28th Incident: The Writer 文書 

Si Risa Miyake. As expected. Siya nga ang pang thirteen na cursed person na hinahanap namin! All twelve ghosts are with her and it seems like she's at ease with them. Kung ako siguro ay napapalibutan ng twelve ghosts with surgical masks, mapapraning ako. Pero siya, kalmado. Walang bakas ng takot. Umiinom pa ng tea.

Ang ikinagulat ko pa ay hindi siya sinasaktan ng mga ito. Nakapalibot lang ang mga ito sa kanya na parang wala lang. Hindi niya ba nakikita ang mga ito?

"Hajimemashite! I am Risa Miyake. A news writer and a novelist." Pagpapakilala niya sa amin ng nakangiti. "I have been waiting to meet you, Yuya Kobayashi and Ayako Mendez."

What? Kaming dalawa lang ni Ayako ang gusto niyang makilala?

"EHEM!! Excuse me. We are here too. I am Rio Sakurada." Singit ni Rio. At sabay na ipinakilala ang dalawa pa naming kasama. "These are Tomomi Mamiya and Police Inspector Ueda."

"Nice to meet you. I was able to finally meet you. Are you guys—?" bago pa makatapos si Risa sa pagsasalita ay sumagot na ako.

"Yes, all of us are cursed too."

Anim na kami ngayong nasa mesa ng private hangout section. Ako, si Ayako, si Rio, si Mamiya, si Police Inspector Ueda at si Risa. Medyo masikip kaya kumuha pa ng isang chair si Police Inspector Ueda para ilagay sa dulong parte.

Police Inspector and Mamiya ordered the meals for us kaya apat kaming naiwan pansamantala sa mesa.

"Aren't you scared miss? Twelve ghosts are currently with you. It's like you are shrouded with black fog." Tanong ni Rio kay Risa.

"I'm used to them. With research, I found out ways on how to protect myself from them." Risa replied while sipping her tea. "I believe you also have the ability to protect yourself from them too. I love your charms and bracelets."

"Why thank you.I love the ofuda inside your bag and your anklet charm too. Are they from the monk from Nagoya?"

"Yes. You are interesting." Risa smiled.

Rio snapped his fingers and put an ofuda on the table. In a matter of seconds, the ghosts disappeared.

"That was impressive." Risa praised Rio. Then she drinks her tea again.

Kitang kita sa pagmumukha ni Rio na tuwang tuwa siya sa papuri ni Risa. Kitang kita ko sa paghinga ng ilong niya ang pagkhambog niya.

Risa and Rio. These two are alike. They both don't know fear. It seems like it's normal for them to be surrounded by ghosts. Pakiramdam ko nga hindi na kami kailangan dito dahil parang compatible na sila sa isa't isa.

Eventually, Ayako showed me a tissue paper while giggling. There was something written on it:

Rio ❤ Risa

I know, Ayako. I know. However, I think a lot of girls will surely hate the idea of Rio meeting this girl.

Dumating na sila Police Inspector Ueda at si Mamiya dala dala ang mga na order namin. They placed everything on the table.

"So what is the agenda of this meeting again?" Mamiya-san asked us.

"I wanted to meet the two people who wrote the article about 23:57. Yuya and Ayako." Risa replied. "I also want to know your goal about this curse."

"My main reason is to investigate further about this curse. I want to stop this already." Sagot naman ni Police Inspector Ueda.

" I want this curse to end but I will miss Carl..." Mamiya hesitantly told us.

"Eh? I thought we just going to hang out. But since you want to talk about 23:57 further, I am okay with it. This curse on the other hand thrills me. So I am okay with anything, as long as it is exciting."

"Well, I guess we are all here with a somehow common goal. To know more about 23:57. I guess it can't be helped." I said. "I have something with me."

Inilabas ko na ang plastic file case pero hindi ko pa binubuksan ito. Mahirap na.

"In this file case, almost everything that we need to know is in here." Anunsyo ko.

Nagulat naman sina Mamiya at Police Inspector Ueda.

"Like what?" Tanong ni Police Inspector Ueda sa akin.

"The lists of the thirteen people who committed suicide four years ago. There are photos and profile of each people who were identified. Also, I have the complete article published in Shibuya Today four years ago. In which, was actually written by Risa Miyake."

Risa replied with a smile. I don't know but that smile seems cunning...

"Did you find out about Rica Miyake? She's my half sister." Tanong ni Risa sa akin.

I knew it! May connection nga siya sa nag suicide noon.

"Yes, I just read her in the profile in the list." I replied. " I also read the article of Shibuya Today dated four years ago about the 23:57 incident."

"So lahat tayo ay may connection sa mga namatay noon four years ago." I added.

"I know, I wrote this article four years ago." Sagot sa akin ni Risa.

"Also, I want to meet the cursed people too. I learned the I am not the gifted person here. Rio seems to know how to stop the ghosts from consuming you." Risa added.

"Gifted?" Mamiya asked.

"If I have the ability as a Paranormal expert, Risa has her own ability too." Rio responded.

" My blood is a charm."

"A charm?" Ayako asked. She got curious.

"I, alone, is already a charm to protect myself from ghosts. I can summon or remove them at will by writing their names at any paper." Risa explained, "Apart from that, what I write is my own power too."

We were all unconvinced except for Rio. Police Inspector Ueda and I are smirking in disbelief while Ayako and Mamiya can be seen with obvious doubting expressions.

"I see. You want me to try my ability in front of you." Sagot ni Risa sa amin. "Very well."

Isinulat ni Risa ang isang pangalan sa isang papel gamit ang kanyang ballpen. Kakaiba ito. Pula ang tinta nito.

Rica Miyake. 'yon ang pangalang nakasulat sa papel.

At nang matapos niyang isulat ay bigla na lang itong naging parang buhangin na kulay pula at tinangay ng hangin. Naging powder ang pulang tinta. At ang direction ng pagpunta ng pulang powder na iyon ay lumabas si Rica Miyake.

Nagulat kami.Tinawag niya si Rica sa pamamagitan lang ng pagsulat ng pangalan nito.

Si Rica Miyake na kamukha ni Risa pero mahaba lang ang buhok nito. Duguan ang mukha nito at naka surgical masks na may red smile na naka drawing dito. Sinusubukan ni Rica na hawakan si Risa pero parang napapaso ito.

Hindi ko alam pero nakaramdam ako ng inggit. Ibig sabihin at hindi siya masasaktan ng mga multong ito. At bigla na lang napunta ang attention niya sa amin. Ayako ang Mamiya gasped.

Ngumiti si Risa.

"Don't worry. I know how to make her go away."

Hinawakan ni Risa ang ghost at bigla na lang nawala ito.

"Ito ang aking gift. Ang magtawag at magtaboy ng mga multo gamit ang aking dugo."

Wait, nakakapagtagalog siya? Wait dugo?

"Yes dugo. Ang tinta ng ballpen na ito ay ang dugo na mula sa akin. At just in case na nagtataka kayo kung bakit ako nagtatagalog, Japinay ako."

Risa smiled. She is an elegant person but I felt danger in her too. She emits the same aura as Rio.

"So you can protect yourself from these ghosts. You are cursed too right?" Police Inspector Ueda asked.

"Apparently, yes. I can protect myself from these ghosts but my power is not absolute. I am cursed too as my half-sister is one of the thirteen people who committed suicide four years ago."

"Can we protect ourselves from these ghosts too?" tanong ni Ayako.

"Yes. But I am sure the Rio can provide better protection for you."

"How did you get cursed?" I asked.

"I was desperate." Nagbago ang emtions ng mukha ni Risa. "I was financially struggling and I got no stable job then."

Nakaramdam ako ng awkwardness.

"I was at the train station platform when the incident happened. I was with my half-sister, Rica, at the Hanzomon line Platform. She just randomly ran away from me. As I was looking for her, I saw her holding hands with other people and jumping with the twelve others while laughing. I witnessed it."

Risa started to feel uncomfortable. I think sumakit ang ulo niya. Pero patuloy pa rin siyang nagkwento.

"I was devastated when I saw Rica, dead and bloody. I should have just called the emergency but I saw it as an opportunity too."

"So you forgot about your sister who died there?" I asked. Napailing ako sa dismaya.

"Rica is my sister but as I've said earlier, I was desperate. That was an exclusive scoop! The only opportunity was Shibuya Today's offer. I need to report this bizarre incident. After writing about it, the chief editor wanted it and accepted me for an exclusive report. For the next few hours, I was surprised that the incident became an internet phenomenon already. A lot of people who witnessed it took the opportunity to post about it online."

"You really wanted to get the scoop..." Rio asked.

" I was desperate then. I needed that exclusive scoop! But I was shocked when the higher-ups reprinted the second edition of Shibuya Today a few hours after it was published. The second edition never printed my article. At first, I thought it was just a printing mistake but they really halted the publication of anything related to 23:57. They even told me that my article is crap and they will use all their power to stop me from getting any writing-related work. For a year, I was devastated and hopeless. One year of no opportunities. I think that was karma for seeing the incident as an opportunity instead of giving sympathy."

No one was speaking but everyone knew that this girl really regretted it.

'If they will end my career as a writer, I should just die too' I thought. For a year, I was a hopeless case. So I went to Shibuya Hospital to commit suicide too. It was the last train then. 23:57. As the train approached, I ended up not doing it. I realized I wanted to live. I don't care if it's me being a coward but I really wanted to live. And then, I saw the very same people who committed suicide a day before right in front of me. I knew I was cursed then... The rest is history."

"I think I was the first one who got cursed."

"How did you do that Risa? You've been cursed for three years!" Gulat na gulat na tanong ni Mamiya/

"Experience, time, and research." Sagot ni Risa at uminom siya ng tea.

" I started as a weak girl who wanted to live. So as time passes and with the experiences, I got from fear, I learned a lot. I eventually did some of my research. I discovered my blood charm. I figured more about my ability. Good thing I have the ability to further understand these people who committed suicide. These ghosts wanted something from us. To reveal the truth. Or else, they will involve people. And for our case, thirteen people will get involved in their curse too. If we can't stop this curse, we will all die. Even I will die too if we will not do something about this curse."

I was not surprised with what she had told us. Totoo naman. Mamamatay talaga kami kapag wala pa kaming ginawa. Iilan na lang kaming natitira sa sumpang ito.

Risa is the last person of the thirteen people who were cursed, but apparently, she was the first person who got cursed.

I can't believe this!

"So how can we end this curse?" I asked.

"The one who survived in the last suicide group must die in order to end the curse. "answered with an empty look on her face.

Rio and Ayako are looking at me uncomfortably. Mamiya ang Police Inspector Ueda is still confused.

What should I do?

Will I tell everyone?

Will I show them the list and what's inside this file case?

But I have to protect my mom.