There's no time to think about the past and regret it because no matter what we do, we wouldn't change the fact which we wouldn't bring back the lives that were taken from us no matter what we do.
We ran towards the backyard. We ran to get away from those hordes of monsters wanting to eat us alive. We ran to meet with our groups that are assigned to the backyard, for our escape, only to find them. . .
Blood could be seen everywhere. No matter where you look, you will see that deep red liquid dropping from something no matter where your eyes go. The grasses that were once so green became tainted with crimson liquid coming from the body of our dead companions.
Body parts are everywhere, and no matter where your eyes stop. . .
All you can see are dead bodies.
Tears suddenly fell from my eyes that caused me to lose myself again— I stopped running and I felt like my soul is wanting me to seek and see every face that is lying in the ground than to run for my life.
I. . . couldn't believe it! I started walking towards where the majority of the dead bodies are lined up because I don't want to assume. I don't want to think that all of them are dead and that includes my best friend.
Ramdam ko ang panginginig ng aking katawan sa pinaghalong galit at takot habang nakatingin sa mga walang buhay na katawan ng aming mga kasama.
Pakiramdam ko'y nawawalan ako ng lakas at parang gusto kong manghina, tumigil sa isang gawi at hayaang mamatay sa lugar na ito.
Galit. . . dahil ang dahilan ng ito ay mula sa aking plano.
Siguro, kung kasama nila ako ay hindi ito mangyayari? O. . . siguro'y kung nag isip pa ako ng ibang paraan. . . kahit impossible, siguro maiiwasan namin ito?
Looking at the numbers of the dead bodies in front of me, I don't want to believe that. . . everyone from the other group was eradicated by. . . only one monster? I am not sure. I don't know. . .
At takot. . . dahil alam ko sa sarili ko na hanggang dito na lang. Hearing those moans and groans, and their shrieks as they're slowly closing the place where we are, I doubt if we could escape from these monsters? They're too many, and we've lost enough manpower to fight for them. Only a few of us were left behind and I don't think we have the power to fight anymore.
“Harper!” I heard them shouted to call my attention but my focus was on those bodies lying on the ground. Not too far, I saw the same military uniform that has pale rotten skin— and I already imagined what happened to this group.
They were attacked. . . because we didn't inform them. We couldn't inform them because we were so scared looking at that monster outside the wall. . . the firefighter one.
They were attacked. . . because we're too late to move.
And they were attacked by their very own companion.
Nakarinig ako ng malakas na ingay sa itaas, at nang bumaling ako sa pangalawang palapag sa aming banda ay nakita ko sila Faye at Phoenix na patuloy na bumabaril mula sa kanilang pwesto.
My eyes widened as slowly, I felt like a bullet just shrunk through my soul.
Their backs are facing us while continuously shooting those zombies, but their presence here is enough to wake up me from my self-pity thoughts!
They have their very own brave expression while continue fighting as if what happened to their group doesn't shake their faith.
They continue fighting even though their group lost almost half of them, and they will continue to fight until someone from this group would successfully escapes spreading the words about what happened on our adventure!
Pakiramdam ko'y may dumaloy na kuryente sa aking katawan na dahilan upang ako'y mapatayo. My knees are still shaking but my faith. . . to get my companions out of this place wouldn't be shaken by those monsters! I wouldn't let the fear and darkness inside me eat me up and lose my hope.
That's right, Harper! There's no time to blame yourself because you're on a battlefield! You must continue to move forward!
Because truth to be told, these monsters aren't our greatest enemy.
But the monster inside our mind.
I wasn't the only one who saw them, because I saw some of our companions starting to form a defensive stance— facing the place we came from earlier, holding their guns, and started shooting them as if they will protect us no matter what.
And these actions. . . is enough to wake my sleeping courage.
“Come inside! We will support you!” I heard Faye said, that when I looked above, I saw her shooting zombies that her eyes would catch. She looks so composed with haste in her movements as to how she shoots zombies from place to place.
Phoenix, who's beside her, throws a molotov cocktail towards the place where the horde of zombies is coming for us— the path we took earlier just to go to this place. Where, from our distance, we saw how it ignited and slowed them down a little.
We shouldn't waste any more time standing here! Harper, you are their hope! “Let's get going inside the house!” I shouted and was about to run when I heard someone asked which made me halted.
“Even if we will be surrounded?” A woman from Zeon's team asked— because I've memorized my companions' voice, as I heard the doubt in her voice. I looked back to see her and saw how pitiful it looks when someone is losing hope.
Do I look like that earlier?
She was the same woman who was so fearless before, the one that I admired for her bravery. But right now, looking at her with this state. . . who wouldn't feel scared being surrounded with these monsters?
“As long as they wouldn't break those glass walls, we're fine, right?” I said and gave her a side smile before running towards the house. Those times are enough to kill them, after all, we have advantages with our weapons.
And looking at them, those hungry monsters that are chasing us, there's no abnormals here anymore. The tanker I was watching earlier isn't here. And as long as these are the remaining zombies here, the ordinary ones since both the abnormal ones— the zombie Sancha and Yui are dead, then we have an advantage.
And I know that it's what my companions are thinking right now, the reason why they dare to fight this hell.
As long as those abnormal zombies won't appear, then we can do it!
“Go to the basement!” Parker suddenly said that caused me to halt and look at him, who remained shooting those zombies to put us some distance from them. But basement?
There's a basement? Bakit hindi namin alam iyon?
But there's no time to think of it because our lives are at stake here!
“Go, Meredith! Lead them the way! I'll hold them for you!” Parker suddenly shouted that woke me up. I didn't think twice about holding Meredith's arm because I know she wouldn't let her husband stay in this place. Myra started crying so loud which for sure, the zombies will hear her cries!
Tumingin si Meredith sa akin at kahit gusto kong maawa ay hindi maaari. Namumula ang kanyang mata at halata ang pagtutol doon.
Myra started struggling which made her look at her daughter, the reason why I saw how the expression on her eyes shifted from worry— worrying for her husband, to a courageous one, remembering that she has her daughter and that's the reason for her to move forward.
To save her daughter's life and make her live in peace than this cruel world.
I nodded my head once she looks at me. She bit her lower lip, torn about her decision until she looked at her husband and shouted. “Make sure to come!” Meredith passed through me while hugging Myra, but despite it, I saw how her tears fell in sorrow but she doesn't have any choice.
This is all about sacrifice.
“Follow me!” Meredith shouted as her voice cracked. In my peripheral vision, since I could see Parker's side profile, I saw the side of his lips lifted for a proud smile, even though his eyes shows sorrow. . .
Alam nyang iyon ang nararapat na gawin.
We follow through with Meredith's back as she's leading the way. From here, I could see some drops of blood from our dead companions, and the stairs we used earlier.
My eyes found Sancha's dead and rotten body which I quickly averted my gaze from it. There's no time for these bullshits.
Umikot si Meredith sa malaking hagdan sa gitna at nagsisunuran ang iba sakanya. I was about to follow when I heard Zeon's shouted thundered through the whole place.
“Fuck, Drey! What are you doing?!” Narinig rin iyon ng iba na dahilan upang sila'y mapahinto, ngunit hindi ito sinagot ng lalaki, imbis, ay nagtuloy-tuloy ito sa pag akyat ng hagdan.
I heard Zeon's curses before he followed Dreyard who's running on the second floor again. I sighed and quickly follow them as I looked at our companions who don't know who to follow— Meredith, or us.
“You go first! We'll follow!” Sigaw ko sakanila at mas binilisan ang takbo. I looked around and saw the veranda's door has been opened, maybe we forgot to close it earlier.
Tumingin akong muli sa harapan kung saan umikot si Dreyard at ang direksyon ng kanyang tinatahak ay papunta sa kanyang kwarto! We followed behind him which I know that he knows we're following him.
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Wika ni Zeon nang maisarado nito ang pinto. Halos mapaluhod ako sa pagod nang makarating kami sa kwarto ni Dreyard. It's too dark inside. He opened the light and quickly kneel somewhere— at the cabinet where when he opened it, piles of clothes welcomed my sight.
Inilihis nya ang mga damit doon kasabay ng kanyang pagsigaw, “Get the upgraded gun under my bed. 427 737.” Wika nya ngunit walang gumalaw sa amin, dahil ang aking tingin ay nanatili sa bagay na bumungad sa akin— ang maliit na. . . what's that?
It's a box that when he looked at us, he's holding as if it's a very precious thing to him.
“We just couldn't go to that place without holding evidence, right?” He said which I know that he's pertaining about the box he's holding.
“Stupid! Are you going to surrender yourself?” Naiinis na tanong ni Zeon sa kanya.
That's what I think, too. That Dreyard is going to surrender himself for our safety.
“We don't have a choice! Get the gun! Time is ticking!” Mabilis nitong sabi at patakbong lumapit sa amin. I saw something— a handle under his bed. Hindi na ako nagdalawang isip na hilahin iyon kung saan bumungad sa akin ang parang malaking lalagyan na may umiilaw, kung saan nakakagay ay:
Enter Passcode:
_ _ _ _ _ _
I put what Dreyard told us: 427 737, and a green color appeared. Mabilis ko iyong inangat at halos mapanganga ako nang makita ang dalawang baril— dalawang Mini-Uzi, ngunit alam kong kakaiba iyon dahil pinakatinatago ni Dreyard.
I didn't think twice about putting my AK-17's strap in my body and hold the guns with both of my hands.
This feels so light. . . so warm as if something touched my heart. As if it was made especially for me.
“Let's go,” Zeon said, and when I looked at him, I saw him already outside the door.
Gumawi ang tingin ko kay Dreyard na kaiiwas lamang ng tingin sa akin. Hindi na ako nag isip at tumayo upang sana'y tumakbo palabas. Ngunit mapatigil ako nang gumawi ang aking tingin sa labas at tuluyang nanlamig.
It wasn't only me, because Dreyard stopped too.
Especially when in front of us. . . is that monster. . .
The hooded one that the reason why we lost two of our best soldiers. . . the monster which who so silent that we didn't felt its presence, who's now at the top of Zeon who couldn't do anything but to put up a defense.