to study ate home?” I felt disappointment was grabbing me. “No? I am going to meet a friend.”

He was always like that. He met girls in front of me, as if it was nothing. For him I was just a girlfriend. The word love only came out from my mouth. Since I knew him, I have never heard him say ‘I love you’ before. To us, there weren’t any anniversaries at all. He didn’t say anything at all from first day and it continued till 100 days? 200 days? Everyday before we say goodbye, he would just hand me a doll, everyday, without fail, I don’t know why?

Then one day, Me: “Um, Jin, I…”

Jin: “What? Don’t drag, just say…”
Me: “I love you.”
Jin: “?? You? Um, just take this doll and go home.”

That’s how he ignored my ‘three words’ and he handed me a doll. Then he disappeared, like he was running away. The dolls I received from him everyday filled my room one by one. They were many.

Then one day came my 15 th year old birthday. When I got up in the morning, I picture a party with him, and stranded in my room waiting for his call. But lunch passed dinner passed and soon the sky was dark. He still didn’t call. It was already tiring to look at the phone anymore. Then, around 2 a.m. in the morning, he suddenly called me and woke me from my asleep. He told me to come out of the house. Still, I felt joy and I ran out happily.

Me: “Jin?”
Jin: “Here, take this.”
Again he handed me a little doll.
Me: “What this?”
Jin: I didn’t gave it to you yesterday, so I am giving it to you now. I’m going home now, bye”
Me: “Wait, wait! Do you know what today is?
Jin: “Today? Huh?”

I felt so sad; I thought he would remember my birthday. He turned around and walked away like nothing had happen. Then shouted.

Me: “Wait!”
Jin: “You have something to say?”
Me: “Tell me; tell me that you love me.”
Jin: “What?”
Me: “Tell me.”

I put my pathetic self behind and clung on to him. But he just said simple cold words and left.

Jin: “I don’t want to say that I love someone so easily, if you are desperate to hear it, and then find someone else.”

That was what he said. Then he ran off.

My legs felt numb and I collapsed to the ground. He didn’t want o say it easily? How could he? I felt that maybe he is not the right guy for me.

After that day, I stranded myself at home crying, just crying. He didn’t call me, although I was waiting. He just continued handing me a little doll every morning outside my house. That’s how those dolls piled up in my room everyday.

After a month, I prepared myself together and went to school. But what made the pain resurface was that I saw on a street with another girl. He had a smile on his face, one that he had never showed me. As he touched the doll, I ran straight back home and looked at the dolls in my room and tears fell. Why did he give these to me? Those dolls are probably picked out by some other girls. In a fit of anger, I threw all the dolls around. Then suddenly, the phone rang. It was him. He told me to come out to the bus stop outside my house.

I tried to calm myself down and walked to throw bus stop. I kept reminding myself that I am going to forget him that it’s going to end. Then he came into my sight, holding a big doll.

Jin: “Jo, I thought you were pissed, you really came.”

I couldn’t help hating him, acting like nothing had happen and joking around. Soon, he held out the doll as usual.

Me: “I don’t need it.”
Jin: “What? Why?”

I grabbed the doll from his hands and threw it on the road.

Me: “I don’t need this doll, I don’t need it anymore!! I don’t want to see a person like you again!”

I spitted out all the words that were inside of me. But, unlike other days, his eyes were shaking “I’m sorry” He apologized in a tiny voice.

He then walked over to the road and picked up the doll.

Me: “You stupid! Why are you picking up the doll!! Just throw it away!!”

But he ignored me and just went to pick the doll. Then…Honk! Honk!

With a loud honk, a big truck was heading towards him. “Jin! Move! Move away!” I shouted. But he didn’t hear me; he squatted down and picked up the doll.

“Jin move!”

HONK!!

“Boom!” That sounds so terrifying.

That’s how we went away without even opening his eyes to say one word to me.

After that day, I had to go through everyday with guiltiness and the sadness of losing him. And after spending two months like a crazy person, I took out all the dolls. Those were the only gifts he left me since the day we started going out.

I remembered the days I spent with him and started to count the days when we were in love. “One, two, three”

That was how I started to count the dolls. “Four hundred and eighty four? Four hundred and eighty five?”

It all ended with 485 dolls. I then started to cry again, with a doll in my arms. I hugged it tightly, then suddenly…

“I love you, I love you.”
I dropped the dolls, shocked. “I? lo..ve? You??”
I picked up the dolls and pressed its stomach.
“I love you, I love you”

It can’t be! I pressed all the dolls’ stomach as it piled on the side.

“I love you…”
“I love you…”
“I love you…”

Those words came out non-stop. I? Love? You? Why didn’t I realize that? That his heart was always by my side, protecting me. Why I didn’t realize that he loves me this much?

I took out the doll, the one that fell on the road. It had his blood stain on it. The voice came out, the one that I was missing so much.

“Jo? Do you know what today is? We’ve loved each other for 486 days. Do you know what 486 is” I couldn’t say I love you. Um, since I was too shy. If you forgive me and take this doll, I will say that I love you everyday till I die. Jo? I love you.” The tears came flowing out of me. Why? Why? I asked God, why I only know about all this now? He can’t be by my side, but he loved me until his last minute. For that and for that reason, it became courage to live a beautiful life. Xxx

“My Unearthly Experience”
(Reigel R. Rosello-EVSU)

A long time ago, when I was five years old, I never realized that it was the start of a thrilling ride into this world. My unforgettable ride to a world of mysteries and bizarre things.

It all started on a busy afternoon when I was feeding our roosters. Suddenly, goose bumps scrawled over my skin. I observed my surroundings; I looked from left to right. But there’s no one except me. And as I looked up into

the skies, the sun showed its peculiar rays telling me something unusual. But I didn’t mind and continued feeding our roosters.

As days passed by, I began to act weird. I started to talk and play alone, as if someone is always with me, but the truth, there’s no one. My mom didn’t mind me, that time I’m used to be alone, I don’t have a lot of friends’ o even a single playmate. But I guess I’m only a playful child even without somebody to play with. One night, when I was sleeping, my mom panicked, as I looked into her face.

I was rushed to the hospital but the doctor said I was normal. Nothing was wrong with me. But my mom insisted that I have a high fever, and then she suspected that “nadarahugan ako.” The next morning, my mom and I went to a quack doctor near Utap. As we draw near her house I knew something uncanny was happening inside. I wondered as I went in when I saw a basin of water on the floor and an old woman holding a candle on her right hand. I asked my mom what the woman was doing. She didn’t answer my question but told me to shut up, instead.

My mom asked the old woman, “What is happening to my son?” Then she answered, “An imo anak nasangkayan hin diri sugad ha aton.” My mom again asked, this time was sort of being. The old woman said it was an elf. An elf, then I began to wonder. After that, she took something from her chest and suddenly, something unearthly happened to me. I started to talk with a voice coming from someone else.

After that, I asked my mom what happened. She was shocked and speechless. When we finally arrived home, my mom started to tell everything what I said. As I listened to her story, I wondered to myself, “Did I say all that?” Bu I guess it was true.

Days passed by and I was cured. All of my friends were gone, my imaginary friend, that is. But it was not the last time that I experienced such things or creatures. Each night I can feel these beings, I guess it would be another story.