VIEWPOINT

Chapter Sixteen

     People are running everywhere, scared, startled, worried and panicking. Something must have happened in the entrance. I hold Ria and we run as fast we could. I can see smoke from the entrance, judging from the color of the smoke, there is something burning in the entrance.

     We reach the entrance; I pull Ria behind the arc of the entrance to see if there are threats around. A vehicle is burning, and there are not more than seven bodies on the ground. Two of them have a familiar tattoo, the LPM. The PSS must be the cause of this.

     Where is he? I look everywhere; he must be armed with the Scoped M4A1 Assault Rifle with MK768 Grenade Launcher. He is out there somewhere, waiting to snipe someone. By this time, I conclude that I am not the target. I have shown myself for a long time but he didn’t fire. There is someone marked as their target. Who is it? Could it be Ria? I look at her, she is afraid; her face is the same from the day when she saw me shot Jeremy.

     I look at the far side, from the east, someone is calling for us. It is Sting. I go back to Ria and place my arm in her shoulder. We transfer from behind the arc into the vehicle for cover.

     “Let’s walk as fast as we can again. We are safe behind that building.” I say to Ria.

     “In a count of three, 1….2….3!”

     We leave the vehicle and we run as fast as we can. Ria is on my left, because judging from the path of the bullets that were fired earlier, the shooter must be from the right. As we get closer into the building, a shot is fired, I can hear it. It is not that far and it is not silenced. Shortly after that sound, the bullet finds its way into my shoulder. I fall down hard to the ground. Ria stops for a moment and looks back to me. Sting dashes to pull her and he is successful in dragging her back into cover.

     I’m hit. It hurts so much my tears are starting to fall. I’m bleeding very badly. I look into where Sting and Ria are. Ria is crying, and shouting but my ears can’t hear anything by this moment. Why did I get shot? There is only one conclusion, Ria is the target. Sting run towards me and drags me to cover as well. Ria’s tears, I can feel them dropping into my face. I feel weak; I am losing so much blood.

     “Go now! Leave me now.” I say

     Sting grabs Ria as a vehicle goes near them. Sting offers me his hand but I decline. There is no reason to betray the PSS, I am a PSS member and it so happens that their target is Ria. They must have known her relevance to the leader of the LPM and the LPM itself.

     I see the vehicle leave the area as fast as it can. I know that Ria is now in safe hands. I wonder if they will get me. There is no one around. Everyone run away from this area.

     I feel weak, any moment now and I think this is the end. I will lose my life now. What a tragic tale I have. Still I am glad, that it was me rather than Ria. This is much better. Unlike me, who is confused, unknowing and uncertain, Ria is so kind, friendly, happy, and passionate. She deserves to live in my stead. I’m sure the world will like at that way.

     So unfortunate, I still feel that I am incomplete. I only get to live for 4 years. There are so many things I need to learn, about my past, my frequent dream, my involvement with the PSS and my origin with the LPM. However, I must say that I am not really that incomplete. This university, the De La Salle University taught me many things. I get to learn about emotions even for a bit, Psychology, friendship, attachment, religion, and what it feels to be a student. I am glad that the boss enrolled me in this university. I am blacking out now. I look into the sky, I can see the airplanes and the clouds moving freely. My eyes feels like they are about to close. I stop struggling, I close my eyes and everything blacks out.