OUTCAST (PUBLISHED)

EPILOGUE

On the other hand, the remaining cities were still a mystery. The nuclear bombs were just a hoax back then, yet there is not a single bozo were seen; no one was hiding under the shades of the building and houses. So, they investigated it, yet not a single clue was found.

Parker suddenly ruffled my hair, “I—”

“I love you, too, Zazzy!” Spencer interrupted, making Parker grab his face and puffed it with might, “Hayuf! Asdfghjkl—”

“Hoy. Tigilan mo na nga ‘yan. Para kang bata e,” inis kong sambit kay Parker dahilan upang labag sa loob niyang si Spencer, “Alam niyo ba kung nasaan si Cara?”

“Kasama ni Kuya Tyler,” sagot ni Spencer habang minamasahe ang kanyang mukha, “Kaya siguro lagi silang magkasama dahil nakikita nila ang sarili nila sa isa’t-isa… Imagine your boyfriend and the ex-girlfriend you still love died the same day though Kuya Tyler was one of the reasons why Ate Kelly died.”

Parker was about to speak and when his phone suddenly rang, “Hello… Yeah, we’ll be there.” He squinted his eyes towards Spencer, who was eyeing him curiously, “You didn’t tell me that you signed up for the baseball club.”

“Oh! Is the tryout today?”

“Yes.”

Parker grinned when Spencer immediately let go of me and quickly exited the rooftop and when we heard the loud bang of the door, he pulled me closer to him, “Finally… masosolo ko rin ang napakaganda kong girlfriend.”

“Sino ba? Si Ms. Esguerra o ako?” Pang-asar kong tanong sa kanya, saglit niya akong sinamaan ng tingin, “Oh. Dito ka umamin kay Ms. Esguerra noon ah? Hindi ka nga na-crushback—”

He suddenly planted a kiss on my forehead, making me shut up. Parker slowly brushes his nose to mine and with our faces inches away from each other. My lips automatically curved a delighted smile as he slowly brushes my hair through his fingers. As I locked my eyes on him, I slowly embraced the warmth of his security.

Parker slowly lifted my chin with a smile, “I—”

The door suddenly burst open, making me forcefully pushed Parker away. Spencer grimaced at us and pulled Parker, “Manood ka sa tryout ko! Mamaya ka na lumandi kay Mommy!”

Umalingawngaw ang pagtawa sa rooftop habang hinihila si Parker palabas. Nang parehas na silang nawala sa aking paningin ay muli akong pumikit at nilanghap ang sariwang hangin.

Naramdaman ko ang biglaang pagbabago ng paligid, alam kong nakapikit ako ngunit tila bukas ang mga mata ko upang makita ang dalawang pamilyar na pigura sa aking harapan. Alam ko rin na nasa rooftop pa rin ako ng Laodicea High ngunit tila kakaiba ang ayos nito.

Saglit kong pinagmasdan ang lalaki habang may hawak-hawak itong lukot na papel, hindi ko rin maiwasan na mabasa ang nakasulat dito.

Dear Amira,

If you ever read this letter, it only means I’m no longer by your side, and even though it was the case, I want you to keep smiling and moving forward, and I am sure that you can do it without my reminder. After all, you are surrounded by the people who love you, and my absence wouldn’t affect you that much. But I want you to know that I miss you, everything about you. I miss the purest and strongest woman I know, and for the last time, I wanted to caress you. I regretted that I failed to show you how much I love you, maybe because that’s how every older brother act.

I wanted to smile and keep moving forward for you and Cara.

But I can’t… We can’t…

Could you please save us, Amira?

We don’t know where we are. All I know is that we need help. We are still here, we are still breathing, but somehow we aren’t. We are on the border of Luzon, it was the same, but it was also not. It is no longer lovely, enchanting, and captivating like it used to. This place is dreadful, a nightmare. The scent of fresh blood started to feel like an ordinary smell; even the terrifying corpses lying around seems like a usual display. Sometimes, they are devouring each other, their own kind, as if they do not feel any familiar affection to their siblings or lovers.

The sun does not shine, and the blood moon always illuminates in the black marble sky, making everything embraces the hues of blood. And as the moon stole the shade of their eyes, they began to be much more terrifying. Their eyes were purer than white, they may look like sightless beings, but their eyes were more magnified, a hundred times sharper. And if their eyes were white, their body was darker than black, and they are like shadows lurking around the crimson vicinity, waiting for prey to devour.

This place is not for humans.

This place is their kingdom.

So… Could you please save us, Amira?

“Alex… I don’t think she can see or hear us.”

“She’s our hope. They are our hope.”

“Do you think they can find us?”

The surrounding suddenly shifted. They began to disappear until the entire vicinity slowly turned black. All of a sudden, I was standing next to Alejandra’s coffin in the underground of the Nakamura Household.

The floor was filled with blood, and it was coming from a certain direction. And as I carefully followed its trail, horror started to devour me as I read the words carved to the wall.

A price must be paid for messing with life and death.

END OF BOOK 1