Everything is so easy to say but is actually hard when you're about to do it.
Tulad ko, ang nagsasabi sa kanila na pakalmahin muna ang sarili at pag isipang mabuti ang gagawin bago gumawa ng desisyon, ngunit ako rin mismo ang hindi makagawa n'on, tulad kanina.
But I want to remove that part of myself.
I didn't become their leader to waste their life for a small, stupid mistake when we could've prevented by thinking thoroughly of the decision we are about to do.
Because as much as I wish to do, I will save them no matter what happens.
Even it means sacrificing myself.
That's why, Harper Liana Smith, calm the fuck down and get yourself together.
Learn from this mistake.
At tulad nang kung ano talaga ang misyon namin— ang magligtas, ako ay naniniwalang may mga taong buhay pa sa kalagitnaan ng nakakatakot na mundong ito.
That person earlier just ignited my dying hope to save the remaining humanity outside the walls.
“We'll take the alternative route to get there,” Zeon announced for a while after giving us some space to get over what we have witnessed earlier.
Nakapalibot kami ngayon rito sa may kaliitang eskinita mula sa dalawang gusali na tila dormitoryo, at may mga nagbabantay sa pinakadulo, hawak ang kanilang baril at sila ang magsisilbing mata namin kung sakaling may paparating na halimaw na makakarinig sa aming pinag-uusapan, kahit mukhang impossible iyon.
Dahil sa lakas ng pagsabog kanina, ang karamihan ng mga halimaw ay nagpuntahan sa pwestong iyon. Mabaho, madilim, puno ng natuyong dugo ang pader ngunit hindi kami pinalaking maarte at mas matindi pa rito ang sinubok namin sa loob ng militar.
Ang masangsang na amoy ng kapapatay na zombie na napag-alaman kong pinatay ng mga nangunguna kanina ang pumapalibot sa aming pang-amoy. Mabuti na lamang at walang nasugatan lalo na't alerto ang lahat at magagaling makipaglaban.
And I agreed with Zeon's words, because looking at the other side of the bridge, I don't think we could pass through just like what I've been thinking. . . for passing this long bridge is equivalent of suicide.
“How about the map, commander?” Nagawi ang tingin ko sa isang babae nang magtanong ito kay Zeon.
Right. Kailangan namin ng mapa upang malaman ang daan na dapat naming tahakin, ngunit hindi maaaring gamitin ang mga gamit na mula sa military dahil malalaman nilang buhay pa kami, lalo na ang digital map namin kung saan lalabas ang hologram kung saan makikita ang mga daan sa paligid namin.
“Baka pwedeng lumangoy tayo?” Napatingin ako sa suhestiyon ng isa sa lalaking kasama namin. I don't know him, so he must be from Zeon's team.
Sinegundahan ito ng isang babae na mula rin sa kanilang grupo.
“Yes, zombies couldn't swim,” aniya, proud na sinabi na ikinanuot ng aking noo.
Really? I doubt that.
As much as I want, I don't want to assume things unless I see them with my own eyes.
Ayoko munang iassume na hindi nga sila marunong lumangoy, dahil baka mamaya ay magulat na lang kami na mas magaling ang mga ito sa amin, mala-Olympics ang datingan! I'm not kidding okay?
Our information from their kind could be compared to an iceberg on the ocean, which only a small percentage of it could be seen, while the huge parts remained hidden, especially when the military wants us dead.
Sinong tanga ang magbubunyag ng napakarami at totoong impormasyon sa mga taong gusto nilang patayin? Wala.
“That's dangerous. Who knows what lies deep inside of this ugly, dangerous ocean,” sabat ko nang hindi kaagad nagsalita si Zeon.
Lalo na at madumi ang tubig sa ilalim ng tulay, baka kung hindi nga kami maging zombie, mamatay naman kami sa sakit na makukuha namin mula doon.
Their attentions were transferred to me when I spoke, and those two seemed to be offended by my words that I bit my lower lip.
Right, who wouldn't? I just disregard their suggestions when we clearly said that everyone is allowed to voice their opinions.
“I'm sorry if I offended you,” dagdag ko at binigyan sila ng tipid na ngiti. Tumango ang lalaki habang ang babae naman ay gumaya rito at nagbigay ng pilit na ngiti.
It's the beginning, Harper. It's only the beginning. Paulit-ulit kong bulong sa aking sarili at sa aking pagtalikod, kung saan kaharap ko na ang mga team ko, ay umirap ako nang makita silang natatawa sa akin.
They saw it, that's why they tried their best to cover their laughs. Ang iba'y umubo, ang iba'y nasamid. Pero ang iba ay hindi manlang tinago. Mga traydor!
“Lieutenant Smith is right. Look at the outer surface. It's calm, yes. But what about the depth of it? We don't know what lies deep inside the ocean and how deep the water is. Hindi tayo maaaring sumubok sa mga bagay na alam nating may iba pang paraan,” Zeon said that made my lips formed a small ‘o’, because wow. . . literally wow.
I don't think it was only me who's shocked because my eyes caught some of our people with their shocked faces hearing what Zeon answered.
Bakit hindi? Una, pinaghalo nito ang Ingles at Tagalog na hindi nito ginagawa kahit kailan, at pangalawa, pakibilang kung gaano kahaba ang kanyang sinabi?
“Right, Lieutenant Smith?” I heard his voice for which I instantly composed myself and cleared my throat before turning to face him without any emotions on my face.
Mabuti na lang talaga at tumalikod ako kanina! At baka nakita nito ang itsura kong—
Ano naman kung makita nya, Harper Liana?
Ayaw nang maulit ang dati nang nangyari, ay mabilis akong tumango.
“Yeah. Baka mamaya ay bigla na lang may lumabas na zombie dyan, who knows sis?” I absentmindedly answered, but then, blinked fast when I realized what I just said.
The heck?!
I cleared my throat again, feeling my cheeks flustered in embarrassment.
“I-I mean, what I said was somehow true since Lieutenant Parkinson's answer could be considered a fact,” I stuttered and lowered my head a little.
“May iba namang daan para makapunta sa kabila, so might as well try that,” dagdag ko at tuluyang nag-iwas ng tingin.
Natahimik ang lahat na dahilan upang mapapikit ako nang mariin. What the fuck with Sis, Harper Liana Smith? Nakakahiya ka!
Someone cleared his throat, for which they soon followed. Nahihiyang nag-angat ako ng tingin at bumungad sa akin ang nagpipigil na tawa ng aking grupo, dahilan upang samaan ko sila ng tingin.
Faye nudged Rhowie, “Sis, what do you think of their conversation?” Palihim itong tumingin sa akin at dahil nanatili akong nakatingin— masama ang tingin sa kanya ay nahuli ko iyon. Mas lalong lumaki ang kanyang ngisi at pekeng umubo.
At si Rhowie naman na nakisakay sa kalokohan ni Faye, ay natawa. “Sis, ang masasabi ko lang ay support ko sila lagi, lalo na ang leader natin kahit dense ito.” Wtf, dense? She even laugh after saying it.
Aba't. . . kung pagpush-up-in ko kaya sila rito ng bente, sa lapag na purong dugo o kung ano, papayag kaya ang mga ito?!
I was so ready to butt in with their conversation when Zeon's voice dominated our place, for everyone became serious again.
“Let me give you choices. Should we stay here and rest, or should we push through?”
Mabagal akong humarap at saktong pagtingin ko sa kanya ay nagsalita ang babae kanina.
“Pushing through means we might stay the whole night.” Tumango-tango ako sa aking narinig. I agree, especially it looks as if any minute from now, the sun might set— even though it's hidden by those thick, nimbostratus clouds which we assumed it's going to rain.
Hindi umulan, nakapondo lamang, at kahit ang langit ay paasa.
“Adrianne is right. It isn't safe here, and it seemed that someone saved us by bringing those zombies on the other side.”
“Right. If we stay here for a night, who knows if those zombies come back and spread towards this place?”
Nananatiling tumatango sakanilang mga sinasabi, iyan ang role ni Harper Liana Smith ngayon.
Well, I just couldn't be happier that Zeon and I aren't the only ones to talk about this kind of plan.
After all, the idea of everyone matters.
“So let's push through, then,” ani Zeon na ikinatango ko ulit. Siguro, kulang na lamang ang headset at phone na tumutugtog at mula na kong nagheheadbang—
“Is it okay with you, Lieutenant Smith?” Natauhan ako nang biglang humarap sa akin si Zeon, dahilan upang muli akong tumango, pinilit na gawing seryoso ang mukha kahit gustong-gusto ko nang matawa sa sarili ko.
“Of course.” And I smiled sweetly, like a groupmate that couldn't participate in group discussion. At ang ambag lamang ay cuteness. That's me.
Muling tumabi sa akin si Faye at bumulong. “Kanina ka pa tumatango-tango, mukha kang tanga.” Sa kanyang sinabi ay sinamaan ko ito ng tingin.
“Kung wala kang magandang sasabihin, manahimik ka,” bulong ko na ikinatawa nito nang mahina.
“Hindi ko kailangang magsabi nang maganda. . . dahil ako 'yon.”
“Ew?” Tumingin ako sa kanya na tila nandidiri, at oo, kami'y nagbubulungan lamang.
“It'll be a long way, but we shouldn't rest because it isn't safe. Our goal is to find that person and let him bring us to their haven.” Tumango muli ako sa kanyang sinabi ngunit napahinto nang may marealize.
“Him?” Someone asked what I was about to do, because I've noticed Zeon, and he's been using that subject pronoun of he even earlier.
Zeon smiled. “It was a male structure of a body.” Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanyang sinabi.
“Di ka sure. Kalayo kaya,” sagot ko na dahilan upang magtinginan sila sa akin.
I innocently looked at them. “What? I'm curious,” I defended myself.
Zeon smirked. “Well, it was a genius way to use gunpowder to create an explosion. I mean, real gunpowder.” There's a glint of something in his eyes. “Just trust me, that person is alive.” He assured us, which I stare at him with squinted eyes.
“So you know him.” It's a fact, which he gazes at me and lazily smirked.
“A hunch only, because I even thought he's already dead.” My brow lifted in curiosity.
“Who?” There's someone close to Zeon? I wasn't aware.
“My rival,” Zeon said proudly.
Muli akong tumango at tumalikod.
So may kaagaw pala ako sa pagiging rival ni Zeon. Okay, fine.
And that's when our discussion ended.
Nasunod ang plano ni Zeon dahil lahat ay pumayag sa napakaganda nitong plano. Walang butas, at tila handa bago pa lamang kami lumabas sa loob ng eroplanong iyon.
Kaya't imbis na sa tulay kami dumaan, ay umikot kami sa mas malayo. Lahat ay marahang naglalakad paalis sa lugar na iyon, na sa abot ng aming makakaya, ay nagtatago kami sa paningin ng mga zombies dahil hindi maaaring maging kampante kung buhay ang nakasalalay.
We are sneaking out, which we divided the group into two, where Zeon, and I are the leaders of each group.
Kami ang nangunguna habang ang grupo ni Zeon ang nasa likod, lalo na't sinabi ng mga ito na susuportahan nila kami mula sa likuran lalo na't paalis kami sa napakaraming zombie na iyon. Tahimik silang sumunod habang hawak ko ang mapa na dala ni Zeon patungkol sa aming bansa.
Nagtago ang araw at kinain ng kadiliman ang langit ngunit patuloy ang aming maingat at dahan-dahang paglalakad.
The bridge is the shortcut, yes, but since the zombies are there, we decided to choose the alternative way even though it could lead us a little further from the goal, which is to be on the other side of the bridge.
We thought it was an easy adventure since those remaining zombies have been on the other side of the bridge already, busy lurking for whoever caused that explosion.
Albeit we assumed with the factor that isn't even sufficient.
We stumbled into something more dangerous.
And it was. . . a dark carnival.