Chapter 5: Alone

JADE:

Several people lined in front of us. They seemed to be having an interesting yet extremely serious conversation. My friends and I stopped to listen as if we were given the hand to stay quiet.

“Did you hear the hot topic on the news last night? Another student has gone missing,” one of them said.

“Yeah, I did,” the other replied. He sounded more depressed when he continued. “There has been another one, huh, how sad! I heard she’s from our university too…”

My heart stilled. It was positively chilling to hear something like that could happen to a co-student.

The students in front of us continued to chat amongst themselves, and we continued to eavesdrop. “That’s so unfortunate. That - coupled with the recent murders… Just imagine – two female college students have been targeted by those bastards, and another one is missing! Life is getting really tougher by the day!”

Ally whispered within our group’s earshot. “Yeah, I heard that one too yesterday. Apparently, the victims are all female college students. It’s really scary! That’s why my dad’s picking me up for the time being.”

“That’s a good move,” Liam interjected. “Remember what I told you yesterday, Jade? It’s extremely dangerous to go out alone these days… No one knows for sure what could happen. Better be safe than sorry, you know.”

“You’re right,” Nina said, “so will you please make sure our friend here comes home with a chaperone? You’re cool with that, right, Jade?”

I didn’t properly hear what Nina said. My hands had involuntarily tightened around my sling bag. News like this was what caused my parents to initially disagree with my request to start living in a boarding school. I pleaded and pleaded, saying that I will make sure to take care of myself and that I’ll always be careful. Yet, hearing these chilling events made me feel quite terrified too.

What’s worse – what if my mom and dad find out about this? For sure, they’ll send me back home again! My dreams of walking alongside Liam will disappear once more, and I’ll even feel more scared since I have to commute for four hours alone, if that happens. What if I encounter such psychos on the way? What should I do?

“Earth to Jade,” Ally said, waving a hand in front of my eyes. For a second there, I really was dazed!

“Uh sorry. I was just thinking about the news… It’s too sad…”

“Don’t fret. We’re at school now. We’re safe,” Nina said as she gave me a hug.

I smiled faintly, but I couldn’t shake off the bad feeling at the pit of my stomach.

Last night, I was brazen enough to go outside by myself. What I encountered could really have been a thief! Who knows what could have happened if a burglar did show up from the shadows? I should be more careful for now.

I thought about these things while having my classes. I thought about it while having breaks with my friends, and even after school, my mind was still elsewhere because of that unpleasant event from last night.

I was still thinking about it as I walked back to my dorm. Before I knew it, I had already walked a great mile, and I was completely lost.

“W-What,” I screamed despite of myself. I knew my last class has already been over. I went through the gates absentmindedly and probably left before my friends could even follow me. How else would I end up here then in a dark and unfamiliar street?

‘You did it again, Jade,’ I reproached my inner self. Why do you have to be absentminded in times like this? I must have been thinking quite deeper than I thought!

I looked around at the street I was walking. It was deserted and tall grasses surrounded me on each side.

Was I still in Makati? How did I ever end up in a place like this when I was in the city?

I remembered the bit of news the students were talking about earlier, I felt doubly frightened.

Where am I? Why did I get stupidly lost like this? I braved myself and took another step forward. I walked a good ten minutes before I realized that I ended up at the same grassy alley. It seemed that I have just been walking in circles!

I forced myself to remain calm despite the ranging tension in my chest. ‘Relax, Jade,’ I actively thought, ‘Maybe you just needed to go back the way you came from.’

I made a U-turn and walked back, retracing my steps. Although I have not been attentive on the direction I headed these past few minutes, I was confident that I’ll probably run into someone soon, and I could probably ask for directions.

I walked with hope in my steps. After thirty minutes of walking, I felt doubly nervous.

Gosh, how can this be? Am I really lost? It has been thirty freaking minutes, but why haven’t I met a single soul along this path?

What’s worse was that the terrain seemed to have changed. Instead of a grassy place, the soil turned muddy and desolate. Garbage bags would lay scattered on the ground, with some of them already wrecked open, probably devoured by stray dogs.

And yet, how come no one seems to be around in this parts of town?

The more I walked, the more apprehensive I became. I started thinking of malignos, our local version of gremlins in the Philippines. Malignos are playful nature spirits that sometimes trick people by getting them intentionally lost. Scenarios like these usually happen on the forest or mountainous regions. One could go in circle for hours and hours if the malignos took a fancy on him or her. The only way you could do to counteract a maligno’s trick is to remove your clothes and wear them backwards while trying to find your way back.

No matter how much I would like to simply follow this old tradition so that I could miraculously come back, it’s out of the question. I continue to traverse the path I was taking in the hopes of arriving back somewhere more familiar and hopefully crowded.

It was a clear day when I first walked this path. Now, the sky was getting misty, and clouds were gathering up ahead.

I was still in unfamiliar terrain when the hairs at the back of my neck stood for no reason…

It was then that I realized, I am hearing footsteps from behind me.

I abruptly stopped and turned around. The mist has gotten so bad now that it was almost hard to see anything.

I squinted my eyes further. I had bad eyesight, so couldn’t see well, but I can hear something.

I could hear the sounds of footfall moments ago, but when I halted, it stopped too.

Am I only hearing thinks? Am I just being too sensitive?

I started walking again, and this time I was more mindful of my surroundings.

‘Blast this fog,’ I thought. If only it wasn’t there to obscure my vision, then I could clearly see if someone or something was following me.

I stopped one more time, this time trying to decide if I should go forward or, once and for all, walk back to see for myself if someone was really behind me.

That’s when I heard it more loudly – the sound of feet halting abruptly.

I turned around, and although the fog was still thick, I was able to see him.

I found myself looking at a man in a black hooded jacket, a black cap, and a pair of black army boots. It looked like he was waiting for me to do something.