OUTCAST (PUBLISHED)

43: WITCHING HOUR

As the serenity of the day cascade into the dawn of doom, the endless screams of despair echoed along with the loud growls and groans of the uninvited guests. The night whispered the cold, eerie wind, and the moon lying into the thin sheet of clouds in the horizon reflected the crimson leering eyes of the bozos.

“Cara, 9 o’clock west—Jesters!” I commanded through our earpiece. I frustratingly bit my lower lip and pulled Spencer down the roof’s RV, which made him stop shooting the boomers in front, “Let me do that.”

“No! You are so epal—” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when I positioned me in command of the machine gun. I pointed out the Molotov beside him, and with a grumpy face, he gave it to me. As I lit the Molotov, I immediately threw it in the crowd of boomers in front, “Epal, epal, palibhasa ninakaw ni Kuya Alex ‘yong katana n’ya. Palibhasa hindi siya pinayagan ni Kuya Peter lumabas. Palibhasa pinagtawanan siya nina Ate Cara at Ate Kelly.”

“There is a swarm of bozos in front, and all you did was shout how amazing you are. Ilang bala na ang naubos mo,” sambit ko habang binabaril ang mga bozos na hindi nahagip ng Molotov. Nang mapansin kong lalo siyang bumusangot ay hindi ko maiwasan ang maawa ng slight, “Open the back of the RV. Your father customized the RV yesterday and docked another machine gun at the back. Use it to help Peter and Kelly to drive away the Nighties in the West.”

Spencer grinned. And when he pressed the button to open the back door, another platform appeared with the new machine gun attached to it. Tuwang-tuwa siya na umupo sa built-in chair nito at tila akala mo’y hindi naming ikamamatay ang masugatan ng mga nakapaligid sa amin.

“Guys!” Tyler shouted. Nasa front seat s’ya at hinihintay ang komando upang makapunta na kami sa Alpheus City habang pinupuntirya niya gamit ang sniper ang mga bozos na may animal genes, “Tito Pierre just said that half of the Apostles are already in the Alpheus City. Kaunting tiis na lang.”


Nasa gitna kami ng Besodiah City at kami ang naging bait upang hindi matuon ang atensyon ng mga bozos sa nag-iisang ligtas na lagusan patungo sa Alpheus City. At oras na nawala ang scent ng Lycoris Albiflora ay ganoon kabilis ang naging pagsugod ng mga bozos, ang mga guwardya naman na nasa komando ni Ginoong Samuel ang nakikipaglaban upang ligtas na makatawid ang mga Apostles na hindi kayang makipaglaban dahil sa kakulangan ng mga armas.

“Shit! Amira, dodge!” I was flabbergasted. It was dim, and the light emitted by the moon wasn’t enough to light the entire city. Someone suddenly pulled me away from the roof, and the door used in the RV’s roof suddenly flew away.

“Hindi ko makita nang maayos.” Dahil sa masamang tingin sa akin ni Parker ay hindi ko maiwasan na mapabaling sa ibang direksyon. Buntong-hininga siyang umakyat sa bubong habang may dala-dalang LMG sa magkabilang kamay habang nakasukbit sa gilid n’ya ang baseball bat. Sumunod naman ako sa kanya at muling pumwesto sa machine gun.

“Here.” He handed me the night vision goggles, which I immediately wore. His attention was occupied by the bozos in my East, making me target the flock of bozos in the South.


“Fake mommy! Ang weak mo naman! Muntik ka pa maging headless ugly Amira!” Dinig kong sigaw ni Spencer. Tanginang bata ‘to. Nagsisisi na talaga akong pinakain ko siya ng isang dosena ng Hershey. Gusto ko lang naman maging active siya ngayong gabi e. “Amira! Ave Amira—”

“Tangina. Please manahimik ka na!”

“Gagalit, nilalambing lang naman kita, Fake Mommy!”

“Pwes! Ayoko ng lambing mo!”

Hindi na muli siyang umimik ngunit dinig na dinig ko ang hagalpak niyang pagtawa. Kagat-labi kong tiningnan ang mga fucking clown ngunit sobrang creepy talaga nila kaya’t bumaling na lamang ako sa ibang direksyon.