Cleopatra: The Zombie Slayer

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 10

BRIDGE

CLEOPATRA

"I WON'T CRY.." narinig kong saad ni Rhyder. He can cry however he wants. Someone just died.

Everyone is afraid of dying. Sa murang edad ay namulat na ako sa kaisipang iyan. However, certain circumstances push human beings beyond the boundary of their fears, that explains courageous and heroic acts. In this dying world, most people believe that death is the end and it is pretty much true for everyone, lahat ng pera, pag-aari at mahal sa buhay ay maiiwan lamang.

But I believe that with death, memories live on and lives are continually lived. The death of a hero means a new chance for hundreds and thousands of people to live. What lingers beyond death is what you have left in this world—memories, chances, lives and so on.

Lumaki akong iniidolo ang aking ama. Isa siyang heneral ng militar at nakamit niya ang titulong iyon dahil sa hindi na mabilang na buhay na kaniyang naisalba. I wanted to be like him someday. I wanted to live not solely for my purpose but I want to carry other's as well.

Then maybe I'll chose a death in exhange for millions of lives. Unlike my mother who locked herself in her laboratory that eventually turned into ashes due to an explosion. Ang tanging iniwan niya lang sa amin ay mga ala-ala, bitter ones that I only knew some of.

And as I've said, I aim for a meaningful death that could be of use to millions of people. That number is not a joke and my father doesn't want me to be a soldier even if I wanted to.

Kaya simula noong nagkamuwang ako ay humahawak na ako ng katana. Personally, I think of it as a beautiful act of rebellion against my father's wishes of me not becoming a soldier. He may transfer a rose on a beautiful pot but he can't stop it from growing thorns.

Amidst this zombie apocalypse shit, the most heroic act of all is probably dying as a human. You won't be one of the zombies who want to devour your comrades, it will also spare them from the pain of killing a comrade who turned into a zombie and most of all, you retain your dignity as a human being.

Miss Erin, you are a hero.

Nakita kong naglahad si Forseti ng panyo sa aking harapan dahil muli na namang may pumatak na butil ng luha mula sa mata ko.

"I'm sorry, my tears won't stop falling.." tumigil ako sa pagsasalita dahil pakiramdam ko ay pipiyok ako at iiyak ng malakas.

"It's okay to cry, baby.." hahagulhol na sana ako ngunit napatigil ako dahil sa sinabi niya.

"I can't, not yet. Natatakot ako na baka tuluyan akong bumigay. Lahat ng tapang na iniipon ko simula nang mangyari lahat ng ito, I don't want it to go to waste." sabi ko sa kaniya. Hinimas niya ang likod ko.

"You've always been a strong woman, and an expressive one. And you know that your tears are not your weakness—" hindi ko na siya pinatapos.

"Silly Forseti. Everyone is trying their best not to cry. And maybe I'll cry soon, just not now. Not now, when the world is falling apart.." sabi ko sa kaniya. I heard him heaved a sigh.

"Yeah, I guess me too." sabi niya rin. Napatingin tuloy ako sa kaniya. Just like me, he is a mess. His hair was disheveled, his eyes looked deprived of sleep and he still has bloodstains on his shirt and body.

Kinuha ko ang panyong inilahad niya kanina at binasa ito ng tubig mula sa bote ng tubig. Then I started wiping the bloodstains on his face. Zombie blood certainly.