From where I was standing through an old mango tree, I could see the unsettling cornfield column. A vast, golden field of corn can be seen, and the peace I experience while reading a book away from the noise and disruption of others is heavenly. The freshness of the wind, the chirping of birds above the tree, and the flow of clouds moving as if they had their own lives—it's a fascinating view that I don't get to see in the city. I stretched both of my arms, sensing my great privilege and inhaling and exhaling simultaneously.
I felt a loud crack in my back, indicating that I'd been hunched over for quite some time. It happened every now and then, and I was relieved to hear the crack sound. However, the crackling noise persisted, which bothered me. No, it wasn't coming from behind me anymore. I looked around the field, trying to figure out where it was going to come from when I noticed the ground trembling in the distance. "What happened in the field today? An earthquake or something?" I mumbled. I descended from the tree, put on my slippers, and walked straight into the area.
I arrived at the epicenter in the blink of an eye, and the vibration was intense. "Unbelievable! This wide sinkhole has never occurred in San Pablo; this is a scoop!" I took photos and videos as proof. This will go viral and make money. Yes, I paid a lot of money to have it uploaded online. My only goal was to gain views in order to earn money, and I don't care what happened here. Three golden corns hung down, swinging back and forth, enticing me to take them."Come get us!" A cold swish of air touched my oily skin, and I pressed my foot to the ground, one by one, reaching for the golden corn. "Ahh! You little corn, take a step back. "Come here!" I said, fully stretching my arm; I got two, and the other was quite far away, so I moved sideward and fixed my position.
I was about to get it when a gust of dust blew into my eyes. "Crap!" I hadn't realized I'd lost my grip, that my balance was off, and that I was trying to hold it even though my left eye was closed and in pain. When I was finally out of danger, I let out a deep sigh. It was a life-or-death situation. I didn't get the last of the corn and returned home. I kept my mouth shut, not telling anyone about the sinkhole I saw today.
My mother prepared dinner. Her chicken adobo was the best of her dishes, and I was full. I went to my room, smirking like the joker in the movie. I went through the photos and videos I took a while ago. Unfortunately, some are of poor quality because my phone's camera model was released in 2018. I didn't have any hesitation, doubt, or second thoughts as I clicked the upload button. My friends shared on their accounts, increasing views faster, and my joy was uncontrollable.
I woke up to the seemingly infinite chimes of my phone. "Ding! Ding! Ding!" I reached for my phone on the right side of my bed, shocked by the number of notifications, messages, and calls I had received. I immediately viewed the video. I couldn’t hold myself back anymore, so I looked at how many views there were and I was stunned. "500k views? What!?" I screamed. I turned down my phone and jumped out of bed with fists clenched and a wide smile on my face.
My mom yelled, "Stop jumping!" I calmed down a little, and my phone rang again. I answered the phone and said, "Hello," but the caller did not respond for 10 seconds. I was perplexed and irritated. "Hello! My name is Adrian, and I'm a journalist and reporter for the ABQ channel. We'd like to invite you to an interview about your sinkhole discovery, and we'd appreciate your participation if possible," he said. I gave it some serious thought before responding to him. It was an opportunity to be filmed on national television, and my account's subscribers will skyrocket. "Yes, I accepted your offer; when will it be?" I inquired. Later, he texted me the full story.
The aromatic, refreshing scent of coffee pervades the air, coating it with a sweet essence. The reporter was swirling the spoon counterclockwise while the black mug rested on top of the saucer. "Good day, sir! It appears you are enjoying your coffee," I said. He sipped his coffee and smiled at me. "Of course. Once I submit my news, this interview will be a great scoop in the office." The interview began; the questionnaires were not difficult to answer, but I felt a voice screaming inside of me. I counted the tip he gave me before returning home. I gave a devilish grin. "A jackpot!" I was unconcerned about the cause of the sinkhole. All I cared about was how much money I could make from featuring it.
Meanwhile, before passing on his written news, the reporter reviewed the exclusive videos he received from the young man. Because these videos were not publicly available, he had the opportunity to view them privately. Nothing appeared to be wrong with it; it appeared to be a normal sinkhole, and he was about to close the media player when he noticed a bright red eye on the side corner near the large chunk of rock. He rewinded the video, paused it, and magnified it. His eyes gradually narrowed as he tried to figure out what the red eyes were. He kept watching the video, looking for other shots that could have been taken again.
"I don't believe it! It looks like an animal, but it also looks like a human resemblance," the reporter exclaimed when he realized this case was related to what happened four years ago. A stream of hot tears streamed down his cheeks. The encapsulated pain and rage erupted like a raging dam. He rose from his chair, closed his laptop, and gathered his belongings. "Sister, I can finally avenge your death; the bastard appeared, and this time, I'll make sure to get its head and offer it to your grave," he mumbled boldly.