RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN (Completed)

CHAPTER 50: NEVER STOP RUNNING

Chapter 50: Never Stop Running

My hearing must be impaired.

Tila nawalan ng ingay ang mundo and I see everything in a slow motion. I felt Megan and Trench tried to held me but my mind was hazy. Ilang beses lamang akong napakurap habang nakatingin sa kumpol ng mga tao. They slowly turn their heads towards our direction. Sumisigaw sila ngunit hindi ko marinig kung ano iyon dahil tila ayaw gumana ng mga senses ko. Even my brain was delaying everything until I felt Megan slapped my face.

Puto, napakalakas niyon kaya tila nagising ako.

And she’s crying. “Run Sunny. Run as fast as you can.”

Why?

Before I could ask what’s wrong with her, the fake astronauts grabbed us. Two held Trench, another two held Megan at dalawa rin ang kumaladkad sa akin. I thought we’re heading back inside the laboratory ngunit nagulat na lamang ako nang patungo sa harap ng mga tao ang direksyong tinatahak namin. Megan tried wriggling to break free ngunit hindi man lamang natinag ang mga fake astronaut. On the other hand, Trench was too weak to resist samantalang tila muling naging delay ang pagfunction ng bawat bahagi ng katawan ko.

It’s so hard for me to process the situation right now.

But thankfully, my hearing seems fine dahil naririnig ko ang sigawan ng mga tao. They were raising their hands that were curled into fists. Their veins on their necks were visible as they keep shouting. The fake astronauts dragged us towards the stage kung saan nakatayo sa podium si Doctor Aaron.

“They’re here already,” wika ni Doctor Aaron na mas lalong nagpalakas sa sigawan ng mga tao. I never saw so much people like this. They all must be dying to buy products of P:RUM 2.0.

Pinuwesto kami ni Megan ng mga fake astronaut sa harap samantalang nasa tabi lamang si Trench. Megan was crying endlessly and I keep on thinking why.

“Which one do you think is best slaughtered first?” tanong ni Doctor Aaron. “Sunny or Megan?”

The crowd cheered for my name and Megan’s name at saka ko lamang naintindihan ng sitwasyon. Slaughtered. So that explains the long table, large chopping boards and butchering knives on the side.  There was a high stool above a rope hanging with a noose. Puno ng sigawan ang paligid and it just made Megan weep so hard samantalang hindi ko man lamang magawang magpatak ng kahit isang luha.

I want to cry but I cannot.

“Let me give you a little information about P:RUM 2.0,” Doctor Aaron said to the crowd. “Mas maganda, mas matalino, it’s more satisfying and nutritious. And among these two, Megan Galendez is the best.”

Pakiramdam ko ay si Poncio Pilato si Doctor Aaron samantalang si Megan naman si Barabas, while I am Jesus. Everyone was cheering for my name and it’s not something that makes me cry, it makes me so angry. They keep yelling to save the best for last.

I shivered in hatred and disgust. The people were wild. Do they know what they are yelling?

Hindi man lamang sumagi sa isipan ko ang eksenang ito. This feels so... impossible but here I am, standing in front of thousands of people as they cheered for my name. I always like attention. I like it when people cheer for me dahil hindi sa araw-araw ay nararanasan ko iyon.

I am Sunny Gallego. I am someone people will surely hate for my attitude and impulsiveness so I really like it when people root for me dahil hindi naman ako ka-cheer cheer. But I guess I’d rather remain on the dark side of the room, unable to be reached by the spotlight kaysa sa ganito. I didn’t want this.

I didn’t want people to cheer for my name this way. I am so disappointed on how things had turn ou to be. If feels like the previous miles we ran were all worthless. We break legs, we shed sweats but at the end of the lapse this is on the finish line.