Glimpse Of The Apocalypse

Chapter 32: All Over Again

Nigel's POV

Wala akong ibang marinig kundi ang malakas at matinis na tunog na bumalot sa pandinig ko. Nakahiga lamang ako sa lupa, barely able to keep my consciousness as I tried to stop myself from fully being engulfed by darkness.

I couldn't make up of what was happening around me dahil bukod sa wala akong ibang marinig ay nababalot pa ng usok ang paligid ko kaya maslalong wala akong ideya sa kapaligiran ko.

si Russell. All I could think about was that moment at kahit ayoko mang alalahanin 'yon ay hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko dahil sa bawat segundong napapapikit ako ay mukha ng kaibigin ko ang nakatatak sa utak ko.

"Rus—sell!"

"Russell!"

It was like my life was flashing before my eyes. Like I'm actually about to die. Nakita ko 'yung sarili kong tinatawag ang kaibigan ko at muli kong narinig ang lahat ng mga salitang binitawan ko nung oras na 'yon.

"Guys, Tulong! Hindi ko mahila 'to!"

But it was like time stopped the moment he dropped his next words.

"Nakagat ako.."

"Bitawan mo 'ko, Nigel."

I hate it. I hate how I wasn't able to do anything. How I didn't even notice that he got bitten. How I let him just fall into his own death. Kaibigan nya ako pero wala akong nagawa. But what could I even do? And most of all, I hate how I'm recalling this memory right now.

"Ni—gel!"

Hindi ko napansin ang luhang unti-unti na palang namuo sa mata ko. Hindi ko napansin ang maya mayang walang tigil na pag-tulo nito.

"Nigel!"

The memory from that moment stopped and I was left with a blurry vision dahil sa mga luha ko and for some odd reason, I heard my name being called. It was a familiar voice that kept repeating again and again until I felt someone shaking my whole body, as if to get my attention. Non ko lang napansin na someone was towering over me despite my line of sight not being clear, I could see the shadow of someone's face.

"Nigel!"

Then the voice called out again and I snapped out of it. Ilang beses kong pinikit-pikit ang mata ko at kinusot ito para umayos ito. Nag-aalalang mukha agad ni Eya ang sumalubong sakin ng muli akong mamulat at non ko napagtanto na sya pala ang kanina pang pilit na gumigising sa kin.

"Kailangan mong umalis! Nigel!" Sambit pa nito sa akin at sinubukan akong pwersahang itayo. But after staring at her and hearing her out, instead of moving, I stayed still. I stared past her face and unto the barely visible sky, mostly covered with the smoke that surrounded us.

Wala na akong energy na bumangon at muli na namang tumakbo. What's the point, anyway? Panay nalang ang pag-takbo namin kung saan-saan, to the point na lagi nalang kameng nagkakahiwalay lahat at naliligaw pa. Sa pag-daan rin ng araw ay unti-unti lang kaming nababawasan so para saan pa ang ginagawa namin?

"Nigel! Please! Baka may—"

"Mamamatay rin naman tayong lahat. Bat pa tayo magpapakahirap sa pag-takbo."

Pero hindi sya tumigil, as if hindi manlang nya narinig 'yung mga salitang lumabas sa bibig ko. She continued shaking me, urging me to move but I simply couldn't get myself to. I, instead, blocked out the noise in my surroundings but that didn't last long as—

"Fuck!" Kasabay ng isang malakas na putok ng baril ay ang biglaang mura ng kaibigan kong si Eya. Dahil dito ay agarang nabalik ako sa reyalidad at inikot ang paningin ko para hanapin sya at makita ang malapit na zombie na sinusubukan nyang palayuin.

Without thinking, I moved up from the ground. Agad kong kinuha ang pinakamalapit na bagay na pwede kong gamitin bilang panlaban at hinampas iyon sa halimaw na nansubok lumapit.

But just as I looked at my friend, non ko lang napagtanto ang kalagayan nya. She was lying on the ground with one of her leg buried under many rubbles and debris, not allowing her to move.

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko, my thoughts run wild but I couldn't come up with a decision on what I should do. Basta lumapit nalang ako at nagsimulang pilitin alisin ang mga nakapatong sa binti nya.

"Nigel!—" She called out, but I was simply too focused on getting her free kaya hindi ko sya pinansin. My face would contort every now and then, struggling to lift the rubbles that covered her leg kaya I grabbed the first thing I could find that could help me with them. "Nigel! Take this gun!—"

"Shit!" Agad akong napaatras ng kaunti nang bigla nalang na may zombie na lumitaw at umatake sa akin. Thankfully, gamit 'yung pahabang metal na nakuha ko kanina ay nasaksak ko agad ito sa dibdib at agad na sinipa palayo bago muling nagpatuloy sa ginagawa ko, as if nothing happened at all.

"Take this gun, Nigel!"

I was struggling but I refused to stop. Unti-unti kong natatanggal 'yung mga durog na bato kaya patuloy lang ako sa ginagawa ko.

"Kunin mo nalang 'tong baril, Nigel! Para makaalis kana!—"

"Will you please shut up?!" Hindi ko napigilan ang galit sa kanya but I didn't spare her any look. Leaving is not an option so mas mabuting mag-focus ako dito.

Minutes have passed and I would end up having to stop removing the rubbles to fight off zombies every now and then but I didn't care, kahit napagod man ako until I was finally able to get Eya to stand up.

Nakita ko ang pagkagat nya sa labi nya at ang pagpikit ng mga mata nya sa oras na tulungan ko syang makatayo. She was in so much pain and blood kept oozing out of her wound on her leg that I had to cover with a piece of cloth. She didn't make any complaints but I would still continue to assure her that everything would be fine as we slowly walked together after taking the gun from her.

Soon enough, we managed to get back inside the building. But as we entered, we were greeted by more zombies, forcing us to move faster than before.

"Tangena! Wag kayong lalapit—" Out of panic, I used my gun more and more. Creating loud noises that only attracted more zombies kaya nang mapansin ko ito ay tinigil ko nalang ang ay resorted to using other weapons. Pinagtutusok ko nalang 'yung ibang nagtatangkang makalapit sa 'min gamit nung pahabang metal na ginamit ko kanina but unfortunately, they just kept coming.

"Nigel! Si Kavi! Kavi!—" Agad akong napalingon sa direksyong tinuro ni Eya sa may kaliwa kung saan merong pasilyong bumingad sa amin. Ang problema nga lang ay ang mga nag-hihintay na halimaw dito kaya imbes na makalapit sa isa pa naming kaibigan ay wala kaming choice na lumayo.

"Tumakbo na kayo!" Sigaw pa ni Kavi sa amin bago pumunta sa ibang direksyon. Pilit naming tumakbo ni Eya sa isang kwarto, medyo mabagal kami dahil nga sa nakaakbay pa sakin ang kaibigan ko at may sugat ang binti nya.

May isa pang kwarto na nakakonekta kaya hinayaan ko muna si Eya sa likod ng pinto at ako ang nag-check sa kabila para siguraduhing walang kung ano dito. Dahan-dahan pa ako nang buksan ito at tanging kalat na storage room lamang ang bumungad sa akin, I spotted another door leading out kaya agaran akong bumalik para kunin sana si Eya.

But then as I looked back, the door suddenly shut right on my face. Sinubukan kong buksan pa ito pero may nakaharang na sa pinto. Sunod non ay narinig ko ang boses ni Eya.

"I'm sorry, Nigel. I can't run, let alone walk properly. You have a better chance in escaping without me so don't ever look back, okay?"

"No, no.." Sunod-sunod kong sambit at agad na nagtungo sa kabilang pinto para sana lumabas at balikan ang kaibigan ko. But it was fucking locked from the outside. "Tangena! Fuck! No!"

"I'll hold off as much zombies as I can, alright?" Rinig ko pang sambit ng kaibigan ko sa kanilang kwarto and I couldn't help but recall that memory again. Mawawalan na naman ng isa.

Napaluhod nalang ako as the other room went silent. My thoughts ran wild, unable to do anything but listen as the silence didn't last long. Soon, the air was filled with the noise of my friend's cries yet I could only listen to it.

Wala na naman akong magawa. Anong klase akong kaibigan? There was nothing I could do but repeated the words under my breath, I felt like going crazy. What was the point of all this. Ako lang naman rin pala ang maiiwang mag-isa.

"I'm sorry, Eya. I'm sorry."