MORTEM

We are all excited about preparing for our tour to Baguio because we will have our documentary shoot there for our school project because it's one of the requirements for us to graduate. We will shoot all the historical places in Baguio such as the Battle of Irisan Historic Site, Camp John Hay Cemetery 2, the Keystones of Baguio, and the Heritage Hill Nature Park Garden. We are all excited because we need to go to all of those places to shoot for our documentary project.

By the way, I am Irish Stephen and I am a college student taking a mass communication course at Springville University. And if you are asking why my last name is Stephen. It is because my dad is a veteran soldier who died last year and he is an American who married a Filipina nurse and that is my mom. My mom is a retired nurse and now she is busy managing her business. A restaurant that served great foods and unforgettable memories in Tagaytay.

"Say hi, Heaven," I told my boyfriend and soon to be my husband while holding a camera because I am recording our moment together while waiting for the bus to arrive.

"Hi," Heaven said,

His name is Jayvee Cruz and he is my loving, handsome, smart boyfriend. While I am focusing the camera on him. I want to capture each moment that we spent because I want to show it at our wedding next year. Yes, we are planning to get married next year after we graduate. Anyway, we already saved enough money for our wedding and if you are wondering why I call him Heaven? Because he is my Heaven. I feel like I am in Heaven whenever I am with him and of course, I am his angel. We are Heaven and Angel and that is how cheesy we are. Jayvee is a sweet, smart, handsome boyfriend and I know he loves me because even though there are a lot of girls who have a crush on him in school, I am still his number one priority. He is always telling me his schedules, especially his schedules of training in basketball and if he will go out with his friends. He is a basketball varsity player on our campus. He knows how to listen when I tell him "No" and "I don't like it". It is not being gay but it is what you call respect and of course, I do the same. I never go out with other boys. I never go out with my friends without telling him because I respect him and I love him so much and I know that he is my "The one"

"Make it fast in packing your things because it is almost night and I don't want to travel at night," Nestle said. Our big brother because he is older than all of us and he will be our director in our documentary film. Nestle is one of a kind. He wants everything to be perfect if he is given a task. He believes that he needs to always give his best shot. That makes him serious in all things.

It is already afternoon and we need to hurry because we don't want to waste our time traveling. Tomorrow we will start our shoot right away and of course, we want to have a day for fun in Baguio before going home. Jayvee and I want to make the most of it, especially in a romantic place like Baguio.

After an hour of waiting, finally, the bus arrived. The driver went down and asked for our understanding of why he took so long because the bus that we rented got broken and he needed to bring it to a mechanic to fix it. We understand, the important it is that he arrived and it is time for us to leave. Carrying our bags. We went inside the bus one by one and of course, Jayvee sat beside me. While Camille, my cute best friend, sat beside her crush Josh. We are almost twenty in a team. Camille and Josh, our documentary scriptwriter, Jayvee and I, Nestle our director, Aimee one of our cameramen. I mean, girl and the rest, which is I just know them on their faces but not in their name.

It was already six o'clock when we left the school and I knew we would arrive late at night in Baguio and I saw Nestle getting stressed. He is not smiling anymore because he is thinking about the time that will be wasted because of a long trip and his plan will definitely change because of the adjusted time.

"Who are you looking at?" Jayvee asked while holding my hand.

"Nestle, He looks so stressed," I answered.

"Get used to it, He is always like that, He is so serious," He said while also looking at Nestle.

After a moment, Josh brings out his guitar and starts playing a song. It is from Gin Blossoms and he plays "As long as it matters" A wonderful song with a beautiful meaning; It's relaxing music and yet it will make you sing that is why all of us sing the song to kill the boredom and thanks to Josh because he is good at playing the guitar. Now I know why Camille has a crush on him. I brought my chips from my bag and opened it. I got some and I gave some to Jayvee too before I passed it to them and everybody had their share and enjoyed the chip that I shared. We are enjoying our trip because everybody is excited about going to Baguio and we are like kids again in grade school having their field trip with their snacks. Jayvee held my hand and kissed it while looking into my eyes with a smile and singing the song. He sings it to me that gives me a romantic excitement and makes me smile. I know and I feel the same. I kissed him on his lips and whispered to him how much I love him. That makes him smile.

"I love you more," He said with a smile on his face.

The bus stopped because Aimee requested that she buy pizza for all of us. That is why the bus stopped at the parking lot of Greenwich Pizza and Aimee went down with Camille to order pizza. While everybody was excited, Nestle frowned and he shook his head because he knows that we will be totally late traveling to Baguio.

"Heaven, I will just go to the toilet," I told him while the bus was stopped and I let go of his hand that woke him. I didn't know that he was already sleeping.

"I am sorry," I said and kissed him, and let him go back to sleep.

I stood up and went to the back of the bus because the toilet is at the back. I went inside the toilet and locked the door. The toilet is already for men and women. It is small but it is clean, with a mini sink and water in a faucet, a mirror, and smells good. Smells like an ocean-fresh with a little minty. Maybe it is the freshener that they put in that makes the toilet smell good. I stretched first because my arms and legs are getting numb from sitting for a long hour and then I brought my comb out and my hair ties from my pouch because I wanted to tie my hair up. When I heard a knock on the door.

Tok! Tok! Tok!

"Wait," I said while continuing to comb my hair.

Tok! Tok! Tok! And this time it gets louder. That is why I hurriedly comb my hair and open the door to see who is knocking. I looked left and right but no one was knocking. I closed the door again and continued what I was doing and someone was knocking on the door again and this time the knock seemed in a hurry. Tok! Tok! Tok! Tok! Tok! That is why I put my comb down and take a deep breath and open the door for the second time but no one is there. I looked around and checked who was pranking me but everybody is busy, minding their own business and they don't care about what is going on with me inside the toilet. I know Jayvee went back from sleeping, that is why I closed the door again to put all my stuff inside my pouch. I looked at myself in the mirror when I saw a silhouette of a girl running behind me. I looked back to see who it was but I didn't see anyone with me. So I turn around and look at myself in the mirror again and ignore what I saw. Maybe it is just my imagination. I zipped my pouch, carried it, and went outside. I was about to go back to where I was sitting because I know Jayvee is waiting for me. When I saw a girl wearing shorts and a shirt bigger than her run beside me and she almost bumped me, that made me stop walking and look at her in the direction of where she was going but she was gone. That is why I am confused about what I saw but I think it is just my imagination.

"Angel, come on" Jayvee called me and I didn't know that he was already awake. I went back to where I sat.

"Are you okay?" He asked before I sat beside him.

"Yes, I am," I answered while still thinking about the girl that I saw.

Aimee and Camille are already back carrying three family-size pizzas and sharing them with us. The bacon overload pizza, Hawaiian, and bacon with ham. She passed it to Josh and then Josh passed it to us and I passed it to everybody after I had my share, and all of us were eating pizza including the driver that Aimee treated us.

"Thanks, Aimee," I told her and she smiled at me while chewing her pizza. We all enjoyed the pizza, even Nestle, who was already stressed about our late travel. Enjoyed the pizza.

After that, we ate pizza. The driver turned on the radio and played the song "Friends" from Amii Stewart, A very smooth and comfortable song. Good for this night of traveling. It is so very relaxing, especially on this cold night. Where all the bus lights are off. Except for the light near the driver seat and the headlight. Everybody is already resting, some are sleeping while some are holding their phones on this cold night because of the bus aircon. We got all tired and we didn't notice that it was already 10:30 P.M. Jayvee covered me with his blanket when he saw me shaking because I am cold. Anyway, he was wearing a jacket and he hugged me close to him to make me warm and then closed his eyes and fell asleep. I feel so secure and comfortable in his arms that it makes me smile. While I am holding my phone texting my mom because she was home alone with Wolfie our dog. Actually, Wolfie is Dad's dog that he left with us when he died last year, because Nana Salve, my mom's best friend who treated me as her own daughter, went for a vacation. She visits her daughter living in a province. I told mom not to worry because I am doing fine. Jayvee will take care of me.

"Go to sleep na, Angel" Jayvee said and kissed my forehead when he noticed me still awake and holding my phone.

"Yes, I will just text mom," I said with a smile because he is so sweet that it makes me fall in love with him more. I am so lucky to have Jayvee that is why I want him to be lucky to have me too.

"I love you," I told him and kissed his cheek. He didn't reply but he smiled.

I thought I was only using my phone but I didn't notice that I fell asleep when my phone fell from my hand. I suddenly woke up to pick it up. I looked at Jayvee because I didn't want to disturb him but good thing that I didn't wake him up. I stood up to put my phone inside my bag and I was about to sleep when I saw two men standing in the middle of the road. One is holding on to his stomach and he looks so distressed. His stomach is bleeding the same as his mouth and the other one is helping him. They are full of scars. I don't know what happened to them but I was surprised when the bus ran them over. I closed my eyes because I don't want to see the next scene but the bus suddenly brakes and wakes us up.

"I am sorry but I want to rest for a few seconds... My arms and legs are already numb because of the long drive" The driver said and he parked the bus at the side of the road and went down. I looked around to check what happened to the two men that our bus ran over. I keep looking around to see them but I can no longer see them. They were just gone. I saw the driver bring his lighter out and light the cigarette on his mouth after stretching his arms and legs. He is smoking as if nothing's happened or nothing has really happened and like the girl a while ago. The two men might be part of my imagination again.

"Angel" Jayvee called me in a sleepy voice.

"Why are you still awake?" He asked. I sat down and answered, "Nothing, I just put my phone inside my bag"

"I told you to sleep na" He said in a soft voice but I didn't answer him because I am thinking again of the men that I saw as the girl a while ago. I feel like my eyes are tricking me.

After a moment the driver is back and it is time for us to go. He turned on the engine and drove. Jayvee wrapped me with his blanket and hugged me again. I can't erase what I saw in my head because it looks real. I shook my head and thought about what is important, that it is just my imagination and the bus didn't run over to those men or else it is a problem. Well back to the relaxing music and cold travel because of the aircon, it was set high but that's okay. It makes us comfortable anyway.

I tried to sleep but I can't sleep because I feel like there is something watching me that makes me shiver and scared. I opened my eyes when I saw a white smoke; shape like a human, at the top of Jayvee covering his nose. I got scared and I suddenly stood up but I saw myself still sitting and sleeping beside Jayvee. My eyes were wide open in what I saw and I tried to touch myself but I cannot touch myself and I tried to go back to myself but I cannot go back.

"No," I whispered. What is going on? I am scared. I tried to touch Jayvee but I couldn't touch him either. I looked around but I saw my colleague. Wounded, covered with blood, and not moving. I am not sure if they are already dead but I AM SACRED. I looked at Jayvee again and he was covered with blood too.

"No!" I screamed but there was no voice coming out from my mouth.

"Irish" The cold voice called my name and I looked around but I didn't see anyone calling me.

"Irish" The cold voice called me again and this time. She just holds my hand and that makes me more scared to see what she looks like. She is the girl that I saw who passed beside me a while ago. She is wearing shorts and a shirt that is bigger than her. She has wounds and bruises covering her body. She is looking down and she is holding me tight in my hand. I wanted to let go of her hand but her hold was too tight. I tried to let my hand go again from her but I couldn't and she is pulling me now. As if she wanted to show me something. As if she wanted to tell me something. That makes me more scared.

"What is going on?" I asked myself. She looked at me with her scary, cold, pitiful eyes. As if she really wants to tell me something. I keep on pulling my hand but she is holding it tight and she doesn't want to let me go but I continue pulling my hand for her to let me go. Until she let go of me and I suddenly fell into a tall building and woke up. I saw her at the top of me when the bus that we were riding fell off a cliff.

I woke up in a place that wasn't familiar to me. I am naked and only a white blanket is covering my body. I removed the blanket because I can't breathe and I feel hot too. Like my skin will get burnt and that makes it hard for me to breathe. I am sweating a lot. I looked around while wrapping the blanket on me because I am naked. I tried to find my clothes but it's gone. I don't know what happened but I remember that our bus fell off a cliff and now I am here. In a dark, hot place that smells like sulfur, garbage, rotten and dead flesh.

I don't know but I feel suddenly scared when I hear voices. They are screaming, crying, mourning and most of them are asking for help and I don't know why and I don't even know where the voices came from. It seems that they are everywhere. I feel a little shiver as I continue walking trying to find a way out. Each step that I made I felt stones and sand on my feet and I kept looking around but I didn't see anything, only a thick wall, and big rocks. That looks endless. I keep walking even when the stones hurt my feet a little bit. When I feel something dripping on my forehead and I hear a sound.

"Maaaaa" I looked up and I saw a girl with long hair falling and her broken skull. Slowly falling in front of me. She was tied upside down and her blood was dripping from her broken skull. I saw her face to face and I got scared to see what she looked like. Her eyes are gone that left a hole on her face and she opens her mouth wide while facing me. I got scared and I wanted to run. I turned around but I saw two men. Standing behind me. They look horrible and scary. The man on the left is holding his stomach because it is bleeding. He has a wound there as if he has been stabbed by someone while the other man has a gunshot on his head and the blood is dripping on his head that almost covers his whole face. They tried to grab me but I ran as fast as I could but they were following me. They look so scary and I am scared. I don't know what they want from me but I can feel their anger towards me as if they know me.

I saw an open door without hesitation. I went inside and the door suddenly went bang! After I get inside. The room is dark and quiet; I can only hear the sounds of a steel chain dragging on the floor and that is the only sound that I can hear. I walked closer when I also heard a voice of a woman who suddenly appeared beside me and grabbed my foot. The fire in a torch suddenly lit. I fell to the ground and I got scared when I saw her. Half of her face is rotten and there are worms and insects falling from her mouth. She is almost bald and her skin is burned. She is looking at me while holding my left leg tight as if she doesn't want to let go of me. Her eyes are full of anger that makes me scared more every time I look at her. She slowly crawled near me while crying at the same time laughing.

"You didn't know me, didn't you?" She asked me and then she laughed. I didn't answer. I want to kick her away from me but I can't move even though my whole body is shaking. I feel like I am under her spell when she grabs me.

"I am the most powerful witch on earth," She said and she turned into a wild dog, then into a black cat then into a snake, and then back to her normal image.

"Shhh," She said and she is now at the top of me. She looked at my face to face and with her long nails; As sharp as a blade touched my face. and she screamed with all of her anger.

"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR GOD WHY I AM HERE" And she's about to stab me with her nails when a bird which is twice bigger than me and with human legs pulled her chain up and now she is upside down but she is still looking at me.

"I will curse you to death! I will curse you!" She screamed. I immediately stand up and run to the door. I hurriedly open the door because of the terror that I felt, but I can't pull it fast because it is too heavy. I think it is made of big rocks and steel and when I finally opened it. I run as fast as I can and I hear her chanting.

"Maledictum... dolor... passio" And the door suddenly bangs like thunder and I could not hear her voice anymore.

I don't know what I just saw but one thing is for sure it scares me. I looked around to check for the two men who were chasing me but they were gone. So I keep on walking to find a way out but every time I walk I feel so hot and sweating. I feel like my skin is burning too and the smell of the sulfur is getting stronger, same with the voices that I can hear; It's getting louder. I saw an open door that I needed to pass so I went inside and checked for the other door. Hoping that this is the way out. I walked slowly again because I could feel grains on my feet that hurt me. As I walked I heard a voice calling me.

"Hey... hey" I looked around to see who was calling me but I didn't see anyone.

"I am here" He said almost like a whisper. It seems that he is scared that someone might hear him.

"Come here" He said

I saw an old and dirty cellar where the voice is coming from. That is why I went closer to check who was calling me. I saw a man with a steel chain on his legs and half of his body rotten. His eyes were already popped out and there were a lot of different insects eating his flesh and I could almost see his bones. He looked at me and he whispered.

"Get me out of here" And he looked around. He looked so scared that someone might hear him.

"Please," He begged. He tried to put his arm out of the cellar when a tall, angry and scary beast from the dark pulled him.

"No!!! No!!! Please!!!" He begged but the beast hit him with a whip full of thorns. The insects' splash from his flesh is the same with his blood.

"You raped and murdered an innocent girl and then right now you will tell me not to whip you" The beast growled and he whipped the man again. Harder than the first whip and then he whipped him again and again and again. His scream gets louder and I can feel his pain until the beast looks at me. That gives me shivers and makes me run. I went to the other door and went out.

I gasped for air because I couldn't breathe. I saw my feet bleeding too but I don't feel the pain. I didn't even know that I had wounds on my feet until I saw the blood. Where am I? What kind of place is this? I asked myself because it seems that this place is a never-ending agony. I walked again to find a way out. I know I can get out of here because I don't belong here. I keep on walking and walking. I saw my blood leave a mark on the grains from each step that I made and I feel like my feet and legs are getting numb but that's okay. I continue walking because I really want to get out of this place.

Until I heard the grief of a man and it seemed like he was in pain from the door in front of me. I don't want to get inside the room because I don't want to see the possible scenario but I heard the voice of the two men who are chasing me. Their voices are getting louder and louder. That means that they are getting nearer and nearer. That makes me more scared and I don't have a choice but to get inside the door that is standing right in front of me. Inside the room, I looked around and followed the man who was grieving. I saw him inside the jail and like the others, his leg is chained.

"Please, get me out of here," He said when he saw me. I looked at him and said nothing. His left leg was chained while the right leg is rotten and I can see his bones. His hands are gone and there's a lot of ashes that are coming from his mouth with the worms and insects. His eyes popped open too.

"Please, I don't want to be here anymore" He begged me while shaking his head in despair.

I want to help him but I don't know how because even me. I need help. I don't know how to get out of this place. Each door that I open puts me in a situation of being hopeless. The rotten man went near me. He held the steel that was separating us and he whispered to me.

"I have a lot of money and I can give it to you... just let me out of here" While the sand mixed with his flesh and the worms, insects were falling from his mouth.

I am silently looking at him because I don't know what to say. When a half lion and half-snake appeared. The body is like a snake and the head is like a lion. It roared so loud like thunder and it

pulled the chain that made the man cry hard. His remaining flesh scattered on the floor and his bones were almost broken.

"Are you done?"The beast asked and smacked his head on a big steel plate that made his skull weak. I heard it was broken so I closed my eyes because I don't want to see what happened to him.

"You keep on doing illegal drugs while you are living. You killed a family for drugs and now that I am letting you do what you want nonstop... you want to get out of here" The beast growl that made the whole room shake and some debris fell. I opened my eyes and I saw the beast looking at me and it wanted to come near me but I got scared so I ran away.

I ran away. I ran as fast as I could even though I am already tired from running and I don't know where to go because each room shows something on me that makes me scared and hopeless. I stepped on the rock that twisted my left foot and made me fall to the ground. I tried to stand up as fast as I could but my left foot really hurts.

Until I felt someone was trying to grab the blanket that was covering my body. I hold it tight so that it will not be grabbed from me.

"Give me that," The voice of the woman from the dark said but I don't want to let go of the blanket that is covering me.

"Give it to me, I've been cold since I came here," She said while still grabbing my blanket but I am holding it tight for her not to grab it.

Until she reveals herself. She is totally naked and only her messy hair is covering half of her body. Her private part is full of bruises and it is bleeding too. Her right breast is gone; she was chained and she is crying in pain.

"Give me that!" She screamed but the scary beast appeared again from above. This time he has big, black wings that are shaped like bat wings and he is holding a metal stick that is bigger than the normal human arm.

"No please... no!" Begged by the naked woman who is trying to grab my blanket.

The beast pulled her chain and laughed and said "You make your pussy for a living... you ruined a family and now you want me to stop" And he put the metal stick that he was holding inside the woman's vagina. He put it in and pulled it out and put it in again and pulled it out again. repeatedly. I saw the woman's blood splashing all around and she was crying in vain. I don't want to see what is next, which is why I closed my eyes and ran from this room.

I am so tired from running and I am losing hope. I don't know why I am here. This is hell and I know I don't deserve this place. With my feet still bleeding. I sat down and cried because I am hopeless and tired. I want to leave this place but how? The cries, agonies, and voices are getting louder and louder. The pains, anger, and hatred are getting heavier and heavier. I want to stop it but I don't know-how.

In the distance. I heard a growl and loud breathing from hungry, wild animals. I stopped crying and listened to it. Their breathing is getting nearer and nearer and their footsteps are getting lighter and lighter. I looked behind me and I saw three-headed dogs. I think they are greyhound dogs; with their saliva falling from their mouths and their sharp teeth that is telling that they are ready to rip me apart with their red eyes staring at me.

"No," I whispered. I immediately stand up and run away from them but they run after me. They follow me wherever I go. I know they are faster than me, which is why I need to run faster to get away from them.

I saw a tiny hole between the two big rocks. I went inside there just to save myself from them. Until I almost fall from the cliff if I haven't stopped myself from running. The twig that I grabbed saved me from falling. I took a deep breath and I looked at the cliff. My skin is getting burnt and I am sweating a lot. The cries, agonies, pains, hatred, and anger are hurting my ears. I can hear them clearly now. It smells like sulfur and burning flesh too. That is why I looked down and I saw an ocean of fire full of souls getting burned. They were trying to reach for me when they saw me. They are asking for help.

I lifted myself up and looked down again. Their cries touched my heart. I want to help them but I don't know-how. I cried because I want to have another chance to make myself right. I don't want to be stuck in this place forever. I stand up and walk to the tiny hole again to go out. This time the three-headed dog is gone. I walk slowly because I am really tired and hopeless. I don't want to be like them but I don't know if I can get out of here.

I heard the scratching from the two men who were chasing me while I was walking to find the way out. The scratching is getting nearer and in an instant, I run even though I am tired and I don't know where to go. I keep on running and running away from them. Until the girl that I saw before our bus fell off the cliff appeared from nowhere and signaled me not to make noise. She immediately grabbed me and we went inside the dark and cold room. The door suddenly closed and she pushed me to the big hole and in an instant, I fell.

I fall and fall like there is no end. "Aaaahh!!!" I shouted because of the never-ending fall. I saw her watching me fall with her cold eyes and emotionless face. I keep on falling like I was falling from a very tall building. The pressure is pulling me down. I don't know where my falling ends but this is better than getting stuck in a place full of agony and hatred. I keep on falling and falling and falling...

I woke up sweating. I was gasping for air to breathe and I heard a woman crying beside me. I immediately removed the blanket and plastic that was covering me and I saw my mom crying beside me. She is the woman that I heard crying. Her eyes were swollen because of crying too much. I looked at her and she was looking at me too. Scared, shocked, and emotionless. She froze when she saw me and I guess she didn't know what to do if she screamed or ran away.

"What's going on?" I asked while looking around. My throat and lips are dry, which is why my voice is a little husky. I am in a room that I cannot recognize with her. I am lying on a tile that looks like a bed. I am inside the half-closed body bag and I am naked. I have a bracelet too with my name and a date on it. I tried to walk but I am too weak. My legs are shaking. I can't even stand up but still, I am forcing myself to stand.

"Mom" I called her but she was not answering. She is surprised while looking at me as if she was looking at the ghost. I saw her eyes open wide and her jaw dropped. She is not even moving or saying something. She wiped her tears when she heard me call her again. She doesn't know if she will walk near me. It seems like her feet were glued to the floor but I can feel the excitement in her. The excitement of a mother who found her lost child; who comes back to her after a long time.

"Mom" I called again in a weak voice while still looking around and she immediately walked near me as if my voice was like a snap that unfroze her and wrapped my naked body with the blanket that fell on the floor that looks like a blanket that's covering me from the other world. I looked at my mom just to make sure that my eyes and my brain were not tricking me. I want to make sure that I am no longer in the place that I've been. The smell of sulfur and burning flesh is gone. The voices are gone too except for the weep that I can hear from outside. My mom looked at me and she also helped me stand properly. I feel so tired. My legs are still shaking and I almost fall down without my mother's help. I feel like I am from endless travel. From a long journey. I looked at her in the eyes and I could see that she was still shocked.

"What's going on mom?" I asked again because of the way she looked at me. Makes me nervous that something terrible happened.

"Where am I?" I asked her while still looking around but she did not answer. It seems that she can't believe what she is witnessing. I looked back at her and I saw her sign of the cross.

"Mom," I called. still in a weak voice. I feel very hungry and very thirsty too.

"I am hungry and thirsty," I told her but she was not talking.

"Mom, please," I begged. That brings her senses. She immediately walked near me and helped me.

"Where am I?" I asked while she was still helping me. She touched my face and looked at me and then hugged me. She couldn't believe that I am here beside her. Her eyes meet mine and it seems that she can't believe that I am standing in front of her.

"You are alive" She whispered and she almost cried. I looked at her because she sounds weird. Of course, I am alive.

"What's going on?" I asked again. She made me sit on the bed tiles and looked at me seriously. She takes a deep breath because I know she doesn't know where to start telling me what happened.

"The bus that you were riding with your friends and Jayvee" She started and took a deep breath again while still looking at me.

"Fell off the cliff" She added and waited for my reaction but I am still absorbing what she said. She takes a deep breath again and holds my hand.

"Everybody died... including you," She said in almost a whisper. I shook my head because I couldn't believe what I heard. When a scene flashes in my head about the falling bus. I start remembering what happened.

"What?" I asked her while looking straight into her eyes.

"Yes, Honey, They are all dead and I am lucky because you came back from death" She answered and almost cried because she was happy that I am alive.

"All of us?" I asked again

"But not anymore... because you are alive... you are the only survivor... God gave you back" She said while crying but she didn't understand. I don't want Jayvee dead.

"Did you see this bracelet?" She asked me and showed me the bracelet that I am wearing

"It is a death tag honey. your name and the date of your death were written on it... we're in the morgue" I looked at the death tag that my mom is telling me and my name is written on it. I shook my head because I couldn't believe what was happening. I believe my mom but this time I can't believe what she is telling me. That is why I looked at her straight from her eyes and she hugged and kissed me again while saying.

"God is good, baby, He gave you back," She said while the tears of joy continued falling from her eyes.

"Where is Jayvee?" I asked her while my heart beat fast because I cannot believe that Jayvee is dead because he didn't survive the accident, but my mom didn't answer. She just sighs and looks down.

"No, mom, you are just joking," I said and my tears slowly fell from my cheek. My mom didn't answer and her tears fell from her cheeks too. Maybe she doesn't know how to tell me that the man that I love is already dead but she just nodded while crying, telling me that she is telling the truth that Jayvee is gone.

I heard cries from outside the room where I and my mom were. I immediately stand up and walk to the door even though I still feel weak. I want to witness with my own eyes what is really going on. I looked around and I saw a bunch of people crying and mourning. What is going on? I asked myself while looking around and listening to their cries. I walk out of the room while my mom is following me. I saw Camille lying dead while her family was crying over her. She has a death tag too like mine.

"No," I whispered when I saw my best friend lying dead. There's a possibility that my mom is not joking with me but I still need to find Jayvee to witness it with my own eyes. I need to see him before believing that he is really gone. I keep on walking while my mom keeps on following me. With the blanket that is covering my body. I don't care as long as I will find Jayvee and see with my bare naked eyes that he is already dead. Otherwise, I will not believe what my mom told me.

People inside the morgue are looking at me and they start murmuring. I know they are surprised because I came back from death like Lazarus and now I am walking in front of them but that is not important this time. What's important is I need to find Jayvee.

I saw Nestle too and then Josh and the driver and Aimee and all the others. All of them were already dead and then there is a room at the end. I heard someone is weeping too and I slowly walk while my tears are already falling and my heart is beating. I feel nervous to see the next scene. To find out who is lying dead inside. I stand at the door and look inside. I saw Jayvee's mom weeping, sitting on the floor. She can't breathe properly anymore because of the pain of losing someone. I saw his dad too. Sitting at the corner; like his mom. He is crying too. I feel the heavy emotion in an instant. I want to break down but I keep myself strong. I went inside the room shaking because I am nervous to see who is lying dead inside the body bag while praying that it is not Jayvee. My mom followed me. She is walking behind me, ready to comfort me if ever I break down. I opened the body bag while my hands were shaking and my tears kept on falling. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to hold my emotion when I saw who was inside the body bag and...

"Nooo!!!" I screamed in pain. It was Jayvee lying dead inside the bag. I hugged him and tried to wake him up. Hoping for a miracle that he will come back to life like what happened to me.

"Jayvee, please" I begged,

"Please, please, Heaven wake up" I cried,

"Please, please wake up!!!" I screamed,

I keep on touching his face, kissing him, and hugging him. While still hoping for a miracle. I cry hard and loud because maybe God will give him back to me if he hears my cries. We have a lot of plans for the future. The wedding, the family that we want to build, the promises of growing old together. All of it was gone in just one accident. I looked at him while still crying, weeping, and mourning in pain of losing him. I cannot describe the pain that I am feeling right now. I feel like I want to die if he does not come back from death.

I breakdown. I am sitting on the floor now because of the pain of losing him while my mom is touching me, hugging me and she is weeping too like me. She can feel my pain. She knows how to hurt it is to lose someone that you loved. The one that is supposed to grow old with. I can't breathe because I'm crying too much and I feel like I will pass out. The pain of seeing the man I love die in front of me is killing me.

"Heaven... Jayvee" I wept.

"Please, wake up," I begged.

When I suddenly saw him sit down with his eyes closed and half of the bag covering him. I stopped crying for a while because I am surprised that he is back. He went back from the dead like me. I immediately stand up and hug him but I can't hug him. My hand just infiltrated him. I tried to hug him again but it was still the same. He is just like a hologram sitting in front of me with his eyes closed. I cannot touch him, I cannot hug him.

"No," I whispered. I looked at him and I saw him still lying inside the body bag. I shook my head because maybe my eyes are just tricking me. I saw him stand up and slowly walk away still with his eyes closed.

"Heaven" I called him but it seems that he can't hear me. He didn't even dare to look at me. I saw his body still lying inside the bag and only his soul was walking. He walks out the door with his eyes still closed. As if he is being hypnotized.

"No.... no... no" I whispered and I followed him. He went to the hallway. He stopped. I saw the girl who saved me hold his hand and she looked at me and then looked at Jayvee and together they walked away. I saw the others walking too. Following them. Camille, Nestle, Josh, Aimee, The driver, and the rest of the team. Their eyes were all closed while walking following the girl who was holding Jayvee's hand. They walked like they were hypnotized. They were all naked. I feel goosebumps and I can't believe what my eyes can see right now. I know I am the only one who can see them. The huge, black door suddenly appeared. They went inside there one by one. I don't know what's going on. I don't know where they are going but I know I cannot stop them.