I have this blockmate who is kinda strange. I'm in room 12 habang siya naman ay nasa room 14. Never ko pa siya nakausap, I tried once na batiin siya pero hindi niya lang ako pinapansin. I always hear strange noises at night from his room when I am in my bed. It was frightening. I heard fighting and screaming. But I never seen him at daylight. Tuwing gabi ko lang siya nakikita na nakatambay sa may terrace ng apartment na tinutuluyan namin. Third floor yun. One time, naabutan ko siya sa terrace na mag-isa. Kakatapos ko lang maghapunan nun. Since wala akong masyadong nakakausap dito sa apartment na tinutuluyan ko. Sinubukan ko siyang kausapin. It's almost two weeks na din simula nung lumipat ako dito. "Hey, kid. Diba ikaw yung nakatira sa Room 14?" Tanong ko pagkalapit sa kanya. Lumingon lang ito sa 'kin at hindi umimik. Nakakatakot ang mga titig nito kaya napaatras ako habang siya naman ay unti-unting lumapit sa akin. Sa sobrang takot ko ay napatakbo ako pabalik sa aking kwarto. Tumingin ako sa salamin, I felt anxious and felt the rush of my heartbeat. Nakaramdam ako ng guilt kaya naman ay huminga ako ng malalim at lumabas ulit ngunit wala na ito sa terrace. I slowly walk towards his door. I took a deep breath and knocked. I heard the door unlocked. The door slowly opened as the cold air came over my skin. I stepped in slowly. It was dark. Ramdam ko ang unti-unting pagtayo ng aking mga balahibo. "Hello," my voice echoed the room. I was ridiculed when I smell a strong odor filling up the atmosphere. Walang ilaw sa silid kaya inilabas ko ang aking cellphone at binuksan ang flashlight nito. I covered my nose as the smell intensified. Dahan-dahan kong inilawan ang paligid ng kwartong iyon. I saw dried blood and followed the tracks of it. Dinala ako nito sa luma at maalikabok na kabinet. "Hello, is anyone here?" I quivered. No one answered. I heard a loud bang of the door closing. Sa sobrang takot ko ay tumakbo ako pabalik ng pintuan at pinilit itong buksan. But it was locked. "Help! Anyone please help!" I screamed but no one heard me. I began to sweat cold out of fear. I was banging the door that time. The cabinet gradually opened. I slowly turned around and watched as a child came out of that cabinet. It was Samael. I found out his name when I heard it last night. He was so thin, his eyes almost popped out, his left hand was broken and he had a teared nose. Nakakatakot ang mga ngiti niya habang iika-ika siyang lumapit sa 'kin. "No! Please don't kill me. Please! Have mercy on me." I cried in terror as he was slowly approaching my way. He just laughed foolishly. Napaupo nalang ako at napapikit. At palakas nang palakas ang mga hakbang niya patungo sa direksyon ko. "Help me get justice for my death." He was crying while he said that. "Please! Help me." I could feel the gradual disappearance of his voice after he said that. And suddenly, the tension of the periphery disappeared. I slowly opened my eyes. He was gone. I saw a notebook beside me and I picked it up. You can see the dullness of it because of the yellowish paper and dust all over it. Nagmadali akong lumabas at dinala ang notebook na nakita ko mula sa kwartong iyon. Binuklat ko ang laman ng kwaderno at binasa. Isang pahina lang ang naglalaman ng sulat. "Dear diary, my father is the owner of this apartment. And my mother is a tenant here years ago. She was raped by my father and since I was born, my father never loved me. He always beat the hell out of me. My mother never left because she has no money. My mother died because of his beating. He is always drunk. And me, he contained me in this room. He'll just give me food and beat me whenever he felt bored. I hate him. I hate this life. And I don't know how long I'll still live with him, torturing me. I always cry day and night. I always thought of ending my life but I can't. I just want to get out of this hell." Hindi ko napansing namumula na ang mata ko sa pag-iyak sa aking nabasa. Nakaramdam ako ng lubos na awa sa bata. At takot para sa aking buhay. Nang biglang may kumatok sa aking pinto. 11pm na ng gabi at muli akong nakaramdam ng takot. "Chloe," tawag ng lalaki sa labas. I immediately hid the notebook I was holding under my pillow. And immidiately grabbed a knife. I kept it behind me at bahagyang binuksan ang pinto. It was our landlord. Kinakabahan akong nagsalita. "Ah sir, bakit po?" tanong ko at nagsimulang lamigin ang aking kamay sa kaba. "I heard you scream, is everything okay?" he asked worriedly. "A-Ah okay lang po ako. Pasensya na po sa ingay, may daga po kasi dito kanina," palusot ko. "Oh I see. May I come in?" tanong nito. "Ah sir, matutulog na po kasi ako eh," napahigpit ako ng hawak sa kutsilyong nasa kanang kamay ko. Biglang nagbago ang tono ng pananalita nito na siyang nagpakaba sa akin lalo. "Saglit lang, may titignan lang ako," sinubukan kong pigilan ito nang nagpumilit itong pumasok. "S-Sir pwedeng bukas nalang, hatinggabi na po kasi," pagkasabi ko niyon ay hinawakan niya ako ng mahigpit sa kaliwang braso at itinulak papasok. Ini-lock niya ang pinto at tinangka akong pagsamantalahan. Mas hinigpitan ko pa ang pagkakahawak sa kutsilyong kinuha ko kanina "S-Sir, huwag po. Nasasaktan ako. Maawa po kayo sa 'kin." I begged him. "Huwag ka nang pumalag, pagbigyan mo na ako. Lilibre ko na ang renta mo ng dalawang buwan, basta pagbigyan mo lang ako ngayon," nakaisip ako ng paraan at nagkunwaring napapayag niya ako sa kanyang gusto. I started to kiss him back torridly. Hanggang sa nakadagan na siya sa akin at pinupupog ng halik ang aking katawan. Dahan-dahan kong itinutok ang kutsilyo sa kanyang likuran at nakita ko ang batang si Samael na tumango habang may tumutulong luha sa kanyang mata. I stabbed his back at full force and I stabbed him thrice as I gazed to Samael began to smile at me. He finally got his justice after years as he slowly fades before my eyes. And me, murdering my landlord results to self-defense as judged by the court with the notebook as one of the evidence.