Amor, Kristine Joyce B.

3EDENG6B

“Blood and Sacrifice”

Every day, every one of us goes to different places to meet

people, greet people and choosing the love of our life. It is
one of the reasons it makes us beautiful and put a smile on
our faces every day. Without love, life would be empty or
incomplete.

In this case, at my age I'm still figuring out what friendship

and love really mean is, well of course… What do you
expect? Still so close with my friends growing up, fragile
Tatum Mendez… That is what I am.

However, lucky me, my friends are with me since we were

young and met in the year of 2006, when we were 7 years
old.

Dark clouds can be ideated up in the sky, raindrops is heard

in the trees and to the window where I set my eyes to outside.
It was raining and makes me comfortable and ease at this
state because of the rain sound. Clutching to my mermaid
doll, wear my pink rain coat, boots and run towards the
street to get play. Memories kept is turns to saved, my
innocence and my little happiness are the one of the precious
things. The rain makes her drenched, a juvenile person feels
delighted. She imagined herself as a beautiful mermaid, the
woman who will soon fulfill with a man who walks and save
her from her own chaos.

From a distance, a group of children with the same age of

mine are running and playing with their toys while raining.
The girl that has a dark hair and tied into braids came to
me, she is like an angel when she beam at me. “I'm R-
raven.” She crosses her legs in the ground and manage my
self to seat with her and play with our mermaid and her
other dolls. Meeting with her other friends whose name are
Louise, Hazel and Oliver have their toys too. It is the
beginning of a good and long-lasting friendship. Spending
time with each other, laughing with each other, having fun
with each other, the moments are imprinted in my mind that
reminds me of good times. It takes a minute to build that
kind of friendship with Raven, Louise, Hazel and Oliver and
promise myself to be with them at all times, no matter what
situation and hindrance are.

Staring at our pictures makes me want to go back. Those

bonds are vanished specially now we are busy in our college
life. I heard someone is knocking on the door and say,
“Come in.” I was surprise to see Raven.

She smiled at me and mumbles, “Tatum! Jacob's want us to

go to their ancestral house tomorrow.” My heart skipped a
beat, when Raven mentioned Jacob's name. She is Raven's
long time boyfriend, an athlete in our school and obviously
famous in our school. He wears varsity jacket and washed
blue jeans every time. Jacob's hair is similar with the color
of a brown coffee, thick eyebrows, small thin lips and
highlighted clef chin and jawline. Jacob is like a model in a
men's magazine and really paired with Raven that is also a
cheerleader that have a good shape of body, kissable pinkish
lips, long silky wave hair and toned skin. They have been
together for 4 years, and it is like a weather that changes
often, but they still unified. Like most relationship, they
argue and rekindle and fight for petty things.

She is my best friend, so I can't say no and if I say I can't

come then she will doubt it and bond with my childhood
friends. “Of course.”

Raven hastily tangled me with her arms around me. A warm

hug that reassure our friendship. While helping me pack my
things for our vacation, “I miss you so much Tatum. You
know we barely saw each other at school.” and at me with a
thin smile.

“I've missed you too Raven, seems like the school is too big
for us to see each other.” Or maybe because of our different
schedule?

“Indeed.” She mumbles and let me go softly. “I miss

everything with our bonds, but you know… You are still my
best friend in the world.”

I show my smile at her genuinely and replied, “I love you

best friend.”
Raven penetrates closer to me and kiss me on my cheek “I
love you too best friend.”

The next day, they are all visually ready with their outfits.
My circle of friends is distinctive to myself because I'm a
person who is quiet, shy and timid in our group but even
though they know that I'm an introvert, they always
approach me nicely. My friends trust me in a hundred
percent and tend to share secrets to me because they know
that I am trustworthy. After fixing our luggage in the
compartment, the van is right to the amount where everyone
is fitted inside, it was Oliver's. Sitting next to Hazel and
listening to a music that Oliver set in the van's radio makes
me cushy. I envision the luscious trees and the sun rays
passing through the windshield. Through the ride we talk
about our whereabouts right now, laughing at random
stories. The ride with them is enjoyable because of
reminiscing our fun moments.

When we are already reach the ancestral house of Jacob. I

am in the same room with Hazel. There are 3 rooms and the
other rooms is occupied by them. Hazel is also fun to be
with, and she is an easy-going person. She is also one of the
cheerleaders in our school. “Hurry up, Tatty! Let's join
them outside.” briskly fix my bed and replied, “Alright.
Let's go.” I follow her thereafter until we reach outside.

We can see the fire wood and sat with them on the log.
Everyone is here Raven, Jacob, Louise, Hazel and Oliver.
Unnoticeably, my eyes captured Jacob fixing his pants and
shirt after putting something inside… 'What is he hiding'
that is the question that pops repeatedly in my mind.
Keeping that off in my mind and think it might be nothing,
but it still gives me a creep.

We roasted marshmallows in the fire and talks again about

random things until Oliver engage us to play. “I just want to
spice it up. So… What game are we going to play?”

Louise winks at every one of us, “Truth or dare?” She

laughs, “So 8 years old.” Then we all chuckle.

So we spin a bottle of beer, and it is set first in Hazel and the

bottom part of the bottle is in front of Oliver.
Oliver ask Hazel a question, “Do you ever cheat on your
boyfriends?” then cackle afterwards.

“I cheated on them.” Hazel said proudly. I obviously know

that the moment I saw her in the chemistry laboratory she
flirts with her batch mate when she is in a relationship with
her ex-boyfriend. Hazel is really a play girl, it starts when he
fell in love with someone who she can't have.

The next one is Louise the girlfriend of Oliver to ask me

because the bottle is pointed on us. “Do you betray one of
us?” She is provoking me, does she know my secret? I'm
hating myself to say this, but it is true that I betray one of
them, and it is making me afraid to tell something.

Closed my eyes and say yes. My friends went silent and

laugh awkwardly. I situated my look at Raven and her
reaction change, “You think, I wouldn't know?! Hazel said it
to me that you had been with my boyfriend a month ago,
and you are texting him back?!” She raises her voice that
every one of us are in shock. Jacob tries to stop her but
Raven pushing him away. I'm supposed to explain myself,
but she pulls herself from sitting and walk away.

Swiftly follow her and feeling my heart race when she faces
me, “Don't flash a good sheep at me when you really are a
two-headed snake!” Raven push me and results a slight
move from the force. I stare at her and bit my lip and
suddenly feel the tears flowing through my eyes and cheeks.
Jacob, follow Raven to apologize too.

Without noticing Louise and Oliver talk to me. Louise looks

at me like a criminal, “You disappoint me and Hazel covered
this up? Screw you both Tatum!” Oliver just look at me
while shaking head and lift the other side of his lip with the
look of disappointment.

I'm so sad and angry at myself because of what happened

between me and Jacob. I want to prevent myself from Jacob,
but there is no intention for me to fall in love with him, he
keeps insisting that he is ready to give up Raven for me, but
he didn't say anything when the truth came out. It seems like
I'm a glass that has been tossed by so many balls to be
broken. It's not my intention, I'm avoiding it but still holds
the friendship of every one of us. I want to save it at all cost,
I don't want to ruin this.

Manage myself to go back inside to the pent house and talk

to Raven but incidentally hear Oliver and Louise talking
inside the domicile. “It is our luck that we had known that
Tatum flirts with Jacob.” with a laugh loudly.

Oliver titters with him before replying, “That's a blow to

that Jacob airhead, I bet they will break up.”

Confusion retains to me, what did they mean? That they

want to split Raven and Jacob? I think I lost my mind.
Suppose to walk away but Raven appear in front of me
wearing an angry face… She heard everything! I don't know
what to say…

Raven's brows elevated, her eyes is a bit red and watery.

“This is your fault!” She shouted while pointing at me,
“Ever since we were young, you are so envy because I have
so many friends and now? You will steal my boyfriend? I
trusted you Tatum!” She cries in front of me and slap me
unexpectedly. Her palm on my cheek still feels in me and
hear the slap sound.
I turn my back to her and went somewhere else by running
outside the penthouse and see Hazel laying on the ground.

Maybe she was drunk too much? This will be my chance

that someone will listen to me after all she understands my
situation.

Wandering near to her, her eyes are closed and cold

temperature. I wake her up but suddenly seen a blood, my
eyes are enlarged, starts panicking and find her heart beat in
her wrist fastly, but there is none. Set my eyes everywhere
and call my friends, but there is no answer, and they are not
here. Instantaneously, search my phone in my pocket and
realize that left it in our room before we go out. Running
back inside the pent house gives me a fear and unanticipated
shock on what I envision…

It is the bodies of Louise and Oliver lies in the ground. I'm

troubled and look everywhere. Asking myself where is
Raven? Where is Jacob? I don't know what to do!
Upon reaching my room, find my phone to our room in my
bag, in my cabinet. Where is it?

A sudden creek sound appears and move myself backwards

to our room and saw Raven. She smirks at me evilly and
show what is on her hand. “Looking for this, liar?!” She has
my cell phone on her hand. My eyes don't stop to burst in
tears and so afraid. So Raven kill everyone? She did this?

Raven step and smash my phone on her foot. “It is the right
thing that I believed my boyfriend that you are a user! You
use me for your needs and for your envy at me!” A loud tone
is heard in her voice and a ballistic expression to me.

“I'm so sorry, Raven. I'm so, so sorry… I hope that you still
have forgiveness in your heart, and you know that I didn't
mean all of these.” Unconsciously say shakily.

Raven shake her head, that it seems something is stopping

her. “You already broke my trust and crush my heart
Tatum!”

Suddenly hear a laugh, “Kill her babe, She is a user and

seduce me to ruin our relationship.”
Jacob suddenly appear and grin at me. “I forgot to kill you
too, Tatum. I thought you will stop seducing me… But you
aren't.” It made Raven so mad that she wanted to kill me.

Looking to Raven's eyes while saying this, “You know me,

Raven. I treasure our friendship and I don't want things to
end this way.” I beg to Raven and hoping that there is still a
good heart on her. Not only that, but I'm a traitor and a liar
but, it will still can fix. We need to get rid of Jacob! Jacob
manipulating Raven after all this time.

Raven pull out a gun and pointed it at me. I'm so dreadful, I

don't want my life to take away, and I can die any minute! I
can hear my loud heart beats and feeling of wet cheeks
because of my tears. “You use me, you liar!” She clicks the
gun and closes my eyes.

I deserve this because I'm a traitor and broke everyone's

heart.
A loud sound is audible inside the room and see Jacob lying
on the floor with a blood on his chest. “What the h*ll I…”
I'm messed up and don't understand everything anymore.

“You can't break our friendship, no matter what. I'm so sick

of you Jacob, you cheated on me so many times, and now
you want me to kill my best friend?!” Raven said while
shaking her dome.

“Why did you do this?” That is the only words coming from
my mouth.

“I just want a proof that he is cheating on me and our

relationship isn't working anymore because he is a cheater!”
Raven say frighten. 

“He killed everyone because he is afraid that you might

know that secret.” That is one of the main reason why Jacob
kills everybody. “Raven… I'm sorry that I flirted with
Jacob, but I try to stop it so many times, and he keeps
insisting that you two might end, but he lied! He is the one
who betrayed both of us! He kills everyone because he is
sick!”

She smiled at me, “I know that I should believe in you,

Tatum. I believe in our friendship.” A warm hug was given
to me, and now I realize that friendship is one of the
irreplaceable thing in a human life. That love is not only
comes from a boyfriend or a lover but it also from a best
friend. I know that love will also fix the problem and
sacrifices because it is the reason for a living.