Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story... Fright Night!
..the introductory quote above was one of the infamous and important phrase spoken at every episode of the TV series "Are You Afraid of the Dark" (anyone familiar with this series??) But of course this won't be an article or story about and/or related to the show per se, rather a short story about this one night....
ARE YOU AFRAID
of the
Dark?

My day usually ends store closing at 7:30 in the evening. I got home finding Mom sleeping on the sofa, too tired from the laundry duties althroughout. So I made a simple dinner, set the table straight for them and then checked my mobile phone for any messages.
I got one invite from a constant friend and decided to heed on and go. After an hour of prep I hissed my mom a faint goodbye, "I'll be out tonight!" Stepped outside the garage and pushed our delivery vehicle that's parked infront of the small toy car (a multi-cab) named 'Bumblebee' that I'll be using for the night. (medyo mabigat xa ha kasi may laman ung delivery motor na yon hihi)
As I was driving, messages kept pouring in like four or five messages. I know its them already so I sped up to catch the lapsed time that I've taken much--thinking--I hope I don't get screwed or boasted for being LATE! AGAIN!
I parked in front of Chowking. Grabbed my keys and neatly placed my sleeveless Kickers' Jacket on the steering wheel then looked inside the fast food store to hint a sight of them. I saw Nacho readily on.
There were four of them seating on a table filled with half-emptied foods on several plates. Their eyes are jokingly pressed on me for taking too long. I sheepishly have no excuse to cover up though except for cooking a none-provoking none-thrilling dinner I made at home. And as the usual me, I think I didn't utter a word that much.
Nacho just got off from her hospital duties from the very looks of it because she was still donned with her white nurse uniform. Beside her was Ate Kath, a prim with eye-glasses who owns a computer shop nearby that area. On the other side was my batchmate Sheila who introduced me to her Bibi aka Jomel. We toss each other small chit chats then mutually decided to leave the place.
So are you still afraid of the dark? I guess not then...
The SCARIEST
Thing May COME
Flying Around
UNEXPECTEDLY
The night was a bit placid--not too hot, not too cold either--no stars were placed above. Its a sure sign that something may fall eventually thereon.
Once we got everyone together, we took a roadtrip to Bibi's home. Me and Ate Kath were at front while the three easily jump aboard at the back while Nacho requested for my rolled tissue so she can seat comfortably at the slightly dusty chairs aback due to her white uniform (which is understandably the prim-way to treat for any white clothing).
Photo shoot session insert here. Just a couple of candid moments. Then the four of us, who by that time where seated scrumptiously squeezed at front (sexy us! haha), tries to decide where to go from there..
The Friday night looms slowly with every loose ideas. Sometimes choosing paths can be tricky also but good thing the road to this sudden night out seems abit less of a burden or
was I just not paying attention to the entire thing? We got the drinks, we got the foodies but the prime spot to chill Nacho and I wanted was already occupied by some-unrelenting-threesome so we got no choice but to move abit further from them.
Its very not so typical, real-deal scenario, wherein four young ladies with bottles, cps and chips on hand, gets to be in a corner of a dim-lit building, sitting onto a narrow floor (who knows what dirt lays there?), chatting and chilling at the very least.
Nacho was on the phone; Ate Kath and Sheila kept pondering on why their Tanduay Ice tastes bitter; while I differ but found myself noticing--half-way through the bottle's contents--that my stomach is churning abit. I dunno but maybe its because I've rushed eating the small dinner I had beforehand that my stomach seems abit upset for what I did. So I ate more chips than the usual and gladly refused the popcorn Sheila was munching on.
Nacho was still on the phone when the rain tried to join our simple hangout. So we moved abit closer to the walls. Only to find ourselves caught in a cockroach frenzy while in the middle of our Radio friendly scene of 97.1's Love Story segment. Several cockroaches roam here and there. Some I've pointed out and some I just ignore so no one would actually freak out.
Everyone's off the phone. So we're back on the usual conversations. With my 2nd bottle the sudden feeling I had on my stomach seemed none-existent by that time, so I just went on hoping no cockroaches flies around at us (I remember like back in the days, my college friends and I hangs-out to this place, Kibhor at Project 4 Cubao) those are crazy-sick-scary thing to relive. Imagine several 3 inched cockroaches flying around or even darting infront of you. (As in lumilipad sila papunta sa iyo. Gosh!) Crazy crazy crazy!
When the rain ran out of tears to drop, we moved away from the walls, away from the sick roaches that might crawl at us.
CRAZY
little thing called...
After, flipping the bottles empty, we decided to move and slid to a rest room that's nearest-and-a-super-reliant-24-hours-establishment-that's-holding-the-Bee-sign. I rushed towards the cubicle relieved. As I head out of the rest room, seconds later I find myself palpitating more than what had been moments ago (nung inubos ko kasi Bottle ni Ate Kath, after nun sumakay na kami kay Bumblebee tapos diretso sa malayong pinsan nyang si Jollibee). Next came the untoward feeling I had deep down in my stomach. For comfort I tried to slouch to the nearest chair I could find but that didn't help. Nung lumabas na ung tatlo tumayo na rin ako. Nacho needs coffee pronto while I deep down inside is aching to grab one too, hoping the whatever's winding internally will melt down to the tiniest tinge of prevalence.
Nung sumakay daw ako sa sasakyan, mukha daw akong ewan (I forgot the exact term they said at me). Ako naman, di ko masyado inintindi kasi iba na talaga pakiramdam ko. We went to the next nearest 7/11 we could find.

Ate Kath and I roamed around the 7/11 store for whatever we need then patiently waited for anew coffee to be brewed for at least another 10 minutes or so. Then we head back to the other two. In the middle of the coffee talks and conversations, I started to be truly distressed all of a sudden that I headed out of the store, searching for the nearest bathroom elsewhere. There was none. Instead, I walked instinctively to a barren space beside the area; trying to relax myself at the same time assessing what's goin' on: my stomach's churning more than usual, the palpitating in my chest doesn't help either and moreso I felt the spite of puking but I kept on fighting it. I pressed my hand on a cemented pillar beside me, and tried to breath on deeply numerous times till I feel alil better. Ate Kath came looking for me wondering what the hell happened. I just said I'm okay. As we came back to the cab.
Ayun lalo ako nag-palpitate sa Coffee. Adik lang haha. But still'Coffee is Love!'
But before I forgot, one of the conversation question that Chona asked on that moment, "Bakit daw 7-Eleven ang name ng store sa harap namin?" I wanted to answer back, and say its something related with time or their store hours but was unsure if I was right. So as the usual me, I never said a thing, again.
Bakit nga ba naging 7-Eleven? I wonder too.
SEEING WHITE
and Pale
in random
Seeing things in white can be luminary thus noticing the pale distractions can be an epic observation to find. Hence, pouring things out in the open can be alil bit blatant for me, since I tend to be more privy with alot of the personal stuffs in my life. So spending time with these three special souls is one of those ultimate treats I'm thankful that I've come to experience. Cause every moment seems abit random. Every night out seems abit shaky and unexpected. Yet, this is my first entry revealing abit about such although di ko masyado nilagay lahat in-detail. (Still, I'm this hesitant to divulge The Black Swan scene that happened months ago, thinking about it makes me laugh though hihi).
With that in mind, to end the night. Nag-stroll muna kami sa daan. Wala kasi kami idea what to do or head on next. So we just took a long-cut path home. Namasyal muna habang nag-chi-chikahan ulit. All of a sudden may parang na-amoy kaming kakaiba.. amoy bulaklak ng patay. Everyone just ignored it at first. Ako naman naging very cautious sa driving.
Tapos nung medyo malapit na sa area nila Ate Kath and Sheila may naamoy na naman ako. Hanggang paguwi nung magkapatid nanakot pa at natakot naman ung katabi ko.
I wonder kung may chrysanthemum na perfume na. Baka yun lang ung naamoy namin hihi. At humanap ng excuse oh. Pero by the thought of it, it really is freaky and weird if you ask me.
Chrysanthemums, in some countries, are used as decorations for funerals or on graves. But have you ever tasted a Chrysanthemum tea? Back in 2006, meron akong nainom, I forgot if its Red Tea or C2 basta chrysanthemum ang flavor nun. And they taste way bad for me. As in lasang bulaklak talaga sya. (kaya nga un ang flavor eh patawa lang ako hihi)
Disclaimer: No roaches were eaten, nor harmed but the ever smell of chrysanthemum flowers truly bewilders our noses.