Saving Humanity

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Terrors of the Night, Part Three

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Terrors of the Night, Part Three

Felicity

Nanlambot ang mga tuhod ko, at kaagad akong napahawak sa pader upang suportahan ang bigat ng aking katawan.

Tony's neck is slashed from ear to ear. It is a gruesome scene, but I find myself unable to look away. I want to, I really do. This scene is nothing new to me. Pero iba ang pakiramdam kapag kakilala mo ang nakita mo sa ganitong kalagayan.

Huminga ako nang malalim at pilit kong inialis ang tingin ko sa mga mata ni Tony na tila nakatitig rin sa akin. Tinakpan ko ang aking bibig upang pigilan ang sarili ko sa pag-iyak. Hindi ako pwedeng magpakain sa panic. Kailangan kong mahanap ang mga kasama ko at ipaalam sa kanila ang mga sinabi sa akin ni Edward.

I hope I'm not too late.

Tumingin ako sa paligid, pinakikiramdaman kung nasaan si Edward. The entire house is eerily quiet, devoid of the noises that usually fill it. Malakas ang kutob ko sa mga nangyari habang nakakulong ako sa basement, ngunit ayoko munang isipin iyon hangga't hindi ko nahahanap ang mga kasama ko.

Dahan-dahan akong naglakad papalayo sa bangkay ni Tony, papunta sa kusina. Doon ay tumambad sa akin ang isa pang katawan na tiyak kong wala na ring buhay.

Sa umpisa ay muntik na akong mapasigaw dahil akala ko ay si Pauline ang babaeng nakahiga sa sahig. Her face is smashed in, as if bashed by a heavy, solid object. The entire kitchen looks like a massacre--the walls are painted red with blood, and there are bits of brains scattered across the floor. Basag-basag ang mga plato at nagkalat ang mga iba pang gamit, simbolo nanlaban ang babae bago ito tuluyang napatay.

I know I shouldn't feel relieved, since I already saw two dead bodies. Pero nang makita ko ang wedding ring na nakasuot sa kanang kamay ng babae, hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko na huminga nang maluwag.

Hindi siya si Pauline.

She's Tony's wife.

With my stomach churning, I decided to leave the place and go upstairs to look for my companions, when something stops me from my tracks.

Hindi ko iyon napansin kanina, dahil masyadong naka-focus ang atensyon ko sa asawa ni Tony.

There, underneath the table, lies a little boy. His sightless eyes are wide-open, his mouth poised in a silent scream. His stomach had been torn open, intestines like ropes coming out of it.

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko. Both of my hands fly towards my own stomach as I vomit everything I ate for the entire day.

Hindi ako makapaniwala. Napakaraming tanong ang tumatakbo sa isip ko. Bakit ginawa ito ni Edward? Paano kinaya ng sikmura niya na pumatay ng mga inosenteng tao?

Milo... He was just a kid.

Nagsimulang tumulo ang mga luha ko. Gusto kong sampalin ang sarili ko. Gusto kong magising mula sa masamang panaginip na ito. Because this is just what it is, right? A long and terrifying nightmare. Surely, I will soon wake up from this.

Huminga ako nang malalim. With my jumbled thoughts, a sentence keeps on playing inside my mind. The same sentence Ian had told me the first night after Jared and Holly were captured.

Everything will be okay.

But, right now, everything is a mess. How the hell would it be okay?

My knees finally buckle, my entire body sliding down the floor. Halos hindi ko na naramdaman ang sakit nang tumama ang puwet ko sa sahig. Mas matindi ang sakit na namumutawi sa dibdib ko.

But, slowly, without me realizing it, my lips had started to move. It wasn't long until I realize that the sentence isn't just playing inside my mind anymore.

It is coming out of my mouth, word by word. Like a mantra tethering me to my own sanity.

Unti-unti, ang takot, lungkot at pagtataka na nararamdaman ko ay napalitan ng matinding galit. Galit na nakadirekta sa sitwasyon ko ngayon, at sa mga nilalang na naglagay sa akin dito.

Matinding galit para kay Edward.

Almost instantly, my tears dry up. My body stops shaking, and I'm able to pull myself up from the floor with ease.

Muli kong ibinaling ang tingin ko kay Milo. As soon as my gaze lands on him, my emotion rises up again, threatening to overpower me. But I swallow hard and turn my gaze to Tony wife's, and then finally, to Tony.

Doon ko napansin ang revolver na nasa kanyang kamay. I slowly walk towards him, carefully prying the weapon off his fingers. All six bullets are still loaded. Edward didn't even give him the chance to defend himself. I bet he killed him while his back was turned, like the coward he is.

My chest feels like it's on fire. I am no longer scared anymore. I'm going to find that asshole and make him pay for what he did.

*****

I found him inside Dr. Roberto's bedroom. He can't see me from where I'm standing, because his back is facing the door. Dr. Roberto, on the other hand, immediately saw me. It's a good thing that his facial expression didn't change upon spotting me.

May sinasabi sa kanya si Edward, marahil ay tungkol sa mga plano ng extra-terrestrial beings. Hindi ko siya masyadong marinig dahil masyadong mahina ang boses niya.

It doesn't matter, anyway. Wala na akong pakialam sa kung ano mang sasabihin niya. He deserves to die.

Itinutok ko ang revolver sa likod niya. After a split-second, I decide to aim at the back of his head instead.

I'm not an expert shooter. But my hands are steady than they ever were before, and my focus is clear. I'm going to blow his fucking brains out.

I lift one of my fingers, placing it just above the trigger. I take a deep breath.

Then I squeeze.

But at the same time, a child's voice ricochets at the hallway to my right.

"Ate Felicity!"

My concentration falters. My hands shake, disrupting my aim. Instead of his head, the bullet embeds itself in Edward's right shoulder.

He screams in pain, turning around to see me standing by the doorway, revolver in hand. Naramdaman ko ang pagyakap ni Myla sa bewang ko.

"Ate Felicity," sambit niya, nanginginig ang boses at may luha sa mga mata.

Muli kong ibinaling ang tingin ko kay Edward. Akmang maglalakad siya papalapit sa amin pero itinutok ko ang baril sa kanya.

"Huwag kang gagalaw!" sigaw ko. Nanlilisik ang mga mata kong nakatitig sa kanya. "One more step, and I'll blow your fucking brains out."

I'm surprised at how steady my voice it. I feel fully-in control, as if I could actually get myself out of this situation unscathed.

Tumingin si Edward kay Myla na kasalukuyang umiiyak. Binigyan niya ito ng isang ngiti.

"Kanina pa kita hinahanap," kalmado ngunit puno ng pagbabantang sambit niya. "Napakagaling mong magtago. Mas magaling ka pa sa kapatid mo."

"Takpan mo ang mga tenga mo, Myla," utos ko. Sumunod naman ang bata sa akin.

Edward lets out a low chuckle. Then he slowly lifts his gaze towards me. He has his left hand holding the wound on his right shoulder.

"Nasaan ang mga kasama ko?" I ask him, my voice full of menace. "Anong ginawa mo sa kanila?"

"Relax," nakangiti niyang sagot. "Wala akong ginagawang masama sa kanila. Gaya nga ng sinabi ko, importante kayo sa amin. Hindi ko kayo pwedeng patayin basta-basta."

"Nasaan sila?" I repeat, ignoring him.

He flashes his sinister smile. "Why don't you come over here so I could tell you?"

As soon as he said those words, Dr. Roberto moves from his position at his back. Dinampot niya ang isang vase at akmang gagamitin iyon upang hampasin sa ulo si Edward.

But Edward is faster. In a split-second, he manages to turn around and slash his knife across Dr. Roberto's exposed throat.