-Alexi-

I'D NEVER had a real job before except for helping Harrile with their pigs and farm work. Let's say my parents have been spoon-feeding me since we were kids, and we never get to experience the real hardship of earning money for a living. But here I was, trapped, striving to stay alive and about to become a laundress. Dinala kami ng ginang sa kanilang warehouse – or at least, that’s what it resembled. It was a vast space filled with mountains of neatly folded clothes. Each bundle was tied securely. May iilang tao kaming nadatnan. Karamihan sa kanila'y nasa 40's or 50's. Kung meron mang bata ay siguro mga nasa 30's na din.

"Dito kayo magtatrabaho. Kailangan pulido ang pagkakalaba ng mga damit kung ayaw nyong managot kay madam" the woman instructed. May toothpick na nakaipit sa gilid ng labi nito.

So she wasn't the boss?

Fare and I just nodded in silent acknowledgment. I felt uneasy under their curious stares. Do they find us strange?

"Ano nga ulit mga pangalan nyo?"

Tumingin ako sa ginang. "Alexi po" saka ko tinuro ang kasama ko. "Siya naman po si Fare"

"Halos kilala ko ang mga tao sa buong zone 12" she stated, her gaze sweeping over us, lingering from head to toe "Ngayon ko lang kayo nakita. Bago lang ba kayo?"

My throat tightened. "We...arrived yesterday"

Tumango tango ito. Inspection written on her face. "Mukhang pinahirapan kayo ng mga sundalo ah. Ilang taon na kayo mga hija? Ang babata ng mga itsura nyo?"

I had no idea our age would be such a big deal for them. I guess I'll have to practice telling convincing lies from now on. I gulped, trying to hide my agitation on my face. "Uh, kaka trenta lang po naming dalawa. Mas matanda lang po ako kay Fare ng ilang buwan"

Her expression didn't change, though I saw the flicker of curiosity in her eyes. I could see it in the way her brow furrowed, wanting to ask more but let it slide instead to focus on immediate task at hand. "Sige. Maaari na kayong magsimula bukas. Alas siyete ng umaga ang pasok nyo hanggang ala-singko ng hapon"

We both nodded in agreement. Tumingin ito sa ibang mga trabahador "Bukas nyo nalang turuan ng gagawin ang mga to" "Masusunod po, boss Esther" sabay sabay nilang sagot.

May ilang hinabilin lang ito sa mga trabahador na nandito saka umalis. Pinagmasdan ko ang papalayo nitong pigura hanggang makalabas na siya ng warehouse. Fare clung to my arm, probably feeling uneasy among the new faces. They're all adults, mostly middle-aged, and their intense stares were evident as if we're the people who just out of jail because we're wrongly accused as criminals. Maya maya'y isang babae na nag-aayos ng tambak na damit ang tumayo at lumapit sa amin. Sinalubong kami nito ng ngiti. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, not too old. Her face feature is fierce.

"Kamusta? Ako si Raye" she said, extending a hand. I shook it hesitantly. "Alexi" pagpapakilala ko. I'm not judgemental but I could always sense someone's vibe. She's smiling at us but I distinct it was forced. Friendly, yes, but with a hint of cunning.

Tumingin ito sa mga damit na nasa paligid. I'd never seen such a massive pile. Some of the workers were folding what appeared to be clean, laundered clothes, placing them in large, box-shaped baskets. It's not a common laundry basket but more like an industrial container. This place looks like a textile factory. Nagulat ako sa biglang pagdagan ng braso ni Raye sa balikat ko. "Totoo bang kahapon lang kayo dumating sa Zone 12? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just overheard it"

"Yeah," my voice barely a whisper.

"Welcome to hell then." She wrapped her hand around my shoulder, giving me a light squeeze. I feel uncomfortable about how feeling close she is to me, but I let it slide. "Dalawang oras nalang magsasara na itong warehouse. Let me give you a tour"

Tinapik ako nito sa braso at naunang maglakad. She turned to me and tilted her head, gesturing me to follow here. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa ni Fare bago sumunod kay Raye.

"Since when we reach the downtown, people have been giving us suspicious looks" biglang bulong ni Fare habang sinusundan namin si Raye. Lumabas kami ng warehouse at napagtanto kong sa likod lang pala kami pumunta. We were greeted by a busy tapestry of the people. Most of them are women. Kahit sa loob ng warehouse ay ilang lalaki lang ang nakita ko. Sa samentadong lupa ay nandoon ang mga naglalaba. Nakalatag ang malalaking batya sa paligid. Ang iba'y nagbabanlaw, nagpipiga ng malalaking damit at nagsasabon. They're wearing boots dahil baha ang semento. The surrounding buildings were either unfinished or crumbling, like hollowed-out teeth against the sky.

The tubs overflowed with clothes. Halata ang pagod sa kanilang mga mukha dahil mukhang maghapon silang nandito at naglalaba.

"Don't we have a washing machine?" I asked Raye, utterly bewildered.

Mahina lamang itong natawa. "Hindi 'yon uso dito. Mano mano kang maglalaba maghapon at sasahuran ng maliit na halaga sa buong linggo" She looked at me, that deceptive smile still plastered on her face. "Consider yourself living in unmodern world. There's no technology outside the Capitol. They forbid it"

I remained silent. Absorbing the new information. That must be another way to make people live in hell.

"Wala bang nagsabi sainyo na ang dungis nyo" muli akong napatingin kay Raye. I only removed my coat but the dried blood and dirt I got somewhere was still glued on my face. Napaiwas ako ng tingin. Yumuko na lamang si Fare dahil nahihiya ito. Gaya ko'y madungis din ang kanyang mukha.

"We haven't taken a bath for days" I mumbled, scratching the back of my neck.

"I see. Follow me then" bumalik ito sa loob ng warehouse. Sinundan lang namin siya na naglalakad hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang silid. It was cleaner than the warehouse floor, but not by much. She opened a drawer, revealing a chaotic jumble of fabrics. She randomly pulled out several items and then tossed them towards us with a careless flick of her wrist. Mabuti't nasalo namin ito ni Fare.

Hinagis niya ito sa amin. Tag iisang pares ng damit kasama ang damit panloob. My heart rejoiced inside. It may be insignificant gesture but it's a lifeline for us. Who wouldn't? Halos kasing amoy ko na ang taong grasa sa sobrang lagkit ng at dumi ng damit ko. A relief washed over me.

"Pagtyagaan nyo muna 'yang mga damit na 'yan. Pagpalit palitin nyo nalang. Maraming tubig na inigib ngayon. Pwede nyo yo'ng gamitin pang ligo. Tinuro nito ang labas ng silid. "Nasa labas ang banyo"

She sauntered out of the room, indicating her pleasantries with us is done. Tinaas ni Fare ang pares ng damit na pinahiram niya sa kanya. Maging ang binigay sa akin ay tiningnan ko din. Sobrang kupas na ang kulay at malapit na sa basahan pero ayos na ito.

"I wish they'd let us bring a few clothes before they dumped us here," Fare muttered. Her face is grudgingly looking at the clothes, clearly disliking the clothes that were given to her. "But it's okay. They let us live. I think that's more than enough"

A small smile touched my lips in response. It was good to hear someone find a silver lining despite our situation. But I'm not grateful for what happened even though they spared us. Hermione mentioned that it's not enough for us to die. Maybe death is too cheap for us that they'd rather let us live and experience hell than kill us swiftly. They like playing with people's lives, after all.

It's true that when you're run out of resources, you'll appreciate little things. Parang doble ang gaan ng aking pakiramdam nang lumabas ako ng banyo. Pakiramdam ko'y galing ako sa disyerto at sa wakas nakatikim din ang katawan ko ng ligo. Their soap was unfamiliar, smelling like chalk, but I scrabbled it all over my body. I used it as a shampoo as well, making sure all the dirt from head to toe got rid of. I fold my dirty clothes so I can use them at other times. It stinks, reflecting how gravely we've been through in the past few days.

Nandito ako sa labas ng banyo at hinihintay si Fare. I don't trust any of the people here so I need to guard her.

"You can put your dirty clothes here." My gaze lifted to Raye, who suddenly appeared, holding a clothed bag. I muttered 'thanks' before taking it.

She slanted her back on the wall before shoving a cigarette out of her pocket. Gamit ang lighter ay sinindihan niya ito saka hinithit at nagbuga ng usok. "Hope you enjoyed your life as a student in Sonkan because it will be very different here"

I stared at her. How I wish she didn't stop by here to initiate a conversation with me so I wouldn't have to add my lies. I fear something will slip off from my mouth that might screw us up. "I'd never enjoyed my life there"

"They have delicious food in the dining hall and the best diner. I wonder if Mr. Bob is still alive. Bob's diner is the best. You'll never taste that kind of food here"

I see. Of course, she once became a student at Sonkan. There's no way she wouldn't know Mr. Bob's diner.

"And the Cinepark" she added. "It's so cool that you can watch a cinema in the fields with your friends. And also the parties there, the nightball, the pool party, other stuff." There are glitters in her eyes. She must be reminiscing about the stuff Sonkan offers that adds enjoyment to the students there. Kumirot ang puso ko nang mabanggit niya ang Cinepark. I remember how everything was fine when I was watching there with Coleen and Joan.

"I lost some important people in my life there" mahina kong sambit at nilagay ang maruming damit sa bag na binigay niya. Pinigilan ko ang pag-crack ng boses ko. I shouldn't show any vulnerability to a stranger. "All we do is to fear for our life everyday"

It took her a few seconds before she replied. She probably understands what I mean. "Yeah. Art of death, mortal combat, and Friday killings." She's familiar with that, so she must have experienced it all as well.

Sadly, I didn't lose them in any of those.

Natigil ang pag-uusap namin nang may lalaking dumating para tawaging si Raye. "Pinapatawag ka ni boss Esther"

I saw Raye's eyes rolling, pissed off by his disturbance. "Tch. Ano na namang kailangan ng bruhang matandang 'yon" I don't know if she's just irritated or she's resenting boss Esther. Maybe both.

Nagpaalam ito at pekeng ngumiti sa akin. How I wish I could tell her to stop smiling since anyone can distinguish it was a fake one. "Sige mamaya nalang"

Pinagmasdan ko lang ang pagbuga ng usok ni Raye sa hangin habang kasabay niyang naglalakad ang tumawag sa kanya. Maya maya'y lumabas si Fare wearing a relieved face because she finally get herself cleaned up which mirrored what I felt. I didn't know we will appreciate the water this much. Nakita niya sina Raye na naglalakad pa palayo. Bahagyang umangat ang gilid ng labi nito. "She's nice isn't she?"

"Not the part that she lent us rag-like clothes" I unconsciously said, my words hung in the air.

The sky went gray, indicating the sun setting down. We spent the rest two hours at the warehouse until it closed. Kabi kabila ang mga establisyementong nakikita kong nagsasara. Karamihan sa kanila'y nagmamadali. The whole downtown was closed. Ang mga taong naglalakad ay aligaga na tila hinahabol ang oras. If this is an outside world, it's quite early for all the stores to close down. The beads of sweat forming on their foreheads are a ticking clock that adds pressure to them as if they predicted a storm coming into the town, so they're making haste to evacuate.

Kasabay naming naglalakad si Raye kasama ang iba niyang katrabaho. She's chillingly smoking, watching the people around us be eaten by their panic.

"Are we going to Capitol?" I asked. It's not that I don't know we're going there but I want to make sure we're heading towards the same place.

I saw in my peripheral she glanced at me. A hint of amusement flashed on her face. "Alam mo na pala ang Capitol?" Bumalik din ang tingin niya sa daan at nagbuga ng usok. "Doon ba kayo nagpalipas ng gabi kahapon?"

"No," I said, feeling proud of myself because I finally uttered an honest answer.

"Did you by any chance..." She trailed off, a hint of curiosity cracked on her voice. "Meet the Hunters? 50/50 ang tsansang mabuhay ng isang tao kapag nasa labas sila ng Capitol sa gabi"

"We did" sagot ko. Nanatili lamang ang tingin ko sa daan. At the side of my eye, I saw her lips form a curve as she released a puff of smoke.

____

A sea of faces surged towards the Capitol. We were trapped in the middle of them. Mahigpit ang pagkakahawak ko kay Fare upang masigurong hindi ito malalayo sa akin. As we hastened our way, I tilted my head back, my gaze drawn upwards. Mula ng makarating ako dito sa Zone 12, ito palang ang gusaling nakita kong maayos at matayog. From the outside, it resembled a sleek, modern office tower, all glass and steel, reflecting the city skyline like a distorted mirror. The whole Capitol complex was divided into five buildings. I assumed that each of the buildings has more than 40 storeys towering over the city. I feel like I'm looking at Sonkan University premises. Ganitong ganito ang mga building doon.

Tila nilamon ng delubyo ang buong lungsod at itong Capitol lang ang nanatiling matatag. As we reached the imposing gates, our progress halted. The gates are firmly shut.

"Bakit hindi pa bukas ang gate?" tanong ko kay Raye. My voice was barely audible above the rising tide of panic around us while this companion of ours remained unnervingly still, like a lifeless statue—except for the occasional involuntary twitch as people edged her.

"They're going to play" sagot nito. The stretching of her lips creeps me out a bit. I wonder what that smile is for.

Sa di kalayuan ay nakikita ko ang mga taong tumatakbo papunta dito. Tila may karera at ang lahat sa kanila'y gustong makarating sa finish line. I didn't get what Raye mean when she said they're going to play not until the they opened the gate. The people swarmed in. Halos lahat ay nagkakatulakan na makapasok lang sa loob. I was shock by their aggressiveness but we managed to maintain our footing, pushing our way through the crowd. Nakisugod kami na pumasok sa loob upang hindi matumba at maapakan. The entire scene was bewildering, and I couldn't relax until we were safely inside the gate. Nakapasok kami sa loob at alam kong may naiwan pa sa labas.

Rinig ko ang sigaw at panaghoy ng mga nasa labas nang magsara ang gate. May mga humilerang sundalo sa harap namin, nakaharang sa tarangkahan upang masigurong wala ng maaaring makalabas.

"Why did they close the gate? There are still people outside" I confusedly asked Raye. Nasa tabi ko lang si Fare at mahigpit lang akong nakahawak sa kamay nito.

"Limitado lang ang oras ng pagpasok sa gate. Those who were left there will be hunted tonight by the Hunters" casual nitong sagot. "They should be running by now"

"That is unfair" I hissed. I kept my voice low since the soldiers were around. They're currently ushering us inside the tower.

"Kailan ba naging patas sa Sonkan?" Her words made me silent, spitting me a harsh dose of reality in our world. "It was never fair. So don't expect it to be" she added, a firm acceptance coloring her tone.

We entered the tower. The floors are made of tiles. Makintab ito na halos makita ko na ang mukha ko. High ceilings showcased elegant chandeliers. People strolled casually toward the elevators. There are soldiers around, standing in the corner, observing. They're wearing a full suit, covering their faces with a rifle hung on their shoulders.

"Is this an office?" Fare commented as her eyes roaming around. I can see the glimpse of amusement on her face. Nasanay ang mga mata namin sa magulong paligid sa labas at nakakapanibago na makakapasok ka sa maayos na building.

Sinundan lamang namin si Raye na papunta sa elevator. May mga kasabayan kami pagdating sa loob. Hindi ko maiwasang hindi pansinin ang suot ng mga tao dito. Parang hindi naaangkop ang suot namin sa gusaling ito. Pinindot ni Raye ang floor 35. A comfortable silence settled in until the elevator produced a "ting" sound, announcing our arrival. Paglabas namin ng elevator ay may mga sundalo pading naroroon. As we walked down the hallway, I keenly observed our surroundings. We reached a series of rooms—cells, I presumed, though far from traditional ones. These were modern, minimalist cells. A sign above indicated the women's quarters.

I sighed in relief when I realized the rooms for the men and women were separated. I was raised in a conservative household, and it's strictly forbidden for us girls, to sleep with guys in the same room even though we're many.

"This will be our room" Raye announced, her words acknowledging our complete unfamiliarity with this place.

The cell doors are made of metal. The horizontal bars in narrow strips cover the smaller gaps, while the steel plates in rectangular shapes fill the bigger space. Sa gilid ay may sensor. As Raye approached the sensor, a grid of red lasers sliced through the air, scanning her from head to toe. The door hissed open with a low groan of hydraulics after the scan. We followed afterward.

"The sensor is detecting if you bring a weapon with you or if you're sick," Raye explained the purpose of the sensor even though the question wasn't voiced out. "You can't be here if you're sick" I nodded in acknowledgment. That's a crazy rule. They have full intention to play our lives until we get killed yet they don't allow sick people.

Nakapasok kami sa loob ng selda. I assessed the surroundings. It's spacious enough for us. It was cleaned, the walls were painted in white and the mattresses were settled in a metal frame with four sturdy legs. There were eight beds in total. This room is good for eight people. May limang babae na ang unang umoccupy sa limang bed kaya tatlo nalang ang natitira. Sakto para sa amin.

We approached the vacant bed but a hand possessively resting on the mattress. Napatingin ako sa babaeng 'yon. "Nakatabi na to' para sa kasama namin"

I hesitantly nodded and stepped back. Sunod kaming lumapit sa kabila ngunit umupo doon ang ginang. Hinarang niya din ang kamay niya doon. "Para 'to sa kasama ko. Humanap nalang kayo ng ibang room"

Raye, who had already secured a bed for herself, sensed the rising tension. Lumapit ito sa amin. Her voice is sharp and commanding. "Wala dito ang kasama nyo. Ibigay nyo na 'yan sa kanila"

Ngumisi lang ang babae. Kahit babae ito ay matikas ang pangangatawan. She must be an athlete before. Mukhang kasing edad lang siya ni Raye. "Pwede naman silang lumipat ng kabilang quarters---"

Her words were cut short by Raye's sudden, brutal action. With a swift move, she grabbed the woman's hair, yanking her head back with force. Walang emosyon ang mukha ni Raye habang nakatitig sa babaeng hawak niya sa buhok. Bakas sa mukha niya na nasasaktan ito. "I can send you outside. Lifeless"

Whoah.

**********

Thanks for reading!