weird wirings. 

 

Sa daming beses nang nakidnap si Karina para i-set up for ransom sa mayaman niyang tatay, Karina could easily tell na nakidnap na naman siya.

 

Ang kaibahan lang, mukhang mayaman yata ang kumidnap sa kaniya at may magandang kama at airconditioned pa ang kwartong pinagtaguan sa kaniya.

 

Kahit na, she wants to run away. She shouldn't be here. "Hahanapin ako ng tatay ko! Let me out before everything gets out of hand!" She yells at the camera she spotted on one top corner.

 

"Go back to your beds now.. unless you want to sleep on the floor." Karina rolls her eyes after listening to the voice on the speaker. It's clearly a man's voice, pa-English-English pa. Hindi niya matunugan kung katrabaho ba ng tatay niya o kung nakasalubong na niya anywhere in her father’s business but.. Karina's a hundred percent sure now that it's the man who went to her house before she fell asleep. 

 

Sa galit niya, Karina slams the wall with her palm, so many times. At frustrated na sumigaw nang masaktan lang naman siya sa ginawa.

 

"Ayaw ko nang matulog! Palabasin mo ‘ko!" Sigaw niya ulit. She was about to kick the wall when someone else hit it from the other side.

 

"Hoy!" Another voice yelled from the said side. "’Stop kicking my wall!" Whoever she was, mukhang galit.. Kinabahan tuloy si Karina kasi the girl sounded so pissed. 

 

For some reasons, not because she got scared, Karina quietly laid back on her bed.

 

🌙

 

Giselle sighs, fingers locked on her hair, frustrated. Ang sakit-sakit na nga nang ulo niya paggising dito sa madilim na kwartong ‘to, may katabing kwarto pa siyang napakaingay at akala mo’y kung sino kung umasta. That loud annoying room neighbor who acts like she can do anything yet here they both are, still locked in their rooms.

 

When the girl next room finally seemed to give up and calm down, bumalik na lang din si Giselle sa kama niya at humiga. Namimiss na niya agad ang kwarto niya, her home, her parents. Being used to locking herself in her room, hindi na bago sa kaniya ang manatiling mag-isa lang sa kwarto kung nasaan man siya ngayon.. pero, iba pa din ang pakiramdam kapag nasa bahay siya. Who would feel comfortable in a strange room nga naman? But Giselle thought about it.. If their kidnapper wanted to kill them, she's sure they would've been dead by now. Yet, they have a bed and Giselle's certain this isn't just some common kidnapping. 

 

With these tubes and wirings on the bed, the weird set-up of the room. Walang pinto, how could there be no doors? Kung may oras lang si Giselle, she would be checking the walls. Baka kagaya nung mga napanood niya na may secret door dito..

 

She's just waiting for the instructions. Even when she feels like she shouldn't be stuck there, she also thinks there's a reason why she had to be there. Pinangako na lang niya sa sarili, she'll figure it out.

 

"Go back to your beds. It's time to sleep." The man announced, it's echoing through Giselle's room. The noise was too much, Giselle could even hear the sound from the speaker of the room next to hers.

 

Nakakainis lang.. wala pa yatang isang oras siyang gising pero pinapatulog na ulit sila.

 

Posible ba yun?

 

Bahala na.

 

"Goodnight to me, I guess." Giselle whispers to herself before closing her eyes. 

 

 ⭐️ 

 

 Maliwanag nang buksan ni Winter ang mga mata niya. Limang babae.. lima silang nakatayo paikot. She panicked at first nang makilala ang may katangkaran na babaeng nasa harap niya but when she realized that the girl next to her was Ning, she felt relieved having someone who she's familiar with. 

 

Ning? Where did I meet her?

 

‘Teka lang.. Bakit wala akong maalala?’

 

Her mind was blank, she has no idea what was she doing before she opened her eyes. Para bang wala siyang buhay bago siya magising kanina.

 

May bahay sa harap niya—nila.

 

It's like a cabin, a resthouse and it is clean and habitable. The living room is wide and there are couches set in a square. A meter away is a walkway towards the dining area. May anim na pinto—kwarto? May mga kwarto.. parang bahay talaga. Winter smiled knowingly—knowingly?

 

Binitawan niya ang kamay ni Ningning at pumunta sa pangalawang pinto on the right. Weirdly fascinating, this house felt like a home to Winter.. Like she'd been here for long to the point that she knows where her room is.

 

The girls seemed as confused as she is, earlier. But she trusts her instincts when she thinks they all feel the same—feel familiar to where they are now.

 

"Farm yata ‘to." Yung matangkad na babaeng unang nakita ni Winter kanina, pumasok sa bahay at may pawis pa ang noo. She looked fierce, serious. Her eyes.. She has big eyes and red—glistening lips. pakiramdam ni Winter, kilalang-kilala niya kung sino siya. 

 

After they opened their eyes earlier, that girl immediately walked out of the house they're in. The other girls are busy with their own wandering to notice Karina speaking. 

 

Karina? How did Winter know her name.. ‘Have I always known her name?’

 

Giselle—the girl standing by the doorway near Karina, shook her head when no one listened. 

 

Nagmasid si Winter pero napatigil lang din ang tingin sa dalawang nasa pintuan. Karina and Giselle, hindi man niya masigurado kung paanong alam niya ang mga pangalan nila pero sigurado siyang mabuti naman silang tao.

 

Wala pa ding nakikinig kina Karina at Giselle sa pintuan dahil abala ang tatlong babae sa likod ni Winter. In a split second, Giselle’s hand glowed light gray, she grabbed the doorknob and Winter witnessed as Giselle effortlessly gripped on the doorknob but it broke at her light hold. 

 

Like Giselle's too strong that it happened.

 

Winter’s eyebrows knitted.

 

The girls finally gave Giselle their attentions when the door slammed. Kahit si Giselle, nagulat sa nagawa niya sa pintuan. Napasandal siya sa pinto but she ends up breaking it too. Karina—that girl, walked slowly to catch the broken door but in a blink, with blue streak light flashing on where Karina was headed, she already passed Winter and reached the door.

 

Ha? Winter was in awe at first but when she looked at the three remaining girls behind her, which, interestingly, Winter knows their names too..; showed off their abilities. Ning's hand glowed purple and the couch floated, like Ning was doing it. And she is. She can make them float? Ning can control objects..

 

Ryujin, the girl closest to where Winter is standing, held her palm open and slowly, glowing white, crystals appeared circulating and hovering above her palm.

 

And like Ryujin’s opposite was Yeji. If Ryujin can flash cold ice from her hands, Yeji can cast the opposite, her hand glow red—fire. 

 

Sa totoo lang, these two felt distant from the four of them. Isa sa mga bagay na hindi din maintindihan ni Winter.. Bakit ganun ang naramdaman niya sa dalawa? 

 

After minutes of taking in the information they found about theirselves. They followed Giselle and saw a wide green land across them, like there's no end. Like they're the only ones living in this world. 

 

Winter knows it is. She can feel it. 

 

This is where she belongs. 

 

 💙 

 

Karina chuckles as they eat together on their dining room. As much as they were confused when they opened her eyes, it started to feel more familiar when they spent more time with each other.

 

"Ewan ba.. Were we on some kind of quest hours ago? Seriously, I can still feel my hand vibrating." Karina raised her hand to show them how fast her pinky finger is vibrating. 

 

She is fast. Moving too fast..

 

"Ewan talaga. Wala din akong maalala." Sabi ni Giselle sabay kagat sa tinapay niyang kinakain. 

 

"Tayo lang ang nakatira dito.." Tama si Ningning. Tinakbo ni Karina ang buong lugar na kinaroroonan nila hanggang mapagod siya. The green land never ends, para bang walang katapusan ang kapatagan at tanging ang cabin nila ang bahay na nandoon sa milya-milyang natakbo ni Karina.

 

The girls didn't ask any more question. Just like how Winter felt. She can sense their content that they live here together.

 

 🌙

 

Again, nagising na naman si Giselle. Yawning, she scratched her eyes lightly as she sat up. Sa bigat pa lang ng ulo niya, she can tell na sobrang haba ng naitulog niya. 

 

Nasa kwarto pa din siya. Something changed in the room though. She's not wearing her pyjamas anymore—from when she was kidnapped. She's wearing some kind of suit. It's like those of the superheroes suit she saw in the comics but black with gray lines over the shoulders, around the navel and the wrists. Nakashorts na lang din siya 'til above her knees.

 

Kinilabutan si Giselle.. Ano yun, binihisan siya habang tulog?

 

Pero.. the clothes are very comfortable. 

 

Giselle remembers the last thing she said to herself before she slept. She immediately sat up and saw a calendar by the speaker. 

 

She was taken on Thursday, January 11th. There are lines drew at 12, 13, until Wednesday, January 18th. 

 

“6 days?" Napatanong si Giselle sa sarili. She flips the calendar pero walang bumungad na February at March pahina lang ng January ang nandun at nakadikit sa itim na dingding. 

 

Wala naman ito nung huling gising niya. Whoever the mastermind of what's happening to her had come in and out of the room for all those days and she's been sleeping the whole time.

 

Worried about herself, she crouched down on the floor. Oversleeping is a medical disorder. If you sleep too much constantly for a few days, it's a little close to normalcy.. But being able to sleep for a whole week?

 

Baliw na yata ang sistema ng katawan ni Giselle. 

 

The speaker's light turned red. It's been switched on. The man is about to speak.

 

"Good morning. It's your week one and I expect to see progress in your beads." 

 

Week one. Isang linggo ngang tulog si Giselle.

 

Pero beads? Anong beads? Giselle got confused. She looked back at the bed and saw a bracelet hanging on one corner. Sigurado siyang wala yun noong isang linggo.

 

She crawled towards her bed, feeling too uneasy about her state. She grabbed the bracelet which had a glassy gray bead attached on it, like a real accessory. 

 

Ano naman ‘to? Pumikit na lang si Giselle at huminga nang malalim. Clearly, she can't answer her own questions.

 

———

 

It happened again.. and again. 

 

Giselle waking up and there are new lines on the calendar, markings. And it's always Thursday whenever she wakes up. The third time she woke up, she can hear the other girl from next door yelling again. 

 

Nagwawala na naman.

 

"Ipapakulong ko talaga kayo! Palabasin niyo na ako! Ayoko na dito!"

 

Sinisipa na naman nung babae yung dingding ni Giselle.

 

Giselle bit her lip, eye glaring as she walked towards the spot of the wall where she heard the other girl and kicked the wall as well. Mas malakas pa. "Shut up! Kung gusto niya tayong palabasin, ginawa na niya!" 

 

Natahimik ang nasa kabilang kwarto pero narinig ni Giselle ang pagkapa nito sa dingding.

 

"Hi—Hello, I'm Karina! Nakidnap ka din?" The girl—Karina, must be leaning on the wall, Giselle guesses, from the way she spoke. 

 

Tumango si Giselle kahit alam niyang hindi siya nakikita ng kausap.

 

"Ako si Giselle." Pakilala niya. Narinig niya ang pagsinghap ni Karina na may gusto pa yatang sabihin but she stopped her when Giselle saw how to camera followed her movements. 

 

Giselle shushes, hoped the girl heard her. "Nakikinig siya." She said, a little sane part of her mind is already telling herself that there is no reason to whisper because it's such a small room and he could have heard all of it already.

 

 🦋 

 

Ning opened her palm and all the trash flew towards the garbage can by the kitchen. Yeji, who was sitting at the couch giggled as Ning lifted the couch with ease by her ability and set it on the corner where it should be. 

 

"Guys, kain na!" Ryujin called out from the kitchen. Tumayo na din si Yeji para tumulong sa pag-aayos ng lamesa. 

 

Hindi agad sumunod si Ningning at dumiretso muna sa pangatlong kwarto sa kaliwa, sa kwarto ni Giselle.

 

Pagsilip pa lang ni Ningning mula sa pintuan, nakita niya agad ang librong nakaharang sa mukha ni Giselle. Nagbabasa na naman pala. 

 

Smiling, Ningning knocked at the door. Giselle closed the book and looked at her.

 

"Yes?" Giselle asks, walking closer to Ning on the doorway. 

 

Ning bit her bottom lip to supress her smile when Giselle leaned by the door, carefully now. 

 

"What do you want from me?" Giselle asks softly, crossing her arms over her chest with a sly smile. 

 

For the past weeks, they've been getting along well, taking care of each other as they all live happily and contented in this cabin. 

 

The six of them are undoubtedly connected, soul-to-soul, mind-to-mind.

 

But Giselle and Ningning have a.. special connection.

 

"Anong libro yan?" Ning pursed her lips, pointing at the book sitting on Giselle's bed. Giselle chuckles, Ning leaned on the other side of the doorway. 

 

"Librong sinusulatan ko.. parang diary or journal sa mga ginagawa natin dito." Giselle shyly rubs her nape. "Who knows, right? Baka magising na naman tayong walang naaalala." 

 

Ang talino. Ning can't help but smile at Giselle's idea. Narinig ulit nila ang pagtawag nina Ryujin sa kusina kaya lalabas na sana si Giselle at hahawakan ang kamay ni Ningning nang marinig nila ang boses ni Karina.

 

"Tulong!" The sweating girl cries, akay-akay ang walang malay na si Winter sa balikat niya.

 

Ning and Giselle immediately walked to the couch where Karina brought Winter.

 

Winter isn't bleeding anywhere. Ryujin and Yeji came from the kitchen. "Karina, anong nangyari?" Nag-aalala ding tanong ni Yeji, taking Winter’s wrist para pakiramdamana ng pulso nito.

 

"Nakaupo siya sa puno.. yung, yung pwesto niya lagi sa branch. I-I was checking on our crops and then nahulog na lang siya bigla..” Halos mangiyak na si Karina with her hand clutching on the hem of Winter’s shirt.

 

She’d be ready kung kailangan niyang kuryentehin ang dibdib ni Winter pero nag-aalala siyang baka mapasobra dahil hindi pa niya gaanong naaaral ang kakayahan niya.

 

"She's just unconscious." Bulong ni Yeji after checking Winter’s pulse. They sighed out of relief, even Karina sat down on the floor, catching her breath. 

 

And then there’s a sudden quake. The ground moved just below their cabin. 

 

Napatingin si Giselle kay Winter. 

 

"But she has to wake up soon." Giselle said and stood up.

 

This never happened before. It was like the cabin is damaging itself. Nagulat din si Karina na palaging kumportable sa pakiramdam ng lupa sa ilalim ng mga paa niya tuwing tumatakbo siya.

 

‘Is this because of Winter?’ Tanong niya sa sarili.

 

Somehow, they knew it's because of Winter. They're all connected and it's a given. The longer Winter stays unconscious, the more their cabin will destroy itself... collapsing, and the weaker the five of them become.  

 

⭐️

 

A beat. Both Winter and Ning woke up not missing that beat. Winter held her head with her hands due to the familiar headache. 

 

"H-Hindi ako maka..hinga.." She heard Ning whispering out of pain from her chest. 

 

Mabilis na tumayo si Winter mula sa kama niya to help and soothe Ning. "Breathe with me.. Slowly." Winter carefully rubbed Ning's back as they inhaled, and exhaled together. Until Ning calmed down, they didn't talk about anything. 

 

There's nothing to talk about anyway. Pangapat na linggo na at ganito pa din sila, kulong sa kwarto, ni hindi pa kumakain.

 

Oddly, since they’ve been waking up and sleeping again, parang apat na oras pa lang silang gising. Kaya siguro hindi pa nagugutom si Winter. 

 

Although, it's the first time again after those weeks that they woke up trying to bear pain.

 

Winter ties her short hair in a small ponytail using the bracelet with now a little amount of glowing yellow matter inside of it. Hindi na lang niya pinansin kung ano man yun.

 

"Hindi ba masisira yan?" Ning asks, pertaining to the bracelet. Winter shrugs, ipinakita ang nakaipit na niyang buhok. "Seems to be working well."

 

"Ang weird lang.. Ngayon lang ulit sumakit nang ganun kalala yung dibdib ko." Ning rests her right palm on top of her chest as she exchanged glances with Winter. 

 

Buntong-hiningang itinuro ni Winter ang kalendaryo sa dingding sa pagitan ng mga kama nila. "Ang tagal na natin dito.." 

 

"Tapos hindi pa din tayo nakakakain.." Malungkot na sabi ni Ningning kaya napangiti si Winter. Kahit miserable ang kalagayan nila, napangiti siya sa tono ni Ning. There's something about Ning that she thinks made her fond of the girl. 

 

Tumitig na lang ulit sila sa pader.. 

 

Ngayon, wala ang maingay na babae mula sa kabilang kwarto. Nagsawa na siguro kakasigaw. 

 

Winter shook her head as she decides to throw the thought out of her head. Kapakanan niya dapat ang inaatupag niya.

 

"Siguro.. we’re a part of some kind of experiment." Winter explains her theory. "It's the only possible reason why we're able to sleep in that constant schedule... and that we feel perfe