CHAPTER 15: THE MUD

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“BLAGAG!

I fell from my bed and woke up while the question that I heard in my head slowly disappeared when I woke up. I am inside my room because I fell on the floor near my window. My back hurts and my hips too. I gently massage it to ease the pain from falling. I can still feel the coldness of my room because the aircon is still on. I suddenly remembered what happened last night. I don’t know if it is just my dream or it is real. I looked at my hands to see if I had blood stains but the good thing is that I don’t have any. I looked at my clothes and it is still the same; No bloodstains on it. I know it is just a dream though it looks real because I know to myself that I cannot murder someone. I took a deep breath and slowly stood up because my back and hips still hurt a little. I looked around while still massaging my hips and I saw the candle already melted on the floor. Good thing that it didn’t reach the mat beside it, the incense is already ash, the aroma of the purification oil is there but it is not strong as the first time I pour it. I checked Hello Kitty; the balloon that Devon gave me. It is no longer there from where I tied it. It is roaming around though it is smaller than what it was before and it can’t fly I know someone untied it. 

I heard a laugh and footsteps going out of my room and I saw a woman; the one who suicide ran following the girl with a hanky in her hand. I smile because I remember my mom and how she takes good care of me. She always puts a hanky on my back every time I play too much and I get too sweaty. I smiled even though I know they are just my vision and they are not real. 

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

I heard the voice again that irritated my head for a moment and I suddenly remembered what happened last night. The murder that I witnessed. The killer is exactly the same as me. The scene played in my head like a movie. How the other “me” killed a man inside his own house under the full moon on a silent and cold night. I shook my head because I knew it wasn’t real but my heart beat fast and I got nervous when I saw mud on the floor; The mud or should I say footsteps only going to my bed. I immediately check the footsteps because it is weird that it has footsteps going in but not going out. 

I immediately traced the footsteps but it only started from my door going to my bed. I know it’s weird how it happened but I need to figure out how it happened. I went inside my mother’s room and checked for my mom and Nana Salve and I am happy that they are safe; sleeping in their own room. 

I looked around. Maybe I can find anything that can tell me what happened. When Wolfie left my dad’s room he came near me and barked as if he didn’t know me. I tried to touch him but he was distant. He doesn't want to come near me even though I am trying to tame him down and it is so very unusual. To see him like that as if I am a stranger to him. I checked around the house but I didn't see any mud stains or footprints. The house is clean like before. So where did the mud from my room come from? I asked myself. The whole house is clean and there are no signs of dirt or mud.  I went back inside my room and checked for other signs. Maybe I can find something here. The cutter, the small black notebook, and even the clothes that I wore that time. I want to see it because I want to know if I am only dreaming at that time or not. Even though I know to myself that I cannot do it because I am not a murderer but I still want to make sure. So I looked around again. 

I looked under my cabinet where I found the old photo but I didn't see anything. I looked under my bed but I didn’t find anything under there either. I open my cabinet to check maybe the evidence is inside but I don’t find anything aside from my clean clothes, undies, and my other stuff. When I have nothing to find, to answer my question. I closed my cabinet and got the Hello Kitty. I tied it back on my chair. Until I remember the girl that I saw went out of my room with her mother following her. Now I know where the mud came from. It came from her. The girl played my Hello Kitty and the girl did the mud. I took a deep breath asking myself again. Until when is she going to bother me?. and then I answered my own question“Maybe after I solve her case” I really need to solve her case as soon as possible for me to have peace of mind. Anyway, she is our subject in our documentary project. I remember what Luna told me that I can talk to the girl and ask her anything that I want to know, particularly about what happened to her but I can’t because I am not yet ready. I am scared. 

I looked at the mud and decided to wipe it. I will clean it before my mother and Nana Salve wake up because I didn't want them to see the mess that I didn’t make inside my room. I went out to get a mop in the kitchen. When I hear Wolfie bark again but this time he is not barking at me. He is barking at something in the living room. I stopped wetting the mop that I will use to clean the mud inside my room when I heard a whisper in my ear.

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?” And the breath of it is like a wind blowing to my ear. 

“No, I am not” I whispered and I dropped the mop just to cover my ears from the whisper but it got louder and stronger. 

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?” 

The whisper is getting nearer too and I heard it repeatedly, making me crazy. When someone tapped my shoulder that surprised me and when I looked at who it was. I feel relieved because it is only Nana Salve. 

“You’re so early,” She said while looking at me

“You scared me,” I said while massaging my heart to calm it down from beating fast. She gave me a heart attack.

“What are you going to do with that mop?” She asked.

“Nothing, I will just mop something in my room” I answered

“Let me do it for you,” She offered while picking the mop that I dropped on the floor. I stop her and get the mop from her hand and…

“It’s fine, I can do it on my own,” I said with a smile to her so that she would not insist on doing it for me.

“Okay, any way you’re old enough to do it” She said and I was about to go back to my room with the mop in my hand when she looked at me and called my name.

“Irish,” She said. I stopped walking and looked back at her

“Your mom will go to Tagaytay next week to visit her business there… you want to go with her?” She asked. I think for a second and answer “No” because I have a lot of things to do. I have something to solve. 

“Okay, I will tell her then,” She said and put some water in the electric kettle to boil for her coffee and she looked back at me. 

“If you need someone to talk to… I am just here” She offered and I don’t know why she suddenly said that. I looked at her and said, “thank you.” 

“I knocked on your door last night but you are not answering,” She said

“I guess you are sleeping already… you sleep early that is why you woke up early” She added and I smiled at her and nodded because I don’t want any conversation. I want to get inside my room and clean the mud before anyone sees it. 

Nana Salve said that I went to sleep early last night because when she was calling me. I am not answering her call. I didn’t know that she was calling me. Maybe she is right that I am sleeping inside my room. I went back to my room and mopped the mud on the floor. I saw my hello kitty again untied on the chair. That is why I got it and tied it back on my chair. I mop the mud on the floor and it is dry already, which makes it hard to remove. That is why I need to mop it hard to clean it. I heard the voice again but this time it was my own voice asking me…

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Stop it!” I shouted and paused for a while from mopping because it was giving me a headache and then continued mopping. I am not a murder. I told myself. I didn’t kill the man or anyone. It is just my dream and obviously, it is not real. I heard a laugh from the girl but I ignored it. Even her laugh went nearer to me. I was surprised when she grabbed my hand but it was the first time that she had touched me. I tried to let go of my hand but she is holding me tight and comes close to my ears and whispers…

“Look under the bed”

And then she disappeared after she whispered it to me. My heartbeat fast thinking about what I need to check under my bed because when I checked under my bed a while ago I didn’t find anything. So I am wondering what she hides under my bed. I slowly put the mop down on the floor and bent my knee to check what was under my bed and I was surprised to see a dead body of a man under my bed. He is facing me with his eyes open and lifeless body. He already looks pale and scary. I cover my mouth to control myself not to shout while looking at the dead body.

“I didn’t put it there,” I told myself. “But how did it get there?” I asked myself. I shook my head because I can’t believe in what I am seeing right now. “No, this is not real,” I whispered to myself. I try to touch the body but I am scared. I looked around my room and hurriedly closed the door so that no one could see me and I knelt to look at the dead body under my bed. It is still there and still facing me. His clothes are full of blood and his neck has a cut. “This can’t be,” I said while shaking my head because I don’t know what to do. I get my blanket on my bed and cover the body and I know I can’t do this on my own. I need to ask for help, from Devon maybe even though I am not sure what to say or how to explain it to him.

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

“Who is the murderer now?”

The question keeps on asking in my head while staring at the dead body and thinking what to do and how would I get rid of it because I don’t want to go to jail for the crime that I didn’t commit but I know nobody will believe me because of course, the dead body is in under my bed and that is strong evidence. “No, but’s and no if’s” This is enough to put me in jail.