Redemption

I lived in a far province in the southern part of Luzon. My home barrio was so peaceful, the people lived a simple life and at first look, you would never imagine that each of us lived in bloodshed. Our race has been long forgotten and no one would ever expect that we still exist in this world.

October 2005, I left the barrio and hope to escape from the path that was laid down to me by my ancestors by coming to Cebu. My mother understood my decision of leaving the barrio but my father was so furious and his words still echoed in my dreams “You can’t escape Lester! Your destiny will haunt you and bring you back one day!”

“Noooooo!” I woke up from a nightmare and my body was so wet with sweat. I stood up and went to the wash room of my apartment. When I open the door, I saw a man, his naked body was dark, his face covered with hair, blood was flowing from his mouth and his eyes were red looking at me furiously “You can’t escape!” his voice was like from hell, then suddenly the alarm clock rang and I woke up. Its 11:00 o’clock in the evening an hour before my shift in the call center.

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Chapter 2: My Death

By: Jayson Patallinghug
email: king_sky92@yahoo.com
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I was still dizzy from the party and I cannot get off my mind what happened back there. Jake was an attractive guy; I have never looked at him that way. He was a friend, and nothing more. Was it the alcohol? Was I being desperate? But no. Deep down I feel that it was more than some random hookup. That feeling, that intense sensation of being swept over. What did it mean?

It was then that I became aware of what was around me. I did not recognize the place at all. I cursed to myself for getting myself lost. Judging by the run-down looks in the area, I was definitely in the road of SRP. Great!

I rolled to a stop at a red light. I looked out of my window and saw that there was a man wearing a gray jacket walking towards me. No one else was in the street. As he came to my window I got a look at his face. He was young, good looking possibly in his early 20’s, with an unshaven, ungroomed look. Probably a homeless man asking for money, or so I thought. I did not even consider the dangers of this place. And so, as he knocked on my window I made the greatest mistake of my life.

The moment the glass went down he pulled out a pistol and pointed it right at my face. “Puta…what do you think you are doing?” he growled.

“Please, I don’t have any money with-“ I began but I was silenced by the sound of him pulling back the hammer.

“I think you’re gonna be my bitch. You like that? You want to be a hero? You actually think this shit is real?” the man babbled. He wasn’t making any sense! And as I glanced at his face I saw his eyes were bloodshot. Shit, this guy was a druggie.

I was silent. I felt like anything that I said would only anger this guy. Through my peripheral vision I saw the traffic light had turned green. The alcohol seemed to wash away as my mind got geared towards my own survival. I could try to get away, but a hundred doubts filled my head immediately. The sound of the car would only trigger the man’s reflex, which would be too fast for me to be able to zoom away, especially at point blank range.

“Are you going to answer me, chicken-shit?” the man growled.

I gulped. “What do you want from me.. I swear I will give it to you if I-“

“Shut up! I am tired of your shit. Fuck, do you think you’re God or something? You fucking make me sick. Say your prayers, bitch because-“

I slammed the gas pedal. I heard the sound of the gun firing.

You know that period between falling asleep and entering a dream? That’s what it was like. I felt nothing. I saw darkness. My senses were dulled, and there was nothing to taste, touch, see, smell, or hear. I was literally in this void of nothingness.

I really didn’t think much of it. I was tired to think a lot of things, but even that was hard. All I wanted to do was rest. Time passed, but I don’t know for how long. It could have been a few seconds. It could have been eternity.

I managed to remember few things. I recalled memories of Lucia. Of how I was in love with her, and then the subsequent breakup. And there was Jake.

There was a tug. Suddenly, my thoughts got more rapid. Details of my life flashed before my eyes, just random events all over the years. Scenes from my childhood, scenes from high school, and memories of conversations I had with my friends and the laughs and the tears I’ve shared. The tugging was getting stronger, and I felt that I was being pulled up, up. Higher and higher until BANG. In a flash of light I was standing on green grass with the sky above me and the sun’s rays shining on me and the sound of cars passing by.

I looked around and realized by the sea of tombstones that I was in the cemetery in my town. But how did I get here? I closed my eyes and focused. My entire body felt numb, and I still couldn’t really feel anything. Scanning my memories I tried to think of the last thing I remembered. The party. Jake. Leaving the party. Meeting the drugie. The gun. The gun. Leche!. A sense of dread swept over me as I put two and two together. Opening my eyes I darted around and looked at the gravestone before me.

And I saw my own name.

“No, no, no, this can’t be happening,” I muttered out loud. I looked down at myself, wearing the same clothes from the night of the party. Sure, I was still totally visible, but there was no doubt that I wasn’t alive anymore. My sense of touch was gone completely. I couldn’t even feel the fabric of my clothes against my skin or the weight of my feet on the ground. I also noticed that my sense of smell and taste were gone too, and I couldn’t breathe at all, although I didn’t really need to. On the inside I felt empty and weightless.

I was a ghost.

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