Please Observe Silence Novels & Stories

Mariin ang pagkagat ko sa pang-ibabang labi ko, pinipigilan ang sarili na muling bumahing. The silence between us made me feel both awkward and somehow comforting. Parang gusto kong magbukas ng topic para maiwasan ang awkwardness sa hangin na ayoko rin. I want to nurture this silence because like what I've said earlier, it's comforting. It's relaxing. I feel like I'm in my own home or something.

Tumango ako at pinanood siyang maglakad palabas. At dahil nilalamon na ako ng kuryosidad, binuksan ko ang bag ko at inilabas ang maliit na card na nakasiksik sa bouquet. I may tell you to shut up or say that your voice is annoying but what I truly mean is don’t ever be silent. I like your voice. It sounds so lively and fun. Talk as much as you want. Talk about random useless things. Talk when you’re happy or even when you’re sad. I’m willing to listen to everything you will say. Whether those are rants, it doesn’t matter. Just don’t do that again. Don’t be so silent. I was worried, don't you know that?

It felt like the kind of silence that swallows everything, that makes your own breathing sound too loud, like you’re disturbing something that has been sleeping for a very long time. It wasn’t really quiet, not exactly. It felt like the whole house was holding its breath, listening along with us, waiting to see what would happen next. Parang may daan-daang mga mata na nakatuon sa amin mula sa dilim, naghihintay ng maliit na pagkakamali, ng isang sandali lang na mawalan kami ng atensyon para makapasok sila. I sat perfectly still, not daring to move more than a fraction, trying to make myself as small as possible even though I knew that didn’t matter to things that didn’t even have physical bo

Aurora, dala niya ang bigat ng bawat sigaw na hindi nasagot. ⸻ Reflections in the Mirror Humarap siya sa salamin, tinitigan ang sarili. Ang babaeng nakatingin sa kanya ngayon ay hindi na ang dating Aurora Steele. Mas tahimik, mas matatag, ngunit mas mapanganib. “People think silence is weakness,” sabi niya, marahang sinusuklay ang buhok. “But silence is just the sound of a storm waiting to be heard.” Muling pumatak ang ulan.

At ngayon— Nangyari na. Sa unang pagkakataon— Hindi na sila invisible. Hindi na sila observer. Target na sila. At sa larong ito— Kapag napansin ka na— Wala ka nang pagtataguan. Si Yuhei— Hindi na naghihintay. Pinilit na niyang tumingin ang nasa taas. At ngayon— Sila na ang gagalaw.

Without hesitations, without throwing any questions. Nananatili lang akong tahimik at nakikinig gaya ng mga tao sa paligid ko. The judge, too, is in silence right at this very moment. Pero mahahalata sa mukha nito ang gulat. He must be very startled for what's going on.

JACOB ALDEGUIRE'S POV I tilted my head slightly, the faintest crease forming between my brows. “What do you mean by that?” tanong ko, kalmado ang boses at bahagyang nakangisi. The silence that followed was deafening. It presses against my ears, and against my chest. Conversations died mid-breath. Someone’s glass hovered in the air, forgotten. Even the music playing somewhere in the background felt too loud for how still everything suddenly became.

Ilang segundo ng pagtititigan, hanggang siya na ang unang umiwas. “Fine,” sabi niya, malamig ang tono. “Just remember, Dave, your silence says more than you think.” At tuloy-tuloy siyang lumabas ng opisina, walang lingon, walang paalam. Pagkasara ng pinto, saka lang ako nakahinga nang malalim. “Silence says more than you think.” Tama siya. Pero minsan, ‘yung katahimikan din ang tanging paraan para hindi mo masabi ang mga bagay na kayang sumira sa lahat.

Parang may coordinated push. Basa lang si Elena. Walang galaw ang mukha niya. Walang pikit. Walang reaksyon. Tinanong siya ng app: Do you want to limit notifications? Hindi niya pinindot. Pinagmasdan niya ang screen na parang estudyante siyang kumukuha ng exam na alam niyang kaya niya. Nag-reply siya. “Don’t engage. Observe. Silence is the blade.”

Gusto kong magsalita, ngunit nang makita ko ang ekspresyon sa kanyang mukha na tila nag-iisip siya ng malalim, pinili ko nalang na manahimik at hintayin nalang siya na magsalita ulit. The silence that enveloped us was longer this time. Still, I kept waiting even though I wasn't sure if I would be able to hear more from her tonight regarding this topic. Because as time went by, tila lalo lamang tumindi ang kaguluhan sa kanyang mukha, a sign that told me she's still not ready to make a decision.