Several Years Ago

“We didn’t kill anyone!”

“How can you be so sure? You can’t even remember what happened to you after your high school graduation, can you?” Aling Crising smirked.

Airi’s tears welled even more, trying to remember what happened after Jiro proposed to her. “I… I remember Jiro proposing to me. But—”

“Do you remember what happened to your parents?” the old woman asked, taunting the already emotionally beaten captive.

Silence became the new king in the room. It replaced Airi’s plea for freedom from emotional torment and Aling Crising’s overpowering rage. Every ticking second became so unbearable that Bimbo interrupted.

“Aren’t we going to call her boyfriend so we can get the money?!” He rose from his seat impatiently.

“Shut up!!!” Aling Crising yelled. Her jugular veins bulged in excessive anger. Her face turned red as fury blazed. “You don’t get to decide here… I do!”

And…

Bang!

Airi scooted on her chair. The sound of the plastic seat hitting the floor synced with her scream. Bimbo’s unconscious body dropped in his pool of blood. He was shot in the head. Everything happened so quickly that nobody had noticed the woman pulling out a gun.

“Bimbo!” Bambo rushed to his brother’s twitching and jerking body. “You *itch! I’m going to kill you!!!” He got up and strode towards Aling Crising with extended arms, aiming to strangle her. but before he even got close, another gunshot sent a bullet in the air. And his body dropped, too.

Airi shivered and bit her tongue just to avoid making any sound that might annoy her captor even more.

“Finally… peace and quiet.” She closed her eyes, looked above, and spread her arms sideways as if waiting for someone to embrace her. After filling her lungs with the air tainted by the twin’s blood, she looked at Airi once more. She grinned devilishly. “Now, where were we?”

Airi kept trembling on her seat. Her mouth sealed in fear. The saltiness of her tears mixed with her saliva, while her sweat blended with the dust on her face, smudged.

“Oh! The part where I have to tell you who you and your beloved killed.” She walked to the area occupied earlier by the twin. She grabbed a wooden chair and dragged it right in front of Airi. She slowly swung the gun conspicuously, as if reminding Airi that she was armed. She was imposing a non-verbal threat.

She plopped on the chair and crossed her legs.

“Don’t you remember this place?” she began. “You had been here before.”

Airi scanned the place, feeling a surge of familiar fear. Her head spun as fragments of memories flashed in her mind. She shook her head to eradicate the horrifying scenes being painted in her mind’s eye. They were vivid, not imagination.

Random voices tormented her. Haunting.

Her father’s agonizing grunts.

Her mother’s cry for help.

And her voice pleading for their lives to be spared.

The flashbacks were driving her so mad that she screamed continuously.

“STOP!!!”

Aling Crising shouted simultaneously with her.

“NO!!! you have to relive the past that they forced you to forget! Remember all the pain you tried to bury for years, yet it still haunts you in your dreams!”

Her devilish laughter followed.

“Be tormented by the fact that the people you love deceived you! They hid everything from you!!!”

Then, Airi went silent. She passed out due to exhaustion and excessive crying.

**

While baneful and bitter memories knocked Airi out, Jiro, with Mang Lanong, drove his car, racing against time.

The old man sat on the front seat while Merry and Zai-zai were at the back. Jiro’s private police teamed with the local police and convoyed with their sirens off.

“How long until we get there, Manong?” he asked without removing his eyes from the rough road that even slowed their travel.

“About an hour and fifteen, Sir.”

He hit the steering wheel in annoyance.

The night was moonless and cloudy. Even the stars hid themselves, giving off an ominous vibe.

“Do you think Aling Crising will hurt Airi?”

“I’m not sure.” The old man washed his palms on his face, then messed his hair. “I really don’t know what she’s up to, or if she could hit Ma’am Airi.” Tears flowed down his sunken and gaunt cheeks. “Her heart and mind have been clouded by revenge because of our daughter’s death.”

“What do you mean?” all three chorused. Merry, who was behind him, grabbed the headrest of his seat.

“How is her act connected to your daughter’s demise? Why has she been targeting Airi?” Zai-zai asked.

When Mang Lanong breathed in to respond, his phone rang again.

“She always calls when something important is to be declared!” Merry burst.

Jiro nodded at Mang Lanong.

“He—hello?” he said, stuttering.

“Where are you?!” yelled his wife over the phone. “I’ve been waiting for you since forever!”

“On my way. It took me a while to take the car out of the garage.”

“I told you to commute! You imbecile!”

Mang Lanong frowned, obviously hurt by his wife’s insult. He clenched his fist. His mandibles became prominent when he gritted his teeth in anger.

“It’s already late. There is no public transportation available. So, I asked Sir Jiro if I could borrow a car because I need to buy something urgent.”

“Better then! Hurry! I’m getting annoyed. The girl passed out.”

**

Another splash of water brought Airi back to her senses. But upon opening her eyes, she almost wanted to close them again.

She was already tied to the same post, standing. In front of her was another loop of rope, wide enough to fit her head.

She struggled to let loose when she realized that she was standing on a wobbly stool. She stayed steady.

“One wrong move—” Aling Crising stepped out of the dark corner of the room.

When she was finally standing in front of Airi, she slowly paced back and forth in her spot.

“This used to be our house. Lanong, our daughter, and I used to spend time here together. We would laugh at Lanong’s silly, sometimes corny, jokes. We give our princess pieces of advice about high school, studying, and of course falling in love.” She stopped walking and glared at Airi, waiting for her reaction.

When she noticed that her captive was intently listening, she continued. Unbeknownst to her, Airi was already trying to loosen the rope tied on her wrists.

“Celina was your age. Full of vigor and dreams.” Her expression dimmed after saying that. Her then somber, longing appearance turned vengeful and furious. “Until one day she fell in love.”

Airi’s eyes widened. Hearing the name Aling Crising mentioned made her head throb.

“I remember her!” she exclaimed! “She was the girl who bullied me in high school! She claimed to be Jiro’s girlfriend even though she wasn’t!” She smirked. “Now I know where she got her attitude of being a bully.”

“Shut up! Did I give you permission to speak?!!!”

“Did I hit a nerve?” she kept annoying her, buying her some time to loosen herself from the rope.

“I said shut your mouth!” She took a few steps nearer to Airi, adjusted the round-looped rope closer to her face—enough to catch her neck anytime—, and lightly kicked the stool she was standing on. “Let’s see if you can still be a pain in the neck once this rope is around your neck.”

Airi stayed firm, showing the maid her determination to live.

“There in that spot, my Celina ended her life. We just found her hanging when we came home from the field. She was cold and lifeless. That was the day after she got expelled because of you and Jiro! The two of you killed my only daughter!!!”

“We. Didn’t. Kill. Anyone!!!” Airi’s face turned red in fury at the accusation. “It wasn’t our fault that she violated the school rule against bullying! It’s not our fault that she grew up feeling entitled!”

“Shuuut up!!!” she yelled once more before finally kicking the stool.