A/N: I should have just cut this in half but oh, well... Splurging on the last chapters of the last book on my first series. Enjoy!
KABANATA 48
"Tumakas ka na, Arianne. Just leave me here."
Fear consumed my chest as I eyed my bleeding friend when just a while ago him, Isang and I were only having fun catching up in this pub he co-owned here in Bacolod. Then, all of a sudden, some unknown men, about six of them, came in and started firing at us. Isang got separated from us after the shooting. I didn't know where she went. Right now, Geri and I were hiding behind the bartender's counter and his torso was bleeding profusely.
"No, Geri, we'll escape together. Sama-sama tayong tatakas ni Isang. Si Isang..." I whispered as I tried and looked for our friend. Para akong nalagutan ng hangin at kaagad pinanghinaan nang makita ko siyang nakahandusay sa sahig mga ilang metro ang layo mula sa amin.
"Search everywhere! They couldn't be that far!"
I crouched a little lower so the assailants wouldn't notice our location.
"S-sige na, Arianne. S-save y-yourself, please. Y-you're with child."
Marahas akong umiling habang pinipigilan ang sariling mag-hysteria. Nanlalamig na ang mga kamay ko't nagsisimula na namang manginig ang aking kalamnan. Para akong ibinabalik sa madilim na panahon ng aking buhay. Hindi ako makagalaw, hindi makapagsalita at tahimik lang na pinapanood kung papaano mamatay ang mga mahal ko sa buhay.
"I-I won't leave you behind." Mariin kong sabi sa kanya. Lumapit pa ako't sinubukan siyang i-angat.
"Girl, I said—" He groaned loudly at what I did.
"What was that?!"
Mabilis kong tinakpan ang pareho naming mga bibig, habang tahimik na nagdarasal na hindi nila kami matunton dahil doon. Mabuti na lang at biglang may tumunog sa kung saang banda.
"There! At the back!" Sigaw ng isa sa mga kalaban. Pagkatapos, ilang mabibilis na mga hakbang ang aming narinig papunta sa puwesto ng ingay.
Geri grunted in pain again. Umaanghang na rin ang mga mata ko sa pagpipigil kong maiyak. I knew tears were irrelevant in this situation. I had to be rational so I could think of a plan to fight back and make our escape.
I looked around us and saw the broken bottles all over the floor. I quickly took one. They had guns but I thought I could still use my speed to fight them off. I only had to get close to each of them to have a fighting chance.
I took a peek and saw a few of them was still there, checking every turned over couches and tables. The whole place was dark after they knocked off the main lights when they fired their guns at everything a while ago. I thought I could take this situation to our advantage. With the right timing, I could easily put them down. Then, Geri and I could escape before the others come back.
Convinced with my plan, I tried to stand up to finally act on them when Geri pulled my arm and the rest of me back down. Mabilis akong napalingon sa kanya.
"Girl, listen..." Mahinahon niyang tugon.
Kaagad ko siyang inalalayan nang subukan niyang umupo nang maayos. "Stop talking or you'll bleed out—"
"Shh. Listen... to me..." Pag-uulit niya, "M-may emergency... exit diyan... sa ilalim ng c-counter sa t-tapat ng lababo. G-gamitin mo."
Kaagad kumunot ang noo ko sa kanyang pinapahiwatig. "No! It's either we escape together, or we die together. Total at patay na rin yata si Isang—"
BINABASA MO ANG
Paper Moon
General Fiction"I do," he said and then the man declared their union in front of God and of every person that mattered in their lives. And she, like every girl, thought that the next lines in their story book would be 'and they live happily ever after'. But they w...
