We didn’t struggle that much while we are on our way to the mall. It was a joyful ride, especially that we didn’t draw any attention. Mas marami ang mga Bozos sa daan kaysa sa university, but we are able to hide under the shades of the houses and infrastructures.
Now, I am waiting for Parker to come back. Parker left inside me in the security booth of the mall. The outside of the mall was full of Bozos; they were more than I anticipated. I was expecting that they are roaming inside the mall and not outside.
I am praying for his safety lalo na’t tanging isang baseball bat lamang ang kasangga niya ngayon.
Hindi ganoong nagmamasid ang mga Bozos sa paligid. It feels like their mind is switch on the way the act, unlike the one I’ve met earlier— the one with wits.
“Hey...” I heard someone whispered. I looked at the door and saw Parker crawling at the ground.
I lowered my body habang papunta sa kanya, “Nakahanap ka ba ng entrance?” I asked.
He nodded and asked me to follow him. Para kaming mga tanga sa ginagawa naming pag gapang sa kalsada pero wala namang makakakita sa amin bukod na lamang kung makikita kami ng mga bobong Bozos na ‘to.
The sun is up, and its rays are somehow burning my skin. Nainit na rin ang kalsada at medyo nakakapaso ito sa balat lalo na’t nakapalda lamang ako.
And when we’ve arrived at the side of the mall. There was a steel ladder attached to an open window, “Someone might be at the mall,” Parker whispered as he pulled me.
“Mauuna ako?” I asked.
He nodded, and I can’t help but to squint my eyes, “Do you want to get eaten first? Hindi kita sisilipin. Cheerleaders aren’t my type,” he bluntly said.
I rolled my eyes saka ako nauna sa hagdan. Bawat ko hakbang ko ay dahan-dahan, at nang makarating ako sa gitna ay sumunod na rin siya. I was about to reach the end when I burned my hand at the sudden heat of the steel ladder.
I winced in pain, and I unconsciously screamed. Bukod do’n ay natapakan ko ang mukha ni Parker.
Huhu. Sorry po!
“Fuck! Bilisan mo umakyat!” He shouted.
I was the one who attracted the Bozos, and now they are growling and running towards our direction. Nang makaakyat ako ay kitang-kita ko kung paano sipain ni Parker ang ibang Bozos habang umaakyat s’ya. I helped him by throwing my black shoes and some of my cute stuff.
At nang makaakyat s’ya ay agad niya tinulak ang hagdan saka mabilis na sinarado ang bintana.
I looked at the Bozos, and just like I thought, they are goners. “Hey,” I called Parker. I pointed the Bozos and then to my temple; after that was an ‘X’ sign using my fingers.
“Ah, like you?” He asked.
“Ah, hayop,”
He turned his back on me, and I followed him. The eeriness can be felt in the mall, emitting an ambiance that something is off in this place.
We are being cautious. Pero kahit isang Bozo ay wala kaming makita. Dapat ay dito sila gumagala sa loob at hindi sa labas, at isa pa’y malakas ang ingay na ginawa namin kaya dapat ay may mga humahabol sa amin.
Luckily, we are on the second floor of the mall. The appliances, supermarket, hardware shops, and boutiques are located here—Samantalang sa ibaba naman ng mall ang mga pasyalan at kainan.
“Guns first, okay?” Parker whispered, and I nodded.
Napagpasyahan namin na pumunta sa hunting shop, nasa dulong bahagi iyon ng second floor dahil iniiwas ito sa publiko, at tanging mga pribadong hunter lamang na may lisensiya ang nakakakuha ng mga gamit do’n.
At nang makarating kami ni Parker sa hunting shop ay halos manlambot kami sa aming nakita. Walang kahit anong baril ang natira ro’n. At ang tanging mga naka-display ay mga hunting knife na lamang.
“Fucking jinx,” He whispered.
Even without any guns left, we decided to roamed the shop to get supplies that we might need, such as a bulletproof vest that is thick enough to protect us from any Bozo bite in our abdomen. Mayroon din naman na iba’t-ibang makakapal na proteksyon para sa aming braso at kamay maging sa aming binti ang kinuha namin.
Nakakita rin kami ng medical supplies na aming kinuha for emergency purposes. As I was roaming around, I noticed something different about the wall. A part of the wall has a brighter pigment of red, unlike the others, and when I pressed it— the wall slid sidewards.
There was another room full of weapons. But again, there are no guns left. The set of new weapons in our sight was way different from the modern hunters’ weapon— A lot of katanas, bow and arrows, and axe were displayed.
“Puta. Swerte pa rin pala,” He exclaimed. Sa sobrang excited n’ya ay mas nauna pa siya sa akin pumasok sa loob. Hoy, ako ang nagbukas at unang nakakita!
“So, what will you get?” I asked.
I wryly smiled when he decided to pick everything like he has ten hands or something. My eyes laid on a specific weapon, and such wicked memories began to flashback in my mind.
“You are one of us, Amira. It runs on our veins; it runs on you, too,”
“—bitch! Bitch!” I suddenly back-off when I saw Parker’s face inches away from me. He was quizzically looking at me. Samantalang ako’y tagos lamang ang tingin sa kanya dahil sa likuran niya ay nakahanda na ang mga weapons na dadalhin namin, “You’re sweating,” he stated.
“Ang banas kasi...” I lied and avoided his gaze.
“The electricity aren’t out, and the air conditioner is still running,” He bluntly said. Nagulat ako nang nilagpasan niya ako habang pasan-pasan ang mga kagamitan na nakuha niya, “Let’s go, magpapalit ka pa ‘di ba?”
Bigla na lamang ako napalunok dahil may napansin akong kakaiba sa boses ni Parker. I just don’t know what it is. I silently walked behind him, and when we arrived at a boutique ay agad akong nagpalit ng cargo pants, boots at leather jacket.
At pagpalabas ko sa fitting room ay halos lumuwa na ang mata ko dahil parehas kami ni Parker ng outfit. Putangina, goals.
Hindi ko na rin siya tinitigan ng matagal dahil baka matunaw pa s’ya. Nilibang ko ang sarili ko sa pangunguha ng damit, at iba pang gamit panglinis sa katawan hanggang sa mapagod ako.
“Hindi ka ba nagtatakha? Walang Bozos dito,” I said. Kanina pa kasi talaga ako nagtatakha na walang gustong lumapa sa amin, well in fact, medyo maingay ang dala ni Parker.
“Nagtatakha,”
“Pero need pa rin natin maging alerto,”
“Okay,”
I squinted my eyes at him. Wala siyang kwenta kausap. Nag-oopen na nga ako ng topic, ayaw mo pa?
“Do we have a problem?” I asked, and he just shrugged.
I decided to keep quiet dahil para rin naman akong walang kausap sa inaasta niya. We arrived at the supermarket, and it feels like heaven. Everything we need is right in front of us.
Kumuha kami ng tig-isang pushcart at doon nilagay ang mga gamit namin. At habang papunta kami sa part kung saan nakadisplay ang mga higaan ay kumuha na rin kami ng mga pagkain at inumin.
We both stopped walking when we heard noises nearby. It wasn’t growls or any noises made by the Bozos. It was an OST song of an anime, and someone was humming it.
Parker gestured me to saunter, and when we did. With the speed of light, we somehow arrived at our destination. My eyes were nearly pop-up from what I was seeing.
Nagpalitan pa kami ni Parker ng tingin dahil hindi namin inaasahan ang makikita namin.
A teenage boy was having the best time of his life while watching an anime on a soft fluffy bed while eating popcorn.
#
BINABASA MO ANG
OUTCAST (PUBLISHED)
Science FictionPUBLISHED UNDER IMMAC PPH After an unexpected apocalypse, Amira and her friends found themselves trapped inside the border of Luzon, in which the virus was spreading rapidly. And in order to keep living, they needed to reach the capital of Luzon, an...
