Kinakabahan akong tumingin kay Tyler. He is up to something, and I can tell it just by looking at his eyes. My knees are trembling only by looking at those monsters, and I am not embarrassed about being frightened. But I feel useless because even though I wanted to help him ay wala akong magagawa kung hindi ang maging pabigat sa kanya ngayon.
“She’s with me,” I heard Tyler said. He was talking to someone in the walkie-talkie when he gestured me to walk move closer to him.
“Is she alright? What happened? Give her the walkie-talkie,” Rinig kong sunod-sunod na sambit ni Parker, but before putting the walkie-talkie in my palm ay binuhusan n’ya muna ng alcohol ang palad ko.
“I’m alright. Bakit para ka d’yang tanga na nawawalan ng anak?” Bungad ko kay Parker. I can hear his heavy breathing on the other though the static sound was still present.
He let out a sigh and softly asked me, “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Mag-aapply ka bang tatay ko?”
“Nakikipag ako usap ako sa’yo nang matino, Amira,”
“OMO! This is the first time that you call me by name!”
He was saying something when my attention drifted to something. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang mawalan ako ng balance dahilan upang mabitawan ko ang walkie-talkie ni Tyler at maihagis iyon sa labas. Parehas kaming napamura ni Tyler dahil sa katangahan ko.
Nang sumilip kami parehas ni Tyler sa ibaba ay muli akong napamura na tila gusto ko na maging lobo at lumipad sa langit para hindi na makita.
The fucking clowns were knocking the bottom of the Ferris wheel by banging their heads on the steel bars and was causing the Ferris wheel to shake. At kung patuloy nilang gagawin iyon ay guguho kinalalagyan namin ngayon, okay lang naman sa ‘kin ‘yon kung diretsong patay na ako at hindi ko na sila makikitang kainin ako.
“Stay here,” Tyler commanded. Dahan-dahan n’yang binuksan ang emergency exit sa itaas.
“May muscle ka,” Puna ko.
He twisted his lips and looked at me from head to toe as if he was judging me from inside and out, “Lahat ng tao merong muscle, ‘wag kang tanga,” he brooded.
I noticed that he was now talking back to me, unlike the last time, “Are you scared of Cara?” I joked. He is the only one Cara talks to all the time, and even though we are not pointing it out, it is pretty obvious.
He rolled his eyes and got out of the cable car. Halo isumpa ko na siya dahil hindi niya man lamang ako pinansin. And I was actually surprised by how flexible he is. He was galloping in every steel bar as if it wasn’t a hard thing to do.
“HOLY SHIT! YOU DON’T HAVE ANY WEAPONS WITH YOU!”
“THEN SAVE ME!” What the fuck?
Nang tuluyan na siyang makababa ay agad siyang nilingon ng mga fucking clowns, lima iyon at kahit isa sa kanila ay walang cute. Mabilis na pumaikot si Tyler sa Ferris wheel at hinabol naman siya ng mga ito, they ran in circles. Tyler was pretty agile kaya hindi rin siya mahabol ng mga ito.
Ngunit kinabahan ako para sa kanya. Dahil dadating ang oras na mapapagod s’ya kakatakbo, and if that happens, he might turn like those Bozos.
“Punyeta naman,” I hissed. Sinukbit ko ang sniper rifle n’ya sa balikat ko at sinukbit ko naman ang katana sa baiwang ko, dahan-dahan kong inakyat ang emergency exit.
Sinalubong naman ako ng isang malakas na hangin sa aking paglabas, and my knees were also trembling as I stood to the slippery bars. How come he was able to cross on these things so easily?
And even though I struggled to balance myself on the slippery bars with the additional wind, I can clearly see Tyler’s smirk below me. He was using reverse psychology against me by saying I should stay in that cable car.
“Shit... Shit... Gaganti talaga ako sa hinayupak na ‘yan pagkatapos namin dito.” I whispered.
Nang mapansin ni Tyler na malapit na akong makababa ay nilayo n’ya sa aking pwesto ang mga clown. Still, before I could fully jump out of the Ferris wheel, one of them saw me and immediately runs towards my direction.
I groaned and glared at Tyler, who was still busy running away. Sumakit ako isang steel bar at inangat ko ang sarili ko nang makalapit sa ‘kin ang clown. I used my weight to lift my body at kahit naririnig ko ang ingay na tila nasisirang Ferris wheel ay hindi ko iyon pinansin dahil mas inangat ko ang sarili ko upang masipa ang clown.
As the clown moves nearer to my direction, I kicked his face, and my fucking foot buried to his face easily. Napabitaw ako sa kapit ko sa steel bar, dahilan upang matumba ako habang nakabaon pa rin ang paa ko sa ulo n’ya.
The clown was already dead. Well, technically, he’s dead— okay, double dead.
I immediately get the katana on my waist and cut off its head, “Yuck, yuck! Lagot talaga sa akin ‘yong gagong ‘yon,” I kicked the head like it was a soccer ball that needed to reach a specific goal.
Tangina, ‘yong boots ko! Nakakaderder na.
“Shit! Amira, run!”
I swiftly stood up when I heard the creaking sound of the metals, and Tyler immediately went in my direction to stole my hand and ran away. Ngunit mas naging mabilis ang takbo ng mga clowns, hindi naging sagabal sa kanila ang dahan-dahan na pagguho ng Ferris wheel.
“GET IN! QUICK!” The R.V. drifted in front like it was a fast racing car. Parehas kaming pinagbuksan ni Chi ng pinto at agad din kaming pumasok.
Spencer was on the top and firing on the clowns with a machine gun attached on the R.V. while Parker was the one driving. Napasandal ako sa pader at mabilis kong inalis ang nakakadiri kong boots. I can’t even stay still dahil nasa theme park pa rin kami at nang lingunin ko ang direksyon kung nasaan ang mga clown ay halos maluwa ang mga mata.
They are only four remaining.
And they began to devour each other until one of them wins. Naging triple ang laki nito kumpara kanina at tila ang R.V. na sinasakyan namin ay isang pipityugin na laruan lamang sa kanya, ang bawat bigat sa yabag nito ay ramdam na ramdam namin sa R.V. at kasabay ng pagsugod nito papunta sa direksyon ng R.V. ay ang pagbagsak ng Ferris wheel.
“They are no longer simple zombies...” Chi commented while looking at the hideous being chasing us.
Simula pa lang naman ay hindi na talaga sila simple. Malayo lamang talaga ang Bozos sa mga orihinal na napapanood namin sa telebisyon. They aren’t maniacs who want to eat someone’s brain, fucking norms.
“Evolution, my ass,” Tyler brooded.
I feel so guilty while looking at them. To be honest, I have a glimpse of the LIVE Corporation’s project called the Genesis. I know that they are working on a specific experiment wherein they wanted to ‘evolve’ humankind.
I felt at fault, knowing that I was not supposed to be here— that I was supposed to be at the other side of the wall having a peaceful life.
Cara smirked while looking at me, and she leaned along with her languid eyes, “Keep your shits together. Dahil sa oras na malaman nila kung saang angkan na nagmula, huwag kang aasa na ipagtatanggol kita,” she languidly said and walked away.
It was when I felt like closing my eyes. I wanted to scream out of my frustration, but all I can hear was the car’s engine and footsteps of the clown chasing us.
Isang mabigat na buntong hininga ang kumawala sa ‘kin. The guilt was really suffocating me as it started a year ago.
The final step of the Genesis project, its evolution.
And the secret that lies within my family.
#
BINABASA MO ANG
OUTCAST (PUBLISHED)
Science FictionPUBLISHED UNDER IMMAC PPH After an unexpected apocalypse, Amira and her friends found themselves trapped inside the border of Luzon, in which the virus was spreading rapidly. And in order to keep living, they needed to reach the capital of Luzon, an...
