The Secret

What pops up in your mind when you hear or read the word “best friend”? We automatically think about a person who you have a close bond with, who knows who you really are, and knows all your secrets. But what will happen when your so-called best friend keeps secret from you? You’ll get curious, right? You’ll find ways to find out what it is. But are you ready to find out her secret? Are you ready for the truth?

Gumi and Miku are close friends. Well, that’s an understatement. They are best of friends. They’ve been friends for a really long time. They’ve met at a certain club in their school, the Collectionist Club. Their club is about collecting things they like, obviously. They’ve met and became close.

The students at their school distanced their selves away from Gumi for the reason that she collects weird things. Rumor has it that she collects things that are only used for Halloween to scare the crap out of kids who goes trick or treating in people’s houses. But in Miku’s case, it’s the opposite. Everybody loves Miku. Well, who doesn’t? She’s the school’s pop star princess, has an angelic voice, pleasing personality, and is friendly to everyone! She loves to collect cute things, most especially things that involve cats, like: cat ears hair band, cat stuff toy, cat key chains—everything that involves cats.

One day, Gumi was being bullied by the students during break time. Well, what’s new? Students in their school are fond of humiliating Gumi in front of everybody.

“Well, well, here comes Dirty Gumi,” said the girl with the glasses. Her friends laughed and announced to everyone at the cafeteria to act their plan.

While Gumi was walking, she stopped for a minute and looked at the cafeteria. The school cafeteria has glass for walls that allowed her to see what was happening inside. “Why did they ran and hide? I wonder what happened,” Gumi murmured to herself. She fished something from her pocket, stared at that thing for a moment, smiled, and put it back in. When she went inside the cafeteria, it was empty and silent.

Gumi stood still for a moment and was about to pick something in her pocket when the door opened. She turned and found out that is was Miku, her best friend.

“Hey Gum Gum! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I thought we’ll buy snacks together? Anyways, where’s everyone?” Miku asked.
“How many times should I remind you to stop calling me Gum Gum? And I already told you that I was collecting something for tomorrow’s activity in our club. And as for everyone, I don’t know. They were just here moments ago,” Gumi replied. She went to the nearest table and was about to sit when all hell breaks loose.

A bag of pig blood was dropped out of nowhere and all of its contents were poured on poor, little, Gumi. And that’s not all. Someone poured a pail full of leeches unto her. Everyone at the cafeteria, laughed. Miku stood, aghast. She did not know what to do. She wanted to help her friend but her feet were glued unto the floor. Someone hugged Miku from behind and said, “I think we just saved you from that girl, huh? Look at her! She looked like Bloody Mary with leeches for accessories!”

Miku couldn’t utter a single word. She looked at her poor, best friend. Gumi sat, helpless. She looked at the leeches that were crawling in her body and was about to suck her blood. She furiously removed the leeches out of her body and pulled out her pocket knife. All of them went silent. Gumi was staring daggers at them.

“What?! Why are you stepping back? Are you afraid of me now?! And what did you just say, Justine? Bloody Mary?” Gumi said and laughed like a maniac. Miku was relieved from shock and went to her friend’s side. “Stay away from her you horrible people! She didn’t do anything to all of you! Why don’t you just leave her alone?” Miku said angrily.
“Haven’t you heard her, Miku? She was collecting something! And to think she has a pocket knife with her, heaven knows what things she collected!”
“Why do you care? You stay away from her, or else—” Miku was cut silent went Gumi stood and spoke, “Let’s go Miku, I still have some things to collect,” she said coldly. “But, you’re soaked in blood! We have to get you cleaned up first!” Gumi laughed coldly and turned to face her friend and everyone, “I prefer to collect things when I’m soaked in blood,” Gumi replied and smiled coldly. Everyone at the cafeteria watched her walked away. Miku stood up, left the cafeteria and went to the shower room to wash and change clothes.

---

Gumi stayed at her favorite place, the bush. Nobody can see her there, no one knows why. She was waiting for the dismissal to start collecting. When it was already 6’o clock, she licked her hands full of pig’s blood.

A moment later, Layla, one Gumi’s haters, passed by the bush. Gumi sprang out and almost killed Layla with fright. “What in Merlin’s beard are you doing, Gumi? Do you think it’s funny? And why are you covered with blood?” she said angrily.

Gumi grinned at her, “Not funny, huh. Well, let me ask you something, Layla? Is it funny to be poured with pig’s blood and leeches on you?” Layla gulped, “Well, no. But, it wasn’t my idea! It was Justine’s. And we thought it would be fun, so we kind of joined his plan, you know.” Gumi stared at her, more like, thinking what’s the best thing to do with this girl. And she grinned from ear to ear. “Hmm, is that so? Well, let me ask you one last question, Layla? What things do you love to collect?”

---

The next day, the school was horrified when they found out Layla’s body at the school grounds. And what puzzled them the most was that her tongue’s missing and her eyes were gouged out from their sockets. But the killer left a note: “●▬ ▬ ●●●● ▬ ▬ ▬ ●●● / ▬● ● ▬●●▬ ▬?”

“Poor, poor, Layla. Oh how horrible! How can a person do that to her? Layla’s such a sweetheart, and to think that the killer left a note using Morse code!” Miku told Gumi. They were walking and on their way to the cafeteria for lunch. “Who cares, Miku? She deserves it anyway,” Gumi said nonchalantly. “Gum Gum! How could say that!” Gumi just shrugged.

Days have passed and each day, a student will be found dead at the school grounds, missing some body parts. Students began making stories and there’s this one rumor that caught everyone’s attention. Gumi killed those students.

“How can they say such horrible things? I believe that you can’t do that. Never. You are such an innocent girl who collects weird stuffs but you aren’t capable of killing someone!” Miku ranted. Gumi ignored her and looked at her surroundings. “Gumi, about the big activity that we will have tomorrow, what would you bring?” Miku asked. “What activity?” “About bringing your most prized collection at the club? They’re going to display it for the school’s upcoming event.” Gumi smiled, “Oh, that activity. I will still look for something. Anyways, Miku, I’ve got to go. I have to collect things.”

Gumi was about walk away when Miku stopped her. “What are you collecting exactly? You’re keeping secrets from me now, I know that. I can feel it.” “It’s none of your business, Miku. I gotta go,” “But—” Miku stopped insisting when she looked at Gumi. Her face was blank. It’s like she’s soulless. She let go of her hands and Gumi was gone.

---

Gumi was hiding. Waiting. Patiently waiting. And at last, her last collection walked past behind her hiding place. She went out of the bush and grab Justine’s hands.

“WHAT IN VOLDEMORT'S NAME ARE YOU DOING? You scared the crap out of me!” Justine shouted. Gumi just smiled and looked at him. “How’s your day, Justine?” “Why do you care?” “Because I want to be friendly with everyone.” Justine took his hand back and replied, “Well, my day’s full of crap. My friends are dying, can’t you see? And do you care? Well, I guess not. I bet you’re the one who even killed them!”

Gumi acted like she was shock, even though she’s not, “How can you say such horrible things to me, Justine? You hurt my feelings. And to think that I even like you!” she said, fake tears coming out from her eyes. “I just wished you died. I know you’re the one who’s been killing them. You’re seeking for revenge about what happened at the cafeteria, right?” Gumi wiped her tears and smiled.

“Why, you’re such a genius. Well, I won’t be surprised. You’re one of the smartest students in here. I wonder what things you love to collect, Justine?” He was puzzled of Gumi’s question.

“What do you mean co—” He couldn’t finish his sentence for the reason that blood sputtered out of his mouth. And he felt the knife in his throat. He looked at Gumi, who was pushing the knife deep in his throat. “What is it? I couldn’t quite hear.” Gumi said and laughed like a maniac. Gumi lets go of the knife and left it sticking in his throat. Justine tried his best to pull out the knife, but to no avail.

When he was about to collapse, Gumi caught him, and smiled. “You wanna know what I love to collect, Justine? I love to collect human body parts. And this time, I’m in the mood to collect for brains.” Justine looked at her helplessly. He couldn’t move a single muscle and he’s running out of blood. “Say good bye to your beloved brain, Justine.” Gumi said and hit Justine’s head with a stone.

She dragged Justine’s body in to the Science Laboratory and operated him. Little did she know that her best friend, Miku, was following her when she saw Gumi dragging some heavy thing through the Science lab. And there, she saw, what kind of monster her best friend really was.

She saw Gumi took out a small drill from her backpack. And why she hasn’t been caught in bringing that kind of thing, nobody knows. Gumi put holes in Justine’s forehead using her drill. But when she realized that it would take her time to open his skull, she sliced Justine’s forehead and opened it. She licked her mouth and grabbed his brains barehanded. She was about to lick it, when she heard a gasp.

Miku couldn’t bear watching that scene at all. She was about to puke. And to her surprise, the door opened and she saw Gumi, face full of blood, Justine’s blood. “Why hello, my friend!” she greeted “W-what did you just do?” “Oh, I want his brain. He’s so good in making plans. I wonder how many days he spent planning to humiliate me in front of everybody,” Gumi replied, licking her bloody fingers.

“T-the things you collected, y-you c-collect—” “Body parts, human body parts. They’re so lovely! And I love watching people writhe in pain every time I chopped one of their parts. Well, the easiest part was cutting Layla’s tongue. Easy pisy.” Miku couldn’t think. She can’t fathom the fact that her friend can do it. “You wanna know my secret, Miku?” “I already know”, Miku replied, sobbing. “Now, Miku, what do you love to collect?” Gumi asked, licking her pocket knife so hard that her tongue bleeds.

---

The next day, at the school’s fair, everyone went to the Collectionist Club’s display. They always have unique and interesting stuffs that were displayed there. Gumi looked at the displays and was pleased when she saw her two boxes on the table. Her most prized collection.

Everyone was so excited to open those boxes when they heard a shout coming from one of the laboratories.

“What happened?” one of the students asked the girl who ran horror faced.
“T-two dead bodies were found at t-the science laboratory. O-one was Justine’s, his b-b-brain m-missing. And the other one’s unidentified. Only the torso was left!” After the girl said that, the student passed out of fright.

Gumi was just listening and she fished out something in her pocket. A finger. Little did anyone know that it was Miku’s finger. But something caught her attention. One of the curious students opened her boxes and passed out.

When the other one looked what was inside to know why the student passed out, he shouted, “T-THERE’S A BRAIN IN H-HERE! AND M-M-MIKU’S BODY CHOPPED OFF!”

Gumi smiled and asked herself, “I wonder what my next friend wants to collect?”