Ang Multo ng Fire Exit

Dahil sa mga bagyong nagdaan, kinailangan ko ring lumikas mula sa bayan ng Obando. Masyado nang mataas ang baha roon at imposible nang magbyahe araw-araw papuntang opisina. Tumuloy ako sa unit ng aking nakababatang kapatid sa Mandaluyong City. Hindi ko akalain na dahil sa lugar na ito ay magkakaroon ako ng bagong istorya.

Sa ilang buwan na paninirahan ng aking kapatid dito ay normal naman ang lahat. Normal hanggang dumating ang aking…

Unang gabi. Graveyard shift ang aking kapatid kaya ako lamang mag-isa sa bahay noon. Matapos kong ayusin ang mga gamit ko, ay nakatulog na ako. Napanaginipan ko na nagkwe-kwentuhan daw kami ng aking mga kaibigan tungkol sa “The Grudge” movie. Hindi ko na matandaang mabuti pero sa aking panaginip ay tinanong ko daw sila nang “Anong date?” at may sumagot na “April 29!”.

Pagkarinig na pagkarinig ko ng petsa na ‘yun ay bigla akong sumigaw - sa panaginip at sa bigla kong paggising. Nagising ako nang tuluyan at parang may babaeng sali’t-salit na bumubulong sa aking dalawang tenga. Tumayo ako at binuksan ko na lang ang pinto ng kwarto at ang mga ilaw. Sa awa naman ng diyos ay nakatulog akong muli matapos magdasal at maglagay ng rosary sa aking bulsa. Hindi ko muna ito ikinwento sa kapatid ko dahil baka matakot din siya.

Sumunod na araw, dumating ang mom ko para magdala ng iba pang gamit. Nasa opisina ako nun at natutulog naman ang aking kapatid. Habang naglilinis ang nanay ko sa kusina, naramdaman niya na parang may dumaan sa likuran niya. Wala naman daw siya nakita paglingon niya.

Nalaman ko lang ito nang magkwentuhan kami noong sumunod na araw. Ikinwento ko rin sa kanila ang nangyari sa’kin nung unang gabi.

Biglang umamin ang aking kapatid. “Sige sasabihin ko na.” Sabi niya. “Dati daw kasi, may nahulog at namatay dyan sa fire exit (habang itunuturo ang bintana). Lagi daw nagpapakita ‘yun sa elevator o kaya sa lobby.”

Kinilabutan na lang kami sa aming narinig.

Habang isinusulat ko ‘to ay mayrong namuong katanungan sa aking isipan: Naganap kaya ang kanyang pagkahulog sa fire exit noong April 29, ang petsa sa aking panaginip?

Death's Sign

Is there really such a thing?

By the morning of November 2, ROSING's path changed sharply from northwest to a westward track and threatened to hit Catanduanes but its eye just skirted along the island’s northern coast, that evening and moved to target Northern Camarines Norte. Despite the quick strike, Catanduanes was heavily devastated. Threatening Daet, it moved again slightly west and made landfall by dawn of November 3 at Siruma, Camarines Sur which lies at the mouth of San Miguel Bay. One resident of Caramoan, a nearby town, spoke on what she witnessed during the passage of its eye.

"It was eerie," she said. "The moon and some stars went out during the calm moment with continuous flashing of lightning somewhere along the area surrounding the eye."

We experienced almost the same thing here in the Metro. The winds and the rain sounded really scary a lot of trees had been uprooted. It is scary to be outside during storms like this not only because of zero visibility but because of the roofs that fly by occasionally.

Finally the storm’s over. People went on their way fixing their houses and cleaning the streets.

That morning my brother went to my Uncle’s house to help him fix his roof. While they’re working my Aunt is busy taking care of my cousins.

As they work my brother & my Uncle were busy talking too…as they talk my brother looked up to my Uncle and saw something that changed his life forever.

A headless man…

My brother squints his eyes and was terrified to see my Uncle without his head on…”is that even possible?!” He asked himself. He tried to ignore what he saw and went back to fixing the roof. He was scared and he didn’t tell anyone about it thinking that it was only his imagination. “Could it be an ominous sign?!” He didn’t know and he didn’t believe in those things. After the roof is finally fixed he went home and my Uncle took a nap. Not long after when my brother came home from my Uncle’s house my Elder cousin came rushing to our house telling my Mom to hurry and go to my Uncle’s house…

Apparently my Aunt was trying to wake him up but he wouldn’t wake up no matter how she shook him…no matter how loud she called out to him.

They rushed my Uncle to the hospital and not long after he is declared DOA or Dead on Arrival. Cause of his death…”bangungot” or “According to the doctors, its acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis resulting (in) cardiac arrest.” In other words, he died in his sleep.
When we found out what happened I noticed my brother’s face suddenly went pale. He looks so terrified for some reason. When we asked him what was wrong he told us what he saw. My Mom’s best friend’s mother said my brother should have asked my Uncle about it. It might sound funny but this is what was my brother’s supposed to say, “Uncle, whatever happened to your head?! Where is it?!” According to the old lady in cases like this you should call that person’s attention about it otherwise he will surely die…because it’s an ominous sign…that death is at your doorstep.

The old Lady also told us that a couple of nights before my Uncle died she would hear footsteps of people coming in and out of the compound stopping near my Uncle’s doorstep and the dogs nearby would bark a howling sound so eerie. One night when it happened she actually looked through the window to see who the “visitors” were because it is very late…but she felt shivers down her spine when she saw no one but could actually hear the “footsteps”.

She said they were the actual ominous signs that death is coming…

Is there really a sign?! Can we really prevent death from happening if we managed to see the sign & do something about it like asking a man, “What happened to your head?! Where is it?!”

It’s up to you to decide.