Prologue

4 PM
 
I was still sitting in front of him, telling some random stories and stuff. It's been a long time since I last visited him so I was really excited that I kept on talking.
 
"At alam mo ba? Si Nigel, ang tatag. Five years na sila ng girlfriend niya," I said, chuckling. "Si Miley naman, ayon, she vowed to stay single until she turns 27."
 
Kinuwentuhan ko pa siya ng status ng friends namin. Ang tagal na rin kasi no'ng huli kaming nagkita-kita. Ang hirap pa naman sa amin, walang gustong mag-initiate ng reunion dahil na rin busy kami sa trabaho.
 
"Ako, heto. Tanggap ko na ang nangyari. Tanggap ko nang wala ka na."
 
Nagbabadya ang luha sa mga mata ko habang nakatingin sa puntod niya.
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 Kyle Espinosa
May 7, 1993 - November 12, 2011
 ​

Five years na rin ang nagdaan pero hanggang ngayon, naaalala ko pa rin lahat. Kinailangan kong umalis sa Pilipinas dahil nagkaroon ako ng trauma sa pagkamatay niya. Ngayong nagbalik na ako ay siya agad ang pinuntahan ko. I wanted to tell him everything I went through and how I missed him during those dark years.
 
Umayos naman ako ng pagkakaupo at inayos ko rin ang bulaklak sa puntod niya nang bigla akong mapatingin sa katabi niyang puntod sa kaliwa. Biglang bumigat ang pakiramdam ko dahil halos magka-edad lang sila ni Kyle at gano'n din ang pagkamatay nila.
 ​

Kris Leila Asuncion
July 10, 1994 - December 3, 2011
​

Doon ko narealize na birthday niya pala bukas. Kahit hindi ko siya kakilala ay binigyan ko rin siya ng bulaklak at ngumiti ako sa kanya.
 
"Happy birthday, Kris Leila."
 
I stayed for a few more minutes and I started to tell Kyle other stories. No'ng magfa-five na ay nagpaalam na ako kay Kyle dahil ayokong naabutan ng dilim. That experience still haunts me that's why I get panic attacks when I am still outside at night.
 
Tumayo na ako para umalis pero bigla akong nakarinig ng footsteps sa likod ko. Biglang nagflashback ang nangyari five years ago at halos huminto ako sa paghinga.
 
“Sab . . .”

​“No, Kyle! Tulong!”
 
His smile. The blood gushing from his body. His warm hands. My bitter tears.
 
Those memories flooded my mind and my body remembered the terror from that night. Strength left my body and fear took over. Exhausted and shivering, I tried reaching Kyle’s grave, hoping that he would save me again but I couldn’t take a step. I was frozen on the spot, breathless.
 
The footsteps finally reached me. Heart racing, I waited for someone to attack and stab me, but it didn't come. Instead, a guy appeared beside me, with flowers and an old notebook on his hands.
 
"Lei . . ." he said while looking at the grave in front of him.
 
That was when I realized he was not a bad guy, but it was already too late. The panic I felt earlier overwhelmed me and my body lost its energy.
 
"K-Kyle . . ." I blurted out before collapsing, and a second before I lost my consciousness, I saw the guy looking at me.

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Chapter 1 >>

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