Chapter 3

It was a very dark night. there was no light that was seen that night. Only the light from the moon. The town of Nathan just had a blackout from the sudden shockwave from the computer. The face of Nathan was lightened from the light of the computer that the weird A.I saw.

"Who are you...?" Touches the invisible wall and straining the eyes on the dark trying to see the darkened face of Nathan. Nathan couldn't speak from mixed emotions that he felt when he hears and saw an A.I. that has its own mind and emotions.

Nathan grabs the mouse and drag the pointer and hit the face of the A.I. "argh...! My face...!" Writhe in pain on the floor inside the computer. Nathan couldn't believe that he felt hard when he hit the A.I. Nathan gulps down his saliva thinking if he would try to run away from it and turn off the computer or satiate his curiosity from the weird A.I.

He points again towards the feet of the A.I. and hold down the click and drag him, suspending in the air. "Let me down... You son of a... What is this kind of technology...?" Squirming in the air, hitting the mouse pointer with his other feet. Nathan moves his head closer to take a clear look at the A.I. but the A.I. saw it.

Nathan's head was even more visible" hey, you there! I don't know how you come up with this... Aargh!" The A.I. shout made Nathan jumpscare and loss the prolonged click making the A.I. fall hitting the head first. " Ha... That hurts!" Raising his feet from the pain he felt when he hit his head.

"the... fuck..." writhe in pain while squirming on the floor. Nathan couldn't believe what he saw. He couldn't speak from the shock as well as the fear. Nathan continues to observe the program that he executed, amazed by the fact that the A.I. had shown various emotions.

Then he notices that it was about to shut down and Nathan got panic. "What happened to the computer? It should be working fine. Why is the battery is depleting." making a bunch of noise while checking the computer. The A.I. stands up and was about to speak until the screen turns off.

"Oh no...! the file could be broken. I didn't properly shut down the computer." Nathan sits on his chair and thinks about how the computer battery was depleted. He was observing his room that was covered with darkness. "I'm so dumb... This place had a blackout" shouting on the room waking up his sleeping friend

"Ah... my neck hurts..." Jette massages his neck. "why so dark?" wakes up but still laying down on the floor. "Bro, what the hell happens here." stand up and stomp on a sharp object. "Argh...! what the hell was that?" making a ruckus inside the room and step on Rey.

"The hell did you that for...!" tried to grab the collar of Jette but Nathan got grabbed instead. "hey what the hell are you doing!?"

In the living room, both Nathan's parents heard the explosion while watching the television when a sudden blackout happen."Go check the kids?" told his wife and then look at the window. The people started gathering in their front yard. Making gossips and asking for help from others. he immediately goes out. "what happen Purok Chairman? The explosion just clearly came from your house. It could clearly see by the residence gathering on the front of your house." an elder asking.

"I thought something might happen to you and your family, the main switch that exploded and may cause a fire. that's why I'm carrying a bucket." somebody seconded while showing his bucket. the people that gathered begun talking to each other on what happened.

"the house is fine... I don't know where that explosion came from. Maybe Nathan just did something crazy that it went explode. You've already known that since months ago." talking nervously.

"but, Chairman. That's kind of explosion is hard to believe that Nathan did that." Someone replied to Chairman.

"How can you explain the electricity shortage, it's too much for a coincidence for the explosion and the blackout appear at the same time." a person talking in the crowd. "Yeah... exactly!" someone seconded.

"I know it's hard to explain but how many times that he did that kind of explosion." Nathan's dad speaks. everybody got quiet all of a sudden due to the valid and more logical sense of reasoning. "I know it's hard to believe with that kind of explanation but isn't he's the one who fixes our appliances even as well as the smartphone and laptops." The Purok chairman speaking in a rallying tone that grasps the hearts of the listener.

"If you said it, chairman..." the elder slowly told the others to not go deeper on the situation. they head back to their homes. "I'm really sorry for the commotion chairman..." The elder who tries to be respectful and remorse to the chairman. "It's okay... I know. it's not convenient nowadays to have this black in this technological world." The chairman stops the elder to apologize and send him home.

His mom worried sickly grabbed a flashlight and head towards the room. She opens the door and saw both Jette and Rey were sweating heavily and was a mess grabbing the arms of Nathan while his clothes are also messy and sweaty. "Sorry for intruding...!" closes the door and thinking what was her purpose on coming to Nathan's room. "On second thought are you, boys, okay!? It was a loud explosion coming from this room." Nathan's mom flashlight lightens the face of the boys.

Jette and Rey didn't even know what happens while Nathan was sweating heavily and give a signal to Jette and Rey to help him explain what happened. Jette tries to aid Nathan and with little time he comes up with an idea.

Jette speaks up first. "It is what you see ma'am a couple of minutes ago. We are having a good time when you enter the room. Right, Nathan...?" touches the face of Nathan, wiping his sweat. His mom still couldn't believe that the three of them sways that way. "where... was the... explosion coming from?" looking around the room. "ah... it was the cabinet that slammed on the floor when we were getting excited." Rey seconded while wiping his sweat and then grab Nathan by his shoulder massaging him. His mom then looks at the face of Nathan and he just nodded.

"If nothing's the problem... then I would head down to where your father is... Just keep it down so that no one will notice." leaves the room and gave them a wink. When the door was closed. Nathan grabs his phone and turns the flashlight to lighten the darkroom.

" What was that kind of explanation...? Mom thought to us that we are..." making the movement of his lips trying to express the word for homosexuality. "you know what it is..." stops from moving his lips. "I don't have time to think for a more broad explanation. Just get yourself lucky that your mother bought it. if not, who knows what happens to you right now." grabs the shoulder of Nathan then making face gestures of a homosexual and. "Cut it out. You know that you're being gross right now." Nathan shoves the hand of Jette "By the way what the hell happened? We were about to sneak and surprise you until we got knocked out with some unbelievable force." Rey looking at the window and saw that the town had a blackout.

"I don't know either. I was just busy fixing a certain file until I open it and releases an explosion that knocked that both of you and then blackout came next." Nathan answered the question of Rey

Jette didn't get what Nathan said " So you are telling me that you are the one who caused this!?" choking Nathan " Stop it..." Nathan couldn't speak properly. Rey sits beside Nathan " How could that happen? that garbage computer capable of releasing a small shockwave that could render people knocking them out. talk about Sci-fi. hahaha... maybe you're just hallucinating. you're always staring at your computer." Rey mocking Nathan.

" Yeah, it's our precious weekend and you're always fixing your computer. why can't you just accept the reality that you bought a broken computer and losing your money? hahaha, talk about stupidity." Jette mocking Nathan also. Both of them just made fun of Nathan.

"You don't believe me... I just witnessed a computer engineering breakthrough, an A.I that has emotion and his own mind." Both of them couldn't believe what just Nathan said.

"Where did you saw it?" Jette and Rey curious about the A.I. "here in the garbage computer that you guys keep talking about." Jette and Rey blink their eyes and look at each other. They burst into laughter when Nathan point the garbage computer. "hahaha... This garbage could actually work... by looking at that, I say that this computer is just old as my grandma." Jette made a joke about Nathan's computer.

Rey just burst more into laughter by the joke of Jette. Nathan was pissed and gave them a smack on the head.

a couple of minutes later

"So you're telling me that you fix a corrupted file and after that, it sent a shockwave and the outcome is this blackout and a weird A.I. that has his own mind and emotion?" Jette trying to grasp the situation that Nathan explained. "Dude, you should see a doctor?" Rey who couldn't hold his laughter trying to comfort Nathan.

Nathan got pissed didn't bother to explain further "I don't care if you don't believe but what I see 30 minutes ago is real to me."

"yeah yeah... Suit yourself... You're the only one who will be suffering from your brain damage." Rey and Jette speak at the same time with letdown face.

an hour had passed.

the three of them busy interacting with their phone, looking at their social media account.

"dude, is the electricity coming back?" Jette speaking in a bored tone while scrolling down his news feed.

Rey didn't hear it because he was busy looking at his memes and giggling. "I don't know dude. look at the electricity company if they have an announcement about this" Nathan speaking while looking at his phone with a carefree voice.

"wait, didn't you made this mess in the first place...! aren't they gonna found out the cause of this blackout." shouted at Nathan. "Dude relaxes no one knows... oh... there's someone who haha my post gonna check it." Nathan looks at his post cheerfully.

The door slowly opens making a creaking sound. "So you're the one who causes it..." his mother heard their conversation. It was a very quiet night due to the electric shortage, people sleep early. The conversation can be easily heard.

Nathan was dragged out from the room and got beaten that night. His screams and shrieks had echoed throughout the town that night. Rey and Jette just slowly move out and went to their home without bothering the motherly love that Nathan experienced.

on Monday morning. the three of them meet at the front of the gate.

Jette and Rey are together coming to school and saw Nathan's haggard face with his messy shirt. "Dude, what happened to you. You look like an office worker who works overtime for two straight days." Rey speaking with a disgusted face. "Nathan, what happened?" Jette was curious about what happened to Nathan

"Jette, help me....?" Nathan is crying then cling to Jette. The student around him was giving stares and started making gossips. "Nathan, don't you dare touch me..." Jette was trying to shove Nathan. "Please don't leave me in the dust." Nathan stares at Jette with his teary eyes.

Rey slowly moves away from them and blend in the background. Making sure that the student doesn't remember that Rey is their friend.

They look like a scene from a BxB or boy loves. With the messy clothes of Nathan and his crying, it looked that his body was being used only by Jette. Jette couldn't handle more of the situation and smack the head of Nathan. "Get the hell of Me!"

"So you're mother told the authorities that you are the one who causes the whole incident. then the authorities made you a community volunteer to clean the streets. hahaha... that is more befitting of you... who made me the laugh of the school this morning." strongly grabbed the head of Nathan. "Ouch...!" Nathan screams in pain.

Rey holds Jette from his burst of anger. "Stop...! Stop...!" The three of them were making a ruckus again early in the morning.

girls talking on their seat. "Looks at those three idiots. this morning they made another ruckus at the front of the gate. It so embarrassing that we are in the same classroom."

"It's not like that... It just they have a deeper bond than no one else has and they are fond of doing that." a girl talking in a lovely and innocent manner.

"You're just too kind Jannah. Those you should just ignore those idiots." The girl hugs Jannah tightly. " Stop it..." Jannah giggles from the tight hug.

Jannah Q. Silverio, an overwhelmingly cute and kind girl. She gains a lot of popularity amongst boys and as well as the girl. She was dubbed as an angel because of his sweet, cute, and kind demeanor. Jannah's mom is the treasurer of the school. When the school needed funding for their event. Her mom just sends the money to the school with the help of his daughter Jannah.

"Hmph...!" Colleen looks at the three idiots, walks beside the girls talking and went out. The girls heard it.

"also her... she was approachable when the school just started and now she grows cold suddenly always looking at her phone with a worried face. I don't know what her problem but it's impossible to reach out to her due to her pride as the daughter of a well-known company owner." The girl talking in secretive, not to find out colleen that she's been talking behind her back.

"Mary, don't talk like that, maybe she just had a problem that she only need shoulder it just herself alone without the help of others." The way Jannah talks about Colleen was no short of malice into it.

Mary had become even more infatuated with Jannah. "look, Jannah. The only thing you should look for yourself is the people around you..."

"Why would you say it like that, Mary?" Jannah with her curious tone.

"People may take advantage of you. I don't want my sweet little princess to be hurt." Mary hugged Jannah as if she was his daughter. "cut it out..."

Mary J. Saranillo, best friend of Jannah since childhood. Little mischievous but toleratable and has a good heart. She may not show it but she casually extends to others when in need. She is a devil and a hint of an angel.

Another group of people talking in the back. "Isn't the subject of sir Reyes first period today?" a boy asks

"yeah bro, it's sir Reyes, it's gonna be epic." excited and cheerful tone

"yeah girl, I can't wait to see his dazzling face. I hope he becomes my boyfriend." the girl started to visualize the scenario if the teacher becomes his boyfriend in his head.

"dream on girl. because he's going to be mine."

The school bell rang and a second later, comes the teacher. they started their class discussion. It was Mr. Reyes. he is the disciplinary counselor of the school. With his amazing taste in fashion and the way, he handles it, young and single he immediately became popular on girls. His sense of humor grabs the attention and the sense of close friendship among boys.

"This gonna be a fun hour..." Mary who's pumped up to listen to the teacher.

all the people began to behave and ready to participate in the lecture of the teacher but Jannah can't seem to comfort herself or to enjoy the class instead he can't seem to show a joyful face.

She remembered the time when she saw Mr. Reyes at some local bar with some people. The night was going deeper, walking down the sidewalk. She saw Mr. Reyes carrying the envelope that has the school money inside and thought she could surprise him and ask him what's he's doing.

She was about to do it when he saw some people that she doesn't recognize come to Mr. Reyes, she hides behind a tree. It was two-man all look dangerous, the evil look in their eyes giving an intent that they can kill you any second.

Jannah couldn't believe what he saw that Mr. Reyes was so familiar with them. As if they were best buds. to her surprise, Mr. Reyes just gives off those deadly vibes and enter the building together with those evil men. Jannah gets away from them but Mr. Reyes saw her.

Mary saw the uncomfortable face of Jannah. she tries to comfort her.

"Are you okay...? you look pale." patting her back.

The teacher starts his rollcall on his student and stops before he says Jannah's name, notices Jannah is under a bit of weather " Mrs. Silverio, I can see that you aren't feeling well? you can take a rest in my class..." he continued his rollcall.

The student looks at Jannah and confirms what Mr. Reyes just said.

Everybody was amazed at how the teacher easily distinguish that his student got sick just after he sits on the teacher table.

"the teacher so cool..." the people started gossips

"Okay, okay... class keep quiet because I'm gonna start my lecture."

Time goes by and Mr. Reyes's class ended. everybody enjoyed the class, even his class ended. People gathered at them, talking to him. also the three idiots joins also in the gathering.

Jannah who was resting on her sit took a glance at Mr. Reyes but suddenly Jannah froze out, sweating heavily. Mr. Reyes gives off a deadly stare at her but surprisingly the people around him didn't saw it. Mary notice at Jannah sweating cold sweat.

"Are you really okay Jannah...? Maybe we should go to the infirmary. to take a look at you." Mary trying to feel the temperature of Jannah.

"thank you for caring but I'm really fine." Jannah forced a smile

Mr. Reyes stayed for a couple of minutes until the next teacher arrived. "Okay, class. I need to go now."

"but Mr. Reyes. We don't want a class with a lumpy old man." a girl stops Mr.Reyes from going.

The old man who just arrives at the classroom got hit by an unknown force but he received critical damage.

"yeah, sir. It so boring, we may fall asleep. it just likes a mass." Rey seconded

"what mass?" the old teacher pinch and pulled the scalp beside the ear.

"ArgH! Mr. Art my scalp...!" Rey screams in pain

"easy, teacher. He's just making a joke... Right...?" Mr. Reyes trying to calm down the old teacher.

"It just a joke sir... We didn't mean to offend you. you had the best class, Sir. Why would we try to be sarcastic to you." Jette helps Mr. Reyes.

"what are you saying Jette? didn't you say a minute ago that Mr. Art class is a shi..." Jette covered the mouth of Nathan then twist the neck in order to silence him.

Mr. Art stops pulling the scalp of Rey. "is he okay...?"

Rey was patting his scalp that got pulled

"don't worry about that sir... It just that he's so sleepy. hahaha" laughing weirdly drag the body of Nathan and put on his sit.

the old man got creep out "ah... okay." he then sits on the teacher table for preparing for his class.

Mr. Art started his lecture and the mood of the classroom just turned upside down. It was so quiet that the teacher only speaks throughout the lecture. with his low and fuzzy voice, it was like chanting a curse. Until a base drop from its proper place.

"what the hell was that...?" the old teacher freak out.

He looks at the fallen vase and then looks at the surrounding. coincidentally there was a weak breeze that the curtain slightly lift up. "Maybe cause of the wind..."

everybody in the class has the same thought. "It was a big vase... and you just blatantly suspected the wind...!"

"you, I don't remember your name. can you clean up the mess." Mr. Art picked Rey

"you've just pinched my scalp a second ago...!" Rey inner thought shouted

"why me..." Rey look at other vase and gulps down his saliva down his throat

The teacher resumes his lecture and began chanting again.

"I'm sorry Rey but you're going to be the sacrifice. I will pray for your safety" Jette holding to his own seat and praying for safety for Rey.

it was about time for lunch when Mr. Art class ended. The student is craving for food except for Rey who is dirty from the fallen vase as if he has gone to war.

"Dude you better eat up or else you're gonna suffer from tiredness and end up sleeping the math class. You know that math class always short on the lecture. We need to concentrate in order to get a decent score in the upcoming test. Jette grabs his lunch from his bag

Rey still hung up on the vases but regain his self, dusting himself from the soil "what hell is that teacher thinking. I almost went to the other side." Rey grabs out his lunch

Nathan who went to his back to get his lunch but stops midway when Jannah has a weird stare at the envelope and have this weird determination on her eyes looking at the flash drive she's holding.

Nathan was about to interfere with Jannah. He goes near and reaches to her but his grumbling stomach interfered it. "I might look at it later."

Nathan didn't continue. His best friend Mary invited her to eat lunch together but refused and goes on her way, to give the money to the faculty.

"Nathan, what are you waiting for? We're going to eat first without you." Rey waved at Nathan to invite him to eat together."

Nathan didn't pry deeper on Jannah and goes to Jette and Rey to eat. "I'm coming..."

"give me some of your hotdogs!?"

When Jannah arrives at the faculty room, there is no teacher at that time, getting their lunch at the cafeteria. Jannah thought it was his chance to look at the computer of Mr. Reyes and found the file for the School money. she grabs the Phone and started to copy the file. until she heard a book that toppled down.

She immediately pulled off the flash drive from the port and look where the noise comes from. It was just Mr. Art holding the toppled books and needs some help.

"Can you help me, lass? I don't think I can handle this workload anymore." wheezing from the heaviness of the book.

Jannah put down the money beside the table"I'll help you with that..." Goes over to Mr. Art to help him.

When Mr. Reyes Arrive at the table he saw the money and look at his laptop with a folder of the collection of the school money opened. He gives off a deadly vibe.

"Are you okay Mr. Reyes" A co-worker who just worried about him

"I'm just fine. No need to worry."

Mary toughens it up and makes a face that is worried about Mr. Art. Mr. Reyes didn't pay any mind.

*the bell rung*

It was afternoon, the school ended. The three idiots go home together.

"Nathan is your electricity back? I never saw you bring out your phone today." Rey was curious about it.

"Nah, they said that they still need time to fix it. There were a lot of complaints about it and I also complained about it."

"you're pretty lax about it... even though you're the one who destroyed it." Jette can't believe what Nathan said,

"hahaha...! serves him right..." Rey seconded

"It's not funny... You don't how it's hard without electricity. sleeping in the dark with mosquito flying around to annoy you and it's fucking hot that I was like in some sort of the oven. I can't even open my computer." Nathan blows off his anger.

"This is where we part, see you at school tomorrow." Jette bid his farewell

Rey went together with Jette because their house is in the same direction. Nathan went to his home.

"Mano, mom. Is electricity back? " His mom offered his hand and Nathan just does the culture of the Filipinos.

"Not yet. The authorities said that it gonna take some time to fix the situation. it's going to be a dark night."

His father just arrives home. His father also offers his hand and Nathan just did the same to his mother. Nathan sits down on the floor to untie his shoes.

"How's was you work honey?" His mom got the bag of her husband

"It's fine... It just that I went to the electric company to plead to them to make their work faster but they're already doing their best. Many in our town doesn't have that much patience. I still need to explain to them the situation." also sit down on the floor to get rid of his shoes.

"by the way hon, what do you think we will have for dinner? You're the cook of the house." Nathan's mom putting the bag to on the sofa.

"let me think about it. Hey, Nathan, how is your study going?" mess the hair of Nathan with a big smile.

shove the hand of his father " Cut it out, dad. It just normal. Nothing big happens." stand-ups and head to his room "I'm going to my room, Just call me if we're going to have dinner."

Nathan Laid down on his bed and look at his ceiling, deep in his thought

"What was that weird A.I. It just too realistic and different from the common A.I. today. Let me check if I can still use the Computer."

Nathan taps the power button. luckily the computer turned on. "Yes...!" Nathan was joyful when the computer turned on.

when the computer loads it's OS (Operating System). It immediately sent a notification that the computer will start to shut any minute. Nathan grabs his old laptop and copies the file of the A.I. The computer copying speed is enough to complete it by the time the computer shuts down.

Nathan slips in his mind the face of Jannah. He just couldn't help to forget it. " what was Jannah doing? She has that scared and weird look at her. I can't seem to forget it." Nathan was restless about Jannah.

about a minute later, his mom called him for dinner " Nathan come down now, we're going to have dinner." Nathan rushes down to have his dinner.

The copying of the file is complete and he didn't notice it. when Nathan goes out of the room. The laptop started to install something.

After a while, Nathan comes back to his room full and didn't check his laptop. Laying down his bed then knocked out, sleeping heavily.

"Nathan...! it's already noon...! You are going to be late." mom shouting at the stairs

Nathan's just woke up. still laying down on the bed, hearing the rooster shout and the birds chirping. The light is penetrating the curtain as if it was already noon. He remembers that he couldn't wake up early because his phone is dead. "Oh shit...! I'm already late...!"

Nathan always hands his alarm on phone didn't rely on alarm clock.

She didn't saw Nathan coming down any second. She immediately grabs her flipflops and heads to Nathan's rooms. Her mom was just in front of the room and about to knock the door until the open suddenly hitting the forehead of Nathan's mom. "Oh, shit...!"

Nathan just runs ahead leaving his mom. " You idiotic son..!" Throw her flipflops at Nathan.

Nathan successfully dodges the flipflop but he didn't saw the second one coming and got hit in the face. His mom slowly walks towards Nathan carrying a belt. Nathan is just slowly crawly away from her. "You indeed brave enough to ditch me... But you're gonna still suffer." Nathan was beaten that morning

In front of the gate. he was getting sermoned by a teacher by being late. "Nathan, I know that you had a big help in our school but it didn't mean you need to act this way." He was just listening to the teacher until he saw Jannah with Mr. Reyes together.

"Are you listening Nathan?"

"ah... I'm listening."

It was Jannah who invited Mr. Reyes to go with her. "where are you taking me? Didn't you call me to confess? I know that I'm pretty popular but I am a teacher."

"It's not what you think. I'm just here for this" show her phone up.

"You want to take a selfie?" Mr. Reyes just guessed

"Not this but this." Jannah shows the record of the school budget.

"Why do you have that? it's forbidden to get something from the teacher without giving permission to do so." Mr. Reyes gives off a deadly vibe

"Where did you take the money, Mr. Reyes? This is not the correct amount that I gave to you."

"oi, oi, oi, So you're the one who messes my laptop the other day. There's no need to worry about it anymore. The cat is out of the bag." Mr. Reyes slowly walks towards Jannah but Jannah couldn't move her body.

Mr. Reyes grabs the face of Jannah and talks at her face "If you dare to speak any of this matter to anyone. I don't know what will happen to you and your family."

Mr. Reyes slowly walks away and Jannah was brought to her knees and still shaking from fear. Her tears slowly falling out from his eyes but Jannah toughs it up and goes away.

After a while, Mary slowly arrives at the scene with a face that worried and disgusted at the same time. she was still in shock that she didn't interfere between Mr. Reyes and Jannah.

"what am I gonna do...?"