Glory and Gore (Completed)

Chapter 60

ACT 60: Fourth Round (Part 11)

BATTLE ROYALE (Part 11)

10 STUDENTS REMAINING...

BLAIR

Napagdesisyunan namin ni Maru na umakyat sa bubong ng isa sa mga bahay sa abandonadong nayon na 'to. It felt nice to be up here. Pinanood namin ang kulay asul na langit na unti-unting nagiging kulay kahel habang lumilipas ang oras.

I also thought that this will be a vantage point to see if someone's coming.

Naramdaman ko na lang na ipinatong ni Maru ang ulo niya sa balikat ko. Marahas siyang napabuga ng hangin.

"I wish we could just go back to Ellis," anas niya. "Gusto ko ng bumalik sa normal ang lahat."

Malungkot akong napangiti sa pahayag niyang 'yon. If I could go back, I would. Pero hindi na katulad ng dati ang lahat. Everything changed ever since our bus got into an accident. Our lives changed after that accident. Pero sigurado akong hindi roon nagsimula ang lahat. It all started the day I heard Mrs Chua talking to that hooded figure. I should've told Celaena everything. I should've told Sir Denver what I heard. Baka nakagawa siya ng paraan. Maybe we wouldn't be here today. Maybe we wouldn't be killing each other now.

Maybe...

Marami akong gustong ibahin sa mga nangyari sa nakaraan. If I only had the courage to tell all of my classmates what I had heard back then, hindi sana natuloy ang retreat namin. Wala sanang namatay. Hindi sana ito nangyari sa aming lahat. Ni hindi ko nga sigurado kung buhay pa ang ilan naming mga kaklase.

Somehow, I felt like it was all my fault.

Hindi ko namalayan ang pagbagsak ng mga luha sa mata ko. I tried to blink the tears away but I couldn't. Para iyong agos ng tubig sa ilog na tuloy-tuloy. Memories keeps on flashing before my eyes. Kung magagawa ko lang maibalik ang lahat, hindi kami makakarating dito.

I've killed as many people as every one here in this island. Ginawa ko iyon para manatiling buhay. Ginawa ko iyon para makarating sa puntong ito. I did it for Mama, for Noah, for every one I cared for. Pinangako ko sa sarili ko na I would survive long enough to see the end of this. At tutuparin ko ang pangakong iyon.

Umayos ng upo si Maru at pinulupot ang isa niyang kamay sa balikat ko. I let myself fall in his arms. It brought a familiar warmth. Somehow, I feel like I'm home. A strange thing to say pero iyon ang nararamdaman ko sa mga oras na 'to. I realized I was sobbing.

"Shh, I'm here, Blair. Tahan na," Maru whispered.

He gently brushed my arms, trying to calm me. I'm thankful that he's still here. That he's here with me—alive. Nagdala iyon ng pag-asa na baka magawa naming makaalis sa islang ito ng buhay.

Naputol ang paghikbi ko nang biglang umalingawngaw ang isang malakas na sirena na nanggaling sa langit. Bigla ay lumakas ang ihip ng hangin. The trees around us started swaying. Hanggang sa tuluyan ng lumakas ang paghampas ng hangin. Nang magtaas ako ng tingin, there was a disk shape looming above us. May nakakasilaw na ilaw na nagmumula roon. I realized it was a hovercraft.

Naramdaman ko ang mahigpit na paghawak ni Maru sa kamay ko.

Sunod naming narinig ay ang pamilyar na boses ng babae.

"Congratulations to our top ten champions!" her voice echoed throughout the island. "You have survived the fourth round. Don't worry, this is the end of this round. Kindly go inside the hovercraft so that you will be taken care of. Congratulations, once again, champions!"

Dahan-dahang bumaba ang hovercraft, a few feet away from us.

Bumaling ako kay Maru. Nakakunot lang ang kanyang noo habang pinagmamasdan ang hovercraft na bumaba di-kalayuan sa puwesto namin.

"Do you think it's safe?" I asked him.

"I think so. Tara," he simply said.

Tinulungan niya akong makababa mula sa bubong. There was a hissing sound when the doors of the hovercraft slid open. May puting usok na nagmumula sa loob niyon. A group of men in red robes walked toward us. Nanatili lang kaming nakatayo roon.

Is this it? I wanted to ask aloud.

Iginiya lang kami ng mga indibidwal na nakaroba papasok sa hovercraft. We walked up the steel staircase and entered the huge door of the hovercraft. We were greeted by the cold temperature inside. Tanging puti lang ang nakikita ko. Nakakasilaw ang mga ilaw na nasa itaas.

I had to squint my eyes to adjust from the brightness.

"We will be injecting you with a vial to help you sleep. Rest assured..." naramdaman ko na lang ang pagbaon ng karayom sa leeg ko. I turned my head to see if Maru was still behind me. His body was already sprawled to the ground. Sinubukan kong pumiksi sa pagkakahawak ng mga nilalang sa braso ko pero wala akong sapat na lakas. Unti-unting nanghihina ang katawan ko. Hanggang sa bumibigat na ang talukap ng mga mata ko.

The world was a blur. Random images seemed to float inside my head, as though they were being blown away before my eyes.

"... that you will be safe with us. Sweet dreams, champions. You'll need it for the last round."

Natatakot akong ipikit ang mga mata ko. But my eyelids closed anyways. Hindi ko na nalabanan ang antok na bumabalot sa sistema ko.

I finally closed my eyes, letting the darkness take over my vision.