The swarm of bozos isn’t boomers, but they look all simple-minded even though they are different from the boomers. Some of them have tentacles while the others have paws, and because of that, one thing is for sure, the bozos on the entire 14th floor contain the genetics of animals within them.

As I remained still in my position, a group of bozos with the genetics of dogs march in my direction. I can feel my sweat dripping from my forehead, and even though I wanted to cut through their throat, I can’t do that. The bozos are so many that they occupied the entire 14th floor.

Ang isa sa kanila ay inamoy-amoy ako dahilan upang mas lalo akong mabato sa aking puwesto habang pinipigilan ang gumawa ng kahit anong ingay. Tiyak ako na kahit isang kaluskos lamang ang magawa ko ay lalantakan nila ako.

Lalo itong lumapit sa akin, ang mga balahibong tumubo sa kanyang mukha ay kinikiliti ako. Kung tutuusin kaya kong patayin ang mga bozos sa harap ko ngunit inaalala ko ang mga nakapaligid sa buong palapag. Masyado silang madami at wala na sina Cara upang tulungan ako.

“Moron, moron.” A voice echoed from the speakers attached to the corner of the hallway. The bozos’ attention was drawn to the voice that they somehow forgotten about my existence.

I heaved a sigh and was about to step back when one of them turned around and leered at me. He howls like a wolf and jolted in my direction. And with that, I immediately unsheathe the katana and cut off its head.

Halos mapamura ako nang dahan-dahan itong bumalik sa dati. Nang tinusok ko ang katana sa dibdib nito saka ito hiniwa pataas ay muli itong bumalik sa dati. Hanggang sa may humigit ng braso ko at inagaw ang katana sa kamay ko.

Masyadong naging mabilis ang nangyari dahil natalsikan na lamang bigla ang damit ko ng mga dugo at isang pares ng mabalahibong kamay. Nang mawala ang ingay mula sa speaker ay nanumbalik ang atensyon ng mga bozos sa paligid sa direksyon ko hanggang sa mabilis silang nag-martsa papunta sa akin.

Hinigit na lamang ako bigla ng lalaki hanggang sa makalagpas kami sa linya na nasa pinakamalaking hakbang ng hagdan. Ilang beses pa akong kumurap nang pansin kong hindi lumalagpas ang mga bozos sa linya.

“What the hell...” I mumbled.

They were acting like something is off in my side. I tried to wave my hand, but they became reluctant, and they decided to come back upstairs.

“What was that?” I asked the man.

He was brooding at me and then marched back to the 12th floor, making me follow him. And because the lights are now switched on, I can clearly see his face. He kind of resembles someone, but I can’t determine who.

“Hey—”

“Shut up, thief.” He glared. He forcefully handed the katana and pulled a pack of wipes in his pocket, and sanitize his hands.

“Sagutin mo muna ‘yong tanong ko then after that I will shut up.”

“Hmm?”

“What was that? What happened earlier?”

He lazily turned his head and faced me, “You already stole Dr. Ramirez’s files and deleted their entire research, and you still have the nerve to ask that question.” I quizzically looked at him, and I didn’t even read any of those files. All I have seen was the photo.

“For your information, I am not the one who stole and erased his files.”

I gulped when he suddenly march towards me, making me step back with every step he takes until I was cornered. He suddenly pinned me in the wall and smirked.

“So, who stole it?”

“His daughter,” I answered.

“Which one?”

“Ugh, the cheerleader?”

He nodded, and then he started to walk again, “The computer geek, huh?”

I silently followed him when I suddenly heard a rattling from the outside, making me pull his shirt and gesturing him to stop and listen carefully.

Hindi ko alam kung mapagtitiwalaan ko s’ya ngunit wala akong masasandalan ngayon kung hindi siya. I might as well keep him cautious and safe, especially that I know he somehow knows who Cara was.

He hushed me and inspected my back, “The infected ones shouldn’t be able to come to this floor,” he mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“From the first floor up to the 12th floor was sanitized with Lycoris Albiflora,” he answered. I quizzically looked at him and realized that Lycoris Radiata is the main ingredient that turns people into bozos. On the contrary, the bozos are afraid of Lycoris Albiflora, which is known as the white spider lily.

“Then, the white spider lily is the antidote?”

“We already tried injecting its formula to an infected one, but the host just exploded. But when we used it to sanitize the entire Gethsemane, it actually works.”

“Baka may mali kayong nagawa?”

Saglit niya akong pinagmasdan na tila pinapahayag niyang obvious naman na may mali silang nagawa, “Kaya nga bumalik kami sa Gethsemane para kuhanin ang files nina Dr. Ramirez tungkol sa formula at study ng Lycoris Radiata kaso nga lang may nauna sa amin. Mga feeling doctor amputa,”

Awtomatiko akong napangiwi nang pinaringgan n’ya ako at kasabay nito ang biglaang pagkabasag ng salamin sa aking likuran.

Agad naman niya akong hinigit upang makatakbo kami parehas at habang tumatakbo kami palayo ay hindi ko naiwasan ang hindi lingunin ang natatanging bozos na nakatapak sa palapag na ito.

The bozos’ body has the genes of an octopus, and its arms and legs were transformed into tentacles. Its face is also unrecognizable because the shape of its head was already turned into that of an octopus and the human part left was its abdomen.

The sanitized floor was sizzling its foot, and the bozos was screeching and screaming in pain as it follows us.

Mabilis naming sinara ang pinto ng kuwarto kung nasaan kami nanggaling nina Cara kanina. Tumakbo ang kasama ko sa direksyon kung nasaan ang vent ngunit masyadong mabilis ang bozos na sumusunod sa amin dahilan upang masira ang pinto dahil sa malakas na pwersa nito.

“Open the vent! I will buy some time,” I commanded, and when he nodded, I immediately ready the katana and cut through its tentacle, but it was restored quickly.

The tentacle strike on my left side, making me jump off the other side, but it made contact with the bookshelves which the books fell.

And before the bookshelf beside me fell, I used it as a trampoline in order to land an attack on the hybrid bozos.

“Nasaan ang heart ng octopus? Hindi tentacles ang weakness n’ya e,”

“In between the gonad and the kidney!”

“How the fuck would I know where the fucking kidney and the gonad is?!”

“At the back, moron!” See? Napakadaling sagutin lang ng tanong ko may pa-gonad pa amputa, hindi na lang direstong sagot.

Nang mapalapag ako sa gilid nito ay agad akong yumuko dahil sa mga atake nito. Pansin ko rin na hindi nag-reregenerate ang tentacles n’ya sa paanan, siguro ay dahil iyon sa Lycoris Albiflora at siguro nga ay may mali lamang sila sa formula o kulang dahil gumagana naman ito externally sa mga bozos.

But I can really feel that something is off. It feels like this bozos wasn’t aware of the Lycoris Albiflora formula lingering in this section of the hospital, it was acting unknowledgeable, unlike the other bozos with the genes of animals within them.

And when I strike to its head, the katana just sink to it without any damage, and I cannot even lift it, making the bozos land an attack on me which I failed to avoid.

“Fucking hell...”

Para akong papel na bigla na lamang lumipad sa ere, nang tumama ang likod ko sa pader ay impit na lamang akong napasigaw ngunit hindi ro’n natapos ang kalbaryo ko, ang isa sa mga bookshelves ay natumba sa akin dahilan upang maipit ang binti ko. Ang mga bookshelves ay gawa sa kahoy na kahit anong tulak ko rito ay tanging ako lamang ang nasasaktan.

Kagat-labi kong dinama ang sakit sa aking katawan, nang may marinig akong putok ng baril ay agad akong naging alerto sa aking paligid. Nakita ko na papalapit sa akin ang bozos ngunit napatigil ito bigla.

“Huwag kang gumalaw. Stay still,” bulong sa akin ng kasama ko. Nakita ko ang pagkuha niya ng bala sa kanyang bulsa saka iyon nilagay sa baril.

At nang hinigit niya ang gatilyo nito, ang bala na lumipad sa ere ay mabilis na tumama sa isang kaliwang tentacle ng bozos. Isang impit at malakas na sigaw ang pinakawalan ng bozos at tila naging tuliro ito dahil kahit saang anggulo ko tingnan ay hindi nag-reregenerate ang parteng iyon.

Nalaglag ang katana sa pagkakabaon nito sa ulo ng bozos dahil sa paglikot nito, saglit akong nilingon ng kasama ko bago ito nagpadulas sa sahig upang makalapit sa bozos at makuha ang katana. At saka niya sinipa ang malagulay nitong mga paa upang matumba ito at mabilis siyang nakabalil sa aking harapan.

“This is yours, right?” He asked and handed the katana. I was looking at his pocket curiously that he got quickly, “These bullets are infused with Lycoris Albiflora formula.”

I was baffled when he opened one of them and pour to the katana’s blade, “In case of emergency—” my eyes widened when the only tentacle left in its arm acted like a whip and tackled him, making him fly away from me.

“Are you okay?!” I shouted. Fear began to devour me, and I can’t even lift my legs, meaning I won’t be able to avoid its attack.

All I’ve heard was my companion’s groan. And as I mightly held the katana, our enemy suddenly halted in front and somehow leveled my height. It wasn’t moving at all, making me use the chance to strike and slice through its head, but I was stunned when its tentacle suddenly caress my hair.

“A... mi... ra...”

Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero kusang tumulo ang mga luha ko. Garagal ang boses nito at tila nanghihina ito, hindi pamilyar ang boses ngunit pakiramdam ko ay kilala ko siya.

“A... mi... ra...”

“No... No way...” Para bang ayokong paniwalan ang sarili ko sa nag-iisang ideya na pumapasok sa isip, “No... Please don’t be Chi. Please...”

Dahan-dahan na kumubra ang isang ngiti sa kaniyang labi kasabay nito ang isang malamlam na paghagod sa aking buhok. Ang mga luha ko ay patuloy na umaagos na aking mga mata ngunit hindi ko pa rin matanggap ang nakikita ko.

“Please, Chi. Run away from me! Remove the katan—”

“No...”

Alam kong hindi n’ya magagawang mabuhay pa dahil katulad ng ginagawang pagtunay ng Lycoris Albiflora sa mga paa niya ay ganoon din ang nangyayari sa ulo n’ya, unti-unting natutunaw ang ulo niya dahil sa Lycoris Albiflora na mayroon sa katana at tiyak akong natamaan na nito ang puso niya.

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Chi...” I don’t even know how I should face Cara now. First, I stole her and Alex’s dream of them being together. And now, I even stole her sister from her.

“You didn’t... do anything... wrong...”

“I caused you thi—”

“Please... kill... me... I’m tired...” Tears kept on streaming down my cheeks. Even though I wanted it to stop, it just wouldn’t, “Ami... ra... Kill me,”

“I don’t want to, Chi... Please, run!”

“You have to kill me...”

She slowly closed her eyes, simply telling me how ready she is. I don’t even know what to do, I don’t want her to die, but I also know that this is her end. I slowly removed my grip on the katana and let it slid through her body.

“I’m the most horrible friend in the entire world...”

As her body leisurely vaporized, my tears continue to plummet into my cheeks until not a single flesh or strand of her hair was left.

#