“Definitely, the mercury must have been in the ice cubes.” These were the words that Well had told himself after getting rid of the attempted murder through food poisoning plotted against him. Even up until now, two o’clock in the afternoon, two hours since he met the hotel clerk that delivered the meal to him, he still could not believe what actually happened, and what more could have happened only if he was not paying attention to the things happening around him. The food on the table were still untouched. Well was sure to assume that the ice cubes had been mixed with poison. As a matter of fact, that was the only thing he was so sure about. He did not know what was the status of the actual meal itself– if whether it was safe to eat or not. But now that doubts and trust issues had oozed out of Well’s mind, he could not help but think the same thing had happened to the meal. It could have been had some poison, too. Well did not know what to do. He wanted to call the help desk to
“Taxi!” Well shouted as he waved his hand in the air, hoping that the taxi cab from the west was empty so he could finally get a ride to the Cemetre Street, Nonato Extension where the nearest branch of the Octagon Shop stood according to the customer service woman he talked with about twenty minutes ago. When the taxi cab halted in front of him, Well was quick to jump into the car and tell the cabby driver where he wanted him to drive to. “Cemetre Street, Nonato Extension. Specifically on the Octagon Shop if you are familiar with it,” he said and thankfully, the driver recognized the place and now it had been a whole lot easier for Well. “We are on it sir, estimated time of arrival would be not anywhere past three o’clock,” said the taxi cab driver in his deep, husky, yet a little too loud monotone. “Looks like you are planning to buy yourself a new device, aren’t you, sir?” The driver turned his head around to see Well, as he was sitting on the back of the car even though the shot
“Oh, I am so sorry to hear that,” Well suddenly snapped. “But I am just wondering, have you really lost someone because of that shit?” Well, he was curious. He had heard a lot of people he met talking about the same thing, and now that there was someone who can actually tell him a vivid explanation as to why he had been continuously getting the same caution and warning, he could not help but be worried for himself. “Yes,” the taxi driver replied within one second after Well’s statement. “I lost my eldest daughter over a year ago. It happened really fast. Unexpected, even. It never really occurred to us that something like that would happen because, we are not even rich. As a matter of fact, we live in the skid row. Me and my family of six, we are one of the poorest families residing here in New Bill. But then, people were right when they said criminals choose no victim. A crime is a crime and it can be committed to anyone whom criminals see fit. And then, that was it. In just one q
Well did not want to return to his apartment just yet. He decided he had needed to take a stroll somewhere and have a grasp of the free and fresh air— if there was any— from the metro. He went to the City Central Park. There were tens of benches made out of bamboo painted in three kinds of blue, and giant pots with shrubs and other decorative plants planted in it. They were not much people passing by. There were a few, but they did not even exceed in twenty. Five of them seemed like a group of high school students, judging by the uniform they all wore the same. Three were couples, and then the rest were bypassers stopping by to either take a picture or rest for some time. Well sat in one of the benches and laid off the paper bag where his brand new cell phone came in a box. He took it out, unboxed it, and only then when he saw the phone did he heave a heavy sigh because finally, after days and nights and twilights and dawns, he now had a new phone. However, it did not make any change
"Jacel Mae Forecaster? Wow. What a strange name that is. Sounds like someone from Western part of the world," Well told the girl who had now moved closer to him. "So, how long have you been here? In this place? I bet you have been here for more than a year already, because I can tell how much you memorize the place like the back of your hand," Well continued, there was a hint of smile trying to get on his face but he did not want it to be noticed by the girl, who, to him, was nothing more than just a stranger he met on the place. "You are such great when it comes to second guessing," the girl replied, twirling a strand of her hair around her index finger. Confused, Well asked. "What? Really? How can you say so?""Because I really did come all the way from New Zealand, a Western country, like what you have guessed. I came here a couple of years ago to pursue the same thing, my studies." The young lady's brief explanation seemed to have caught the interest of Well that he was forced t
"I hope you don't mind, but I am just wondering, how did you and your family cope up? I mean, the way of living here in New Bill? I assume the culture, traditions, norms, and other more things here are quite messier than from what you have gotten used to in New Zealand," Well asked, unconsciously scratching his knees with his long and soft fingers. "Uhm, actually, to tell you the truth," the lady said," I came here all by myself. I have no company the year I arrived here. And the decision of migrating all the way from New Zealand to here was solely mine. No one else knew I would be here, doing things like studying and whatnot," the lady explained, deadpan. “What?” Well exclaimed. “You flew all the way from New Zealand going up to here all by yourself? Without guidance from either of your family?” Well wanted to stand up to express how shocked he was, but then the wire of the earphones was preventing him from doing such a thing. “Fucker, that is a brave shit!” he cursed, although he
Both Well and the young lady arrived in the place. It took two full hours to be here, on the spot where the lady said was soothing, and peaceful, and tranquil. However, contrary to how she described it using her own words, Well saw the surrounding as the exact opposite of all of those adjectives. To him, the place was creepy, dark, bleak, and lonely. There was no way he would have seen hope and inspiration in a place like this. There was no way he would have liked it at all. Not especially when he saw no one around other than the two of them when he tried to wander his eyes in the dark corners. Not especially when the only noise he could hear were the whooshing of the wind, the rustling of the dried leaves, and the weird and horrific noises made by the bats which seemed to have doomed the place in utter chaos. “Uhm, sorry, but I think I might be a little confused. Just a little bit.” Well cleared his throat. Pearls of sweat were beginning to form on his temples, and it will not take
“Who would have thought that the city, which is typically known as the closest to perfection city in the South, has some sinister history to hide?” Well asked, although it was the kind of question that needed no answer. Jacel May could have skipped and ignored it. However, she chose to give it a try. “No one. Definitely no one. The first impression of the people each time they hear the name of the city are the kind of positive superlatives,” she answered, facing Well but looking at the swing moved by the wind. “You know, cleanest, busiest, richest, most improved, most developed, and many more of the likes. They never really care about the history. They do not really pay attention to the cause. That’s the nature of people. We are always after the effects,” Jacel May finished, and by the time she was done saying her sentiments, Well realized that perhaps she had a point. “Yeah, that utterly makes sense,” Well agreed. He heaved a heavy, airy, and sounding sigh. “But still. I just don’t