ONCE again, the artist offered a prayer to the statue of his master before finally closing the black cabinet. The smile on the artist's lips was still there.
Alyssa stopped drawing when she felt something strange in her chest. She couldn't help but touch her chest. Noel suddenly entered her mind.
Everyone was startled when suddenly a loud thunder and lightning broke the silence of the living room.Alyssa's pencil was broken as she pressed it against the canvas when she was startled by thunder and lightning."I hope Noel and Mang Nestor are okay," Alyssa said."Yeah, I can already hear the heavy rain outside," Charlotte said. But she quickly stood up remembering that she was going to cook rice. "I'll leave you guys, I'm going to cook rice. When Sir is down here in the living room, tell him I'm in the kitchen.""All right," Maureen replied.They rested for a while.Charlotte turned around and walked towards the kitchen."What happened to your p"THE barangay captain of San Victoria, he said, the bridge that connects the road to here, and to the other side of town was cut." Gregorio lied to them."What do you mean Sir?" Carlos immediately asked the artist who was obviously nervous because he remembered his friend Noel and even the caretaker, Mang Nestor.The students exchanged glances."How are Noel and Mang Nestor?" Alyssa asked the artist and held her friend Maggie's hand tightly."Don't worry guys, they're fine." Gregorio smiled in response to them, as he still had many lies already formed in his mind."Thank God!" said the students. They even signed the cross which secretly annoyed the artist."People who are stranded and unable to cross are in the municipality. Among them are Mang Nestor and Noel," in addition to what he said and sat on the sofa in front of the students. "When the rain stops I'll try to go to the other town to catch up.""Sir, how can you get there, you said the bridge was cut." Sa
HER fellow students were silent, their eyes also focused on Carlos and the woman who was walking with him. She seems to be the one the artist tells them to temporarily replace Mang Nestor as a cook."Good afternoon," the old woman greeted them."Good afternoon, too," they replied."Please sit down," Alyssa said and helped the old woman sit next to her."Are you the one to temporarily replace Mang Nestor?" Maggie asked the old woman.The old woman nodded."My name is Iseng, just call me Aling Iseng." Introducing the woman to herself."We're glad to meet Aling Iseng!" Maureen and Charlotte said, almost at the same time.They also introduced themselves one by one to Aling Iseng.The old woman looks kind but Alyssa notices that she always seems to avoid looking. Maybe she's ashamed of them. That's the reason she thinks."Where is Sir?" Aling Iseng asked, referring to the artist."He's in his room, but he told us that you're coming," Alyssa said. "J
"All right, go upstairs, I'll follow you later. We'll play tongits first, Maureen saw some cards in the room where they were staying,""Can you play tongits?" she asked Maggie. During the time they were together, she had never seen her hold a card."What's the use of Carlos, if he doesn't teach me, hehe,"Carlos scratched his neck, he was ashamed of Alyssa, she might think he was gambling."My Dad and I enjoy playing cards or chess sometimes when I visit him," Carlos confessed. "But I don't gamble," he defended himself."Don't be defensive," Maureen whispered to him."Of course, in order not to break his handsome points to Alyssa." Charlotte also jokes with him."Noel isn't here, so you're bullying me," Carlos said but his eyes were on Alyssa.Alyssa completely avoided Carlos' gaze."All right, I'm going up, enjoy playing cards." Alyssa turned away."I'll just follow you girl!" Maggie said that her eyes were already focused on the cards she was holding.
ALYSSA covered both of her ears with her hands as the artist started laughing."Sofia....!" Alyssa shouted when she saw the painting swallow her. She cried on one side of that room because of the pity she felt for Sofia.Alyssa let go of the painting she was holding, she suddenly returned to the present. She moved so quickly, that she put the paintings back in place for fear that the artist might return to the mansion.Alyssa was about to close the cabinet when she noticed the boxes at the foot of the statue. The girl looked at the small but medium-length boxes.The year 2016The year 2017The year 2018The year 2019 is the current year, these are the ones indicated on the top of the boxes. She took the year 2019 and carefully removed the cover.Paintbrushes! She whispered to herself.She took a paintbrush and looked at it carefully, she read something written. "Miguel," when she read what was written, she suddenly saw in her vision Miguel's face crying an
"You know?" Charlotte asked in surprise. "You're in the room, aren't you?"Alyssa stopped chewing and quickly thought of an excuse."Yeah," she said. "I was at the window of the room when I saw Sir's car arrive." Alyssa lied.Again Alyssa continued to eat the bread but she was still thinking about what she had discovered in the room and the artist’s secret. She wondered how to begin to say, that she would not look ridiculous to them.She noticed Aling Iseng glancing at them as she sliced the pumpkin, she felt that she might be listening to their conversations. Maybe even the old woman is an accomplice of the artist. She'd better keep the artist's secret to herself first, she'll find the right time to warn her fellow students to beware of him.Gregorio looked carefully inside his room, nothing suspicious happened but he seemed to feel nervous. He thought, that someone might have entered his room when he was not in the mansion because he forgot to lock
MAGGIE sipped the soup with a sound."Yeah, Aling Iseng, super B!" Charlotte said that she used her hands to eat.The old woman just smiled modestly at the compliment she heard."Hey, why you are so quiet," Maggie commented to Alyssa that noticed her friend seemed to be having a hard time raising the spoon. "Need help?""Just eat there," Alyssa replied without looking at her friend."I'm going to feed you, it's like you can't lift the spoon you're holding." Maggie was still joking with Alyssa.Alyssa's eyes narrowed at her friend."I think I have a headache," Alyssa admitted. As much as she was thinking, she felt the pain in her head, she was thinking about what she was going to do, how she could warn her colleagues to be careful with the artist."Sip some hot broth, Alyssa," Gregorio said that he had been watching her.Alyssa raised her head and looked slightly at the artist."Yes sir!" She answered sparingly.
"A-aahhh because," Alyssa's mouth twitched, her fingers restless."Because?'' Carlos smile.Alyssa was about to speak when the power went out, it was dark inside the Mansion. She was scared so she hugged Carlos."Don't leave me, I don't see anything," Alyssa begged him, even though she couldn't see him. Fortunately, she had finished brushing her teeth so her breath smelling fresh. Her arms were still tightly wrapped around his neck."Ssssshhh, I won't leave you," Carlos whispered to her, he couldn't move. He was afraid to touch even a strand of Alyssa's hair and she might slap him. But his heart secretly celebrated when the girl hugged him even though it wasn't intentional.The three girls came out of the kitchen holding hands."Alyssa!" Maggie called to her friend, she widened her eyes so she could see Alyssa."Carlos, Alyssa, where are you guys?!" Maureen shouted as one arm was slightly raised like a zombie.Alyssa heard fellow students calling to them.
CARLOS noticed Alyssa's strange behavior, she was watching them play cards but she seemed to be thinking of something. She was stunned and did not blink her eyes.Maggie noticed Carlos staring at her friend, so she also looked at Alyssa."Hey, Alyssa!'' Maggie called her attention and waved the card she was holding in front of her face. "Is there a problem?""I'm just thinking," she answered gently.Alyssa's butt suddenly lifted when she remembered the earrings she had seen inside the artist's room."It's Noel's earring, isn't it?" Alyssa showed the earring she was holding.Carlos took the earring in her hand and stared at it carefully."Yes, Noel owns it, why do you have this earring?" Carlos asked her.Alyssa didn't answer, she thought carefully about how she would start telling them the artist's secret she had discovered."Alyssa?" It's Carlos again."I saw that in Sir's bedroom," she confessed. It would be goo