The darkest hour

Don't go to the town behind the hills.

You can't speak of it's name without having chills.

When you are playing, don't go up those hills.

In the days, the town looks so quiet and dead.

But in the night, there's a life in that town that can wake up the dead.

Some have left but there are others who decided to stay.

For some reason, they chose to stay.

If you live in the town behind those hills, never let your child out of sight.

The devil reside within that town.

At 3 o'clock he roams the town.

Never let your child out of your sight.

For if the devil found him he'll be forever gone.

- The lady at the town's bridge

------

Narrator's Pov

"Nakakadiri ka! Sa dinadami ng pwde mong kalantariin talagang estudyante mo pa?! Hindi ka na nahiya!"

"Hindi ko sya kinakalantari! Sya ang lapit ng lapit sa akin! Sinabihan ko na syang tigilan ako pero ayaw nyang tumigil!"

"Ah! Ayaw nyang tumigil kaya pinatulan mo nalang! Kaya napilitan ka nalang pagbigyan kasi ayaw ka nyang tantanan?!"

"Diana, ano ba! Sinabi ng wala kaming relasyon! Wala akong ibang babae! Masyado ka lang paranoid!"

"Walang relasyon?! Eh ano 'to?!" Sabay supalpal ni Diana ng cellphone nya sa asawa. "Ngayon ka magdeny! Kapatid ko pa talaga nakakita sa inyo! Napakawalang hiya mo talaga! Bastos ka!"

"Ano ba?! Nakakasakit ka na ha!"

Their three younger children standing in the corner of the living room, crying. This has been an everyday scenario for them and yet, it still affects them like the first time. The three little kids still crave for the once happy family they remembered.

Hindi naman ganito ang pamilya nila. Masayang pamilya sila noon. Loving parents, a house full of laughter and joy. Pero nagbago ang lahat nang mamatay ang  ika-apat na anak nila Diana at Arturo De Luna. Kristal De Luna was a talented 4 year old with a wit and intelligence of a grown kid. At an early age she already showed her talent and passion for painting. Arturo is a professor of conceptual arts at Universidad de Antonio. A very prestigious university. Kaya naman automatically, naging paborito kaagad ni Arturo ang bata. He bought everything Kristal could ever needed for her to hone her skills. He even enrolled her to the art classes that Universidad de Antonio conducted for toddlers like his daughter.

Everything went well for Kristal after she enrolled at the university. The kid always had a smile on her face everyday she went home after her classes. She was very happy. Until the nightmare happened. Araw-araw kasabay ni Arturo si Kristal sa pagpasok at iuuwi nya ito pagkatapos ng klase ng bata na eksakto namang vacant hour nya. Then one day, everything came crushing down. Arturo was having an affair with one of his colleague and forgot to pick up Kristal to take her home. He was so busy painting his co-professor's body with his own hands and... well, with his tongue. Naalala na lamang nya ang anak nang tumawag si Diana para alamin kung bakit hindi pa nya naihahatid si Kristal sa bahay nila.

It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon and everyone in the art class already left. He looked for Kristal's teacher in her office pero kahit ito ay nakauwi na rin. Arturo looked everywhere and even asked all the guards pero hindi nya talaga makita ang anak. As the hours passed he realized one thing. Nawawala si Kristal. Diana arrived at the university at 7 o'clock. They asked everyone and looked in every corner of the university one more time pero wala talaga ang bata. That's when they called the police. And that's when their world started to fall apart.

Kristal was missing for 4 months. They put up missing posters, announced rewards on tv, radio, even on social media and never stopped looking for her. Diana is a rising interior designer. She's starting to make a name for herself but she put her career on hold to search for her child. Arturo filed and indefinite leave which the university granted so he can help with the search for Kristal. The story of the missing 4 year old kid was the hottest, most talked about news for quiet a while. Until one day, a body of a little girl was found in a creek in the near by town. The little girl's naked body was covered in bruises and cuts, obviously tortured. Her head was bashed in and she was missing a nipple.

Diana almost lost her mind when they were taken by the police to the morgue to identify the body. Parehong walang kibo ang mag-asawa sa buong byahe papunta sa morge. Simula nang opisyal na ideklarang missing person si Kristal ay hindi na kinausap ni Diana ang kanyang asawa. Sinisisi nya ito sa pagkawala ng kaniyang anak. Hindi pa nalalaman ni Diana ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit nawala sa isip ng asawa ang oras ng uwian ng kanilang anak. Si Arturo naman ay kinain ng kanyang konsensya na agad na nakilaghiwalay sa kanyang kalaguyo ng mawala ang kanilang anak.

"Kulang pa 'yan Arturo! Kahit saktan kita ngayon, kahit patayin pa kita ngayon hinding hindi sasapat 'yon sa lahat ng sakit na ibinigay mo sa'kin!"

"Ano pa bang gusto mong gawin ko Diana?! Lahat ginawa ko na para maipakita sa'yo kung gaano ako nagsisisi sa lahat ng nangyari! Oo! Kasalanan ko kung bakit namatay si Kristal! Sa tingin mo ba hindi ko sinisisi ang sarili ko araw-araw?! Kung pwde lang hindi na sana ako magising kapag ipikit ko ang mata ko sa gabi!"

"Oo! Sana mamatay ka na! Sana ikaw nalang ang namatay! Sana kayo nalang ng kabit mo ang namatay!"

Sabay na napatingin ang mag-asawa ng pumasok sa living room ang panganay nilang anak para pumunta sa kusina. A 23 year old prodigal son. Covered in tattoos, been in an out of jail for six times for the past 5 years. Already had 4 illegitimate children to 4 different women whom he's no longer talking to. He doesn't even have the smallest idea where his children are. He doesn't care. A once aspiring singer and song writer is now a gang leader with a cold heart and emotionless face who only sees the world as his own personal hell.

"And you, Carl? Where have you been? Anong akala mo sa pamamahay na ito? Bakasyunan mo? Aalis at uuwi ka kung kailan mo gusto mo?! Anong akala mo sa pamilyang ito ha? Tau-tauhan mo?!"

"Family? You're kidding me, right?"

"Carl! Bumalik ka dito! Kinakausap pa kita!!"

"Let him be." And that's Carla, 20 years old, a model and a senator's mistress. Umuuwi lamang sya sa kanilang bahay para dalawin ang mga nakababatang kapatid.

"Oh great, and the mistress' here."