Death Series 1: The Grim Reaper's Love

"You... you are a grim reaper?" naniniguaradong tanong ni Ella sa lalaki. She didn't know that a man with a gorgeous face like him would be a grim reaper. Ang akala niya, o ang akala nilang mga tao ay naka-takip ang mukha nito ng isang mask at naka-suot ng mahabang kulay itim na damit habang may dala-dalang scythe. Pero itong lalaki sa kaniyang harap ay naka-suot lang ng hooded jacket at jeans na para bang isang tao at walang dala-dalang kahit na anong armas. Her expectation was very different from the reality.  "I'm THE grim reaper, not just A grim reaper. Know the difference between the two, Miss. English teacher ka pa man din," said Eric nonchalantly, his hands in his pockets, looking straight at her. His body posture and the way he stood reminded her of those many supermodels she saw in magazines and tv commercials.  Ella blinked once, then twice, trying to comprehend what the man has just said to her. When it finally sinks into her mind, she felt embar

Isang nag-aalalang Peter ang mabilis sumaklolo sa tabi ni Ella.  "Ella! Ayos ka lang ba?!"  Ella blinked at least twice to confirm whether what was happening in her life right now was a current manifestation of what Eric did. She scanned her surroundings and searched for the five men who were harassing her and the other customers as well. Policemen were rushing in and out, escorting the customers out of the coffee shop. Amidst the hysterical crying of the people around them, she couldn't find the female cashier not to mention the bad men who incapacitated her.  "Peter? Nasaan na ang iba?" Hindi siya pinansin nito bagkus ay nagpatuloy sa pag-alala sa kaniyang kalagayan. Ipinatong ng lalaki ang mga kamay nito sa balikat ni Ella at marahang niyugyog.  "Ayos ka lang ba? Ung totoo?" sabi ni Peter nang hindi nag-aalis ng tingin sa na-hostage niyang kaibigan. His eyebrows were drawing together and his eyes painted with a worried g

"Diyos ko, Raphaella Morales! Saan ka nanggaling? Paggising namin ng papa mo wala ka sa kuwarto mo!" bungad ng mama ni Ella sa kaniya nang makauwi na siya sa kaniyang tahanan.  "Pasensya na po, ma. Masyado ata akong natuwa ngayong araw at napag-desisyunan kong mag-ehersisyo sa umaga. Nakalimutan ko pong mag-iwan ng sulat o magsabi lamang sa inyo. Hindi ko na po uulitin ito muli sa susunod," magalang na tugon ni Ella. Napayuko pa siya sa kaniyang mga magulang dahil sa sagasang aksyon niyang ginawa. Making them worry was the least thing she wanted them to feel. Lalo na at kakagaling niya lang sa isang sitwasyon na mapanganib. For sure their worries were 10 times the usual worry.  "Huwag mo na talagang uulitin 'yon, Raphaella! Naiintindihan namin ang kagustuhan mong mag-ehersisyo sa umaga. However, going out and not saying anything to us makes us worried about you! There are so many bad people out there and unexpected circumstances happen once in a while. Hind

"Ella!" Mabilis na umupo si Anne mula sa kaniyang pagkakahiga sa kama. She sprung forward like a slinky toy towards Ella who was sitting on the side of the bed. Dinamba niya ang kaibigan at binigyan ng isang mahigpit na yakap. "Ella! Bakit ka naman absent?! Nag-alala tuloy ako sa iyo!"Nahihimigan ni Ella ang pag-aalala ni Anne sa tono ng boses nito. She was touched that her friend cared about her deeply. "Pasensya na Anne. Biglaan lang nang napag-desisyunan ko kanina na lumiban muna ng klase." Ella returned her friend's hug. Binigyan din nito ng isang mahigpit na yakap ang kaibigan. "Eh kainis ka naman Anne eh. Ilang taon na tayo magkaibigan tapos ung tipong bibigyan mo lang ako ng tawag o isang text message na hindi ka papasok, hindi mo pa nagawa. Bihira ka lang naman kasi lumiban ng klase. Noong mga nakaraang panahon, sinasabihan mo pa ako kung kumusta ka. Ngayong nagtatrabaho na tayo, hindi na. Nakakatampo ka ha!" Sinunt

Ella was aware of the cold hand placed on top of her right shoulder. The hand was big since it was able to cover more than enough space around her right shoulder. She didn't want to look back. She was too afraid to witness a scene that was disconcerting which could affect her mental state for the rest of her life. Base kasi sa mga horror films na napanood niya, kadalasang nakakatagpo ang taong mag-isa sa isang creepy na lugar ng mga nilalang na kampon ng kadiliman. Dahil walang lakas ng loob si Ella kahit na sa pagsigaw sa takot, hindi na lang siya kumilos at gumawa ng kahit na ano. She stood on the ground and stayed frozen on the spot.  "Ms?" It was a man's voice. Not too deep and not a high-pitched voice either. His voice was in the middle. For sure, he didn't sound old though. He was somewhat in between his 20s or 30s.  Huminga nang malalim si Ella. She realized that was the most crucial time in every horror scene. The interaction and confrontation of th